Poker Stars Freeroll No Limit Hold'em Tournament - t25/t50 Blinds - 9 players

Hero (BTN): t1520 30.40 BBs
SB: t655 13.10 BBs
BB: t1470 29.40 BBs
UTG: t1470 29.40 BBs
UTG+1: t2150 43 BBs
UTG+2: t2270 45.40 BBs
MP1: t1455 29.10 BBs
MP2: t2525 50.50 BBs
CO: t1455 29.10 BBs

Pre Flop: (t75) Hero is BTN with T A
2 folds, UTG+2 raises to t100, 1 fold, MP2 calls t100, 1 fold, Hero calls t100, SB calls t75, 1 fold

Flop: (t450) 9 A 5 (4 players)
SB checks, UTG+2 checks, MP2 bets t150, Hero calls t150, SB folds, UTG+2 folds

Turn: (t750) 7 (2 players)
MP2 bets t400, Hero folds

Was relatively new at the table. 33/11 on 9 hands for MP2. On the turn, I don't beat many Ax any longer. Anyone think the fold is too weak?

probs a 1/3 size pot bet, to like 510 (especially when its not from original raiser)
and then check back most turns
also balances our range for when we do this with flushes/sets

Looks good, but given your turn fold logic, why not raise or fold flop?

Fold seems bad. You have to pay 400 to win 1150. That means you only need 34.7% equity vs Villian's range.

Not quite. You also have to factor in how high a % of the time V is firing say 1k-1.2k into 1950.

Since that puts you AI because of your stack size and any turn raise does too, you're going to have to look at bare equity instead.

On the turn, there is one less Ax hand that I still beat. But I see what you're saying. I just don't see anything besides a flop call as a reasonable option. If I know that MP2 bet/calls many draws and weak made hands, raising might be the best play. But i don't have those reads yet. So assuming a reasonable opponent, I isolate myself against better hands by raising the flop. Folding seems waaay too weak. It's true that I don't have to call the flop if I know that MP2 bets the turn 100% and I plan on folding. But he might as well check behind. In that case, I can assume to have the best hand and try to get some more value from him. Long wall of text...

First thing is, I think that hand is strong enough to pop on the button and hope to get only 1/2 callers. I would squeeze that to 355, to get donks to put value in middle with worse and to discourage a community pot.

In these small tourneys, if I'm going to play a hand, I want heads up as much as possible, so whenever I do play a hand, esp from the button, I make big 3B's / opens to discourage the donks. If you 3B this to 355, maybe you get 1/2 callers, if the caller still donks the flop, you can call and evaluate on turn or raise and see if he has it, but I think it's hard to get away from TPgood kicker in a freeroll.

The way you played it, I would raise the flop to see where you are at.

BTW, I'm aggro and am by no means a pro, but I did win a free-roll last night. My advice may not be optimal, but I like applying pressure.

Really, villain could be chasing a diamond draw and just betting to get chips in the middle and you could actually have him beat, I think folding is weak, I would have put in a raise on the flop or turn to apply some pressure and see where he's at

Afghani84,

Floats are good. Not being attached to double floats and raising more than folding and almost never calling turns unless it's a calldown line... Perfect.

Wealth$,

Refine your tinsel. You ain't trying.

Refine my tinsel?? I don't know what that means, please explain?

Pretend that these threads are hands being played on the fly, not "this is what I would do" narrative spaces.

Basically, read what others are posting and play in-between or redirect constructively.

okay, gotcha, what's the issue with writing our opinions?

When I post a hand I would be interested in reading what other people would do and how they would play it......

^ This is always why, Justin. Either of you.

smh

Do w/e, Wealth$. You'll get used to it.

NEVER raise to see where you are in hand. Its either value or bluff. Nothing else.

Well it's a bluff but it's also seeing where you're at. So it's both IMO, I wouldn't just raise to see where he's at, obviously I'm raising to try and take down the pot as well and pull off a bluff....

But I've never just solely raised to see where somebody is at, a raise accomplishes more than just one thing right? OBV when I raise, I'm either trying to get opponent to make mistake by folding better or calling/tooling out with worse......

Well, you've both got a good chunk of it. Raising to determine future value isn't bluffing or seeing where you're at but where you should be.

Still, it's simply not a good idea without a defined plan. If you raise, have your array of options predetermined.

Otherwise, go play pai-gow.