Defending 97s

[House-Lion]

I was got the feeling some tried to take advantage of my blinds the last orbits so I call a raise with 97s.

Comments about the play? Room for improvements? Was the pre-flop call to loose?

Party Poker 3/6 Hold'em (10 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

Preflop: Hero is MP1 with 9/images/graemlins/club.gif, 7/images/graemlins/club.gif.
UTG folds, UTG+1 folds, UTG+2 folds, Hero calls, MP2 folds, MP3 folds, CO raises, Button folds, SB calls, BB calls, Hero calls.

Flop: (8 SB) 9/images/graemlins/spade.gif, 8/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, A/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="blue">(4 players)</font>
SB checks, BB checks, Hero bets, CO raises, SB folds, BB calls, Hero calls.

Turn: (7 BB) 9/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="blue">(3 players)</font>
BB checks, Hero bets, CO calls, BB folds.

River: (9 BB) 5/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="blue">(2 players)</font>
Hero bets, CO calls.

Final Pot: 11 BB
<font color="green">Main Pot: 11 BB, between Hero and CO.</font>
Results will be posted later.

[JohnShaft]

I'm going to completely ignore your preflop play.

I'm then going to tell you betting the flop is OK, but really against the CO's PFR what are you hoping he has? A big Ace, or an underpair he probably won't fold? He could have something like KQ/J sure. But that's about all you beat at present.

I really think you oughta be checkraising this Turn though. Because of the draw nature of the board you can pretty much expect CO to bet either his Ace, or his underpair. And the beauty is you can maybe catch BB in the middle of you two by checkraising.

The only way I like to bet out here is if I think CO will certainly not fold the underpair and will probably raise a big Ace here.

So yeah, checkraise the Turn.
[And so it's said Preflop this isn't even CLOSE to correct. Do you really need someone to tell you that, and why?]

[ScottTheFish]

I don't think you'll ever get rich playing medium suited gappers out of position for 2 bets, but hey, it worked out this time! /images/graemlins/cool.gif

I would bet this flop as well when checked to... rest of the hand plays itself.

[J.R.]

I would generally not open limp 97s but would clearly call the raise once in the pot. The flop bet would be better if you had top pair or if there were no A or K on the flop, but I like the general idea of squeezing out the other 2 in general, although I am not sure your hand is strong enough here to make such a play jusitified (although it probably is).

I would check-raise the turn.