tough spot, many options. whats the best play?

Yesterday I played a live $70 buyin tournament at a local casino, this hand came up fairly early on in the tournament. (Starting stacks of 10k)

My opponent seemed like a pretty tight and solid player. This was the first pot that he had raised.

Blinds 50/100
Opponent's stack: ~17k
My Stack: ~8k
My hand: 99

He raised from early/middle position to 350.
I elected to call on the button, given it was the first hand he was raising and from early/mid position I wasn't about to raise him preflop in this spot.

Flop: 552 raindow board
(Pot: 850)
Opponent: Checks
Now I have an option to bet or check... In the back of my mind I had a feeling that he was setting a trap but I decided to bet 700 not wanting to give him a free card.

He check raises to 2000 total.
I called.
Turn: Q
Opponent: checks
I check
River: 7
(No flush draws on Board)
(Pot is 4850)

He puts me all in for ~5.5k and I fold.



I feel that I played this hand horribly, making several bad decisions along the way. How would you have played this? Fold to his check raise? Check the flop? Bet the turn? Call the all in? What would have been the best approach to this hand?

bet less on flop, probably like 550, fold to c/r

Yeah, you don't need to bet so big on dry boards. Bet just over half pot a lot and most opponents won't adjust.

Calling the C/R is spew if you're not intending to commit very often on the turn.

I would guess that the check on the flop by in position villian indicates strength and the check-raise confirms it. Only thing in villian's range that you are ahead of here is AK, AQ,AJ,AT,88,77,66,44, and 33. Only other strategy I have seen effectively used is a small reraise to 800 preflop. If he ships it here, you know your flipping or crushed(more likely crushed) but if he flats, you probably get a free flop or a chance to take it away on the flop if he has AK, QQ, or JJ with a donk bet of 1200. Second one is much riskier but it will help you define his range much sooner. FWIW, the first stategy is much more profitable faster tournaments as the second is better suited for deep stack longer tournaments.