When to fold second best flush on the River (got three bet shoved and lost to full house)

Question

Trying to figure out if I played this hand right or wrong, any input would be appreciated.

Hero is in the SB and gets dealt QJ spades.

• Preflop
  • Villain raises to 3BB from the cutoff
  • Hero calls everyone else folds
• Flop (pot size 7BB)
  • 9S 4D 4S
  • Villain raises 2BB
  • Hero calls
• Turn (pot size 11BB)
  • 9S 4D 4S AS
  • Villain bets 8BB
  • Hero Calls (Have an A high flush with Q in pocket)
• River (pot size 27BB)
  • 9S 4D 4S AS 10H
  • Villain bets 19BB
  • Hero raises 39BB
  • Villain 3-bet shoves (115BB)
  • Hero calls
• Villain wins with full house 4s full of As (pocket A4)

Question is did I play this correctly? Should I have folded the three bet? Should I have even raised on the river or just called?

Answer 1

Preflop - Turn

I think you played this fine. Personally i would consider re-raising, especially on the turn, as Ace hits the cutoff's range and we can get value from AT-AK type hands. Im not too worried about being out-flushed since KT, K9 is going to be rare.

River

I like the check-raise here. Its a small bet so it puts Ace hands in a tough spot. If you have a read that your opponent likes to check back middling hands, then i think its ok to check-call river.

You check raise and get jammed. IMO this is an easy fold. You've called 2 streets and check-raised when the flush draw has hit, which means that V is repping a very strong range (full house or higher). Your flush has become a bluff-catcher, and is at the bottom of your check-raise value range.

You can try to think of what possible hands your opponent would play this way. Pocket pairs possibly check back some streets for pot control, Ace is going call/fold your check-raise, not jam. Same for flushes i believe. Maybe i'm nitty but i dont think i would jam A4s here as V as well.