Two Hands PP 50+5- Weak Play?

From last night:

Hand 1. Blinds 50/100. Folded to me at MP3, with as stack of T1555, I had 8 /images/graemlins/club.gif8 /images/graemlins/spade.gif and raised to T300.
CO calls, folded to BB who got me covered and raised to T800.

I folded, CO raised T1020 all in. BB called.

Board J /images/graemlins/club.gif7 /images/graemlins/spade.gif6 /images/graemlins/heart.gifJ /images/graemlins/spade.gif3 /images/graemlins/diamond.gif

CO tabled A /images/graemlins/diamond.gifQ /images/graemlins/diamond.gif. BB had A /images/graemlins/spade.gifK /images/graemlins/heart.gif

I would have won the coin flip. /images/graemlins/frown.gif My questions are: Is it too early to raise with a medium pair without committing my stack to the pot? Or should I have raised a bigger amount, say T500?

I survived and after winning a few pots, I made it to blinds of 100/200 but still short-stacked with T3752 fpr Hand 2:

I raised T600 at EP3 with A /images/graemlins/diamond.gifQ /images/graemlins/diamond.gif Folded to button with T3200 who pushed. I thought for a moment but thinking it is still a drawing hand and early in the tourney, I folded. /images/graemlins/crazy.gif. Would pushing in be a good option at this stage of the tourney?

Inspite of my weakish (?) play, I finished 45th and cashed in a few bucks. /images/graemlins/grin.gif

Comments about my play, please.

....the funny faces turn off the wizards to merit replies maybe thinking that I am not a serious player.

Input from the vets, please?

[Chief911]

I'll take a shot.

1. You left out a LOT of information. What was your read on the players? That makes a big difference here.

2. I think you have to make a bigger bet with 88. Remember, you either want a bunch of callers (limp) or you want to take it down RIGHT THEN. T600 on hand one is a good raise. Someone raises you from that, and you hate life, and fold. There's no way you can call them both being all in with 88. They didnt have you beat then, but most times there will be atleast ONE overpair.

2. I dont mind this play. Again though, its very read dependant. Has this guy gone over the top before? Is he loose? What do YOU think he has? Could he make this play with AJ? Again, without a read, I think you have to lay this down.

Hope that helps, give more info next time if you can!

Nick

Sorry, I left out that I just got moved to both tables and the hands transpired on the first orbit or so to get a read.

Thanks anyway.

[Jason Strasser]

This is not weak play IMO.

The first hand is completely reasonable. This time it just so happened that both your all-in opponents had overcards, not overpairs. In the long run, folding in this spot will be better. You dont need to be a huge dog here too many times for this play to be -EV.

Second hand, I also like your fold. Good raise, good fold. AQ is a tough hand to call all ins with unless u have a specific read.

Good play both times.

[MLG]

You made the right play both times. The reason that you don't raise bigger is so you can fold when you get repopped because you are not pot committed.

[Jason Strasser]

[ QUOTE ]
I think you have to make a bigger bet with 88. Remember, you either want a bunch of callers (limp) or you want to take it down RIGHT THEN. T600 on hand one is a good raise. Someone raises you from that, and you hate life, and fold.

[/ QUOTE ]

I respectfully disagree. I think if you are going to raise T600 with a T1500 stack, you sure as hell can't fold. You might as well go all in preflop. Using that logic, if u bet 600, and are facing 2 all ins, you are getting 900:4000 (approx, I dont think u included BB's stack size) on your call. Assuming there is a slight chance you are a slight favorite (or a big dog the rest), you must make this call.

Betting 300 is good because:

1) I assume it is your standard raise, you dont want to give away information like so many players do by raising too much with mid pocket pairs.

2) You can fold to a raise uncomfortably, and to a raise and a reraise very easily.

If I had T1200 or less before starting this hand, I would advocate pushing preflop. Whenever I feel like I can't fold to an all-in, I push. This spot is not like that, you have enough chips IMO to make a standard raise and fold. If you raised to 600, you really have no business folding for the last 900 with close to the correct odds to spike a set (or take a coinflip obviously).

[Chief911]

Strassa's right. And I need some r33ding skeelz. Can't bet 600 of a 1500 stack if you are willing to fold, and if you aren't willing to fold, might as well Strassa (A synonym for PUSH).

Nick

[Jason Strasser]

LOL /images/graemlins/grin.gif

I have really built a wonderful image for getting some loose action at 2+2 events. /images/graemlins/shocked.gif