Please comment on how I played this hand

[LuckySlevin]

We're deep into a 700 odd man mtt - top 9 qualify for the prize.

Thanks very much

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t1000 (9 handed) Poker-Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: FlopTurnRiver)

BB (t36220)
UTG (t17489)
UTG+1 (t29980)
Hero (t43252)
MP2 (t15490)
MP3 (t54472)
CO (t22983)
Button (t17370)
SB (t22745)

Preflop: Hero is MP1 with 9, 6.
2 folds, Hero raises to t2000, 1 fold, MP3 calls t2000, 4 folds.

Flop: (t6400) 9, 9, K (2 players)
Hero checks, MP3 checks.

Turn: (t6400) J (2 players)
Hero bets t2000, MP3 raises to t14000, Hero raises to t26000, MP3 raises to t52372, Hero calls t15152 (All-In).

River: (t99924) A (2 players, 1 all-in)

Final Pot: t88704

[kmind]

fold preflop, bet flop, as played bet turn larger, getting it in is fine though now

never slowplay and don't play trash in EP/MP

[LuckySlevin]

OK Kimd they we're all playing real tight so I thought I'd try to open with some low cards on the chance of hitting a set - I take it that was bad play then from what you've said, hmm *slaps wrists* ok I wont do that again.

That hand actually cost me the tournament (it was a free roll EPT qualifier for a final with 3 packages for entry to the ETP in London.)

Here's what happened: -

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t1000 (9 handed) Poker-Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: FlopTurnRiver)

BB (t36220)
UTG (t17489)
UTG+1 (t29980)
Hero (t43252)
MP2 (t15490)
MP3 (t54472)
CO (t22983)
Button (t17370)
SB (t22745)

Preflop: Hero is MP1 with 9, 6.
2 folds, Hero raises to t2000, 1 fold, MP3 calls t2000, 4 folds.

Flop: (t6400) 9, 9, K (2 players)
Hero checks, MP3 checks.

Turn: (t6400) J (2 players)
Hero bets t2000, MP3 raises to t14000, Hero raises to t26000, MP3 raises to t52372, Hero calls t15152 (All-In).

River: (t99924) A (2 players, 1 all-in)

Final Pot: t88704

Results in white below:
Hero has 9h 6c (three of a kind, nines).
MP3 has Ts Qd (straight, ace high).
Outcome: MP3 wins t99924.

[ChrisBCritter]

Taken out of context, this is, and should be a VERY easy fold Pre-flop. Hands like this only make your decisions more difficult later on (And less Black/White)

If you are trying to Steal the blinds, you need to do more than Min-Raise PF. What are you trying to accomplish with this raise?

Having gotten to the flop, which you GINNED, We need to know some more information about your Villian who has you covered, how has he been playing up to now? I would tend to open C-Bet this flop, mainly because a 9 is not normaly in a hand that people raise lots Pre-flop (besides 99), you need to get money in while ahead.

The turn bet is too small. A flush draw is present, and you need to bet it out to not give him odds if that is what he has. Also there a slim straight possibilty with QT since the flop was checked through. His raise means you are WA/WB, so this is the decision time. I don't understand your Min-3-bet though, Just PUSH, you can't fold to any raise past that one, and you'll have more FE with the push.

In conclusion, Just Fold this crap OOP Pre-flop. If you have to raise it, then put in a real raise to try to steal some blinds.

EDIT: Results don't change my opinion though...You said that the table was tight, so What did you think he could be raising with here that you could possibly beat?

[LuckySlevin]

I thought he had the King with a queen, or ace, or a 10+(which would put KK in his range but I just thought the chances would be slim) - I deliberately raised small at the start to make my continuation bet look weak - this was the kind of ideal circumstance I was looking for when I put the small raise out. I wanted him to think, he's just trying a poor attempt to bluff so I'll go over the top of him, I was trying to pot commit them with their high cards - so I could stack of with a set if I hit it. Which I did. However apart from the obvious real bummer of a river, he also had a possible flush. I just didn't see any way I could put that set down on a 9-9-k-j flop.

Even if I'd given him credit for the draw to the straight, I think I'd still be right putting him all in right? I mean his chances of hitting the straight are less than 50/50 so it wouldn't make sense from a pot perspective for him to call?

Of course I posted because I have heaps to learn, this is just my thought process as I was playing - maybe someone can pick holes in it for me if it's wrong?

Thanks

[ChrisBCritter]

There is a big difference between trips (What you had here) and a set (3 of a kind while holding a PP) If you were holding 99 here and the flop had come K29 instead, then you would have a set of 9's, and it would be worth going broke nearly every time.

With trips, and lots of action (like the actual hand) you need to have a pretty good read that your opponent is loose enough to commit a lot of chips with just a 1 pair hand. What about your opponent having the case 9 in his hand (definitely part of his range)? What would you think about your 6 kicker then (which doesn't play on the turn)? It looks like you are playing on Level 0, only looking at the cards in front of you. We need to get you to level 1 to really get a better idea of what your opponent could be holding.

