8,8 middle of sng

[Olback]

$33 sng

This is another scenario which i have problems with. Is rasing here best, or is limping or folding better. I find that whenever i raise like this i seem to get called or reraised and then overcards seem to come on the flop so i have to give it up.

What is the correct way to play a hand like this?

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t50 (10 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

UTG (t430)
UTG+1 (t1200)
UTG+2 (t1020)
MP1 (t1090)
MP2 (t630)
Hero (t685)
CO (t1155)
Button (t610)
SB (t545)
BB (t635)

Preflop: Hero is MP3 with 8/images/graemlins/club.gif, 8/images/graemlins/diamond.gif.
<font color="#666666">5 folds</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises to t150</font>, CO calls t150, <font color="#666666">3 folds</font>.

Flop: (t375) 5/images/graemlins/club.gif, A/images/graemlins/spade.gif, 3/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
Hero checks, <font color="#CC3333">CO bets t50</font>, Hero calls t50.

Turn: (t475) 3/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
Hero checks, <font color="#CC3333">CO bets t100</font>, Hero folds.

Final Pot: t575

[Nottom]

Bet the flop.

[Olback]

So raising preflop 3 * BB is correct?

[Nottom]

I usually make it 140, but I'm funny like that.

I think from that position a raise is correct.

[lastchance]

I don't like this line. If it was 953, I bet the flop or something, (push), but when an ace comes, it's often good just to check/fold. Yeah, these spots suck, but meh. From MP3, I think it's good to raise 88.

[curtains]

I move allin here preflop with only 13x the BB. Your hand is clearly strong enough to move allin in that spot and it's weak enough that I don't want to encourage action from almost any hand. I would never never raise to 150 and leave myself only 500 chips left, when I have such a strong hand in good position, I think its a pretty serious mistake.

With 1000 chips, I usually raise to 125-150. Limping is ridiculous IMO.

btw after you check and he bets 50, I would check raise allin, but thats another story and such fancy play would be avoided when I just move allin preflop. No way Im going to give up on a pot that basically equals my stack just because an ace comes and the guy min bets.

[Olback]

Thanks for the advice. I think that is defintely a better way for me to play the hand.

So when he minibets you think he is weak? I figured he was milking me with a weak ace or some crap like that and was not gonna fold.

[curtains]

I dont know what his minbet means, but the pot is too big for me to fold just because an ace flops. Just because someone else is in the hand and an ace flops, doesnt mean they have an ace. You cant just automatically give up everytime this happens. I would probably have bet the flop but I don't mind checking and using his bet as information to decide whether you should check raise. The downside of checking is if he checks the turn card could freeze you if you are ahead. However I'd probably bet every turn card if he checks the flop anyway.

[Olback]

Ok so u feel you are kinda pot commited and want to play the hand regardless of the flop?

I tend to fold in situations like this and i guess that is -EV

[curtains]

No of course some flops are bad, like AKQ, or two overcard flops...you arent going to blindly put in your money, but you cant be scared of everything. The pot has what 375 in it, and you have only 525 chips. That means by default that you want the pot very badly and should be looking for excuses to play instead of fold. My excuse would be that there are many hands that don't include an ace that my opponent would have called with, like KJ, KQ, JTs, 66 you never know with these idiots.

You may be beaten a reasonable % of the time, but not nearly enough for me to just check fold to min bets. Again try to envision these trouble spots before they occur and then raise allin to avoid them. With a hand like JJ it's less necessary because there are far fewer trouble flops. With 88 and your stack size you are going to be faced with impossible decisions quite often on the flop.

[tigerite]

I also would move in pre-flop. However what would you do with 33 in this position, for instance? I had it last night, and also moved in, results aren't important, but I felt like it was a mistake.

[MagnoliasFM]

Push preflop if you don't know what to do. It's not a bad move.

[curtains]

With 33 I fold. Your hand just isnt strong enough from 2 off the button. 88 and 33 are not in the same category.

[tigerite]

Yeah, that's what I thought.