feedback on stars 2/4 NL hand

[THaDoCTa]

I'm playing on i think a 2/4 NL table on stars, with all decent and fairly tight players except for one who seems to have come from the play money tables and has been getting exceptionally lucky. He's worked his stack up to about 1200 from the 400 buyin and is exactly the def. of LA. It's folded to me in late mid. position and I limp in with the 9 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]9 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] Maniac is behind me and flat calls. Button folds; SB folds and BB calls.

Flop is:
J [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]9 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]Q [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]

BB checks to me; I make a reasonably sized stab at the pot, maybe betting 10 into 12 (immediately ready to release my hand if I am raised by the tight BB but not so sure if by the maniac). Both maniac and BB call. At this point I put the maniac on a Q or 9 with no heart and no 10, since he would have raised with any type of draw whatsoever. The BB is a fairly tight player and since I think he would have shown some aggression on the flop with any kind of heart (A [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]Q [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] for ex.) I figure him for a straight, either 810 or K10 BUT with no heart.

Turn:
4 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]

check check check

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

BB checks; I bet half the pot, knowing that I have the maniac beat, and at the very least his overcall (or raise) will force the BB to fold. Sure enough I am raised half my stack; BB folds; I think for a while and call. Maniac shows the 9 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]5 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] for 2 pair. Any comments on how I could have played this hand better?

[turnipmonster]

personally I would raise preflop. I will almost certainly take it down if an A or K hits on the flop in a tight game.

a lot of people are not going to be aggressive with a lone Ah out of position, so I have a hard time giving the tight player any sort of hand. possibly two pair or something.

once he's out, you're happy to play with the maniac, right [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] ? if the BB bets on the river, I think you're in trouble. would you have folded?

--turnipmonster

[turnipmonster]

btw, you should post this is the pot limit/no limit forum.

--turnipmonster

[nykenny]

i think this hand was played badly.

pflop: from LMP, i think 99 is worth an open-raise of 3x BB or so. but limp is better than folding i guess.

flop: u flopped very good, against only BB and maniac. since u don't say how much in the pot, and i guess it's like $14 pot, betting 10 is OK but not the best. I would have bet the whole pot $14. and saying you are ready to release when BB raise is ridiculous. then more ridiculously, u said the BB would have shown aggression with AhQc. then why would u release if he raises? and why would you figure him for a straight just because he called?

turn: checking is fine, betting is 2nd best

river: betting sucks, especially betting 1/2 pot. and how were u so sure you have maniac beat?

[turnipmonster]

I agree that the flop logic is flawed, but betting 1/2 pot on the river is ok with me. if he has a read that the maniac has no heart, then he's probably going to get called if he makes a small bet, but the maniac will probably fold to a large bet.

the read itself is a different story, plenty of players are capable of checking an Ah on the turn. but if his read is correct, I think 1/2 pot is pretty standard.

--turnipmonster

[THaDoCTa]

definitely.. dont think i would have called the min bet if it was from the BB..