Flop play with 99 vs TAG?

[AlmightyJay]

Can't get the converter to work, so here's my manual attempt:

Party Poker 1/2 Hold'em (9 handed)

Preflop: Hero is MP2 with 9[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 9[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]
1 fold, UTG+1 calls, 1 fold, Hero calls, <font color="red">MP3 raises</font>, 3 folds, BB calls, UTG+1 calls, Hero calls

Flop: (8.5 SB) J[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], 4[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 3[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] <font color="blue"> (4 players)</font>
BB checks, UTG+1 checks, <font color="blue">Hero...</font>

First of all, I know a lot of people raise this hand in this spot. Sometimes I do. Usually I limp in EP/EMP, though.

MP3 is a solid, somewhat straightforward TAG. I respect his play, and I think he respects mine. His range here is probably TT-AA, AT-AK, KQ, maybe KJs (though this might be iffy because I'm in the pot.. I don't know if he limits his raises based on who's in the pot). He will bet this flop no matter what he holds, but if he's got UI overcards on the turn, he will check it through. If I bet, he may also raise no matter what he holds, but I'm not positive.

To me, I figured I either needed to check/fold this flop or bet right out, hoping MP3 will raise to try and limit the field. I'm looking for more opinions on how to play this one, because I felt lost when the flop came.

[McGahee]

I'm not a PFR nazi about 99 in EP, but you should raise 1 limper in MP2.
I'm not sure why you think check/fold is better than check/call unless you're faced with 2 cold.
Put it this way, if he was on your right you'd C/R without thinking twice, right? So why not bet and if it's HU on the turn bet/fold.

*grunch*

I raise it preflop, if for no other reason than hopefully you fold out MP3's AQ, AJ, KQ, KJ, AT, whatever, and if he has AA KK QQ AK or maybe JJ/TT he's 3-betting anyway. If you raise preflop and don't get threebet, I'd lead the flop and go from there.

If you raise preflop and still get threebet, I'd call, and go from there. Depending on if you just want to get to showdown, or think you're still ahead, you could raise the flop or call it and checkraise the turn? Maybe that's too tricky and you should just call down from the flop on.

The way you played it, what do you think of the line of either checkraising the flop or calling the flop and checkraising a safe turn card? I don't think if you just donk the flop that he'll fold after raising preflop.

Sorry for the long post, but this is a situation I have trouble with too.

BBB

[McGahee]

If our hand is good it's very vulnerable, so it's not really a good spot to trap the field.

[AlmightyJay]

[ QUOTE ]
*grunch*

I raise it preflop, if for no other reason than hopefully you fold out MP3's AQ, AJ, KQ, KJ, AT, whatever, and if he has AA KK QQ AK or maybe JJ/TT he's 3-betting anyway. If you raise preflop and don't get threebet, I'd lead the flop and go from there.

If you raise preflop and still get threebet, I'd call, and go from there. Depending on if you just want to get to showdown, or think you're still ahead, you could raise the flop or call it and checkraise the turn? Maybe that's too tricky and you should just call down from the flop on.

The way you played it, what do you think of the line of either checkraising the flop or calling the flop and checkraising a safe turn card? I don't think if you just donk the flop that he'll fold after raising preflop.

Sorry for the long post, but this is a situation I have trouble with too.

BBB

[/ QUOTE ]

Check/raising isn't an option because the bettor is on my left. Everyone will call his bet, and then call mine. There's no point.

My question is, what do I do if I bet and he auto-raises, like I suspect he will? Then what? Call and re-evaluate on the turn? Hope it makes it heads up, then see what his turn action is? Betting seems right, but I don't know what to do after.

good point, my mistake.

If you think he's autoraising most always (high pock pair or just overcards), then if you bet and he raises probably everyone else will fold then you'll call and be heads up and that's a good outcome. If that happens then I'd see what the turn brings. If it's another overcard you could probably fold the turn, or if you think he's on air you could just call all the way down? That seems to lose the least if you're beat, and extract the most if he's betting out overcards and trying to get you to fold. What do you think?

BBB

Preflop: Youre in MP2 against one limper, there is a decent chance that if you raise here you can limit the field to just one or two opponents, you hand playes well is this situation, so its better to raise than call and play your hand for set value.

FLOP: Dont limit your options to bet out or check/fold, there is still times where it would be best to check/call. This is a delicate situation where many lines have merit. If you think the PFR will raise the flop with two overcards if you bet, then you should bet into him an attempt to get this pot heads up. You can also check and call, and see how the other players like this flop, by doing this you are using your favorable relative position to gain more information. For instance if you have a couple of aggressive players behind you, and one calls, and the other folds your hand just went up in value since the aggressive player probably wouldve checkraised if he had a Jack to get you out of the pot. This means you can donk bet a blank turn card and see how the PRF responds to that.

TURN: How you play the turn depends on what happens on the flop.

If you bet into the raiser, and he raises, and another guy cold calls, you should probably fold the turn unimproved(folding the flop is also fine since given the coldcaller along with the PFR raising, there is a higher probably only have 2 outs.)

If however you bet into the raiser, he raises and everyone folds back to you, you should be prepared to go to the river, checking and calling the rest of the way down would be fine. Unless you know the raiser would never bluffraise the turn, betting the turn would be better.

If you bet into the raiser on the flop and no one raises, I would bet a blank turn even if all 3 opponents called. Since you will almost always have the raiser beat and there is still a good enough chance, considering the pot size, that you have the other two callers beat since they have not showed any strength thus far.

There are other scenarios I am not mentioning but you get the idea. Good luck in the future.

[McGahee]

After thinking further, a TAG isn't going to be taking a free card very often on the turn, but he might fold to a C/R, how about that? If he calls it you can probably check/fold the river unless you think he has the gumption to bet overs on the end, but he probably won't.

What about bet/call on the flop? Try to use his raise to limit the field. If another high card falls, I guess you can fold the turn, otherwise donkbet and fold to a raise. If he calls your turn bet, I guess you can lead out the river. How bad is my line here?

[ QUOTE ]
bet/call on the flop - Try to use his raise to limit the field.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes..I'm in for that line of play.