Hand #1:

This is a common situation, I think I played this differently to how I normally would because I'm still scared money at $400NL.

I have 99 in the BB. MP raises to $18 and only I call.

MP has 7% PFR, but most of these have been min raises. He has bet every flop he raised when checked to. The only raised hand he's shown down was AK (which he *didn't* min raise).

I have $400, and he has me way covered ($1300).

Flop is 872r. What's the plan: check raise, lead (fold if raised), check fold (doh!)?

If you check, assume he bets the pot. FWIW, in $200NL I lead at this most times.

Hand #2:

While on the subject of my weak tightness, can I have a sanity check on this hand:
I have JJ UTG and raise to $18. Fold to the button who calls, SB folds, then BB raises to $65, with $80 behind. I have no read on button, who has me covered.

I folded - was this too weak?

Any thoughts appreciated - I'm not really playing that well at $400NL in my first 1000 hands.

#1 ...This is very opponent dependant. I may not have even called the $18 myself. Its a bit more than I like to call trying to hit a set out of position. Nothing wrong with the call at all though.

I would probably check/call. He most likely has AK/AQ type hand or a bigger pair than you. If you check/call, he wont bet the turn with AK/AQ most times, so I would check the turn and when he checks behind, I bet the river (assuming no A, K, Q shows up....) Its not the greatest strategy in the world, but I dont want to play a big pot here


#2....Folding there is fine.

#1 I dont like calling raises with PP's and miss. I often feel I fold the best hand.
When I call a raise with a PP preflop I make a plan in my head, what I'm going to do on flop. Do I play only for set value? What do I do if I flop an overpair? What If I flop a set? etc. This way I dont call bets on flop when I know it's a bad play. And if I fold I dont feel bad about it.

The 99 hand. As I see it there are four different lines:

- Check fold. I actually think it can be profitable to call his preflop raise only for set value. Especially if you think his big preflop raise means a big pair. But you will often fold the best hand.

- Lead out and fold to a raise. The bad thing is that some players will raise you with hands that you beat. And you dont know what to do if you are called.

- Stop and go = check call flop. Lead a save card on turn. This is very expensive and you give a free card. But the raiser has to have a lot of guts to bluff you.

- Check call. Check turn. You give two free cards and some players will bet again unimproved.

I dont know which one is the best. I dont like checkraising - dont want to play a big pot.