MP2 - 51/23 in 44 hands
SB - 79/21 in 38 hands
Hero - 11/8 in 38 hands

Played this hand to add some variety to my play, prepared to lay it down vs TAG with good stats who plays back at me but against two maniacs I am just confused over how to play this situation better.


Poker Stars $0.05/$0.10 No Limit Hold'em - 9 players
The Official 2+2 Hand Converter Powered By DeucesCracked.com

UTG: $14.65
UTG+1: $10.00
Hero (UTG+2): $10.30
MP1: $10.00
MP2: $8.50
CO: $13.80
BTN: $10.20
SB: $13.10
BB: $10.00

Pre Flop: ($0.15) Hero is UTG+2 with 8 9
2 folds, Hero raises to $0.30, 1 fold, MP2 calls $0.30, 2 folds, SB calls $0.25, 1 fold

Flop: ($1.00) J 2 9 (3 players)
SB checks, Hero bets $0.70, MP2 calls $0.70, SB folds

Turn: ($2.40) 3 (2 players)
Hero checks, MP2 bets $1, Hero calls $1

River: ($4.40) Q (2 players)
Hero checks, MP2 bets $3, Hero folds

I think the only way you could have played it any better would have been to fold sooner.
Hands like these are one of my major leaks. I see a SC and think about the kind of flop I would like to see. Then miss the type of hands I'm going for and call too many streets with 2nd pair bad kicker. You didn't get the type of flop you wanted, why go any further? Sounds so easy, now only if I could do it everytime!

One more thing, on a CBet like that where you don't really have much, I think 1/2 pot would have accomplished the same thing. If he was drawing to a str or flush, people will call PSB's or even shoves, so save yourself the 4BB's. If he's missed and plans on folding he's folding 1/2 just as many times as 3/4.

um. why do you want to vary your EP play, exactly? are your 51/23 and 79/21 opponents not giving you enough action on your tight value range? seriously, i don't think you will gain much by playing 89s from UTG+2.

it's probably not necesary when your table selection is good enough, which it obviously is, but if you particularly want to loosen up, it's much better to do it in late position than early position imho; this is good stuff imo

as played pre, flop bet is meh. you have 2 loose opponents, SB having checked doesn't tell us much since you were PFR, J is a likely card for them, you are beaten by more likely 9x combos than you beat. otoh, you can get some value from FD's/straight draws, and you are 2/3 to act. looseness of vilains makes it more likely they can continue with hands you beat, but that very looseness will also make it difficult for you to play your mediocre hand well on later streets if you get action. on balance i think i prefer check/folding the flop to most sensible bets, but i don't hate betting.

turn turns one of the hands you were getting value from into a hand that now gets value from you, and you are OOP, so villain gets to decide whether another bet goes in on the river, giving you some reverse implied odds to contend with. so, turn is a check/fold imho.