99 preflop

[togilvie]

I'm on the button with 99. All fold to a MP who raises. I know nothing about him.

I fold.

Thoughts?

[SoCalPat]

Was it folded to you after the MP raised? If so, I can't argue against folding, although I might go ahead and call, see the flop and maybe get a chance to see just exactly which hands this player will raise. Obviously, there are worse hands to find this info than with a medium PP.

If your game was online, I definitely call. I've seen too many raises from non-premium hands to believe every hand that's raised from an unknown player is a raise by a strong player.

If there are multiple callers before you and after the raiser, I would call and follow the no-set, no-bet rule of thumb. And if he's holding AA, and you make your set while he doesn't improve, he'll have you pegged for life as a fish (which you aren't), but you'll know better when he raises preflop. Conversely, he'll have little respect for your hands when you do have something. For that situation alone, it might be worth the small price of calling his raise.

I'd gladly like to hear opinions on my opinion.

[Bob T.]

Not enough information here. What location, what limit, what happened after his open raise. You actually do know something about him, you just haven't processed it enough.

Against an unknown opponent, if everyone had folded after his open raise, I would three bet, and then see what happened.

[rigoletto]

Assuming an average game: 3-bet!

[rayrns]

Both you and Bob T. advocate 3 betting. Are you
A. Trying to shut out the blinds and get it heads up?
B. Seeing if you get a big pair re-raise?
C. Betting for value if you hit your set?
D. All the above.
Thanks

[rigoletto]

99 performs best HU or multiway and worst with 3-4 players in, so my most important reason for raising is to get the blinds out. All the reasons you mention comes into play but you are missing 1: by 3 betting you also stand a better chance of taking it down on the flop instead of having AK, AQ, AJ, KQ draw out on you..

[Homer]

A. Trying to shut out the blinds and get it heads up?

Yes, you would like to get it heads-up. 99 plays best against either one opponent or several. It plays worst against 3 or 4 opponents. By coldcalling you would end up against the initial raiser and probably both blinds (since this is a low-limit game). Folding could be preferable if you know that MP will not open-raise without a big pair. Most players, though, will open-raise with a wide range of hands, especially when first in from MP. Thus, you reraise and try to get it heads-up with a worse hand (likely two overcards), and take it down with a bet on the flop.

B. Seeing if you get a big pair re-raise?

I don't think this is a primary reason for three-betting, though doing so does give you a better idea of the MP's holding, based on his reaction. If he caps, you are almost certainly up against a big pair (against an typical opponent), and can give up on the flop if you don't spike a set (or pick up a draw like with a flop of 78T). If MP doesn't cap he most likely just has big cards, though he could have a larger overpair, like TT or JJ.

C. Betting for value if you hit your set?

I'm not really sure what you mean by this. There are two ways to play a hand like 99. One is to limp and hope to play against 5 or more opponents. When you are doing this you are playing the hand primarily for its set potential, since it is likely that an overcard will come to help someone to surpass a pair of 9's. The other way to play it is to raise, hoping to play against a small field of either one or two opponents (preferably only one). When playing this way you are not playing the hand for its set potential, as three-betting shatters the odds you need to play the hand for its set potential. In this case you are playing the hand for its pair value. Hopefully, you will take the hand down with a flop bet. If you spike a set it's an added bonus.

-- Homer

[Bob T.]

All of the above, and

e) Betting for value in case I am ahead, and
f) taking control of the hand.

[Ed Miller]

I would 3-bet here against all but the tightest raisers. The MP raise can just mean too many hands... 99 is too good to be laying down routinely here.