Bottom end of the straight

[fyodor]

Fairly aggressive table. Always seemed to be action preflop. SB was the only real bad player besides myself. BB was plenty loose preflop but played well after that. MP was tight and cautious - saw him go to a showdown with AA and a 3rd one on the flop without making a bet. OK maybe he wasn't that good either.

Anyhow I wasn't thrilled to be in this hand but there I was with the bottom end of the straight. Really unhappy to see the board pair on the end and then get raised but only an idiot (me last week) would fold now.

Given that there was pretty much always a preflop raise should I even call with 89s? With the BB opening and the PF raiser yet to act do I fold the flop with the bottom end of the draw and 2 suited on board as well? Once I made my straight I don't think I could have played it much different but maybe someone thinks so?

Party Poker 5/10 Hold'em (6 max, 6 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

Preflop: Hero is UTG with 9/images/graemlins/club.gif, 8/images/graemlins/club.gif.
Hero calls, MP raises, CO folds, Button folds, SB calls, BB calls, Hero calls.

Flop: (8 SB) T/images/graemlins/heart.gif, 2/images/graemlins/spade.gif, J/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="blue">(4 players) </font>
SB checks, BB bets, Hero calls, MP raises, SB calls, BB calls, Hero calls.

Turn: (8 BB) Q/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="blue">(4 players) </font>
SB bets, BB calls, Hero raises, MP calls, SB calls, BB calls.

River: (16 BB) 2/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="blue">(4 players) </font>
SB checks, BB checks, Hero bets, MP raises, SB folds, BB folds, Hero calls.

Final Pot: 20 BB

Results in white below: <font color="white">
Hero shows 9c 8c (straight, queen high).
MP shows Qd Tc (two pair, queens and tens).
Outcome: Hero wins 20 BB. </font>

Just noticed that we all had a turn at betting this. MP raised preflop. BB led on the flop. SB led on the turn. I led on the river. Equal opportunity betting in action.

[teemu_69]

I think you made a mistake playing this hand pre-flop UTG against a raise from a player who your read was "tight and cautious". But I don't play much shorthanded...

[PassiveCaller]

The problem with these substandard hands is you have to make substandard decisions...

In the conditions described "fairly aggressive table", I would fold this hand pre-flop out of position. I can't guarentee especially at a short handed table I'm going to have enough callers and certainly at an aggressive table I don't want to deal with it being raised and reraised after me that would be disasterious.

I mean you dont want MP's raise to be AK that would have been bad and I've definitely seen AK still around from some players in this instance.You also might have had to worry about a spade giving you a straight and the cold callers a
flush...

Does it still seem worth it? There's better spots then getting involved with a 8/images/graemlins/club.gif9/images/graemlins/club.gif

[Requeim]

Blearg, fold this preflop. If you want to get tricky and mix it up once in a while, raise it up, but don't limp in. Other than that, you played it fine.

[fyodor]

Thanks guys. That's pretty much what I thought. WTF am I doing in this hand. Then I just couldn't stop calling.

Interestingly enough a little later in the game I changed gears and started doing all the raising/betting several hands in a row and someone asked if my call button was now broke.