Party Poker 3/6 Hold'em (9 handed)

Preflop: Hero is BB with , . MP3 posts a blind of $3.
UTG folds, UTG+1 calls, MP1 folds, MP2 folds, MP3 (poster) checks, CO folds, Button calls, SB completes, Hero checks.

Flop: (5 SB) , , (5 players)
SB checks, Hero checks, UTG+1 checks, MP3 checks, Button checks.

Turn: (2.50 BB) (5 players)
SB checks, Hero checks, UTG+1 checks, MP3 checks, Button bets, SB folds, Hero raises, UTG+1 folds, MP3 folds, Button 3-bets, Hero calls.

River: (8.50 BB) (2 players)
Hero checks, Button bets, Hero calls.

Final Pot: 10.50 BB

Results in white below:
Hero has Ks Th (one pair, kings).
Button has Qs Tc (straight, king high).
Outcome: Button wins 10.50 BB.

On flop I thought this was a good chance to trap someone, oops!
Just in general, is this type of play in this general situation, a leak in my game?
What would you have done?

Playing top pair/medium kicker out of position can be tricky. I think you should assume you are ahead here though, until someone gives you reason to believe otherwise. So bet out on that flop and see what happens.

When you check-raised the turn and got 3-bet, you can be pretty sure that top pair is no good. There's a possible straight on board, which the button doesn't seem to be afraid of. If the button had two pair he'd probably just call you down.

If you routinely try to trap people with a flop like that I think it will cost you. Your hand is just too vulnerable. Giving a free card might
- allow people to catch their straight, as in the hand
- allow a small pocket pair to hit a set
- allow a second pair such as A9 to hit a third 9
- allow an ace to make a higher pair.
Against four opponents in an unraised pot, the chance of one of those things happening is just too big. Any card 5-A, except for K of course, is potentially dangerous.
So, on the flop you should in general bet out.
If you're confident that someone else will bet the flop you could try a check-raise.
Turn play is fine, but the reraise means your two pair is probably no good against most players.

Pieter

Bet that flop everytime! You have a made hand (that is very vulnerable) and you want to punish draws. Never give a free card in that situation. His 3 bet on the turn screams QT unless he is absolutely horrible.

I posted it cause after going over my session, I know I played it wrong.

Normally I would bet out on that flop, but I fell prey to fancy play syndrome.
Just too many players in to try a check raise here w/ only TP, medium kicker.
I only called him down, cause I did have a str8 draw AND this guy was horrible.
Would have folded otherwise.

I do hereby swear that I wont try to trap w/o a strong hand into that many players.

Thanks guys.

If you are going to slow play against 4 players, make sure that you have a VERY BIG hand (trips doesn't qualify) on an uncoordinated board AND you are 95% certain that a player behind you will bet.

There is no reason to be fancy at lower limits. Most of these players are calling stations and you can easily make 4 or 5 BBs per 100 hands just playing smart, tight ABC poker.

Now, every once in awhile I'll find a good opportunity to slow play. Here is an example.

***** Hand History for Game 1228111203 *****
2/4 TEXASHTGAMETABLE (LIMIT)
Table Table 12487 (Real Money) -- Seat 4 is the button
Total number of players : 9
Seat 2: dourbird ( $91)
Seat 3: dennisrueben ( $49.5)
Seat 4: RIGGS34 ( $59)
Seat 5: waltflanigan ( $178)
Seat 6: dragnnet690 ( $40)
Seat 7: cragor ( $142)
Seat 8: HappyRaiser ( $111)
Seat 9: eagleye7 ( $84)
Seat 10: No_Limpin ( $194.5)
waltflanigan posts small blind (1)
dragnnet690 posts big blind (2)
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to No_Limpin [ Ad, As ]
cragor folds.
HappyRaiser folds.
eagleye7 folds.
No_Limpin raises (4) to 4
dourbird folds.
dennisrueben calls (4)--> poor LAG
RIGGS34 folds.
waltflanigan raises (5) to 6 --> okay player, I put him on AK, KK or QQ
dragnnet690 folds.
No_Limpin raises (4) to 8 -> nothing fancy here
dennisrueben calls (4)
waltflanigan calls (2)
** Dealing Flop ** : [ Ac, 8d, 6h ] --> how about those nuts!
waltflanigan bets (2)
No_Limpin calls (2)--> now I get tricky
dennisrueben raises (4) to 4 --> how awesome!
waltflanigan raises (4) to 6 --> must be AK!
No_Limpin calls (4) --> still being tricky
dennisrueben raises (4) to 8 --> beautiful!
waltflanigan calls (2)--> all aboard!
No_Limpin calls (2)
** Dealing Turn ** : [ Ts ] --> surely this didn't help anybody
waltflanigan checks.
No_Limpin bets (4)--> hoping for more raises!
dennisrueben raises (8) to 8 --> YES!
waltflanigan calls (8)--> YES!
No_Limpin raises (8) to 12 --> Now I pop them!!!
dennisrueben calls (4)
waltflanigan calls (4)
** Dealing River ** : [ 5c ]
waltflanigan checks.
No_Limpin bets (4)
dennisrueben calls (4)
waltflanigan folds. --> folded this huge put for 1 more bet????
** Summary **
Main Pot: $91 | Rake: $3
Board: [ Ac 8d 6h Ts 5c ]
dourbird balance $91, didn't bet (folded)
dennisrueben balance $17.5, lost $32 [ 8c Tc ]--> that's all??? [ two pairs, tens and eights -- Ac,Tc,Ts,8c,8d ]
RIGGS34 balance $59, didn't bet (folded)
waltflanigan balance $150, lost $28 (folded)
dragnnet690 balance $38, lost $2 (folded)
cragor balance $142, didn't bet (folded)
HappyRaiser balance $111, didn't bet (folded)
eagleye7 balance $84, didn't bet (folded)
No_Limpin balance $253.5, bet $32, collected $91, net +$59 [ Ad As ] [ three of a kind, aces -- Ad,As,Ac,Ts,8d ]