Two middle-pair hands, please review
 

(oh, and here's a preemptive question. What does *grunch* mean? I've been out of the loop here at 2+2 for a while.)

Hand One
PokerStars 0.02/0.04 Hold'em (8 handed) converter

Preflop: Hero is BB with 8[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 8[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img].
<font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, UTG+1 calls, <font color="#666666">2 folds</font>, CO calls, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, SB completes, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises</font>, UTG+1 calls, CO calls, SB calls.

Flop: (8 SB) 4[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], 7[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 5[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(4 players)</font>
SB checks, <font color="#CC3333">Hero bets</font>, UTG+1 calls, CO calls, SB calls.

Turn: (6 BB) 5[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(4 players)</font>
SB checks, <font color="#CC3333">Hero bets</font>, UTG+1 folds, CO calls, SB folds.

River: (8 BB) 2[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">Hero bets</font>, CO folds.

Final Pot: 9 BB

Hand Two
PokerStars 0.02/0.04 Hold'em (8 handed) converter

Preflop: Hero is MP1 with 9[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], 9[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img].
<font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, UTG+1 calls, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises</font>, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, CO calls, Button calls, SB calls, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, UTG+1 calls.

Flop: (11 SB) J[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], 7[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(5 players)</font>
SB checks, UTG+1 checks, <font color="#CC3333">Hero bets</font>, CO calls, Button calls, SB calls, UTG+1 calls.

Turn: (8 BB) Q[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(5 players)</font>
SB checks, UTG+1 checks, Hero checks, CO checks, Button checks.

River: (8 BB) 5[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(5 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">SB bets</font>, UTG+1 folds, Hero calls, CO folds, Button folds.

Final Pot: 10 BB

Re: Two middle-pair hands, please review
 

Hand 1 is pretty straight forward, you have an over pair and your bets are met with no agression from opponents.

Hand 2 - 5 to the flop with a pair of nines, 2 broadways show up and you are betting with 2 players yet to act? Once the CO and Button cold call you are playing this hand for set value unless you get a flop like hand 1.

Re: Two middle-pair hands, please review
 

hand 1 I just check preflop. Postflop is textbook.

Hand 2 is good until the river. You will almost never win this hand, especially with 2 players left to act behind you. Just fold the river.

Re: Two middle-pair hands, please review
 

[ QUOTE ]
hand 1 I just check preflop. Postflop is textbook.

Hand 2 is good until the river. You will almost never win this hand, especially with 2 players left to act behind you. Just fold the river.

[/ QUOTE ]
I like the preflop raise. It's easily for value playing 0.02/0.04. I think the whole hand is standard.

Hand 2: I'm giving up on this flop. Agree that the river call is really bad.

Re: Two middle-pair hands, please review
 

The flop bet and the river call in the second hand are money loosers. The first hand is fine; the flop raise is debatable but I like it.

Re: Two middle-pair hands, please review
 

With the very passive nature of the table, betting for value was what as in my mind when I raised with 88. I wasn't sure about it, but I thought since I would usually be drawing, padding the pot would be +EV

Re: Two middle-pair hands, please review
 

[ QUOTE ]
With the very passive nature of the table, betting for value was what as in my mind when I raised with 88. I wasn't sure about it, but I thought since I would usually be drawing, padding the pot would be +EV

[/ QUOTE ]
This reasoning isn't good. The preflop raise is for value since many limpers will only have 3 outs to hit the flop (holdings like Ax). They could also easily have been limping hands like 76s.

You'll not have the outs drawing to a 2-outer on the flop anyway.

Re: Two middle-pair hands, please review
 

*grunch* means responding to a hand without looking at what other posters had to say first. Named after the world famous "GrunchCan." He used to post frequently in the micros, and was one of my favourites, but we lost him to the NL crowd (except for occasional visits). It was made in response to his Challenge, that I cannot find a link to. Somebody help.