Line Check - 99 in the SB

[mlagoo]

i dont really get it.

you overbet the flop for some reason on a very non-threatening board with only a very specific couple hands that you could be forcing to draw incorrectly.

then you hugely overbet the turn when the only hands that are calling you are an overpair, a 4, a FH, or a straight.

im not sure what to say here. dont play it this way.

first off, you could fold preflop. but you guys are probably deep enough that calling here is ok.

secondly, you need to bear in mind that you are first to act on every street. so slow down.

on the flop, why did you bet so much? we talk a lot on this board about not playing big pots out of position. when you bet the flop like that, it's the classic "win a small pot or lose a big one" line.

instead, fire out a bet of something like 2/3 pot. you have a strong hand, but MP1 raised with something, and you'd like to have a better idea of what before you go blindly firing chips into the pot.

on the turn, i like a check. there's just no reason to blindly stick all your chips in without even thinking of what BB might have called you with on the flop here. the only hands that you're beating on the turn that he might POSSIBLY call with here are A5, 66, 77. That is an incredibly small hand range, and doesn't pay you off enough to justify going broke against the hands that are beating you on the turn (any overpair, 55, 88, 67, A4).

i think if you check the turn, one of a few things can happen: (1) if villian's bet size/timing convinces you that you have him beat, you can call and see a river. there's no draw here that you are "letting off for cheap"; (2) villian will check it through sometimes, allowing you to check/call the river for relatively cheap; or (3) villian will bet, you will decide you are beat and fold. the good thing about (3) is there just aren't enough hands he called with on the flop that are bluffing you off of the best hand here on the turn -- villian didn't call with AK on the flop.

anyway, this post kinda got out of control. just slow down.

Thanks, your thoughts are basically how I thought about the hand after the fact. After the flop, I bet the pot thinking I would win it here if both players had just over cards. After the turn, I made a rash decision, thinking if I made him play for all his chips, only 55, and hand with a 4, and 88 were calling. As Chevy Chase says in Dirty Work, "hindsight's 20/20". For whatever reason, TT-AA never popped into my mind, as I though he would re-raise on the flop with those hands.

I definitely play over pairs too fast, and need to adjust that part of my game.