99 UTG mid-tourney?

$33 tourney 7 people left...everyone from 500 to 1500 chips. With a stack of 700 what do you do 99 UTG with 25/50 blinds? What about TT, 88, 77? Mid position? Late Position?
My instinct is to raise to 200 but when I do that things seem to go bad more times than not and I end up crippled or worse.

[durron597]

This is one of the hardest positions that I know if in tournament poker, 77-99 UTG with 12x-14xBB. If not the hardest. I am totally serious.

I really think it depends on table texture. On some tables it's probably right to limp-reraise allin. On others, raise and call a push. I don't like raising and folding to a push on any table. Sometimes I would just fold.

That makes me feel a little better I guess /images/graemlins/smile.gif I really struggle with this hand...everything I do with it seems to be wrong.

[zambonidrivr]

calling does not give up much FE here.
given your situations like calling, and observing action after my call. if reraised, what's your read? after this hand, your pretty much ready for pushboting.

i always do better when considering FE, blinds, and stacks before deciding what action is best.

[Bigwig]

I usually limp. I know a lot of people think that's a bad play, but I like it.

[zambonidrivr]

considering his stack, i agree with your line here

[nyc999]

[ QUOTE ]
considering his stack, i agree with your line here

[/ QUOTE ]

Okay...considering his stack, what else do you limp UTG? Is it only 77 - 99? Maybe hands like AQ? I'm looking at this from another perspective -- if I'm in mid/late position and see UTG limp, what range can I put that player on, assuming they're not a donk?

That is a great question too...and then what can you expect if you come back over the top.

[zambonidrivr]

depending on the table i will limp a variety of hands. if table is extremely agg, i will limp aces, kings. if very tight, i may push this hand. as with most mid-pair situations, the anwser is depends and very subjective.

Fold. You'll likely be raised preflop, so limping will mostly end up with you having to call/fold to a raise. If BB is 100, that's 1/7 of your stack.

[zambonidrivr]

BB is 50

yeah...if BB was 100 the decision would be a lot easier.

[zambonidrivr]

in that case, I am shoving this hand. without much though

exactly.

[jeffraider]

With 88+ I raise it to 150 and call any push behind me. 77- I fold. I play the same way with AJ+ at this point with this stack. Raising to 150 invites someone to move in on you, and that's exactly what you want. Pushing sucks because you fold out worse hands and still lose to good hands. Limping sucks because you're volunteering to play a vulnerable hand out of position. If you're any good at all at shallow stack postflop play then I say raising it up to 150 is the very best option.

[zambonidrivr]

raising it to 150 leaves you with dick for FE. I think that play is worst, unless you plan on pushing any flop. limping and folding are my only 2 opitions here.

u play AJ this way too? holy [censored]!

[jeffraider]

What are you talking about it leaves me dick for FE? I raise to 150, if someone calls, I can often win on the flop with a bet or push, depending on the flop. Basically, the only way it leaves me "dick for FE" is if I raise it, am called, and have to fold the flop. That's worst case. Your hand is great, and there's no reason to play it like a sissy like you do. Raise it up, and play poker after that. Hell, the absolute worst case here is that I'm left with 550 after folding a flop. That's enough to steal the blinds in level 4, and if you don't think so you're nuts.. It's moves like these that let me aquire chips when players like you are too meek to and a good part of the reason why I have really good finish distribution, because I give my strong hands a chance to earn me chips.

Also, consider it this way, since you're so concerned with your future fold equity, my line INCREASES my fold equity by increasing my stack unless I have to fold a really ugly flop.