Lay down trip 9's ?

Jonathan · #1 04-23-2004, 06:20 AM

Hi,

Here is a situation that comes up often, which I still feel I'm not handling correctly. First, I think my preflop raise looks a little fishy. I think I should raise all-in or perhaps just call. What do you think?

Second, how to play post flop? The opponent may have a single diamond in whcih case I don't want to allow a free card. Should I automatically fold to his re-raise?

Thanks for the input

The hand:

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t200 (8 handed)

UTG+1 (t1845)
MP1 (t1440)
MP2 (t1965)
Hero (t1725)
Button (t1550)
SB (t1295)
BB (t1175)
UTG (t2505)

Preflop: Hero is CO with 9[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], 9[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img].
UTG folds, UTG+1 folds, MP1 calls t200, MP2 folds, Hero raises to t400, Button folds, SB folds, BB folds, MP1 calls t200.

Flop: (t1100) 9[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 5[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], Q[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (2 players) 
MP1 checks, Hero bets t600, MP1 raises to t1040, Hero calls t440.

Turn: (t3180) T[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (2 players) 

River: (t3180) 3[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] (2 players) 

Final Pot: t3180
Main Pot: t3180 (t3180), between MP1 and Hero. > Pot won by MP1 (t3180).

Results in white below: 
MP1 shows 7d Ad (flush, ace high).
Hero shows 9s 9h (three of a kind, nines).
Outcome: MP1 wins t3180.

David BB · #2 04-23-2004, 06:50 AM

What did you think your minumum raise pre-flop would achieve?

After he check-raises you all in theres no way you can fold. You have to call and hope that the board will pair.

Brian462 · #3 04-23-2004, 06:53 AM

If you are going to raise preflop raise much more and if you are going to bet the flop bet much more. Otherwise you played it great.

PrayingMantis · #4 04-23-2004, 07:05 AM

The mini-raise PF is a bad move. You have to decide what you're trying to achieve here, and act accordingly. There are 500T in the pot, when it's you're move. You might try to take it down at that point with an all-in (depending on your read of MP1, and the hands he'll limp with). You might want to go for a pottish raise, with an intention to push on any flop (this is a very tricky move, not recommended unless you know what you're doing, because your stack is not big enough). You might want to limp and try to hit big, or outplay your opponents post-flop. This is not very good, too, with blind at more than 10% your stack. Folding is another option, some will say the best,

Mini-raising, IMO, is the worst option.

On the flop: all-in. Betting half the pot here is very unreasonable, with your stack and this flop.

Jonathan · #5 04-23-2004, 11:32 AM

[ QUOTE ]

Mini-raising, IMO, is the worst option.

On the flop: all-in. Betting half the pot here is very unreasonable, with your stack and this flop.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, I agree about the preflop raise. Thats exactly what I thought when I was reviewing the hand. Mabey I should just fold it preflop.

As for the all-in post flop, could you please explain why this is better than half the pot bet? If he has a made flush I'm a big dog. My play gives me the option of escaping.

Thanks for the input,
Jonathan

David BB · #6 04-23-2004, 11:42 AM

[ QUOTE ]
My play gives me the option of escaping.

[/ QUOTE ]

No it does not. You're pot commited either way. Theres no way you can fold just to save your last 400 chips if you get raised. You have to hope that you already have the best hand or that you will make a full house if he has the flush.

Bubbagump · #7 04-23-2004, 12:59 PM

[ QUOTE ]

As for the all-in post flop, could you please explain why this is better than half the pot bet? If he has a made flush I'm a big dog. My play gives me the option of escaping.

[/ QUOTE ]

With your stack size, a bet of half the pot on the flop is about half your stack. If you are behind on the hand, you are going to get raised for the rest of your chips. Since you are almost even money for the board to pair with 2 cards to come, you are better off pushing in as this gives you the extra chance to win if you opponent folds which is not out of the realm of possibility if he's got 1 diamond or his flush is not that strong. It really all depends on your read of this particular oppenent. It's situations like this that make playing medium pairs aggressively not very profitable in the early stages of the tournament. If I was going to play the 99's, I would have tried to limp with them. They would have been much easier to get away from if you got played with on the flop.

My .02

Bubbagump

PrayingMantis · #8 04-23-2004, 05:06 PM

[ QUOTE ]
As for the all-in post flop, could you please explain why this is better than half the pot bet?

[/ QUOTE ]

The pot is 1100. You have 1325 left, your opponent has about 1000. You've flopped your set. It is checked to you. You certainly don't want to give a free card. The only bet that will make your opponent face a decision is an all-in. If he's got the flush draw - well, he has about the right odds to call. But you still must give him the option to fold, so you can take the pot right there. He actually played it very good, after your weak bet on the flop - he almost made YOU fold (as you titled your post: lay down trip 9s?). If you had pushed first, the tough decision was HIS.

[ QUOTE ]
If he has a made flush I'm a big dog.

[/ QUOTE ]

You cannot play this game, if you fear that your HU opponent had flopped a flush. That's my opinion.

[ QUOTE ]
My play gives me the option of escaping.

[/ QUOTE ]

As was already mentiond by others, I'm afraid you don't have the option of escaping. You raised PF, got one caller, flopped a set, on a dangarous board. With *such* short stacks - all the money must go in.