Pocket 9s from the sb, 4 limpers ...

[tommygunz]

The situation: $5 MTT NLHE, blinds at 100/200, started with about 2400 players and still a long way from the payout, I had a stack of $10,430 and was dealt 9c 9s in the small blind.

The play: Four players limped in. With the blinds pot stood at $1,100. I raised $1,500 to $1,600, hoping to take it down. The bb and first three limpers folded, but the last limper called. Flop of 7 A Q rainbow. What to do? I figured if the guy has anything but a set or an A he'd fold to a big bet, so I fired $2,500, only to be insta-called. Another Q on the turn, another horrible card, I checked and then folded to his $3,000 bet.

My question is, with that many limpers would it have been better to just limp myself and see a cheap flop, rather than fire an over-pot bet and risk a big chunk of my stack on 9 9 from a poor (small-blind) position? How to the better players play these middle 77 88 99 pairs from poor positions? Thanks for any feedback.

 

[ph_il]

I'd just limp in there OOP and hope to flop a set. A raise there doesn't do much except inflate the pot and you're in an iffy situation if someone decides to play back at you. If you were short stack, I'd say an OOP shove there in SB would be good, but you've got enough behind to see a cheap flop with 99 there.

If you limp and miss the flop (and there is action) you can easily get away from the hand and give up the minimum. If you flop a set, your hand is well hidden in a multi-way pot, so you're most likely getting action with your hand.

 

[The_Pup]

I'd just limp in there OOP and hope to flop a set. A raise there doesn't do much except inflate the pot and you're in an iffy situation if someone decides to play back at you. If you were short stack, I'd say an OOP shove there in SB would be good, but you've got enough behind to see a cheap flop with 99 there.

If you limp and miss the flop (and there is action) you can easily get away from the hand and give up the minimum. If you flop a set, your hand is well hidden in a multi-way pot, so you're most likely getting action with your hand.

+1

 

[only_bridge]

Yep, agree with limping here, hoping to hit the set.

 

[larry4896]

limping every time, hopefully the flop is good or I am out of there

 

[Poker Orifice]

"It depends".. but likely cuz it's a $5 loose table I'd just call in SB .. then > no set no bet.
As played though.. with the raise preflop. WHen I cbet this flop I'm not going to be thinking "Bet big cuz he'll fold to a big bet w/o good".. BECAUSE if I actually had 'good' would I fire out a big bet? (or a more typical cbet of say 40%pot?).

 

[cardriverx]

yeah I'd def limp with 5 players already in the hand. Gives you good pay on your 1/7 odds on hitting the set on the flop. Also, a flop like 2 3 7 rainbow would look pretty good too to then bet out post-flop.

I usually either limp, fold, or push with pairs 99 or below

 

[TylerN]

I usually either limp, fold, or push with pairs 99 or below

thats bad imo

 

[cjatud2012]

moved this to HA.

 

[Bwammo]

My question is, with that many limpers would it have been better to just limp myself and see a cheap flop, rather than fire an over-pot bet and risk a big chunk of my stack on 9 9 from a poor (small-blind) position?

Sounds like you already know what to do

Limping is certainly the only play here because of the horrible position. If you were on the button you could consider raising it a little bit, but it would be more of an attempt to fatten up that pot for when we hit our set than it would be to try and isolate 1 or 2 players.