Mid Pairs early in stt's?

Matixboy · February 16th, 2008, 09:17 PM

I have trouble playing mid pairs early on in stt's. What do you do with them? In the hand below do you play it the same way?

Full Tilt Poker Game #5267919831: $22 + $2 Sit & Go (Turbo) (40054179), Table 1 - 40/80 - No Limit Hold'em - 17:53:25 ET - 2008/02/15
Seat 1: arjun1321 (1,525)
Seat 2: resary (1,090)
Seat 3: Mat1ixboy (1,435)
Seat 4: daluno (1,410)
Seat 5: cattien (1,350)
Seat 6: Babyfresser (1,330)
Seat 7: 1illmaculate1 (2,085)
Seat 8: Chachey (1,420)
Seat 9: tommytankengine (1,855)
tommytankengine posts the small blind of 40
arjun1321 posts the big blind of 80
The button is in seat #8
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Mat1ixboy [9h 9c]
resary folds
Mat1ixboy raises to 240
daluno folds
cattien has 15 seconds left to act
cattien folds
Babyfresser raises to 560
1illmaculate1 folds
Chachey folds
tommytankengine folds
arjun1321 folds
Mat1ixboy folds

bestbuy02 · February 16th, 2008, 11:19 PM

yuck, sticky situation...guess you can only push or fold because calling 3 bets with 99 is not good. Have to go with your read, if any. Also 99 is on the borderline of my open raising in EP but at this stage im pretty certain you played it fine. Would need someone to back this up because it is close.

aguttorm · February 17th, 2008, 01:42 AM

I would fold easy.

mcippolito · February 17th, 2008, 03:49 AM

I would fold in that early position unless I didn't expect to see a bet from everyone after me, in which case I'd probably flat call. If anyone raises it's then an easy fold.

For me, a hand like that is to tricky too get caught up in.

Also, good fold on the raise.

andremcosta · February 17th, 2008, 05:49 AM

I never raise 99 in this spot. I would fold most of the time, since you have a 18bb stack. Early in a SNG you are not playing mid pairs like 77-TT for pair value, but for set value and your stack is little enough to avoid it.

Calling in a very loose passive table is ok.

andremcosta · February 17th, 2008, 05:51 AM

As played, I like the fold.

VincereEstTotum · February 17th, 2008, 07:00 AM

fold is standard

bestbuy02 · February 17th, 2008, 01:37 PM

Not sure what your saying...99 is a fold UTG? It is definately worth a limp if not a raise depending on the table. Folding to a 3bet is standard, yes absolutely

andremcosta · February 17th, 2008, 05:43 PM

Raising here is a huge mistake.

Fold is standard and sometimes you can limp if you are in a VERY loose passive table, where you expect 3 or 4 players to limp and there is a VERY small chance of someone raising in front of you.

Except in specific situations, even limping is a clear mistake, since you will never play 99 here for pair value, and 18bb is short enough to give you little value when you hit a set. Because of your short stack, you also need to be sure that your opponents are willing to gave you their whole stack even with marginal hands. Probably it is not the case in an average $24 table.

Matixboy · February 19th, 2008, 02:50 AM

After talking with a couple people that are successful in 9-man turbos I agree that this is a open fold almost always unless the table is full of huge fish that are going to give me their stack with weak cards.

I think this might be a leak in my game and I am glad I posted this, thanks for all the replies