Newb preflop play, please help.

[Runin]

I would raise this almost every time. Problem is, without knowing much about villian, we don't know that he wouldn't have called a pre-flop raise and called you down with second pair until he woke up with two pair on the river anyway. At these tables, you will see people call down with second pair all the time. You just got unlucky that he caught the 9 on the river. Still, I raise this hand pre-flop and at least get him thinking that you might have the A. With you still betting into him on the turn, he could fold his second pair.

[Nightbrace]

well I guess I do want people to call, so I guess there is nothing I am protecting my hand from except what I lost to. I want him to call all day with Q 9. I mean in general really, how do I protect a made hand from being suckered out, I know this is what makes pots larger by pumping draws and having so many callers, but is there anything I can do to protect lets say a low set like 555 against a straight/flush draw? I am not crying over a bad beat, I don't consider this a bad beat, but a poor preflop decision, I know that raising would have been best, just playing too passive. Thanks for your insight.

[2+2 Junkie]

Grunching.
Nice hand, not much you can do there.

[2+2 Junkie]

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Oh, by the way I lost to Q 9 offsuit. If that helps any.

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Don't be results oriented. Actually, had you raised preflop, SB's play would have been close to perfect, but your lack of a raise forced him to make a big mistake (according to the FToP) on the flop by calling your bet. You won a lot of Sklansky bucks on this hand.

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Please explain how his play would be perfect considering a raise pre-flop? I don't understand calling down the 2nd pair with no kicker to a pre-flop raiser.

[davelin]

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but is there anything I can do to protect lets say a low set like 555 against a straight/flush draw?

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Nope.

[GrunchCan]

Understand this: you did not lose this hand becasue of a mistake you made. You didn't make any mistakes in this hand.

[bozlax]

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Oh, by the way I lost to Q 9 offsuit. If that helps any.

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Don't be results oriented. Actually, had you raised preflop, SB's play would have been close to perfect, but your lack of a raise forced him to make a big mistake (according to the FToP) on the flop by calling your bet. You won a lot of Sklansky bucks on this hand.

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Please explain how his play would be perfect considering a raise pre-flop? I don't understand calling down the 2nd pair with no kicker to a pre-flop raiser.

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I think Wook was just analyzing the flop play, not the rest of the streets.

[Nightbrace]

when a table gets down to 5 players its right to leave anyways, but since I had this hand to look at "free" in the big blind I was hoping for a decent flop. I got it,but oh well, thats poker, thanks for the tips, I will leave before the table gets this small.

[bozlax]

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how do I protect a made hand from being suckered out

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By being able to mentally control the deck as it's dealt. It's easier if you can actually SEE the dealer (and he's human, of course).

Suckouts happen. Your Villan made a bad flop call, but if you had checked it would have likely checked through or Villan would have bet and then would have been back to being right to call your raise (just as if he'd called a preflop raise).

[bozlax]

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when a table gets down to 5 players its right to leave anyways, but since I had this hand to look at "free" in the big blind I was hoping for a decent flop. I got it,but oh well, thats poker, thanks for the tips, I will leave before the table gets this small.

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This is also wrong. Short-handed play is different from full-ring, but it can be veeeeery rewarding. Just ask Wookie.