$11--wow I won...hand question inside

[xGoreDudex]

Well, after going 0-5, finally won one today, good feeling.
Anyway, here's some hands that were key, just wondering if I'm flawed anywhere here....can't get the hand convertor to work, anyone know if their's a working link available?


***** Hand History for Game 2948813459 *****
NL Texas Hold'em $10 Buy-in + $1 Entry Fee Trny:16970731 Level:3 Blinds(25/50) - Saturday, October 29, 12:01:49 EDT 2005
Table Table 67453 (Real Money)
Seat 9 is the button
Total number of players : 6
Seat 2: bigsteve074 ( $865 )
Seat 4: Cmonbutch69 ( $3010 )
Seat 6: elvis107 ( $1300 )
Seat 3: DonkdHound_ ( $675 )
Seat 10: CandyBar111 ( $1650 )
Seat 9: Barbelith ( $500 )
Trny:16970731 Level:3
Blinds(25/50)
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to DonkdHound_ [ 9c 9s ]
DonkdHound_ raises [100].
Cmonbutch69 has been reconnected and has 9 seconds to act.
Cmonbutch69 folds.
elvis107 folds.
Barbelith folds.
CandyBar111 calls [75].
bigsteve074 calls [50].
** Dealing Flop ** [ Tc, 4h, 8c ]
CandyBar111 checks.
bigsteve074 checks.
DonkdHound_ bets [90].
CandyBar111 folds.
bigsteve074 calls [90].
** Dealing Turn ** [ Js ]
bigsteve074 checks.
DonkdHound_ bets [80].
bigsteve074 calls [80].
** Dealing River ** [ 7c ]
bigsteve074 checks.
DonkdHound_ checks.
bigsteve074 shows [ Qd, 8d ] a pair of eights.
DonkdHound_ shows [ 9c, 9s ] a straight, seven to jack.
DonkdHound_ wins 640 chips from the main pot with a straight, seven to jack.

Was trying to induce a bluff here on the river, didn't seem to work, but a pot won is a pot won.

#2. When the blinds are this insane and it's HU is this play typically okay?

***** Hand History for Game 2948886207 *****
NL Texas Hold'em $10 Buy-in + $1 Entry Fee Trny:16970731 Level:9 Blinds(250/500) - Saturday, October 29, 12:24:50 EDT 2005
Table Table 67453 (Real Money)
Seat 3 is the button
Total number of players : 2
Seat 6: elvis107 ( $4060 )
Seat 3: DonkdHound_ ( $3940 )
Trny:16970731 Level:9
Blinds(250/500)
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to DonkdHound_ [ Qh 3h ]
DonkdHound_ is all-In.
elvis107 calls [3440].
** Dealing Flop ** [ 9d, Kc, Qd ]
** Dealing Turn ** [ 5s ]
** Dealing River ** [ 3d ]
DonkdHound_ shows [ Qh, 3h ] two pairs, queens and threes.
elvis107 shows [ 6h, 6d ] a pair of sixes.
DonkdHound_ wins 7880 chips from the main pot with two pairs, queens and threes.

Not pretty, anyway guys sorry again, appreciate any comments as I try to form some sort of Sit & Go game

Sorry, but I really hate the first hand. First, your PF raise is way too small. With a hand like 99, you really need to narrow the field with a raise to 150/200, because a minraise almost always makes the BB come along for the ride with a likely overcard.

Betting the flop is ok, but remember that there are 300 chips in the pot. Reducing your bet size as a hand goes on is bad, and I usually dislike keeping the bet size the same. Assuming I get these callers on all streets, I would make my bets like this:

Raise 150 PF
Push Flop

Even in your situation, there is NO reason to check the river. How can you induce a bluff if you close the final round of betting? With the amount of chips you have left, I would happily push this river. The only hand that beats you is Q9, and you have 2 of the 9's in the deck.


Sorry If my comments seem harsh, these are just my opinions. 2nd hand seems fine to me though, depending on read.

[xGoreDudex]

I appreciate all comments harsh or not, thats the only way I'll learn right?, appreciate the advice man...is that a standard way to play 99 the way you suggested pushing in on that flop typically?

