First post so hope I'm doing this right. 8-handed 1/3 NL, Hero starting stack around $550, Villain is older regular, recently sat down and won a few pots, around $400.

H has AsTd UTG, standard raise to 10, a few callers, including V.

($40) KQTsss

Hero bets 30. V only caller.

($100) Turn 4h [some blank]

Hero bets 50. V calls.

($200) River 9s

Hero bets 100. V raises all-in for 200 more.

Does H get away from the ace-high flush with 4 to the straight flush on the board?

Yeah, it’s a pretty easy fold.

Similar situation would be if you held the Ks and the board was QsJs6sX3s, you bet and the opponent raises. They always have the As in that scenario.

Similarly, the opponent always has the Js in this scenario.

It’s just too hard for the opponent to pick a bluff to use when there are 4 to a flush on board. Doesn’t matter if the nut card is the Js or the As. You’re just as likely to hold the nut card as the opponent, so a bluff with air by the opponent seems unlikely. These spots with 4-to-a-flush on board are just underbluffed by population as a rule.

Yup, easy fold. I don’t even like the river lead. That a terrible card for you. What will possibly call a bet on the river?

I fold preflop. If we're an inexperienced / losing player / etc. I think this is a slam dunk fold. The better we are the closer it is, but it is still a very meh hand in EP at a full table.

I think I'm either/or on the flop. While we should have decent equity, we shouldn't have any FE against better (and there is a pretty good chance someone in the world does have better). We'd rather not face a raise, and we're not really scared of giving a free card (as those who are behind are almost drawing dead). I think (?) the biggest argument for betting may be to grow the pot for when we hit, but we also might not have as many outs as we think we do (and could get ourselves into stoopid spots in a big pot when we hit one of our poor outs). I think I prefer a check.

Similar thinking on the turn. I'm assuming we're betting as a semi-bluff to give ourselves a good price (as rarely is this going to be for value at this point)?

I probably bet way smaller on the river in an attempt to get paid off by two pear / straight / weak one card flush. I think it is a pretty easy fold to the raise because it is rare for two pears / straights / etc. to turn their hands into bluffs at this point (they'll just consider calling to see if they are good), and 8s- never raises with the obvious 2 better hands out there.

GcluelessNLnoobG

Agree with this on the river. Should have bet much smaller for value since there wasn't much value to be had.

The ace-high flush was effectively a bluff-catcher, but getting 25% pot odds the question is: are there enough bluffs? Sadly, probably not.

That's the problem: there really isn't any busted draws at all to bluff. The spade draw got there. The OESD Jx got there. At this point, he mostly should only have hands that have decent showdown value and most opponents rarely turn these hands into bluffs.

GcluelessNLnoobG