Maniacal with overpairs?

[William Wilson]

These two hands came up during two different one-table $5.50 S&Gs at Stars in the same night.

IN THE FIRST HAND, blinds are 25/50 nine-handed and I’m in second with $2963. Key player is chip leader with $4085 and, as far as I can tell, loose-aggressive.

I’m in the SB with 9 /images/graemlins/heart.gif 9 /images/graemlins/spade.gif. LAG calls in MP, I quickly call hoping to hit a set and lay a trap, BB checks.

Flop comes 6 /images/graemlins/club.gif 2 /images/graemlins/club.gif 7 /images/graemlins/spade.gif

I check to see where I am. LAG bets $850. To me, the size of the bet screams weakness, especially since I saw him steal a pot the hand before. I put him on a flush draw and make it $1950 to go knowing he’s capable of calling with two clubs, but wanting to win the pot there. BB folds.

LAG pushes. I’m thinking he could have a set, but more likely has hit a trash two-pair. He also could have that flush draw, A6 or even AK or AQ. I don’t like the call, but with $963 I figure I’m committed. I call.

LAG turns over 8 /images/graemlins/club.gif 8 /images/graemlins/heart.gif. Two blanks come and I scoop $5976 to give myself a commanding lead. I go on to finish second after a semi-bad beat and overall poor play heads up. /images/graemlins/mad.gif

IN THE SECOND HAND, blinds are 25/50 eight-handed, and I’m the chip leader with $3995. Key player is a close third with $2380. I’ve made a few strategic post-flop steals, and a few big bets with legit hands that nobody called, but have played few hands. I believe the table thinks I’m a tight maniac /images/graemlins/grin.gif if they care at all.

In early-middle position, I’m dealt Q /images/graemlins/heart.gif, Q /images/graemlins/club.gif. UTG (short-stacked LAG with $670) calls. I triple the blinds, making it $150 to go (my standard raise) and get two callers -- from UTG and SB.

Flop comes T /images/graemlins/club.gif 5 /images/graemlins/heart.gif J /images/graemlins/heart.gif

SB bets $100, UTG calls. I really don’t want to see a heart fall, so I raise 750 to 850, which, looking back at it now, seems like a strangely large bet. With the chip lead, I think I just wanted to win the bastard right there.

SB thinks, calls time, waits, and pushes. Oh crap. With the way most play at this level, this reeks of JT. I don't think I can call. Then UTG pushes, making the pot $4150, costing me only $1380 to call.

Hmmm … If I call, I really only have to beat SB to show a profit, and I’m thinking I’ve got eight outs for either queens-up or trips. There is also a chance I’ve got the best hand against a flush draw or Jacks. If I lose, I still have $1615 left, which isn’t a bad stack at this point in the tournament. I cover my eyes, grit my teeth and call.

UTG turns over J /images/graemlins/club.gif A /images/graemlins/club.gif. SB turns over the flush draw with K /images/graemlins/heart.gif 7 /images/graemlins/heart.gif. I survive two blanks, and collect $5630. I go into a shell for 20 minutes, pick my spots toward the end, and win going away /images/graemlins/cool.gif.

Both of these calls turned out to be correct when the cards turned over, but I still wonder if I should have made them. I was in good position in the tournament, and put a lot -- in the first case all -- of my chips at risk with a slim edge in the best-case scenario.

What do ya’ll think? Should I consider myself fortunate and make an effort to muck in these situations? Or should I keep playing to win, even if it might not be necessary.

Thanks in advance for your help,
Bill

[PrayingMantis]

Few comments:

Hand 1

[ QUOTE ]
I check to see where I am.

[/ QUOTE ]

Checking isn't usually the way to see where you're at. Betting is. Not that betting here is automatic from SB, but it's probably better than checking. From this point and on, it looks like you're trying very hard to convince yourself you're ahead, after he bets into you, and re-raises you all-in. Unless you know this guy, your 99 doesn't look too good. On the other hand - you keep saying he could very well be on all kinds of drawing hands. If so - why not bet into him to begin with? Over-pair of 99 is not a hand to fool around with, IMO. You want to play it very strong and fast. Commiting everything with it, by calling, like you did, can be very expansive.


Hand 2

[ QUOTE ]
I believe the table thinks I’m a tight maniac.

[/ QUOTE ]

With blinds at 25/50, you have a stack of 3995, and say you stole few hands post-flop, and bet with other legit hands who got no callers. I bet nobody consider you "tight". Anyway, I think you should raise more PF, especially after one limper. No wonder you got more than one caller. The raise on the flop looks fine. It's not too big, IMO. About a pot-size raise. Now, after one player reraises all-in, and another calls all-in, unless they are both morons (which was almost the case), you should figure you'r behind here.

[ QUOTE ]
I’m thinking I’ve got eight outs for either queens-up or trips.

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't quite understand your math. Again, it looks like you're trying to convince yourself calling is the right move. Even if you're only against 2p and a flush draw, you're not getting anything near right odds to call.

All in all, I think that in these two hands you made big calls, that turned out to be correct. Generally, big calls like that are very very dangarous, and can cost you alot. I would try to avoid calling in such situations, and wait for better opportunities. However, at the 5.5$ buy-in, these calls might often be correct, as you show here. Nice job, anyway...

[William Wilson]

Thanks for your thoughtful response. A few clarifications ...

When I read the transcription and saw that I checked on the flop in the first hand I was a little surprised, so I assumed I did it to see where I was. In retrospect, I probably checked to induce a bluff from the LAG. Would this be more correct? Also, I don't see anything wrong with an information check, although it's probably wrong in this situation.

In the second hand with the queens, the math is probably not exact, but here's my thinking. If he does have JT, thus giving him two pair, I have eight outs on the river if a blank falls to either get another queen or pair one of the two blanks.

My motivation to call, however was caused more by the size of the pot than anything.

Again, Mantis, thanks for taking the time,

Bill