live 1/2 I just sat down two orbits ago and definitely have the loosest image of anyone. I've been 3betting preflop a few times and once folding a 3bet with AQss to a shove for $150 from original bettor. I did not show my hand.

MP1: $150
-tattooed meathead who I had chatted with a bit. He was friendly. His gf was sweating him while they waited to go to a concert. They had been doing vodka shots and he had to leave soon for his show

MP2 (Me): $230
-as described above

Hijack: $300
-bought in mere seconds before this hand. Was still arranging his stack when this hand was dealt

a few EPs limp, MP1 limps and I make it $15 with J9cc, hijack calls, one guy in EP calls and MP1 calls

Flop ($65): A99r.

Here is where it gets interesting. EP guy checks. MP1 donks $20. I make it $80. Hijack says 'I've never done this on the first hand before but I'm all in"

MP1 takes like 10 seconds and calls

I've got $135 left so I am getting better than 3:1. What do you guys do?

wow really tough spot. i would hate to be in. Lets look at what you can put them on.

MP1 (the limper)- this is most likely 89s or 910s so I do not think you have to worry about this player. If he had k9 i think it would have been a quicker call so Im almost positive its one of the first ones because of the time he waited.

HJ (newcomer)- Because of his speech, I dont think hes that strong. Hes only saying that so you think hes really strong or to try and rationalize this wrong move. Id put him on AK and maybe AQ. i dont feel like he has a 9 and i dont think he would play A9 this way.

Therefore, its a call
Plus, your getting really great odds to make this call as youve put in a lot of your stack already. if one of them has q9 or k9 its unfortunate but you still have some outs to a chop or a FH.

J9 is a very strong hand considering one of these all ins is probably 8-9 or 9-10.

it might be even more interesting to figure out if I should make this call if MP1 folds to the shove from hijack

Pretty weird hand. Im calling though.

Tough spot for sure.

You have one Villain beat.

I think A9, K9, Q9 are as likely holdings(if not more likely) as T9 and 98 in a 1/2 game against unknowns.

Getting better than 3:1 makes it a call.

This kind of spot is why we have Bankrolls

I call.
MP1 looks like he has an Ace.
Hijack has strong hand, either big Ace or a 9 that may/maynot have you outkicked. But you have to call.
I'm not sure why you would raise J9s from MP2 to mult limpers? It's a SC, call and see a cheap flop.

You raise these hands so people don't always think you have AA when you raise. You mix up your play. You also establish control of the table. They don't know you have J9. Bet the flop and you take it down 90 percent of the time.

As for this hand, I'd have to call here. Though I've seen trips cost people a lot of money. You have the 4th nuts. (A9, K9, Q9 being better). Are people calling raises with K9 and Q9 at this table? Vital information. Maybe I could find a fold if that was the case but I doubt it.

At 1/2 Live? Nahhhhhhh.........

Yahhhhh averag players see 1 bluff or light raise and it burns into their memory for life.

1/2 live players never bluff but with 100bbs with flopped trips and a decent kicker gotta go broke here with what you have left HJ can have A9, K9, Q9 but he can have T9, 89, 79, 69 as well.

Cases can be made for raising or flatting J9ss preflop. depending on image, players behind, among other things. If late players are going to isolate a lot, im raising it. I wont be the limp caller.

Yeah I am not opening J9s most of the time but here I did because I thought I could get position and c-bets work very well at 1/2 on certain flops. Nonetheless I realize my decision to open here is marginal.

I stoved some ranges after the session on this hand. For MP1 I gave a wider range like some of you suggested: AA, AJs+, J9s, J9o, Q9s, Q9o, T9s, T9o, 98s, 98o, 97s, 98o

Hijack I gave a range of AA, AKs, AKo, J9s, T9s, K9o, Q9o, J9o, T9o, 98s, 98o, 97s

My hand is 49.5 percent against these hands so getting better than 3:1, I made a proper call here.

The results are a bit surprising but here they are for those who wish to see:

Preflop flat makes it look more like A9 than AA but first hand speech shove is a fold unless you've seen this exact villain make this exact move at least twice.

yeah the speech is legit. I have not seen a 'fake' speech at 1/2 yet to my knowledge