$40/$80 hand, pocket nines.

[Fianchetto]

Bay 101

I sat down about 1 orbit ago, but it appears to be a fantastic game.

I open raise UTG+1 with 9 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 9 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], MP calls (a very loose and aggressive player who is about 3/4 of the way to full blown monkey tilt), LP calls (unknown young asian guy), BB calls.

4 players

Flop: 5 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 3 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 8 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]

I bet, MP raises, LP 3-bets, BB folds, I call, MP caps.

3 players

Turn: 5 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]

I check, MP bets, LP raises, I pause and call, LP looks at me and says "wow, I like your hand.", MP calls

3 players

River: Q [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]

Checked around.

How did I do?

Comments on all streets appreciated.

Results later.

[krishanleong]

You never know where you are at in this hand. That might be because the tilty guy is so far gone that it's not possible to know where you are in the hand. But what happens if the turn goes 3-bet 4-bet? Can you fold there?

I think my standard line would be to cap the flop and lead the turn. People get in line a little more after a cap. If the turn goes bet/raise/call or bet/call/raise I think calling down is fine. If it goes bet/raise/reraise after you cap the flop I think you can let it go safely. The flop cap buys you a little security that you are not folding the best hand on the turn.

If you aren't going to fold for any amount of bets I think your line isn't bad.

Krishan

[Fianchetto]

Yes, if either one of them 3-bets the turn I can fold.

The thing is that on the flop MP's hand could be virtually anything: a pair, flush draw, straight draw, a set, who knows!?

I think LP knows this and while he could have a big hand, in my opinion it would be a good play by him to try to get it heads up against MP if he has just about any pair.

If I 3-bet the turn is that totally overboard?

I would have to be against extreme maniacs to want to three bet the turn here. You encouraged action with your flop play, and I really like the turn call. This is a spot I fold quite often to predictable opponents but by encouraging your opponents like you did you took full advantage of it.

Well played sir.

[Fianchetto]

MP had A [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 8 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]

LP had T [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] T [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] , and MHING.

call me weak tight, but I would fold on the flop to late positions Reraise. Without late position, I would reraise flop and lead at turn, but you said you didnt know anything about late postion which puts you in a bad spot. Even if he want to isolate the maniac, he ought to have something when you raised preflop from early postion.

[jomatty]

i think on this board that i call the flop and then lead at a safe turn. when the 5 comes of and i lead the turn i call a raise but fold if its 2 more back to me. if im just called on the turn i lead that river but if i was raised on the turn i just check the river.
matty

[skp]

I think you played it fine.

One consideration is to fire a bet on the river. The only real danger with the bet is if it induces a raise from a worse hand - because your bet might look fishy - and you fold.

Getting raised and you calling that raise is not criminal. By betting out, you lose an extra bet as opposed to check calling. But by checking, you will often lose at least 1 bet if your hand is in fact best. So, let's say those cancel out for the sake of argument.

That then just leaves the danger of bet-folding to a worse hand alluded to above.

BTW, all of this is just me thinking out aloud more than anything...I think you played the hand fine.

[SLEEPER]

I believe that many players overplay overpairs.... I think in this situation, your hand is not that strong based on the betting and the board.... I lose my most money when I lose pocket pair to a bigger pocket pair when they are both overpairs.... there are so many hand combinations that are beating you, or will be beating you by the end of this hand, and it does not look like either of your opponents are going anywhere. I would fold the flop. Had you not raised preflop.... it is very possible that draws/8's are more common in your opponents hands.