Building Pots in Pot limit

I have had a very frustrating PL tourney very thin cards struggled into 18th place 8 off the money. Looking back I wondered if I had missed any opportunities to maximise pots when I did have some cards even a few hundred chips might have made a difference.


One hand in particular sticks in the mind. Blinds are level at T 100 I have about T850 on the button, on a 7 handed table and I am dealt a pair of 9's.


Folded round to the player on my right who is chip leader with 5 times my stack he limps in. He is a loose aggressive player I therefore put him on a marginal hand as he has only limped in. My first reaction was to raise T400 to try to win it there and then which I duly did, the blinds fold as does the chip leader. This play has netted me T300.


However if I flat call I can get away from the hand if I do not like the flop but if I hit trips I am quite likely to make a lot more than the T300 profit that I made from the raise.


Did I miss an opportunity here or were my 1st instincts right ??


Thanks


Ross

as you know, the odds are not good to make that set, thus I think you played it right....who knows???it could have even turned into a loss??


better luck next time

The example you give isn't about building a pot, it's about trapping or slow-playing. And, with 99, I wouldn't consider. What do you do when the flop does come safe, say 852, and one of the blinds bets out? You're probably going to get it all in, and sometimes lose to 82o that clearly would've folded to your preflop raise.


Unless you flop a set, there is no way even the best player knows when they're ahead and behind those blind hands. And guessing isn't what you should be trying to do. At least, you shouldn't put yourself in spots where you know you'll be guessing.


Your raise is perfect. Take it now, increase your stack by about 35%, and do it at minimal risk. Perfect.


Later, Greg Raymer (FossilMan)

Preflop trapping should be done when you can afford to lose the hand (say when it costs you 5% of your stack or less). And with pocket nines I would never trap. I mean trapping with aces UTG in hope to get in a limp reraise. Here, with 850 left, 2 blinds at 100, you can not.


They money is not deep enough for you to be screwing around. Just winning preflop adds 300 to your 850 stack. That's a big increase. You have to raise the pot.


Nice play, it worked, you won preflop; that's what you wanted.


Next hand.


Nicolas Fradet (ThePrince)