Pocket nines

[sfer]

99 flops more sets = joke

99 is a raise preflop most of the time <> joke

[Jonny Melon]

You should almost always open-raise w/ 99, at any table, for several reasons:

4) If you get a lot of callers, the raise is for value due to the implied odds of flopping a set.

3) If you get few callers, your hand will often win unimproved.

2) You represent a big hand (raise = AK, remember?), and someone w/ a pair of 7s on a 7 high board will give you great action (for example). Also, you can push players off of overcards with this representation.

And the number 1 reason:
1) Pot equity is in your favor in any scenario except if you are against an overpair. You have an edge, you push it. That's how you make money in this game.

Jon

[xxxxx]

[ QUOTE ]
You should almost always open-raise w/ 99, at any table, for several reasons:

4) If you get a lot of callers, the raise is for value due to the implied odds of flopping a set.

3) If you get few callers, your hand will often win unimproved.

2) You represent a big hand (raise = AK, remember?), and someone w/ a pair of 7s on a 7 high board will give you great action (for example). Also, you can push players off of overcards with this representation.

And the number 1 reason:
1) Pot equity is in your favor in any scenario except if you are against an overpair. You have an edge, you push it. That's how you make money in this game.

Jon

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks everyone for your comments. I think 4) and 3) combined is convincing. I don't think an early position raise is going to get rid of anyone you want to be rid of, namely anyone with two overcards. Whether someone with QTo should coldcall two is another matter but this is small stakes poker. 2) The guy with a pair of sevens will be worried about overpairs after you raise which is what you have. But you won't always have an overpair. 1) pot equity is in your favor but you have terrible implied odds going forward. A problem for another street I suppose.

[AdamL]

Too mechanical the way you're thinking about this.

You can raise this to isolate behind fish that play badly postflop, you don't need to be opening to raise. You need to be fairly sure you can outplay your opponents postflop with 99.

You don't have to hit a set. You don't have to have a certain odds. You don't even have to flop an overpair.

Your opponents suck, their average preflop hand is way behind 99, and they play horrible post-flop. These are the situations you are there for.

[xxxxx]

I'm not sure I play all that well post-flop either.

The only hands I'm ahead of are ones that have one or more cards smaller than a nine. Granted lots of people play those at these stakes. They'll see the flop but shouldn't go any further. I just don't see anyone calling a bet on the flop unless they have me beat or have 6+ outs.

[AdamL]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm not sure I play all that well post-flop either.


[/ QUOTE ]

This is the old "I'm confused as to what to do preflop, because I am confused as to how to play postflop" problem. I have the same problem myself often enough. [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

The best course of action then is to work on your postflop play of hands like 99. The most important thing will be your reads and the number of opponents. Once you are good at playing postflop, your reads, position, and the rest will help you decide what to do preflop.