Hey guys this is my first post here so bare with me if I don't give all the info correctly. I will also include my thought process for each street so as to get feedback or confirmation if I am thinking through these hands accurately...

3/5/10 (mandatory straddle) game at Players casino.

Hero sits on 750 effective and everyone else (but cutoff) at the table has me covered. Heros image is TAG but hero is a new player to these stakes so his play does not get much respect at the table.

Action:
UTG who has a solid tag image but has been playing a few more hands as of late raises to 35. Middle position calls, the cutoff calls, and Hero looks down at 99 and makes the call. SB calls, BB calls, and straddle completes. 7 ways to the flop

Thoughts Preflop:
My first instinct was to 3 bet to 175-200 due to the fact that UTG's perceived range has widened a bit since he had been raising more hands, however if we get 4 bet by UTG we are most likely way behind. I thought it was a close spot so I decided to flat the 35 raise and re evaluate on the flop.

Flop:
Comes 256 action is checked to hero who bets 155. The SB calls and everyone else folds.

Thoughts on flop:
Figured this is a fairly good flop for me and I am most likely good here since UTG checked. I can certainly be drawing dead against 43,65 or a set, but those exact hands seem a little unlikely. 99 is close to the top of my button flatting range and with that said I decide to bet for value. When the SB calls I am a little worried but still think I have the best hand as any set/2 pair would have raised flop. The only hand beating me that may flat is 43 which is unlikely.

Turn:
Comes 8 and the SB jams it in for the rest of my stack (around 420). I tank for a minute and make the call.

Thoughts on turn:
SB jamming looks very fishy and almost like A6,A3,A4DD or 78. Hands that he has that now beat me are 68 or 88 and I don't think he would just donk jam turn with those. With that being said, I decide to make the call.

River:
3 and SB shows 48ss for a rivered straight.

Thoughts on river:
What a ****ing fish...

Questions that I have:
1. Should I have 3-bet pre? If so how much?
2. Are my thoughts on each street on par with a high level player?
3. Any feedback postflop would also be appreciated.

Thanks in advance for the feedback. I look forward to hearing all your advice!

Definitely not 3betting pre. You're pretty shortstacked so I'm not going to be 3b squeezing the UTG unless I'm gonna just go with my hand and this isn't where I'm making a stand. Seeing a flop 7 ways with 99 ip is a great spot to be in.

Flop bet is fine and standard.

You didn't give any reads on SB so I will assume a standard decent player (vs anyone who is somewhat fishy or rec I would happily call).

When he shoves He could have all sets, straights and 56 for value (probably including the offsuit versions too given pre). 78, 47s 67, 45. Maybe a hand like A6dd too. It's probably just a stove question but I wouldn't be shocked if it's a fold. Given how dry the flop is I wouldn't assume he is always raising his sets and 2p. Whether or not he's the kind of guy that I think would take a c/c lead shove line is villain dependent.

In my experience though in large multiway pots people like to play their value hands fast, and would weigh his combos to be more draw heavy so ultimately I'm gonna call here but would be interested to see what stove says if we take away some of his value combos

My read on the SB villain was that he is a gambly older Asian player who seems like a losing player. I've played with him once before so I do have a bit of history with him. Based on my read, he would have raised all of his non nutted value combos, 22,55,66,65 on the flop and only flat with 43 (especially multiway). If the turn improved him to 2 pair+ I would have expected him to check raise instead of donk shove.

I agree, a standard player has all sets, 2 pair and straights. However I just didn't see this guy as capable of taking this exact line with value such as a set, straight or 2 pair. My bad for not including my read on villain in the first place.

Yeah calling is fine I think you played hand well

As far as rationale is concerned - anyone with a strong hand who ch/calls flop when you bet MW into a 7 people on a board like this is probably going to check and let you bet turn since the pot on the turn will be > than your stack (555 Turn pot right?) and you're range is more weighted towards overpairs than sets. Unless I have some specific read that my opponent likes to stab MW and then give up with everything but top set, I'm checking pretty much everything on the turn OOP since I should still have a healthy amount of top pair + draw, straight blocker type hands.

In live games I tend to bet just a little smaller with a rather unbalanced range vs opponents who are just "ok thinkers" about the game especially in MW pots like this where folks are forced to play more straightforward. If game conditions were different obviously I cant advocate this play ie. a game of regs who you play against 40 hrs a week say.

That said, in this line up, I think you get the same folds and draws with a bet size that is between 1/3rd - 1/2 pot unless you think you're 100% GII vs any c/raise or in this situation, a turn shove etc etc.

this makes me think of a question and maybe someone else can better answer it: If your opponents arent putting you on a "range" and simply pontificating on your likely holdings (similar concept, yes but there is absolutely a distinction in application of these two different things), is there really a point in playing your range over playing your hand? I feel like this is a concept thats been visited and i've probably at some point found some "answer" to it at some point in my past but ive been away from the game for a bit and slowly starting to ramp up my play both online and live again.

looks fine. the most constructive advice is to make sure you take the hand in stride/jovially; you lost 75bbs to a draw (of sorts) and ripping it in with 48s is awesome

out of curiousity, what is a yunglazer?

Thanks for the feedback. I agree that using a smaller bet sizing on flop will yield the same results and in the long run will probably save me some money when I'm beat.

As far as your question about range, I definitely think there is a point to still playing your range against an opponent who is "pontificating" your holdings instead of thinking about your whole range. My opinion is that we would have to make player dependent decisions on what part of our range to deviate from, often times narrowing or widening our bluffing range as to not get snapped off by a non thinking player with top pair weak kicker etc. or to include more bluffs in our range because a player shows weakness or is likely to make tight folds. Also, players who aren't thinking on a high level are good for us in the sense that we can go for thin value way more than we could a solid player. Hope this helps answer your question.

Thanks! Yeah I'm still learning to not be a sore loser as I'm a hyper competitive person in general. The villain did flop a double gutter so I understand his play, albeit a bad play.

And yunglazer is my nickname. I play college golf and one of my strengths is that I hit the ball really straight and accurately, hence the word "laser". I just changed Young to "yung" and laser to "lazer".

You played it fine. I am never folding in this spot. I think you are looking at 78 or pair + sd too often. Based on your description of villain his line looks like it is trying to maximize fold equity rather than extracting value.

The way villain played the hand it's usually some kind of pair+draw-type hand that gained significant equity on the turn. I put him on something like A6 - top pair on flop turned flush draw. 48 is double-gutshot on flop turned top pair. Same deal.

You played it fine, just got outdrawn.

Nice hand well played.