5NL Pocket 77 vs an unkown, flop OESD.

[Bubbagump]

Hi,

I'm a limit player who is trying to make the transition to no limit after a 2 year hiatus from the game. This is my first NL hand posting since I started playing micro NL about a month ago. Thus far, most of the situations I've found myself in have been really straight forward. But this is a hand I know i misplayed and I'm not really sure of the correct line.

READS: This was my first time playing against villain and had only been at this table for a few orbits. Initial assumption was this player was playing very passively, limping in a lot of pots. I had not witnessed him raise pre-flop until this hand so, not really sure what his range could be.

Poker Stars, $0.02/$0.05 NL Hold'em Cash Game, 7 Players
LegoPoker Hand History Converter

BTN: $8.14
SB: $8.82
BB: $4.32
UTG: $6.44
UTG+1: $9.44
MP: $10.50
Hero (CO): $10.32

Pre-Flop: 7 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 7 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] dealt to Hero (CO)
3 folds, Hero raises to $0.20, BTN raises to $0.35, 2 folds, Hero calls $0.15

<font color="blue">Villain has been limping a lot of pots. Since I have not seen him raise a hand, and since I will have to play the hand OOP, I decide to give him credit for a premium PP and play my hand for set value. Is this a good assumption or, is a reraise in order here? </font>

Flop: ($0.77) T [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 8 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 9 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (2 Players)

<font color="blue">OK, now I have an OESD. What's the best line? If he does have a high PP, do I have FE here to try a semi bluff? What's the best play? Bet, CF, CC, CR?
</font>
Thanks.

[Dennisa]

Easy check fold. Its not a terrible draw in limit, most you will loose is a few big bets when you hit and villain has a better made hand.

In NL, especially if you are a newbie, stay away the idiot end of straights. You will never win a big pot with a bottom straight. You can never feel too good if you hit your 7 for a set putting a 4 liner to a straight and you have a set. Add that you are out of position, its time to let this dog go.

[illini43]

Preflop is standard. I wouldn't go far as to say his min-reraise is JJ+, but you are probably behind it nonetheless.

I would check the flop, planning to fold to a reasonable bet. I'm calling if he bets like .10 just to see the turn though. If you are behind you don't have as many outs as it appears I'm thinkin...

[toymach776]

This is obv a poor OESD. you have the sucker end and the board is two flushed. Being that this is 5nl, you have no fold equity if villain has overpair. C/F.

[BotOnTilt]

Most peoples 3-bet ranges are tight at NL5, and the minraise is a usual sign of KK/AA but certainly he could have almost anything. I know I'd bet a bit uneasy on this flop 200BB deep. I'd check-call a small bet (since he minraised PF he might let you see a cheap river too). Since there are only 3 outs that would make me feel comfy with the hand I wouldn't invest that much though.

I know I might get some flack by saying this, but at NL5 I don't like raising small pairs. People like to limp and commit to top-pair, so raising PF just kills the implied odds and there is not much sense in raising for deception.