99 Overpair

[zuvis]

Party Poker 1/2 Hold'em (9 handed) converter

Preflop: Hero is UTG+1 with 9[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 9[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img].
UTG folds, <font color="CC3333">Hero raises</font>, MP1 folds, MP2 calls, MP3 folds, CO folds, Button folds, SB folds, BB calls.

Flop: (6.50 SB) 7[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 6[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], 5[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] <font color="blue">(3 players)</font>
BB checks, <font color="CC3333">Hero bets</font>, <font color="CC3333">MP2 raises</font>, BB folds, <font color="CC3333">Hero 3-bets</font>, <font color="CC3333">MP2 caps</font>, Hero calls.

Turn: (7.25 BB) Q[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] <font color="blue">(2 players)</font>
Hero checks, <font color="CC3333">MP2 bets</font>, Hero calls.

River: (9.25 BB) 2[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] <font color="blue">(2 players)</font>
Hero checks, MP2 checks.

Final Pot: 9.25 BB

[afk]

I've got no guff with it.

[zuvis]

Thanks I was worried I had overplayed the flop, and maybe I should have found a place to dump this rather than calling down. Of course I'm weak tight at heart.

Results below:
Hero has 9d 9c (one pair, nines).
MP2 has Qh Ts (one pair, queens).
Outcome: MP2 wins 9.25 BB.

[kslghost]

I would be very hesitant to raise 99 preflop. Although MP2 is very very strange and you should have won this hand, I don't know if I'd have much confidence in 99 holding up enough to raise it in UTG+1 position. In this case, it may have appeared to have been the correct play, but normally your position is going to make 99 shrink on most occassions. I hope you did win more money from this guy later, as he robbed you after the flop...

[milesdyson]

Raising 99 first in is good as it puts guys who would usually limp with any face card in a little tougher situation. A lot of micro players will fold Kx, Qx, Jx, etc. for two bets but not for one.

[dvasilyuk]

Why shouldn't you be worried that MP2's raise on the flop represents something horrible, like an overpair or a straight? He's seen you raise preflop and now you are betting - why would he raise you with a drawing hand? (I know that's exactly what he did but should you count on him just being reckless?)

[kslghost]

Yes, I can understand what you mean. However, its not the Kx Qx Jx etc that I worry about. It's more the KQ QJ QA AJ JT or any variety of these (and worse) suited. I know there are people who will play KT QT AT etc. (though it is not correct for them to do so).

99 is a decent pocket pair, but I am still hesistant to raise it in such early position. I am a big supporter of paying a lot of attention to position, especially preflop. I will say that raising it first-in in late-middle to late position is a good play, but you risk being caught without enough information if you do it in early position.

[frank_iii]

Did you have a read on him? He seems like a complete LAG so perhaps a bet/calldown would have been warranted on the turn. Even though it turned out that the Q won it for him, that's not a very scary card to make me stop betting.

[zuvis]

After the flop cap, I figured calling down was the best play.

If I raise and he is behind he may fold, if he is ahead, I may get popped back and have a terrible decision. I think calling down lets me maximize my win when ahead, and minimize losses when behind, but my thinking may be flawed.

[Quercus]

I don't usually raise with 99 in EP. It seems to leave me with 2-3 opponents too often, rather than either 1 or many that I prefer with this hand.