"Creeping Commitment" in the SB

[Ken Morris]

I am a limit SNG player who is now, thanks to the 2+2 crew, hooked on NL SNGs. Please educate me. Thanks.

$5+.50 NL SNG (level V 75/150)
Five remaining.
Button (T3035) is loose, and likes to hassle the blinds.
SB (T4080) seems typical. Chip leader.
Hero is BB (T1940)

Hero: 89o
Button raises to T300, SB calls, Hero calls

Am I too loose here? Blinds go up in 2 min., and I'm trying to make something happen, and, hey, I'm getting 5:1.

Pot: T975
Flop: [K 6 7] two suited.
SB checks, Hero bets T150, SB Calls

A wimpy, "limit geek" bet? I like the OE nut draw. Are they overrated?

Pot: T1275
Turn: [K67] [8] rainbow
SB bets T300, Hero calls

What does he have that the 8 helps? Str8? Kings up?
(A8)8? Is he slow-playing a set? Why only T300? Weak bluff?
Help the limit guy out here. I'm thinking that another 8 may not help me, but I've probably got 8 good outs. And, hey, I'm getting 5:1.

Pot: T1875
River: [k67] [8] [9] no flush
SB bets T450, Hero folds??

Great. Two pair, but I believe I'm looking at Kings up or a str8? T450 is over half my remaining stack, but, hey, I'm getting 5:1. So much for creeping commitment.

As I said, please educate me.

Ken Morris

[eastbay]

ObBuyerBeware: I am a winning, but not great player at the $50 PP SnGs.

I really can't find anything I like about the way you played this. I don't make the call in the first place. You've got barely 10x BB at this point. You need to wait to be aggressor, not make calls with marginal hands "trying to make something happen."

From there on out, I'll just quote William, who I think is 100% correct on this point: "In NL, draws are death."

I REALLY hate the fold on the end there, too. I think you folded the best hand.

eastbay

[CharlieFox]

I wouldn't have called 89o either... maybe 89s. Even though you might be in survival/desperation mode, I would've tried to wait for A/K high or something like that.

But if I had called, I would've checked the flop to try and get a free card, because I don't like paying just to draw. Why not get the next card for free to possibly get the straight? And you don't have the money to intimidate the big stacks, either.

If I had somehow made it to the river, I would've definitely called with the two pair you miraculously made there. My read on your opponent was that he slowplayed KK, and the increasing bets were just to try and push you out before a showdown. Of course, we'll never know, but that's how I read it.

[Ken Morris]

I think you're both correct. I had enough chips to be patient. The wimpy bet on the flop won't get me anywhere with the chip leader. The reason I posted the hand was that I had been trying to talk myself into believing that it WASN'T poorly played. I'm over that now. Thanks.