Some input please?

[obisponator]

Can somebody good take a look at this hand? I don't think I played it well yet somehow I won. Thanks guys.

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t15 (9 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

SB (t725)
Hero (t665)
UTG (t1960)
UTG+1 (t760)
MP1 (t955)
MP2 (t780)
MP3 (t740)
CO (t725)
Button (t690)

Preflop: Hero is BB with 9/images/graemlins/spade.gif, Q/images/graemlins/spade.gif.
UTG calls t15, <font color="#666666">3 folds</font>, MP3 calls t15, CO calls t15, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, SB completes, Hero checks.

Flop: (t72.50) 3/images/graemlins/heart.gif, Q/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, 2/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="#0000FF">(5 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">SB bets t40</font>, Hero calls t40, UTG calls t40, MP3 folds, CO folds.

Turn: (t192.50) J/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="#0000FF">(3 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">SB bets t125</font>, Hero calls t125, UTG folds.

River: (t442.50) A/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">SB bets t175</font>, Hero calls t175.

Final Pot: t792.50

He ended up having Q5 and I won the pot. What do you guys think?

[Unarmed]

I think you played it perfectly.

[pooh74]

I would raise the flop to around 100. If initial bettor is only one to call and its HU at the turn and checked to me I will check behind and call for value on the river (depending)...

But I am not just going to call a hand like this all the way down...need info=raise

[Rosencrantz1]

I think you got really lucky.

I don't like the call on the flop. If you think the flop missed the SB and that this is a probe bet from him, you have to raise to define your hand and, hopefully, push him out.

After the turn, you have no draw and kicker problems and the SB betting like he has a hand; definitely fold here.

And an ace on the river? I'm looking for an excuse to get outta there.

You let him get away with a lot of agression -- and it worked out for you this time because he was playing with a crappy kicker -- but in the future you will more often than not be calling to a hand that has you beat.

[yeau2]

Agree with pooh here...if its this early you may not know players that well...raising the flop will drive out a possible caller behind you calling with just overs. You don't necessarily have to check the turn though, unless you feel like your about to get check-raised or you dont want to commit more chips to the pot than you have to.

[Unarmed]

Oh man... Try this:

SB just bet into 4 opponents. If he’s a good player he probably has a monster. If he’s a fish he could have anything. It really doesn’t matter, because your hand is pretty crappy right now. Given there’s three to act behind you who may be holding AQ/KQ/QJ I’d consider folding this. However, it’s a low level SNG so the limpers hand ranges are so wide that the odds of them having hit this flop aren’t exceptionally good. So I call. Raising here is clearly retarded given you’re not even close to closing the action, and a raise folds out every hand that you're beating. There is no point in “protecting” your hand against a draw here because you have no clue whether your hand is best. Anyway you call and UTG calls. Forget him, he would have raised with anything decent closing the action with the two flush board.

Turn is a J. If SB just made two pair you were already beat on the flop so I’m not too concerned. I’m actually happy to see the J because QJ the one hand I was worried about SB having, and having the J drop lowers the chances of him having QJ. (this assumes KQ and AQ raise here PF) Oh, and UTG folds his trash.

The only river card I’m really scared of is a diamond, but not really because SB probably wouldn’t have double led his draw. An ace falls, which is actually a good card as I’m pretty sure SB doesn’t have AQ. Fairly easy call, especially given the bet size.

So anyway, you didn't mention the level, but I assume its low. Well played at an $11. I probably fold the flop at a $55.

[Newt_Buggs]

unless its a $10 and hes a terrible player, the SB isn't betting out here without atleast top pair. I think that you just got lucky that his kicker was worse than yours and that the limpers didn't hit the flop

[curtains]

I would often just fold on the flop to the 40 chip bet. You could easily have the worst hand, and there are 3 players behind you whom could have you beaten too. Also your hand can take almost zero heat, meaning you probably aren't prepared to call big turn+river bets. If someone behind you has a weaker hand than you, but decides to raise, you simply can't call. Just so many more bad things can happen than good in this kind of scenario.

btw if I was in the SB and I bet out, there is very little chance your Q9 is any good, but of course not all random partypoker players play like me. If I did choose to play the hand, I would at least min raise the flop to help define the situation and not allow one of the remaining players to come in too cheaply, and to buy yourself position for the entire hand. It's uncomfortable if someone calls for 40 and an ace comes on the turn, whereas if you make a raise and get it headsup, an ace or king really isn't a problem.

However I would just fold.

[The Yugoslavian]

Just fold this flop...you really don't need to be involved here at the buyin you're likely playing.

With fewer players in the hand when the action is to me I'm more inclined to call but probably fold.

What are your plans if a diamond hits and the SB leads out with UTG left to act on the turn?

All that being said, if I play the hand after the flop I do it in the exact same way. Just realize that monkeys with QA,QK,QJ,QT,Q3,Q2 are liable to play this hand the same way and cripple you (not to mention Axs (of diamonds). That's an awful lot of hand sthat can beat yours to feel confident calling down with Q9 here is +$EV (especially with other players left to act behind you on the flop and turn).

Yugoslav