A simple pre flop scenario.

[Jeff W]

Party Poker 5/10 Hold'em (5 handed)

Preflop: Hero is BB with 9s, 9d.
UTG (Mr. PFR=19) raises, MP calls, Button calls, SB calls, Hero 3-bets...

I believe that this is a high variance, but +EV play.

What are your thoughts?

[adamstewart]

So 4 others are in this pot, and you're out of position to all of them.

While I believe it is likely you may have the best hand at this point (supporting a "raise"), I think that being so out of position with a hand that is VERY susceptible to overcards negates this edge.

I'm not experienced (at all) in SH play, but I don't think this is the "correct" play. (If it is, then 3-betting pocket 2's-9's should be just as "correct").


Adam

[ctv1116]

Just call. 3 betting keeps everyone in for at least the turn, and its extremely unlikely that no one will hit, and its unlikely anyone's gonna lay down top pair post flop with the a 3-betted pot. You're basically playing for set value, which isn't worth the 20% pot equity you're getting.

[Jeff W]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm not experienced (at all) in SH play, but I don't think this is the "correct" play. (If it is, then 3-betting pocket 2's-9's should be just as "correct").

[/ QUOTE ]

Would you 3-bet JJ in this spot? How about TT? 3-betting JJ is correct, but that doesn't imply that 3-betting 22 is correct.

Yes, your hand is very susceptible to overcards, but you make money on every raise that goes in as long as you have an equity edge. The same is not true of 22. Pocket nines often wins unimproved.

[Nate tha' Great]

I don't think this is a good spot to 3-bet. I like preserving my ability to check-raise the field if I spike a 9 on the flop. I also think there's some benefit to being able to bet out on a ragged flop, if UTG is aggressive enough to raise with a worse hand. If nothing else, bloating the pot from 10 SB --> 15 SB makes it harder for your hand to win unimproved.

[Nate tha' Great]

[ QUOTE ]
Yes, your hand is very susceptible to overcards, but you make money on every raise that goes in as long as you have an equity edge.

[/ QUOTE ]

You might make money before the flop, but a preflop raise doesn't necessarily make you money over the course of the entire hand.

Also, it depends some on how loose the cold callers are.

[Jeff W]

[ QUOTE ]
Also, it depends some on how loose the cold callers are.

[/ QUOTE ]

The cold callers are loose enough to cold call T3s or 87o.

Is TT the cutoff to 3bet here?

[Nate tha' Great]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Also, it depends some on how loose the cold callers are.

[/ QUOTE ]

The cold callers are loose enough to cold call T3s or 87o.

Is TT the cutoff to 3bet here?

[/ QUOTE ]

Practically speaking, probably yes, but if they're really cold calling with hands that poor then getting more value in might be fine.