99 hand in middle position

[btspider]

Not a pretty hand. How would you guys play it?

Party Poker 0.50/1 Hold'em (8 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

Preflop: Hero is MP2 with 9/images/graemlins/spade.gif, 9/images/graemlins/heart.gif.
<font color="666666">1 fold</font>, <font color="CC3333">UTG+1 raises</font>, <font color="666666">1 fold</font>, <font color="CC3333">Hero 3-bets</font>, CO calls, <font color="666666">3 folds</font>, UTG+1 calls.

Should I cold-call in MP?

Flop: (10.50 SB) T/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, 2/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, Q/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="blue">(3 players)</font>
UTG+1 checks, Hero checks, CO checks.

CO was a calling station. I thought a bet, at best, would get me heads-up out of position with him. I tried for the free card instead.

Turn: (5.25 BB) 7/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="blue">(3 players)</font>
<font color="CC3333">UTG+1 bets</font>, Hero folds, CO &lt;SNIP&gt;.

Got my free card, it wasn't a 9. If I call, I think CO will call, so is it fold or raise time? I bailed..

[JudgeRW]

I'm just calling the PF raise (not sure that's correct, but that'd be my play). Interested to hear if this is right or not and why.

I'm also checking that flop. This is NOT a board I like, and these guys aren't folding for one bet on the flop.

[cold_cash]

Bet the flop. The free card is not your friend.

[styleish]

I would just call with a medium pair preflop after a raise from EP. I'm looking for people to call behind me so I'll have a better chance of getting paid off if I hit that set. Of course, this also depends on the type of player UTG+1 is. If he is a really loose raiser, I don't think I would mind playing a shorthanded pot with him.

On the flop, I'm not so sure. I don't know if going for the free card is that good of an idea. You are hoping to hit a 9, and one of the 9's you're hoping to hit is a diamond. With 4 diamonds on the board, with or without a set, I would not feel very happy. I think I probably check/fold here (too weak tight?).

[spacemonkey57]

I'd just call pf. With two overcards and a suited flop I would check fold the flop. The pot's not that big yet. Is that weak tight? I don't think there's an overpair out there since it wasn't capped, but you could easily be behind to something like AQ.

[SparkyDog]

3-betting to isolate a raiser in position is a better move I think. Seeing if he caps or not makes this hand much easier to play post-flop. I think you'll make more money playing this HU with UTG+1 than playing it for a set with 6 opponents, best case scenario (which will happen very rarely).

[flair1239]

I if you are not going to fold I think you just cold call. Because at this point with an UTG raise, you probably need to flop a set. So here I don't think you want to help him limit the field.

As for the fold, I agree with it.

[tardigrade]

I would fold this preflop, but if you're going to play it, the 3-bet is good. Get it heads-up if you can, and hope your opponent only has high cards. Since you are checked to on the flop, bet it and pray for at least one fold. Any hand you can beat benefits a lot more from a free card than you do. If you get any callers on the flop, I'd give up trying to force them out of the pot. Try to check the turn and river through and see a showdown for as cheap as possible. If you have to call a bet on the turn after betting the flop, I'd seriously consider folding, but I'll call one on the river.

[SparkyDog]

Sorry, but folding this PF is just poor advice.

[cold_cash]

I think folding pre-flop is the worst of your 3 choices.

If UTG+1 is a super-rock, maybe, but I can't believe that's the case.

I would be thinking after this flop and his subsequent check, that he either has AK, possibly with a diamond, or JJ, also possibly with a diamond. (Either that, or he's flopped a monster hand like the nut flush.) That might be too narrow of a range, but that's just what initially popped into my head.

If those are close to his holdings, giving a free card here is no good. You're either way behind or slightly ahead here, so I would bet and see what happens. Once you've done that and seen what he does, you can narrow down his hand a little farther maybe, and decide how you want to play the turn.

[btspider]

Some more information which I did not have when I played the hand. I know its only 19 hands, treat it as an exercise only =)

CO (19 hands)
Total aggression factor: .37
VPIP (11 out of 19): 58%
Basic calling station, but we could probably tell that when he cold-called 3 in this hand.


UTG+1 (19 hands)
VPIP: 42%
PFR: 26% (raised J7s UTG)
Total Aggression factor: 1.17
Likely more aggressive PF than the typical player.

Would this alter anyone's play? If you figured you'd be called immediately behind, would you prefer to 3-bet a light raiser, or cold-call knowing another cold-call is likely?

[cold_cash]

I would 3-bet and hope he would still call, just like he did.

It's the best of both worlds.

[btspider]

Oh yeah, the results:

CO failed to live up to his new poker tracker label and folded the turn, so I didn't see anyone's hand. /images/graemlins/mad.gif