SB 99

[rayrns]

Poker Stars .50/$1 Loose Passive 9 players

Short version: 5 limpers to me. I am in SB with 99. I call.
I don't like to raise from here with all the overcards that can come on the flop.

Flop:J-9-4 rainbow.
I bet to show J's and see if I get the J higher kicker raise. All call.

Turn: (J-9-4)[A]no flushes. I check as I am hoping to check raise. Checked around. Darn.

RiverJ-9-4-A)[6]no flushes. I bet. All fold. I was happy to have pocket nines hold up but disappointed in making the set and only winning 5BB.

Then in the middle of the night the hand came back to haunt me. What had I done wrong? I think it was the turn. As there was no pre-flop raising, when I checked the turn, I had no idea where or if a bet would come from. Then my past advice to another poster hit me. If you think the bet will come from EP, c/r to get more money in the pot. From a LP it will probably narrow the field. I wanted more money in the pot and had no idea that I could/would get a raise from EP therefore should just have bet out myself. (ding)

Then the question I have arose. Should I have raised pre-flop with the 9's in the SB. WLLHE say you can from the BB and SB but the last time I raised 9-9 from BB the flop came T-9-r. I hit my set, bet every street and lost to a overset of T's, who called till the river and then raised me. What is proper here?

As with this and all my posts I will end with "Thanks in advance" as I don't want to make lots of extra posts with "Thanks N/M". I appreciate short-curt, long winded or any posts that people will make to answer my questions. Be hard on me. It'll never be taken personally and hard answers can only help in my play.

[J.R.]

I think the loose, passive players are the key here. When you bet into 6 players on this flop, you show strength. An A is a nice turn card to check, since you ostensibly say, my J is no good, I know one of you called with an A overcard and now you beat me, but, if you bet the turn, you may get an A to raise you (although that's less likely in a loose passive game), and with 6 callers on the flop, there isn't someone I might call a likely candiate to bet the turn.

There isn't often an assertive voice out there when six call the flop. And since they are loose passive, they will be more liekly to call the turn, because they still get one more card that will improve their hand. [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] With big fields full of calling stations, bet your big hands unless you have a real good reason not to.

[muck_nutz]

[ QUOTE ]

Then the question I have arose. Should I have raised pre-flop with the 9's in the SB. WLLHE say you can from the BB and SB but the last time I raised 9-9 from BB the flop came T-9-r. I hit my set, bet every street and lost to a overset of T's, who called till the river and then raised me.What is proper here?


[/ QUOTE ]

In a game like this I probably wouldn't raise with 99 in the blind (I would on the button) and attempt to make money post flop. But I think Lee's advice is fine as long as you play 99 well post flop. You shouldn't allow past catastrophes drive your decision process. Flopping set over set is just going to be painful. Such is life. It also doesn't happen frequently in HE.

I would bet every street into a loose passive crowd. They are going to call you drawing thin or dead. If you got some information that the person directly after you was going to raise then you can check to trap the whole field for another bet, but you don't want to have any/many people calling two cold and thus possible driveing them off their slim hands.

[Al_Capone_Junior]

It was very clear when you bet the flop, and didn't get raised, that betting all the way was the best way to play this hand. I like betting out on the flop, that way you could reraise if you'da been raised. This will tend to win you the biggest pots when you flop a set.

The TT vs. 99 hand where you lost is irrelevant. Forget about it.

I generally don't bother raising from the blinds with 99, so I can't fault you for not doing so. Take the set value and see the flop cheaply. there are other times and places to raise with middle pairs.

al

[J.R.]

I see less value in raising from the blinds (which is essentially a deception play) when your opponents are calling stations who often don't think too much about anything but their cards and whether thay can have another one if they call.

[Rook1]

in those micro limits slow play nothing. better would be you bet and the ace raises or you check and a 4 flush comes up.