*** 3rd STREET ***
Dealt to X [Qh]
Dealt to Y [8h]
Dealt to HERO [9s 9d Ks]
Dealt to V [As]
Dealt to F [9h]
Dealt to G [Qc]
Y: brings in for $0.08
HERO: What to dooooo what do I dooo?

What I would doooooooo is fold

You have a medium pair (which is really not that strong in stud), one of your 9s is dead and you don't have an overcard kicker because someone behind you has an ace and may very well decide to raise

Raise IMO. You are playing 6-handed, in a mixed game probably, so you have to show aggression in this spots.

Yes, you have one out for nine trips, but you also have a two flush with only one spade dead and kings are live. By raising you are representing:

a) pair of kings
b) king high flush draw

You should only be concern about play V because Aces are live and play G because if we calls he his representing a Queen high flush draw also very live.

Imo, this is the kind of hand that's not worth the trouble at these low limits

At higher stakes you have to be aggressive and not fold everytime someone raises, but at 0.04/0.08...just wait to invest your money when the situation is right and then play it hard

When you have a medium pair without an overcard kicker and with one of your pair dead, the situation is not so right, also because you have the threat of the ace raising behind you

In any case it's either raise or fold, don't call

Well if its not worth raise its not worth to play. In this case the A called and then donkbetted on a brick on 4th street but im such a donk I decided to chase 2 pair and got one A on 5th, unfortune that I got 2 pair (KK99A) and raised for value on 7th as the ace-master caught the last ace in the deck. U got a point that i should wait for monstercards bcuz of the stakes but at the same time players in this lvl can call with any3 and chase so I got conflicted feelings about playing it here with one overcard acting behind me while the queens probably are non paired... Im def folding in this situation if one of the queens were a J or K but this hand has me very conflicted.

edit: big bet is 40 cents btw

To be honest, and many will probably disagree, I am not even convinced that at the lowest limits it is necessary to play medium pairs AT ALL

People do not observe you or take notes, people don't pay attention to what you're playing, this is 0.10/0.20, not 20/40

I don't think you give up a lot of profit if you just don't play medium pairs unless you have a big overcard kicker and all cards are live at 0.10/0.20

Instead, you may even get yourself in trouble unnecessarily by not dropping in these kinds of situations at the donkey limits imo, or get sucked in deeper and deeper in the hand, because when you improve to a low two pair (which will happen more often than improving to trips, especially with one of your nines gone) what you have is still a sucker hand

Agree this is a fold. As already stated your 9, super key card, is dead-ish. After that your best case (K high flush) is live but needs lots of help especially short handed and your second best (K's up) is a stretch and could easily be behind if and when finally made. Save the bring in rather than invest and try to catch up.

Ok thx guys, the Nit inside me and the lag-donk had a discussion and we decided that we fold in this situation after reading all posts.

Live kicker, only one live overcard behind you, I raise and lead until I get resistance.

I am completely newbie in stud, could you explain me why shouldn't we open 99K here?

Overall idea that depending of ante structure we need only about 40% to open 6-handed

And from http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/sh...67&postcount=8 adjusted to 6 max
We have only about 13% that V has AA
only about 17% that X or G has QQ
and I guess approximately only 10% that somebody has TT+ in the hole

So we have very good probability to steal ante, especially due to K showing, plus we have about 40% equity against TT-QQ.

I would open raise without a doubt. Good hand, hidden strength, good kicker.

A hidden medium pair is almost always playable...

One of the bigger mistakes new player tend to make in this game are:

a) call to much
b) don't put enough pressure when they should

I would raise this hand, too!


It's not that likely that anybody has a stronger hand than us.

Q-Q are blocking themselves.....3 hearts already out....

But imo most Important point here is that he K is our door Card and not one of the 9.

I would fold 9K9, but raise 99K

There is an ace showing right behind hero
The ace will probably raise, as many players automatically do with an ace as door card, and unless you have solid reads on that player, how will you know whether his raise indicates a pair of aces or a bluff? Are you going to play your 99 all the way to 7th, to find out whether you are behind or not, with one of your 9s dead, and the risk that if you catch one of your live K's, you may still end up being second-best and behind to his aces up by 7th?

Also, trying an ante-steal with a higher upcard than your own door card behind you is not the best spot imo.

I do agree however that because your 99 is concealed, your hand is stronger than if the 9 were your doorcard. But still, with one of your 9s gone, your chances of making trips and then profiting from the surprise effect and extra moneymaking potential of your hidden pair when you do hit the trips, are greatly reduced for sure.

At these Limits this should not be that hard task imo.

If the A is raising I'm pretty sure to play againt AA at these stakes, so I'm going to give up pretty soon, if I don't catch something decent.

At higher Limits to open this hand could bring you into trouble spots, I agree.

But not at theses stakes imho.

Those that say that the hand is playable .."but"... Would you agree to open-raise and whatever happens we play this hand to 5th street and then take decision? In this hand I actually got called by the ace and then he/she donkbetted 4th and 5th. On 5th i caught and ace and decided to play it to 7th were i raised 2 pair and got reraised as villain caught the 4th ace.

If he is so aggro that he raises every xyA on MP against K on UTG having 4 opps behind him you will have this "solid read" very quickly. If he is balanced and raises AA and also say with Ah-FD and xxA you'd better fold vs his 3bet, but your steal is still +EV IMO.

How to play vs call or 3bet is another topic, it doesn't mean you shouldn't open. Call + donkbet with AA is very popular line on those limits as I see.

You didn't tell us what the ante structure for this game is. If it's a low ante game, my inclination would be to fold it. You're UTG. You have a crippled pair, and your two-flush might also be crippled if the As has a three flush, and you're pulling to a lesser flush in that case. The value of a two-flush goes way down if the draw isn't very live.

You're a slight favotite if the As has a smaller pocket pair, and a definite dog if he has a bigger pair, even if it's the two remaining queens. Even if it's the best hand ATM, it's not worth it unless the ante is sufficiently high to make a steal raise profitable.

Hands like this look better than they really are, and should be dropped before they get you in trouble with little chance to re-draw.

I am assuming a standard structure and that we are the first to bet. In that spot the potential take it down equity is pretty good. You also need to take into account what sort of player the As guy is. But as a standard move, I complete it almost always.

I have read this thread and deided first to fold then to raise/call to 5th street and decide aftert that and now im conflicted again, since its micros I think I would raise anyways cuz its good to raise as many hands as possible (maybe the best +ev move in those stakes) to get re-spazzed. (to 5th at least as long as the A doesnt pair on 4th)

Easy open complete, you have a hidden medium pair with a good live kicker.

A hidden medium pair which is partly dead and a kicker which if you pair it may still end up second-best

I raise on third if the ace will sometimes fold a hand as good as a small live pair in the hole. I fold if the ace will call a lot, especially if he rarely reraises with A(Ax) so I have no idea where I am at.

Does op remind anyone else of Roy West