If I’m Going to Play Full Ring…

I need to learn to fold flushes. The games are less aggressive, so people are showing up with stronger hands when all the money goes in. Two examples:

Full Tilt Poker – No Limit Hold’em Cash Game – $5/$10 Blinds – 9 Players – (LegoPoker Hand History Converter)

SB: $844.00
BB: $957.00
UTG: $641.50
UTG+1: $985.00
MP1: $1,107.00
MP2: $1,241.00
MP3: $2,998.00
Hero (CO): $1,820.55
BTN: $700.00

Preflop: Hero is dealt 9 6 (9 Players)
UTG calls $10.00, 4 folds, Hero calls $10.00, BTN calls $10.00, SB calls $5.00, BB checks

Flop: ($50) 5 2 A (5 Players)
SB checks, BB checks, UTG checks, Hero bets $50.00, BTN calls $50.00, SB raises to $175.00, 2 folds, Hero raises all-in to $1,810.55, BTN folds, SB calls all-in for $659.00

Turn: ($1768) 5 (2 Players – 2 All-In)

River: ($1768) 4 (2 Players – 2 All-In)

Pot Size: $1,768.00 ($3 Rake)

SB had Q T (a flush, Ace high) and WON (+$921.00)
Hero had 9 6 (a flush, Ace high) and LOST (-$844.00)

This wasn’t isn’t too bad, because the guy is kind of short, but it is a limped pot. I honestly think I can just fold to the check-raise, as my hand has no chance of improving, and really what could the guy have?

Full Tilt Poker – No Limit Hold’em Cash Game – $5/$10 Blinds – 9 Players – (LegoPoker Hand History Converter)

SB: $971.25
BB: $2,754.15
UTG: $985.00
UTG+1: $946.75
MP1: $925.00
MP2: $354.00
MP3: $1,054.00
CO: $576.00
Hero (BTN): $1,901.50

Preflop: Hero is dealt 9 T (9 Players)
6 folds, Hero raises to $35.00, SB folds, BB calls $25.00

Flop: ($75) 6 4 2 (2 Players)
BB checks, Hero bets $66.00, BB raises to $150.00, Hero calls $84.00

Turn: ($375) 9 (2 Players)
BB bets $280.00, Hero raises to $1,016.00, BB raises all-in to $2,569.15, Hero calls all-in for $700.50

Pot Size: $3,808.00 ($3 Rake)

BB had A 7 (a flush, Ace high) and WON (+$1,903.50)
Hero had 9 T (a flush, Ten high) and LOST (-$1,901.50)

This one I definitely played badly. Raising the turn is really bad, especially with the deep effective stacks, and if anything I might even be able to fold the river after just calling the turn. But raising the turn is just going to fold out everything I beat except maybe worse flushes (and there aren’t many of those) and get shoved on by better hands.