Endgame hand - did I misplay the flop, or get what I wanted?

[The Student]

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t300 (3 handed) converter

Button (t1340)
Hero (t3740)
BB (t2920)

Preflop: Hero is SB with 9c, Td.
1 fold, Hero completes, BB raises to t600, Hero calls t300.

Flop: (t1200) Tc, 5c, 7c (2 players)
Hero checks, BB bets t2320 (All-In), Hero calls t2320.

Turn: (t5840) 9s (2 players, 1 all-in)

River: (t5840) 3c (2 players, 1 all-in)

Final Pot: t5840


Did I totally mess this up here? Here's the situation: Villian had been playing very tight in the first few rounds (VPIP under 10%), loosened up a bit, and then recently kicked it up a gear once it went 3-handed. I had been playing tight in the beginning, but had been caught twice on LP steals in the middle rounds - I then tightened up and had only shown AK and QQ over the past two rounds.

On this hand I figured that I was ahead on the flop (I didn't put him on an overpair because I think he would have made more than the minimum PF bet), and checked, hoping that villian would bet pot or less and then I could push over the top of him. Now I'm thinking that maybe I should have just pushed on the flop. Thoughts? Am I ahead here more often than not? Did I want the villian to push here?

thanks in advance for your thoughts,

ts-

[Scuba Chuck]

I play the $33 tables. (don't know what you play.) Since the BB raised you PF, you have to give him some sort of hand. I think you would have been smarter to lead out rather than check in this scenario. That way you can decide what to do when he pushes over your bet.

Did he have KK or AA or something (with a club of course)?

[The Student]

This was a party $22. With top pair and a flush draw on the flop, I assumed that I was ahead. I hear what you're saying about giving him credit for his PF raise - but since I only completed from the SB and then he minimum raised it from the BB, I didn't give him credit for anything. He had been raising (both min raises and 3XBB raises) for a few hands once we got past the bubble, so I was pretty sure he didn't have a big PP here.

I agree, and now think it would have been better for me to bet out on the flop. If I lead out here, is it a pot-sized bet, at which point I think I'm pot committed if he goes all-in? Or is it a small bet, like 1/2 the pot? If he then goes over the top, can I fold here with TP, flush draw and no strong read of him having a big PP here?


FWIW - he had Ks/Qc, and we were almost dead even on the flop.

ts-

[raptor517]

i like pushing the flop because i like fold equity. because of the fact that yall are almost dead even on the flop, pushing could very likely get him to fold, which would definitely be +ev