$50NLHE FR, playing 99 out of position

[swainy]

Hi, my first post:

This situation came up today and it highlights an area of NLHE that i really struggle with: playing pocket pairs out of position after a PF reraise.
I had only been at the table for a short while so did not have any reads on my opponent, although he had been an active player so I was not inclined to give him credit for a big pair. Here is how the hand unfolded...

Poker Stars - No Limit Hold'em Cash Game - $0.25/$0.50 Blinds - 9 Players - (LegoPoker HH Converter)

SB: $28.20
BB: $42.95
UTG: $49.05
UTG+1: $6.70
swainy83 (MP1): $41.40
MP2: $51.35
MP3: $60.35
CO: $23.25
BTN: $46.00

Preflop: swainy83 is dealt 9[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 9[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (9 Players)
2 folds, <font color="red">swainy83 raises to $1.50</font>, 3 folds, <font color="red">BTN raises to $6.00</font>, 2 folds, swainy83 calls $4.50

Flop: ($12.75) 2[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 6[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 4[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] (2 Players)
<font color="red">swainy83 bets $6.00</font>, BTN calls $6.00

Turn: ($24.75) J[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (2 Players)
swainy83 checks, <font color="red">BTN bets $18.00</font>, swainy83 folds

Pot Size: $42.75 ($1.20 Rake)

I bet on the flop because I felt checking and calling would provide me with no information. I didn't expect a flat call. If my opponent had a big pair I would have expected him to raise me, or if he was holding Ac. The flat call made me suspicious, maybe he had AKc. I checked the turn because I didn't want to make another large bet and commit myself to a really big pot. I almost instantly regretted showing such weakness and decided I should fold to his $18 bet. I was a little surprised by the bet - if he already had nut flush it might have been smaller to keep me involved, if he only had Ac he may have taken the free card, and if he had a big pair he may have raised me on the flop. Basically, I was confused.
How could I have played this hand differently?

Also, playing 99, TT, JJ &amp; QQ out of position after I am re-raised PF is something I really struggle with. If I'm playing in my regular home game I am able to throw these hands away against players I am more familiar with, but online, with the way players come and go so rapidly, i need more information, so take a flop. I'm not always trying to flop a set and would like to be able to play these hands better when I don't get that third card and the flop is low.

thank you in advance for any help.

-Swainy

[Nick C]

For a flop that gives you an overpair, this is still a pretty crappy flop for your hand. Villain will frequently have either a better PP or overs with a flush draw. (And, of course, a flopped flush is also possible, although not especially likely.) And the thing is, you're a huge dog to the better overpair and are also a slight dog to the overs + flush draw.

I guess what I'm getting at is that you're in a terrible reverse-implied odds situation, and I would probably just give up and check-fold on this flop.

If the flop weren't monotone, then I think the leading, check-calling, and checkraising the flop would all be legitimate options. The checkraise invests the most but does protect your hand, which is good when you're ahead if Villain wasn't going to fire again with overs. (The problem, though, is that you'll frequently be way behind a bigger PP.) The check-call will usually keep you from getting bluffed out of the pot by AK/AQ, but it will also give Villain his full 25 percent shot at hitting his overs, since you can't really start thinking you're probably best until he checks the turn. Meanwhile, leading gives you the opportunity to win the hand immediately without investing too much. You'll only win what went in preflop, but it is the line with the least variance.

Of course, there are potential problems with any of these lines besides the obvious ones: For instance, Villain might float a flop lead, and he might two-barrel with AK versus a flop check-call.

In short, I don't think there's any magic way to solve your problems with a medium PP out of position versus someone who's probably 3-betting a fairly narrow range. (I know you said Villain had been active, but in general I think 3-betting ranges are going to be narrow at NL50 -- and I know they are at NL25.)

[AFCBeer]

If you don't like playing medium pocket pairs OOP then either limp-call preflop and hope to hit a set, or raise-fold preflop. Unless you are really confident in playing OOP you don't want to play a big pot here without a set.