NLHE Tourney - Analysis please

[mattheconq]

Home poker Tournament. Started with 25 players with T1500. Down to 12players on two tables, I have T2900. Blinds 150/300 at this point.

I'm dealt 88 in the small blind. Big stack (T8000) limps near the front,then folded to me. I raise to T800, big blind folds, and limper calls.

Flop Ks 8c 3h, giving me middle set. There's now T1900 in the pot, shouldI move in here or check? I see the following scenarios:

1)I move in, probably just picking up the pot but maybe doubling up if theopponent calls with AK or a even just a big pair.

2)I check and then check-raise all in if opponent bets. If it is checkedthrough then i reevaluate on the turn.

In any event, i decided to check and it checked through.

Turn is the 9s. I check again, knowing that the big stack will definitelybet now. He bets T1000, and I move in for another T1100. He turns over pocket 9's, giving him a better set, and the river doesn't help me.

I'm not particularly concerend about the particular outcome here, i was just wondering if i made a crucial tournament mistake by not taking the pot down on the flop? Was i justified in checking, seeing that i might increase my chances of doubling up with middle set if i slow-played?

thanks in advance
matt

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

I would probably have checked my set on a draw-free board, too. Probably would've only called if he bet. Not much to be afraid of other than a bigger pair hitting a 2-outer [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

[Rick Diesel]

I think that you played it fine. I would probably bet out about T800 on the flop, hoping to get those 99-JJ out of there without giving them a chance to hit their set. Any decent king will still call that bet, and may even raise, so you can pop back for all your chips.

Either way it was well played, and he hit one of the two outs that he had. There was no way for you to see that coming, and when he bet I would have pushed my chips into the middle so fast that the felt may have caught on fire.

Rick Diesel