The hands I hate

[HoldingFolding]

Mid tourney mid pairs. Early levels I'm happy playing for the set, later on I don't have a problem pushing, but mid-tourney having played tight, I'm probably shortishly stacked. If I bet 3BB, I'm likely to get called, any overcards I'm running scared and I've dropped a third of my stack which would be useful for holding out for a better hand and handing me an extra T150 when I double up later. So if I'm not comfortable playing it post flop should I simply fold 55 through 88? What does everyone else do?

I'm particularly ashamed of this hand. A pre flop raise would have helped get rid of any 8s or 9s. A big post flop push might have cleared the field...

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t50 (5 handed)

MP (t1393)
Button (t1205)
SB (t3410)
BB (t1047)
Hero (t945)

Preflop: Hero is UTG with 7/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, 7/images/graemlins/spade.gif.
Hero calls t50, MP folds, Button calls t50, SB completes, BB checks.

Flop: (t200) 8/images/graemlins/spade.gif, 3/images/graemlins/spade.gif, 9/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="blue">(4 players)</font>
<font color="CC3333">SB bets t50</font>, BB folds, Hero calls t50, Button calls t50.

Turn: (t350) Q/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="blue">(3 players)</font>
SB checks, Hero checks, <font color="CC3333">Button bets t100</font>, SB folds, Hero calls t100.

River: (t550) Q/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="blue">(2 players)</font>
Hero checks, <font color="CC3333">Button bets t250</font>, Hero folds.

Final Pot: t800

[ChrisV]

Raise 150 preflop and fire a decent size bet on any flop if someone calls. Lay down if you encounter resistance.

Given the limp, the calls on the flop and (especially) the turn are horrible beyond words. What on earth are you trying to achieve?

[codewarrior]

Mid tourny mid pairs are a limp/call up to 3BB, fold on flop if you miss the set for me. Raising with them mid game is a chip bleeder, IMO, unless you know your opponents well enough to play it differently. A 3-5BB UTG or UTG+1 raise is OK to mix it up, providing you have the chips, or if the table is very passive, though...

[HoldingFolding]

Thanks for the advice. Yes, my play was embarrassing. The problem I've found with the route you suggest is that when I do encounter resistance - and it seems that I do more often that not (but maybe that's my selective memory) - I wimp out having lost over half my stack. Would you fire one off if, say, an Ace or King flopped?

[ChrisV]

Definitely. But I play the $200's where people actually fold.

If the game is quite loose, you need to tighten up a lot in early position. The raise UTG here is with the expectation that you will steal, or at least that it will fold to the BB, a decent percentage of the time. If you are in the sort of game where you're constantly cold called or reraised, then you need to fold the sevens in this spot. Don't limp any hand in early position at the 25/50 level. Limp after limpers in late position, rarely.

[SmileyEH]

What is the point of calling flop and turn if you are going to fold the river? If you have a read stick with it, otherwise don't make the first call.

-SmileyEH

[HoldingFolding]

Well I did mention that I was "ashamed" &amp; "embarrassed" so let's not go down the beastiality/necrophilia route.

If I played the hand again I think I'd still limp in but then bet the pot on the flop...

(this is where I say I actually won the SnG, but then you already knew that /images/graemlins/grin.gif)

[ilya]

I don't like raising 77 there preflop; I think the limp is fine. But yeah - why are you calling on the flop and beyond? I can see raising the flop against some opponents, but calling is no good IMO.