2/5 bellagio $500 cap

Hero: $475, early 30s white guy. Been at table for one orbit. Opened my button and missed, didn't have chance to top off before this next hand happens. Pretty sure I haven't played a hand yet besides my button.

V1: $400, looks like OMC but has been limpy in the one orbit I've seen so far. Doesn't look MUBSY or like a rock.

V2: covers all, MAWG, looks like a spot in the game just based on his demeanor and appearance. Don't recall if he had much action in my only orbit

V1 OMC limps from MP1 and V2 limps from MP2. Folds to hero in SB with 99. BB is unknown short stack MAWG/European about 225$.

This has always been a tweener for me. I'm almost always raising TT and completing 77. But 88/99 are just blah; totally game dependent.

In a game with little reads, OOP, new to game, hero chooses to...?

I'm never limping 99 here. (88, maybe, sometimes...)

25 or more to go depending on the game; readless 1 orbit in I'd just default to 30.

Raising is better than just calling, you have 17th best hand in holdem that plays poorly OOP multiway unless you spike a set, raising takes advantage of fold equity and puts more money into the pot when you are likely a head of your opponents limp ranges. Raising also gives you initiative.

Basically, it's almost always better to raise preflop than to limp along, and open limping is just bad poker unless you are trapping super LAGs with nutted hands sometimes.

Raising just works out better in every scenario, I think.

Take it down PF? Good enough. Whiff the flop? At least you have a credible cbet now. Flop an overpair? Better to be HU or 2way than 4+ limpers. Flop a set or better? Everyone knows to watch out for the blind that just completes/checks and goes nuts after the flop.

I'd raise 66+, sometimes 55 if the table is really fit-or-fold postflop

raise $30

$30

BTW, what if the BB happened to be a known light 3bettor?

Just flat. Position is a thing.

I raise $25 here probably 80% of the time, the 20% I complete happens when I see it's very unlikely that I'll be able to keep control of the hand, take it down with a healthy flop bet a good % of the time. 'Sticky' players and the like. Or if the waitress is bringing my drink at that exact moment.

I think i'm a little bullish on 9's but they seem like just too good a hand to play like 4's. In this hand I lean heavily toward raising actually, so we lose some of the hands, at least we didn't just complete with what is likely to be a way good hand.

I'd go $30 or $35, never $25 though. Mixing in some limps is fine too.

Ok, seems like majority of response are to bump it to 25/30$.

I just hate playing oop and having close to no reads at all, so I completed the SB and BB checked.

Flop ($20): 10♥️9♣️7♣️
Hero?

Thinking back, 99 and 88 prob should be raises nearly every time from SB after 2 or less limps.

If there were 3+ limps, would this change our desire to make it 30$?

If we make it 30$, I feel like if the BB or first limper then calls, then it "prices me in" for all the other limpers...which kinda sucks for us unless we bink a set.

$30 pre for value and to iso.

AP, Lead $20/call or re-raise.

Pre is a raise, $30-$35
AP, flop bet $25-$30

35 dollars

$35-40

Flop I'm betting pot

Pre I'm raising 100% of the time
Flop bet pot or slightly larger than pot

pre 35
otf 20 you can't slow play a limped pot with draws

Pre-flop with only two limpers I'd make it 25-30. Very likely we take it down or can at least get it head's up, both of which are good results. If there had been 4 or more limpers I'd complete because I don't want to play this hand OOP 4 or 5 way in a bloated pot.

On flop throw out a green and make it $25 to go. The slight overbet is fine in a limped pot, especially if you can do it casually with one chip.

I am making it 20-25 pre-flop. I would raise most pairs in this situation depending on who the limpers are. Being OOP isn't ideal as the PFR but I can live with it.

AP, bet $20 on the flop. Anything else leads to trouble. You can at least identify who has equity and look to gather information. If there is significant action after the bet, evaluate your options accordingly.

doubling down on my preflop sizing for the flop

WTF, raise pre. You can rep boards you don't hit and you have like the 10th best starting hand. You are only 100BB deep and should never be limping in this spot. If they all fold - that's fantastic too.

Make it $35 pre.

Hero goes $25 into $20 from SB. BB folds

V1/Old man raises to $60...V2 calls.

Hero?