Interesting TPTK in Super Monday

[ismisus]

After more than 2 hours of brutal play in the Party's Super Monday tourney my table has turned into a total blind-stealing manifest.
The blinds are 100/200. 260 left, top 120 pay i think, but my goal is final table.
crazy_guy- 7000
Me-Dealer- 3000
SB- 2700
BB - 1000
I have a tight image, probably even a tight-weak image.
In the dealer position I get Ac9c, interesting. Crazy_guy who's to the right of me raises minimum 400, he's been doing that all day, I don't fear anything big, however I just call (wrong move? fold/raise situation? dominated hand?). SB calls too, I figure SB called just for pot odds sake. Shortstacked BB folds.
Flop is 9 7 6
SB checks
crazy_guy checks
I bet 1100 (TPTK, this pot is mine. However I have to bet this much, because I fear overcards. Wrong move? Should I check, since only better hands will call me?)
SB after pausing for a long while re-raises me all in (Bells go off in my head, he has a hand)
Crazy_guy folds
Me (Well I do have TPTK- TOP PAIR-TOP KICKER. Maybe he has K9, Q9, low pp, maybe he thinks i bet too much and im bluffing. Maybe a straight draw. I only have 1500 left, that will not be enough for a comeback, plus I have 5 outs which gives me 20% chance of winning)
I call.

Results
<font color="white"> He has 10 10, obviously I lose, otherwise I wouldn't have posted this thread [img]/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img] </font>

What would you experts do in this situation? DavidRoss?
TPTK is one dangerous animal

[nixma]

If you don't fear crazy_guy and feel you can outplay him after the flop, you should definitely raise here to try to get him heads-up. He will likely be calling with an inferior hand (not that A9s is all THAT strong, but I'm going by your description of his play) and you will scare out any marginal holdings that the blinds might be considering playing. If crazy_guy reraises you, you can release your hand with good conscience. By just calling, you're not really sure where you're at, ESPECIALLY once one of the blinds decides to come along for the ride.

Anyway, you're stuck now with a three-handed flop and a big pot (1400). Not a bad flop 9-7-6. When the pot is checked to you, your flop bet is fine. Here's the rub, though - by not reraising preflop, you get yourself into a fine mess when the SB raises you.

Now what? What could the small blind have? A9 and K9 are just as likely at 77 and 66, maybe even 88. Big mess. The SB is not at the desperation stage yet, I don't think, so you have to give him credit for a hand.

In the end, I'm not sure what to do when the SB raises you. If it were me, I'd think about what type of play I'd seen from the SB. You said "bells were going off in your head", which to me means that, based on his play up to that point, you felt he had you beat. Lay it down then. It's only TPTK, and not even that great a top pair at that. And remember that next time, if you want to play A9s against a crazy min-raiser, reraise it so you have a better idea where you're at when the SB raises you on the flop.

As a side note, I hate the SB's play here. TT, out of position, against a loose min-raiser and a caller? This hand needs to be played much more aggressively pre-flop.

[0evg0]

Agreed, SB could've gotten himself into a world of hurt there. Tough decision, but if you're goal was final table, well you have to take some risks and based on what you said it seems as if you were a below average stack, no?

[ismisus]

I was 700 below the average stack. I had 3000, and it was 3700. However I was not concerned with that, since I am sure I was higher than a median stack. Also I was 15X BB, so I was not in desperate mode yet.

I should have raised the crazy_guy, 1000 pre-flop. Then if SB still called me, I would see the flop. Still I don't know if I would have gotten away from TPTK vs SB.

[davidross]

SB could have a wide range of hands, but the check-raise screams "I can beat TPTK". I've seen guys do this with any 8, but I strongly suspect you are behind here.

I really don't like the pre-flop call. I sure wouldn't call a normal raise with A9. If you think he's bluffing then raise him, but I only like cold calling with pairs or suited connectors.

At this stage of the tournament, when 2 people both make a hand, one of them is going out, so you try to play hands that won't be 2nd best. You played this the way you had to post-flop, but I think some bad decisions were made pre-flop.

[AceKQJT]

When TPTK is a 9 on a 9-high flop, you've got to be careful. If I were in the SB, I would probably play T-T or J-J like this. Personally, I don't like your hand, but I would have to push on the flop (with your stack size). SB could be making his stand with TP also, but I think you are behind a lot of hands he would limp with (T-8, J-J, T-T, 9-9)

--Casey