First Hand:
Freflop: Minraising pf is only acceptable at 11s when blinds are high (they aren't here) AND you have a monster (i.e. AA) that you want to try and extract some chips with, rather than just pushing for fold equity. In this spot, I would raise to 150-175 preflop, and dependin on reads call/fold to a push. Though I lean towards folding.

On the flop, Bet more, your hand is vulnerable to many turn cards, and winning this pot would make a big difference in your chip stack. Push, and hope he doesn't have a ten. If you had raised more pf, you would get called only by more quality hands, and a caller having a ten would be much less likely. Still, you are probably ahead here. He is making a mistake to call you with AK etc., or any smaller pairs he may have made. Though you wouldn't mind taking it down with the push, getting called by a hand that is drawing thin isn't all bad either.

Turn: Stop decreasing your bet size. It's not a good idea. You don't have a big hand to get paid off (set/straight). Your letting him draw cheap if your ahead, and will still end up crippled if you lose. Also, if he pushes the river, are you going to get away from your hand? Probably not, so get all of your chips in now.

River: Okay, now you have a hand that is very likely to be the winner. Villian likes his hand a little, but not very much, as he has not raised. You must bet here, as villian has shown he may call you down. The pot is big enough in relation to your stack size to simply push.

Second hand: Fine, Blinds are high, Q is ahead of a lot of the random hands the villian has, and just stealing the blinds make a huge increase in your stack.

Edit: As for a standard way to play 99, I think the larger raise and push the relatively safe flop is standard, when you have 13BB in your stack. Depending on your stack size, the play of this hand becomes very different.

[MegaBet]

[ QUOTE ]
Even in your situation, there is NO reason to check the river. How can you induce a bluff if you close the final round of betting? With the amount of chips you have left, I would happily push this river. The only hand that beats you is Q9, and you have 2 of the 9's in the deck.


[/ QUOTE ]

You are also beaten by any flush draw. I would probably check the river too but for a different reason, as a club is the scariest card that you can get on the river, considering the betting. Everyone seems to have missed this.

Having said that, I wouldn't be in this position anyway, as I would have pushed the turn by then.

[Rambino]

Am I the only one that is still playing 99 for set value in this case? With the blinds still relatively small at a 6-handed table, I am terrified of any overcard to my 99. This is one of those hands that is always risky, and this is a very sensitive part of the tournament.

I agree that if you are going to raise it should be at least 150, but I would be tempted to limp for set, unless there has been a lot more PF raising than I usually see at PP11.

[Lori]

[ QUOTE ]
Am I the only one that is still playing 99 for set value in this case? With the blinds still relatively small at a 6-handed table, I am terrified of any overcard to my 99. This is one of those hands that is always risky, and this is a very sensitive part of the tournament.

I agree that if you are going to raise it should be at least 150, but I would be tempted to limp for set, unless there has been a lot more PF raising than I usually see at PP11.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think limping for a set is better 7+ handed, and with a bigger stack really.

One thing that the mini raise DOES accomplish compared to a limp is that it could stop other people from raising and pretty much ensures that you get a flop.

I'm not as against the mini raise as others seem to be, in fact I think it is difficult to play this hand very badly in this situation.

Lori

[ QUOTE ]
Am I the only one that is still playing 99 for set value in this case? With the blinds still relatively small at a 6-handed table, I am terrified of any overcard to my 99. This is one of those hands that is always risky, and this is a very sensitive part of the tournament.

I agree that if you are going to raise it should be at least 150, but I would be tempted to limp for set, unless there has been a lot more PF raising than I usually see at PP11.

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree. I limp 88-JJ here. The players at the 11's are generally calling stations preflop with any K or A, so all that raising does is pump up the pot such that a continuation bet on the flop becomes more costly. If a K, A, or even a Q comes on the flop, I check/fold. With that flop, I bet 250. If I get callers, I push the turn.

[microbet]

The 9s on the first hand are a borderline position for me. I think limping, raising or pushing (yes, I mean preflop) are reasonable. If I raised, it would be 125-150.

Given how you got to the turn, I think pushing the turn is pretty easy. You have a very good chance at folding a ten here, you have some kind of hand and an OESD.

Second hand is fine.