Middle pair push
 

Interesting $100 Party hand, wondering if anyone else would make the same play...

I've been mixing it up maniac style for the past 50 hands or so, VPIP 38%, PFR 26% at this table. Villain sat down a few hands before so he may not know this. Also no stats.

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em, $ BB (9 handed) converter

SB ($94.5)
BB ($100)
Hero ($196.2)
UTG+1 ($99)
MP1 ($121.95)
MP2 ($101.85)
MP3 ($103.8)
CO ($30.35)
Button ($73.8)

Preflop: Hero is UTG with T[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], 7[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]. SB posts a blind of $0.5.
<font color="#CC3333">Hero raises to $4</font>, <font color="#CC3333">UTG+1 raises to $9</font>, <font color="#666666">7 folds</font>, Hero calls $5.

Flop: ($19.50) 3[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 9[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], 7[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">Hero bets $6</font>, <font color="#CC3333">UTG+1 raises to $20</font>, Hero bets $181.20 (All-In)

Villain was very quick to raise. What range of possible hands would you put villain on here? Would anyone else push this?

Re: Middle pair push
 

not really sure why you're pushing here against an unknown. i put him on AKs/AA/KK/QQ. pushing with middle pair is only going to get you picked off by people with better hands.

i like the push against a weak tight player, but against an unknown, i dont like the push at all.

Re: Middle pair push
 

I would probably put the villain on an over pair (AA or KK) since he re-raised pre flop and then raised your flop bet when three baby cards come out. From his perspective you are showing strength with your bet, and he is representing more strength.

When you push on the flop you're basically hoping (praying maybe) that he folds -- because if he calls, he can certainly beat second button. From the villain's perspective (and in this case not knowing that you've been playing like a maniac...) my guess is that he either puts you on a strong overpair like AA-QQ or in the worse case (for him) a set of 9s. If he's assuming normal play, these would be among the few hands "consistent with normal play." He may not necessarily put you on AA since you smooth called his pre-flop re-raise ... (also, he may have AA).

My guess (assuming that the villain wasn't doing anything crazy like you...) is that the villain called the all-in and showed down either AA or KK (because these are hands that people have trouble getting away from...)

Of course, I'm most likely wrong about this conclusion because if you're posting this hand, something bizzare probably happened!

Re: Middle pair push
 

I really don't like your play after the flop. Playing like a maniac for the first few bets is ok, provided that you play well on later streets, but how many raises does this guy have to put in before you give up! If you want to play rags out of position, you ought to let them go when all you flop is a pair of 7s on a double suited board out of position to a PF re-raiser and flop pot-size raise.

Re: Middle pair push
 

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Would anyone else push this?

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if "push" is slang for "fold," then, yes, i would push.

Re: Middle pair push
 

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Villain was very quick to raise. What range of possible hands would you put villain on here? Would anyone else push this?

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Wow, now THAT is aggressive play. For the villain's range of hands I would say 99-AA or else AK or AQ, possibly of diamonds. With no read on him, then I think he would have a hard time folding any of these hands unless he was taking a shot on the flop with two high cards without the flush draw.

So no, I would not push here but I prefer to be much more selective in my aggression (at the $25 or $50 tables, I don't play the $100 tables).

Re: Middle pair push
 

Thanks for responding, just wanted to know if *anyone* thought this a legitimate play, or just plain crazy. I guess it's the latter.

Villain folded after thinking for several seconds, when I showed my hand he was shocked, and later said he had AK. I don't normally play like this but his fast played bet just said "raise me". I suppose I got lucky