This is one for you Tikay regarding last nights sleepstack. What are your thoughts?

Drebin15

The scenario is this.

It's the midstages of the tournament. A 10 seater table with blinds of £100-£200.

I have roughly £6000 chips and am on the small blind or button (can't remember exactly) with pocket nines.

Mickjenn1 is 3rd or 4th to act with a stack that covers mine by about 500 chips. He raises up to £800, a little bigger raise than we have seen previously at this table.

 I was the only caller. The flop came down 7-7-10 and I checked. My opponent then bet roughly £1425.

I thought about it for a second then folded.

My problem here was if i called i was down to 4000 and probably facing a bigger bet on the turn. What were my options in this situation. I had a gut feeling he had a big hand but didn't really have the chips to find out.

Is it better to be cautious in the mid stages of an mtt or is it the time to take more risks.

What are your thoughts? Could i have played it any differently?

ps it worked out in the end because I managed to scramble onto the final table and finish 8th to win £40.

Tikay10

Well first up, it's crucial to know if you were Button, or SB - 9-9 plays VERY different in those 2 Seats.

But look & think wider here. You had 30 x BB - so did not need to stack off in this Spot, so to be cautious, you can Pass, & still have tim to find a better spot.

You can NOT Call the Flop Bet. But you COULD.....

Jam Pre

Pass Pre

Jam the Flop

But Calling the Flop Bet is awful, & must never be done, given the relative Stack sizes of both of you.

Pre-Flop, it's a fine judgement whether to jam or Pass. I'd probably sway towards Jamming, as Mick has an extremely wide opening Range. He says he had KK, & I don't doubt that, but that's not relevant - MOST times Jamming there with 9-9 v Mick is a +EV play. Don't be results orientated in analysing this - whether he had KK or spanners matters not. You need to develop long-term winning plays, & individual Hand Results matter little.

The other criteria to consider is "if I Re-Raise, or Showe, is my Oppo good enough to Pass?". (And do you WANT him/her to Pass?). Mick IS good enough to Pass, many are not, though of course he won't Pass KK there, assuming he had it. But he'd prob Pass a lot of his opening Range - at least 70% I'd estimate - as his Range is extremely wide.

BigBluster

Knowing Mick, he would bet out in that situation with complete air so his bet is absolutely meaningless. If I was playing, I would be willing to commit my stack and because he knows me so well, Mick would call with the likes of ace jack!
If he had KK, then the money's gone, but he would make the same play with a huge range of hands many of which would be a lot worse than KK. Folding was too timid against this opponent in this situation, in my opinion.

MrOrange

To me the 4xBB raise would make me cautious. Calling may or may not be an option. If you are in SB then if you call what do you do if an over card comes on the flop (which is very likely). At least if you have position you can see how mick bets before you. Folding preflop is fine, the 4xBB raise seems intimidating and you have enough of a stack to pass. Reraising here might be an idea to find out where you are, if he shoves you can still fold. I think on the flop you showed weakness by checking and then he has taken advantage and bet out, as TK said if you call what card are you hoping to see? So either reraise or fold. Reraising is dangerous because there is now an over card to beat you or if mick was holding a 7 you are beat. Just a few options to consider but i dont like the call preflop if you are out of position because that will make your hand very difficult to play.