Limped queens on a paired board.

[Will_Son]

$50 MTT with the blinds at 50/100 and the average stack is 3k. I'm up to 5500, mainly by picking on the two predictable players to my left that raise preflop, predictably c-bet, and then give up the pot.

I limp QQ UTG+1 at an 8 handed table. A player with a pretty bad loose aggressive reputation limps on the button. SB and BB both call.

Flop is 99J with two spades (I have the Q of spades). SB and BB check and I bet 250 into the 400 pot. Button raises quickly to 600 with 1900 behind. SB and BB fold.

What's my play?

My initial thought was that this player did not have a 9 because his actions seemed rushed. I read him as having more of a J with a T,Q, or K kicker although it's possible some draws and 9x hands were mixed in with that range.

I ended up just calling because I thought this was a WA/WB situation. If he had a 9, I'd raise and he'd get it all-in. If he had just a jack, I'd raise and he'd be able to get away from his hand.

Okay line of thinking?

[Fiksdal]

I like your flop thinking, but you give no reasoning for your preflop action. Under 99% of all circumstances that is a bad play.

[LSgambler]

Why do you limp QQ preflop?? Usually I would just make a standard raise.

You could bet a little more on the flop. I like the idead of smooth calling flop and getting it all in on a safe turn. He could very likely get away from a J and he will obv call you with a 9, so there isn't much value in raising.

[Will_Son]

[ QUOTE ]
I like your flop thinking, but you give no reasoning for your preflop action. Under 99% of all circumstances that is a bad play.

[/ QUOTE ]
I'd been playing a bunch of pots and I like mixing up my play a lot at these games in the early stages. They're home game tournaments where I've generally played with most of the players at least once. I can put most people on much more specific hand ranges than they can put me on because I'm limping and raising a ton of different hands. Imo, it makes it easier to play this way because these tournaments usually follow a really slow structure. This one specifically was a "WSOP warm-up" and followed the exact same structure of the $1500 NLHE events complete with one hour blinds.

There were also 3 players behind me that usually play pretty loose and fast so I thought there might've been a good chance for me to limp/raise preflop.

[Fiksdal]

[ QUOTE ]

There were also 3 players behind me that usually play pretty loose and fast so I thought there might've been a good chance for me to limp/raise preflop.


[/ QUOTE ]

Well then sir. The play isn't as bad anymore in that case.

[Sherman]

I still don't like limping QQ PF...unless the players were the type to "punish limpers" by raising. If they were just plain loose/aggressive, make your normal raise and hope they re-raise.

[Will_Son]

The rest of the hand:

I call and a really ugly offsuit king peels off. I check and LAG bets 600 again. I call with my gutshot and the possibility that I'm still ahead.

River pairs the king. I check, he hollywoods for a while as he counts the pot (2800), counts his chips (1300) and sticks it in. I fold at this point because I just don't think he'd fire a third bullet with a worse hand.

Comments on the rest of the hand?

[Will_Son]

Oh.. and to add another question.

How does my opponent's semi-short stack size factor into this? I think this was where most of my confusion came from. He's only got 1900 behind after his flop raise and the pot is 1600 going into the turn. I was ready to CRAI the turn but the king slowed me down.