Two huge draws

[chopchoi]

Blinds: 25/50

Stacks: SB 1,700; MP1 800; Hero 3200.

Reads: SB hasn't played many hands, so I figure he's at least decent. MP1 is a super fish. The type who bets 50 chips into a $500 pot and then folds to a raise. He loves to call small bets, but always folds when the action gets heavy. I have a loose aggressive table image. I've taken down several pots without showing down. The one time I did show down I had had a top pair of K's Q kicker.

Hand 1:
I'm MP3 with T [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 9 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]. 2 limpers, I limp, button limps, SB completes, BB checks.

Pot is 300. Flop: 8 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 6 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 5 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]. SB bets 100, 2 folds, MP1 calls.

Do I smooth call and hope to win a medium-sized pot if I make a hand, but risk having to muck if I miss, make a small raise for value, or make a big bet, hoping to take it down right there?

Hand 2:

Stacks: MP3 1600; button (same fish from hand 1) 600.

Reads: MP3 is rockish. It's level 3, and this is the first time he's raised pf.

I'm BB with A [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] Q [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img].

2 limpers, MP3 raises to 200, Button calls, I call, limpers fold.

Flop: 7 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 5 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 2 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]. I check, MP3 is goes all-in, button folds.

What's my ev if I call?

[chopchoi]

Can someone help me out here? I think playing draws is my biggest weakness, so i could really use the feedback.

[Foucault]

It would help if you included more info. We don't know your stack size or the blinds in Hand 2.

Hand 1, you definitely want to put in a big raise. The only time I'd consider flat calling is if you were up against gigantic calling stations who would not bet enough to price you out on a blank turn, would never fold the flop, and would never fold no matter how obvious it was that you made your hand on the turn or river. Otherwise you greatly increase the profitabilty of your hand by giving yourself fold equity. As you move up in stakes and play against more intelligent opponents, you'll want to learn to play your big draws just as you would a big made hand like a set, in order to create deception.

Hand 2 is almost certainly a call, though it depends a bit on your stack size I guess. I presume your plan was to c/r all in? You are always around 50% to win here, and could even be ahead, depending on if Villain could do this with something like AJ.

[Soulman]

What Focault said [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]