Hey guy, I played this hand w A6s from the big blind and I hit a board where I had the nut flush draw with and Ace on board. It goes 3 ways to the flop and I end up check raising the C-bettor to try and get more money in to build a bigger pot. Everyone then folds.

In hindsight, I felt I should have called the flop bet, to let the third player call. If either was drawing to a flush, ideally we would both make it. Or I should have check raised a smaller amount.

I'm just wondering if this is the correct way to view this hand, or if there is a more optimal way to play it? I just felt like I didn't get the value I could have in this situation. Please let me know if there is anything I am missing or that I should be focusing on here.

PokerStars - 50/100 Ante 12 NL - Holdem - 7 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4

Hero (BB): 96.81 BB
UTG: 124.06 BB
UTG+1: 107.73 BB
MP: 190.39 BB
CO: 75.91 BB
BTN: 223.91 BB
SB: 80.04 BB

7 players post ante of 0.12 BB, SB posts SB 0.5 BB, Hero posts BB 1 BB

Pre Flop: (pot: 2.34 BB) Hero has A 6

fold, fold, MP calls 1 BB, fold, BTN raises to 5 BB, fold, Hero calls 4 BB, MP calls 4 BB

Flop: (16.34 BB, 3 players) 3 9 A
Hero checks, MP checks, BTN bets 5.39 BB, Hero raises to 20 BB, fold, fold

Hero wins 27.12 BB

Raising is fine, I would probably call. The thing is, you are prob better off getting there before you put a lot of money in the pot. Right now you have a medium strength hand with top pair that likes to just call, and ofc you can call turns and perhaps the river and raise if you hit 2pr or a flush. It's not bad to raise flop it's just more polarising and if opponent continues he likely has you beat unless your hand inproves. Call makes more sense to me with the 6 kicker.

Ya I agree with you. The call would have been ideal.

Yeah, I'd be more inclined to raise / get it in if I had the other players in the hand covered. I think call is better in this situation because a raise likely just drives out the hands you want in (worse flush draws) and only keeps in made hands that are aces that outkick you or better.

I prefer to call to build the pot cheaply. MP may fold anyway but they might call last to act.

The other thing as was mentioned, is that raising won't likely get hands like AT+ to fold anyway because there is a flush draw out there. A7/A8 could fold but again probably won't and may not beat us anyway.