Unlucky on the River or bad play?

[Marcus Acosta]

This is $200 max game blinds are $2 $3. I’ve been sitting at the table for about 45min. The table is very tight. Everyone is playing premium hands and folding to raises easy. I pick up 5c5h in the big blind($150 behind). It folds to the button who raises to $10($300 behind). I call and defend my blind. Flop comes Ad4hKh and I think for about 15sec and check. Button bets $10. I think for another 15sec and call. Turn 10h. I then lead out to $30 repressing the flush. Button calls. The river is 7s. I bet $65 and he take the about 30sec and makes the call. I announce one pair. He says no good and turns over As7c for two pair on the river. Was representing flush a good idea in the spot? I’ve been playing very tight and haven’t bluffed at all at this point. Please let me know! Thanks!

[Old Dog]

I think that the answer to your question depends on HOW tight villian/the table was playing, including you. If your image was squeaky tight and villian was also, then his flop lead is either an ace or a flush draw (or both). Your turn bet could be exactly what it was, a weak flush draw, a made flush, or maybe a better ace or trips. He improves on the river and loses only to your made flushes, A-K and A-10. He can reason away your made flushes because you didn’t bet the draw on the flop. Not reraising before the flop removes your trip aces or kings possibilities as well as A-K and maybe A-10, and trip fours should have bet the flop. Had you bet the flop, then your story on the turn of having a flush is more credible. He would also have to worry about trip fours. Because he is able to eliminate so many of the hands that beat him from your range and he improved on the river, I think you were destined to get called. Representing works better when you can have many different things to be villian, or when the one hand is much more likely than not, like four to the flush on board.
With looser play, all my reasoning goes out the window.

[Marcus Acosta]

Thanks! He was playing tight as well. Looking back with pocket 5s in the big blind I should have reraised. I’m still learning how to be a more aggressive player. I tend to play really tight till I double my stack then start to open up.

[Laurens]

I don’t agree with leading out a flush draw or even a King on this board when you are in the BB and first to act. If you are leading out so many hands your checking range will basically always have to fold to a C-bet. Only hand I can imagine ever leading out with is a weak ace without a heart in it, because that’s the only hand that is ahead of the BTN range enough and could use some protection ( against hearts, but also straight/2pair cards like Queen, Jack or 10). I wouldn’t have lead out on the turn, but tried to check raise, and if he called and the river bricked ( It looked like a brick, in the end it wasn’t but nothing you can do there) I would have bet the river, maybe even overbet it. your range is pretty capped however, and I don’t like the runout of this board to barrel on, since it looks more favourable for the BTN then for you.

[Author]

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