99 in the SB - Stars $22 180 SnG, level 1....is this a donk play?

Early on...no real reads. Did Hero play this hand well?

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t20 (9 handed) FTR converter on zerodivide.cx (http://www.zerodivide.cx/converter)

MP2 (t1160)
MP3 (t1850)
<font color="#C00000">CO (t2360)</font>
Button (t1200)
<font color="#C00000">Hero (t1990)</font>
BB (t1890)
UTG (t1570)
UTG+1 (t2100)
MP1 (t1470)

Preflop: Hero is SB with 9/images/graemlins/heart.gif, 9/images/graemlins/spade.gif.
<font color="#CC3333">UTG raises to t60</font>, <font color="#666666">4 folds</font>, <font color="#CC3333">CO raises to t100</font>, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, Hero calls t90, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, UTG calls t40.

Flop: (t320) 5/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, 3/images/graemlins/heart.gif, 5/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="#0000FF">(3 players)</font>
Hero checks, UTG checks, <font color="#CC3333">CO bets t200</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises to t500</font>, UTG folds, CO calls t300.

Turn: (t1320) 3/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
Hero checks, <font color="#CC3333">CO bets t1760 (All-In)</font>, Hero calls t1390 (All-In).

[FrogMouth]

I don't particularly like it. Re-raise usually means a big pair, bigger than 9's. Well, at least you either double up quick or start another!

donk play. CO does not have a 5 or 3 unless he is a complete donkey to reraise with A5s, A3s, 55 or 33. CO reraised preflop, good chance he already had a pair. how high? you be the judge.

fold PF...

[Solitare]

[ QUOTE ]
fold PF...

[/ QUOTE ]

Hardly. Since the t90 call represents much less than 10% of any of the stacks in play, a call is justified alone by the implied odds for hitting a set on the flop.

[PFrese]

I dont really like it, becuase you are squeezed between an UTG raiser (usually strong hand) and a CO reraiser (usually stronger hand...see Gap concept). Since you are SOOO early, I might be tempted to call the 90 and hope to see a flop getting 3 to 1 and for set value.

After the flop, I am not sure what you were hoping to do. Yes you have an over pair to the board, but I really think the CO has a bigger overpair to you. You CR the flop and then got called, then a 3 comes and you check the turn?? Not sure what you are doing here other than spewing. If you are going to CR that flop, then you MUST follow up with a push on the turn. Checking simply begs to have the pot take away. And the ONLY hand you beat is AK.

But, I think I would have folded preflop simply so you dont get squeezed.

[jcm4ccc]

Well, the CO looks like a donk (that weird preflop raise which reopened the betting for UTG), so I don't think we have to run from our nines.

I would have led out strongly on the flop (250 - 275) and folded to a reraise. If he just called, I would assume that I am ahead.

However, you checkraised. Interestingly, the CO did not reraise you, but only called. What is he doing here? Is he trapping, is he scared of the paired board? Hard to say. However, you seem committed to the hand, so I think most people (even donkeys) will reraise you here if they think they have you beat. So my read is that you are ahead here, and I'm willing to die with my hand on that read. If he has a better pair, so be it.

On the turn, I would have led out again. I'm not anxious to give the villian a free card here. However, you didn't lead out. The villian's all-in looks suspiciously weak. I would call and expect to see AJ - AK (with the donk thinking that, since there is 2 pair on the board, 3355A is the nuts). He might also have a 5 or 3. Again, I'm comfortable with dying with this hand. I think most times you are ahead.

[jcm4ccc]

[ QUOTE ]
Re-raise usually means a big pair

[/ QUOTE ] That's not a reraise, that's a hiccup.

I should've called this thread "Guess the Donkey."

This is a tough one. If Villian had a 3 or a 5, why the all-in? That raise screams "please don't call me." I read villian as having a PP or A high. He would want a caller; unless he's a donk, then he could go all-in. But even a donk would want you to call right? Here's some math to ponder. Take out your pocket nine's and Villian could be dealt a total of 2450 starting hands, only 30 of these possible hands will be pocket 10's or better.

After the flop, when you check-raise and were only called, I agree with the below...you need to keep acting like you like your hand.

So it's a hard choice, there's a much better than average chance your hand is good, but it's so early in the tournament and Villian is hard to read...

[nath]

your check-raise is weak. you have to raise more or not at all.
a min-reraise preflop does NOT always mean a big pair so don't assume it does... but you still have to proceed with caution.
basically, your whole line is backwards. you should lead the flop if you think you're ahead; if you want to check-raise, you should raise more; if you do check-raise and are called, you have to push the turn.
but there's no shame in check-folding, or check-calling once. it's just an overpair, and not a very good one-- the action indicates there is a decent chance you're beaten. (But yeah, people do this with AK and suited connectors sometimes, too. or even smaller pairs. But still.)

[jcm4ccc]

[ QUOTE ]
I should've called this thread "Guess the Donkey."

[/ QUOTE ] Well, what did the villian have?