I deliberately raised small at the start to make my continuation bet look weak - this was the kind of ideal circumstance I was looking for when I put the small raise out. I wanted him to think, he's just trying a poor attempt to bluff so I'll go over the top of him

You missed your C-Bet on the flop. And you WERE trying a poor attempt to bluff (at least Pre-flop). These are the type of hands you want to play fast, but not get attached to. You had multiple opportunities to not lose your stack in this hand, the easiest would've been Pre-flop.

[Thunder]

That hand actually cost me the tournament

Your play cost you the tournament. Follow the advice about raising EP with trash, let alone min raising. It's no different to playing ace rag and hitting top pair, which is why ace rag is bad.

I deliberately raised small at the start to make my continuation bet look weak - this was the kind of ideal circumstance I was looking for when I put the small raise out. I wanted him to think, he's just trying a poor attempt to bluff so I'll go over the top of him, I was trying to pot commit them with their high cards - so I could stack of with a set if I hit it.

This is wrong on so many levels. Some of which have already been covered by others.

To go one further, you are not hitting a set, you are hitting trips. With 2 unconnected hole cards the chances of flopping 2 pair or trips is just 3.47% (1/28) and just flopping trips is 1.35% (1/74). In other words: highly -EV play. And that doesn't even take into consideration he can flop trips too and with a bigger kicker to leave you dead.

To put this into perspective for two pair, if it's $1000 to go all in, over 100 runs, you win $4000 but lose $96,000 for an overall figure of -$92,000. Trips is even worse. You end up minus $98,000.

You talk about pot committing but K9, A9, J9 and 109 all crush you.

[a500lbgorilla]

Why didn't you bet the flop? 100% honest answer please.

[kmind]

OK Kimd they we're all playing real tight so I thought I'd try to open with some low cards on the chance of hitting a set - I take it that was bad play then from what you've said, hmm *slaps wrists* ok I wont do that again.

Without reading other comments:
A set means when you have a pocket pair and hit one of those cards postflop. Trips is when you start with two different cards and 2 of one of those cards shows up, which is what you meant. But this board I bet the flop with 100% of my range. There is a gutshot draw (what I first noticed...and now I see he had it) plus some PP will just call because they think you're bluffing and then any K will try to get it in either on flop or later most likely. Betting around half pot or a little above on the flop works well because we force the PP to stay in as well as we can get bluffed at, etc.

[LuckySlevin]

Why didn't you bet the flop? 100% honest answer please.

I was trying to conceal the fact I'd hit[ten] the nuts on the flop, to lure him into betting that's the honest answer =/

Edit: well not the nuts, but very good hand, almost the nuts from a probability perspective in my thinking - am I right to think this do you think?

Edit: for some strange reason I used a word that doesn't exist.. hitten - instead of hit... must have been because I'd not long woken up! anyway fixed, lmao.

[LuckySlevin]

Betting around half pot or a little above on the flop works well because we force the PP to stay in as well as we can get bluffed at, etc.

Thanks kmind I'll be putting them down in future, and if I am in a situation like this with trips then I'll bet half the pot in future!

[LuckySlevin]

Thanks Chris and Thunder I appreciate your input - I'll have to reassess the way I play this - My thinking was the odds of me hitting the trips are so slim that the odds of him hitting them too are also so slim, thats why I thought It was my flop to bet post flop. Oh well - you live and learn =)

[LuckySlevin]

From everyones comments, on reflection it looks like the poker Gods balanced the books here. They punished me post flop, for playing a hand I should never have played pre-flop =)

[speedcake]

preeeety sure the poker gods had nothing to do with it

[LuckySlevin]

well.. post flop my aim was to get him to put all his chips in which I did, so I can't say I'd ever really play that hand differently post flop If I was certain of the same response from the opp with the same hands I'd play that way again? - I think the river was just pure and simple unlucky hence my reference to poker gods! I mean, my ramming over the top of him should have had him folding with a GSD right?

I will of course not be betting this, this way in future though - as kimd said I'll bet half the pot in future.

[badgers]

Slevin you might want to review your analysis of your opponents play

[LuckySlevin]

I see what you mean badger, when I said I wanted to lure him into betting - that was early, then when he went over the top I was never going to do anything else with this hand than make him fold or go to a showdown.

Was that bad play?

[badgers]

The river was not unlucky - 9TJQK = straight, so it was not the poker gods. Your slowplay was the reason you lost this hand. You gave the free card and got punished for it.

[JKDS]

with that stack, i call minraises IP with QT all day long. I also am more than happy to except free cards from an initial raiser.

Just wondering though, what hands do you think fold to a minraise pre, and what hands do you think fold to a 1/3 pot bet on the turn when you checked the flop? Would the hands that call also call a 2/3pot bet, a psb? Before anwsering, peoples gut reaction is to call most of the time.