Tough one with 99

[PrayingMantis]

We're last 6 at a 11$ 2-tables SNG (4 see the money). It's been one of the toughest, blinds 200/400, ante 25, and the stacks are pretty similar: 6575, 5560, 5545, 5275, 3130, 915.

I'm fifth with 3130.

Play is very tight, very aggressive, all-in or big raises and re-raises pre-flop, and many folds. Almost no flops. we play like that for a long time. I've made more than my own share of all-in's, few times now, with some pretty marginal hands, because I'm getting nada from the dealer. People are waiting to trap me.

So, I'm getting 99, UTG+1. UTG (5560) folds. What's your move?

6th stack is pretty short, so I could wait for him to bust. But I can take here the blinds + ante, which are now T750 - not bad. On the other hand, I don't really want to be called by over cards here, not to talk about a big-pair. I don't feel too short stacked yet... Or am I wrong?

Push? raise? stop-and-go? limp-fold? what?

(Kurn, you were talking about being very aggressive with a marginal hand, and then fold a better one next hand, or orbit, just because you feel it's bad timing. I wonder if this 99 situation fits in that category?)


PrayingMantis

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

You'll have a hard time folding into the money here, as 2 people have to go out.

You still have enough chips to scare the bigger stacks.

How long until the blinds go up? How often have you been stealing? When was your last all-in open-raise?

6-handed, I'd have a hard time folding 99 here, so I'd more than likely push in. My example was raising twice in a row and getting something like AJo the third time (what I raised with would be irrelevant since they don't know what I had). 99 doesn't need to improve to win. A big stack could easily call you with 88-55. You're going to have to double-up or keep stealing to make the money.

[PrayingMantis]

[ QUOTE ]
How long until the blinds go up? How often have you been stealing? When was your last all-in open-raise?


[/ QUOTE ]

Blinds were about to turn 300/600 in a few hands. I pushed twice during last 10 hands, last push was two hands before. The others see me as a regular stealer with garbage, no doubt about it. For example, once I took a few seconds before folding PF in EP, and one of them said: "no stealing this time?". I think I open-raised in this game more than re-raising PF, though.

Again, short stack is very close to disappearing. Naturally, my first thought with this 99 was to push, that's the best hand I got dealt in a long time. I agree about having to steal or double-up to make the money. Yet, for some reason, I felt maybe I'll have better chance with only 5 in, stealing a few times in better position rather than pushing here, and facing probably a coin-flip situation.

Anyway - I pushed, and big-stack on CO called with QQ. But I'm not interested in the "bad luck" aspect of the result, only with my original move.


PrayingMantis

[ThaSaltCracka]

Bet the pot.
That is a large enough bet that shouldn't get you into to much trouble.
If someone re-raises fold the hand.

[ohkanada]

All-in and it doesn't appear to be close. You are 5th and need to move up. The low stack has little or no bearing here.

Ken Poklitar

[ohkanada]

Betting the pot is about 1500. With only 3100 he should go all-in.

Ken Poklitar

[La Brujita]

I push in here as well. A limp would be ok if the blinds weren't so big and if you were not fearful of a reraise.

You have a decent chance to pick up the blinds with the bet all in.

Three times the BB puts a large percentage of your chips in play, also one question I always ask myself is would you fold to a reraise? If the answer is no, usually you are better off going all in than trying to trap. The exception may be with AA or KK when if I am willing to get a better return for more risk I may make the minimum raise or even limp (very rare unless ep in a hyper aggressive game or hu).

[ThaSaltCracka]

pot is 750.

[ohkanada]

To calculate a pot sized raise, you call the 400, then raise what is in the pot which is another 1150. So raising the pot would be 1550 total.

With blinds of 200-400 making it 750 is an illegal bet. Making it 800 is a silly NL bet.

Ken Poklitar

[William]

I have no doubt that this one is a fold or all-in situation.
Nobody is going to call here unless they have you beaten, so you are risking 3130 to get 750. 4 player to act after you. I would fold, the risk seems too big. And I have busted out a million times in situations like this, so I think I do better folding. I think I need at least JJ to move in here.

William