More Third Street Flush Drawing

A few weeks ago, we talked about drawing to third street flushes at low and medium limits of seven-card stud. I finished by saying that one of the last things I want to do in a seven-card stud game is to play my small flush draw against a big pair heads up. You wanted to hear more. OK, here's more.

Even if I win the hand, which I figure to do only about one in four or five tries in this situation, I won't make enough money with only one player putting in money against me to make up for the other times I put in my money and lose. It's a matter of drawing odds versus pot odds.

So the problem you face with the small three-flush in very early position is that you don't know how many people will call behind you, much less how many will raise. You lack information. Without information, you're guessing. And if you're guessing, you're gambling. The point of my teaching these and other poker concepts is to take the gamble out of your game.

Now let's suppose you have a non-quality three-flush containing just one big card in middle position, no one yet having called the bring-in bet. You call. The next player, showing a jack, raises. Everyone from there on, including the low card, folds. You now find yourself in the position of playing your drawing hand against what is probably a big pair. You are a decided underdog. Call or fold?

Conventional poker wisdom says that you can call such a raise only if your hand includes an ace. I modify that to say, you should have at least one overcard to the pair you figure your opponent raised with. In this scenario, your opponent most likely holds a pair of jacks. Your one big card is a hidden queen. A live queen. Call or fold?

Wait a minute. We haven't considered a raise. If your opponent is an aggressive "Fast Eddie" type, a reraise from you will probably bring another raise from him. And you certainly don't want to get into a raising war against what is probably, but not for certain, the best hand. So just call and take off a card.

If that queen, instead of being hidden, is your upcard and if your opponent is a player who is capable of throwing away a pair of jacks (thinking he has been reraised by a bigger pair or by trips that you slow-played the first time around), try the raise. If he calls, you're not in good shape, but you do have outs with your semi-bluff, (catching a queen or lengthening the flush).

I gotta go. My cat is hungry. We'll talk again.