Sup,
I don't post here as much as should but here goes. I play almost all NLHE online but usually play 3/6 at casinos and have done fairly well. This weekend I got tired of not being able to protect my hand and moved over to the NL game. It was $2-$5 blinds, $100-$300 buyin, I bought in for $300. The table was an interesting one, there were 3 young guys who knew what they were doing and played pretty tight aggressive...3 loose players who would chase just about anything to the river n fold. Then there was an old redneck guy who was way LAG and who I had already seen rebuy 3 times. Lastly there's one stone cold killer with over 1k at the table, I've seen him play $5-10 NL before and know he's legit.

For the first half hour or so I can't hit a flop, call some preflop raises from LP with AJ, 99, KQs and miss completely. Then I get in MP, redneck has straddled as he does every time he's UTG I call and the button (one of the young guys) calls. Flop comes like and the Redneck fires bout half the pot, $15, I raise up to $45, young guy folds and he comes back all-in for $250ish...I tank for awhile, the straddle threw me off here as he really could have a junk 2 pair, and I could see him making the play with TPNK as well so I lay it down.

Down to $220ish by here and get in the BB, Redneck min raises and 3 others call to me, I call. I just wanted to play against the redneck here knowing if I hit I'd most likely get paid. Flop comes . I check and it checks around...Turn is the , I check it again and as expected Redneck bets the pot, around $50, folds to me and after "tanking" for 30 or so I make the call. River's . I check, he goes all-in for another $200 and I call immediately and take it down as he throws across the table.

Stack is around $450 and I feel a lot more comfortable, I limp into a 6-way pot with in the CO and the blinds check. Flop comes , the blinds check and the best player there throws out $20 into bout a $40 pot...Now I've seen this guy (call him the pro) play 4 hands in about an hour fifteen and he's shown down the nuts twice. He busted the redneck once from EP with aces when he limp-reraised with . I put him on an overpair, most likely kings or aces with the or . One of the other chasers calls and I raise it up to $80, they both fold. Wondering about my play here, I just didn't want another diamond to hit and screw me but I might have been able to get more $ out of the chaser at least. I ask the pro what he had and he said he couldn't beat my set...don't know what that means except that he read me wrong...maybe I'm giving the guy too much credit here and it could have been more of a semi-bluff but I don't know.

Anyways, I only ended up playing for bout an hour and an half...won around $200. Any comments/suggestions on how to play that last hand would be appreciated, Thanks

In the first hand I don't really like your reraise into the pot with 88 with that flop. Against a LAG player you want a made hand or a monster draw. You have no idea what the redneck has and you can't call a reraise. Just fold and wait for the next chance to take all his money, when you make your hand.

Hand 2, with a low or mid flopped flush. There are two ways to play this. The way you played it was solid, reraise dont let anyone see a free card to bust you with a bigger flush. The other way is more risky but also offers a much larger reward, If this were me I would smooth call here. I want that chaser trying to catch two pair or drawing at his one diamond. In order to make this play you have to be wiling to fold your hand if the other diamond hits. By smooth calling it makes it look like you too are drawing and you might catch someone by surprise who hits two pair or a set if the last diamond doesnt hit.