First hand of a $1.20 9man, so no real reads here.

Full Tilt Poker $1 + $0.20 No Limit Hold'em Tournament - t15/t30 Blinds - 9 players
DeucesCracked Poker Videos Hand History Converter

SB: t1500 50 BBs
Hero (BB): t1500 50 BBs
UTG: t1500 50 BBs
UTG+1: t1500 50 BBs
UTG+2: t1500 50 BBs
MP1: t1500 50 BBs
MP2: t1500 50 BBs
CO: t1500 50 BBs
BTN: t1500 50 BBs

Pre Flop: (t45) Hero is BB with 9 9
7 folds, SB calls t15, Hero raises to t90, SB calls t60

Flop: (t180) 2 7 8 (2 players)
SB bets t120, Hero calls t120

Turn: (t420) A (2 players)
SB bets t210, Hero folds

Really unsure on how I played this hand.. any thoughts? I think checking behind pre is too weak with pocket nines so I raise it up.. then he donks into me on a fairly dry flop. I feel like a raise from me just folds out his worse hands here so I flat, but the turn comes an ace and he barrels again.. can we call here?

Imo, you should raise more pre (120) - yes he's out of position, but it's the first hand and you can't expect people at these stakes to be thinking players.

Then, 100% reraise flop! It's not so dry, al lot of flush and straight draws are in his range.
Too many scary card can come on the turn (any club, 6, any over).
He can also be stacking with top pair, and that's what you want: put the money in when you're the favourite.
Because of his sizing, i think he has an 8 (98+) a lot of times. He bets 2/3 on flop and then 50% on the turn.

i like 120 preflop.
on the flop i raise to about 380.
That flop is NOT DRY AT ALL.
basically everything that ul_gg said.

OK, so we are basically re-raising the flop for protection here and hoping to take the pot down on the flop? Hypothetical scenario here, how do you play it now? Just changed it up a bit to see what happens if something like this played out.

Pre Flop: (t45) Hero is BB with 9 9
7 folds, SB calls t15, Hero raises to t90, SB calls t60

Flop: (t180) 2 7 8 (2 players)
SB bets t120, Hero raises to t360, SB calls t240

Hero has 1050 left behind.

Turn: (t900) J (2 players)
SB bets t375, Hero ?

I'm reraising that flop for VALUE.
And if villain has a flushdraw, straightdraw or something like 89, i am hoping he calls, cause i make money if he does.
In you scenario, its a tough spot, but id ship it.
I hes got 9T, J9 or a set, imo its unlucky. In my opinion, villians that donk small on flop & turn like this have draws or weak hands most of the time.

As for the turn, in both cases (real and hypothetical hand), you should calculate how many combinations of hands you beat and how many are behind.
In both cases, at least you need to call. Especially since the turn bet is half the pot, with how many aces he would do this size?

Flop is fine. call turn. Doubt villain has A7/A8/sets here that often.

Could you explain why flop is fine? I basically agree with other people saying raise flop, specially because almost every turn card is going to be scary for our hand, and if villain is aggressive at all and barrels turn, we'll have to fold what it is the best hand a lot.
At this buy in, I'm more than happy to raise/get it in OTF

Its fine if your willing to call most of his turn bets on scare cards like that. Raising is fine but you gain no further value when he folds and if he flats, then donks turn again, we almost always have to fold. Id call turn, expect him to check river and check it back.

Indeed your argument has enough sense ... His range is so wide that most of the times we are ahead about 70% on the flop.

But if he doesn't check the river? You would call even if the K/Q of clubs comes, for example? Or any club, or any over?
We're only 60% favorites on the turn against any top 30%

Imo if oppo has air, we will hardly extract any value for 2 more street, except if he is a maniac.
And playing so passively, we don't keep control of the hand and we're risking to take tough decisions on the river. We play blind man's buff.

I would like your line a lot more if the flop was rainbow

Dont see many draws in villains range donking that turn but this is a $1 so anything is possible. TBH i think for the sake of playing ABC poker turn is a pretty easy fold but id like to believe were good here often enough to make some sick reads and play some hero poker although its hardly profitable long term.

First hand

I would fold to the turn bet. The reason is the early stages of the tournament.

As played I would raise on flop to define my hand.

Turn: (t900) J (2 players)
SB bets t375, Hero ?[/QUOTE]

You showed strength on flop. He does not care when the overcard came on turn. I would fold.

Interesting hand OP.

I also like a flop raise, primarily for value but also information. If he checks to me on the turn I bet 1/3 the pot and check behind the river (he's not calling anything we beat). If we get check raised or donked (for any reasonable amount) on the turn we can toss this. I put him on a pair, two pair or a draw (with maybe a pair -- at least till he leads the turn, whish says he's probably not on a draw), and if he has two pair I think he'll let you know. There's an outside chance he's got a set also, and this line works even for that possibility.

As played you have to fold the turn. Yes it feels dirty, but your failure to raise the flop led to its necessity. You simply have to be more aggressive than this.