The Joy of Midpairs from EP

[durkahdurkah]

Relevant info: I'll leave out the rest of hand #1 for now, as I'm more concerned with how to handle this spot PF. The table had been playing fairly tight on average, but some PF raises were being called. Basically, I've seen tighter, and I've seen looser. The blinds in particular had been playing tight.

Villian in hand #2 also seemed average, went on a "rush" about 15 hands ago, raising and reraising 5 straight hands. Only hand shown was QQ, he claimed he had AK or better all 5 times). Otherwise he was playing tightish.

Both of these hands were very awkward to play IMO... especially PF. I think an argument could be made to do any number of things with either one of these hands, but I get very lost playing midpairs from EP with a shallow (but not short) stack. I'm focusing more on PF in hand #1 and Flop on hand #2, but comments on all streets are welcome for hand #2.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t150 (9 handed) internettexasholdem.com

CO (t4475)
Button (t4090)
SB (t5046)
BB (t4955)
UTG (t5836)
Hero (t2438)
MP1 (t6290)
MP2 (t2520)
MP3 (t6690)

Preflop: Hero is UTG+1 with 8[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], 8[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img].
<font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero ???



PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t200 (8 handed) internettexasholdem.com

Button (t4025)
SB (t3440)
BB (t4971)
UTG (t4655)
UTG+1 (t5236)
Hero (t4188)
MP2 (t4465)
CO (t11360)

Preflop: Hero is MP1 with 8[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], 8[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img].
<font color="#666666">2 folds</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises to t550</font>, <font color="#666666">4 folds</font>, BB calls t350.

Flop: (t1200) 7[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 4[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], Q[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
BB checks, <font color="#CC3333">Hero bets t800</font>, <font color="#CC3333">BB raises to t2200</font>, Hero ???

[0evg0]

Standard crappy spot in Hand 1. Personally, I'll make a smallish raise to like 375 here and fold to a reraise. 77 might be a fold, 66 is. Also, betgo is going to tell you to either min-raise or LLR, just a warning.

Hand 2 seems like a pretty easy fold as BB is putting half his stack here. Unless he's super tricky and doing this with a flush draw that he's going to shove the turn with (I like this line, just thought of it, might use it), just let it go. You played it fine PF and with the 800 lead though.