Flopping an Overpair with a Medium Pair

[Uppercut]

This is a situation in which I truly have no idea what to do on the flop. On the one hand, I like to be agressive. On the other hand, I don't want to go busto at level 2.

$5.5 MTT on Pokerstars
Level 2 (15/30 blinds)

I have ~1000 chips left and have just been moved to this table when I pick up wired 7s in the big blind.

Two limpers come in the pot, the small blind completes, and I check. Pot size = 120.

Flop comes 633 rainbow. SB checks, I check, MP1 bets 150, the CO calls, SB folds. Both MP1 and the CO have me covered, with stacks of ~1,600-1,800. What the heck do I do now? [img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

[JammyDodga]

I'd fold, especially this early. WIth PP's you need to deciede whether to play them as a pair that you think can win by itself, or as a drawing hand looking for trips. Once you've made your mind up you need to stick to it.

Here, what are your options - if you raise, anything less than all in is going to get callers probably, and what do you do when an over hits on the turn or river?

If you do go all in, you are putting everything on the line for a small pot against several other players with a marginal hand you were only really playing for the set with anyway.

I think this is quite similar to 88-99 if a low over hits like 10 or J. Against one player, keep playing, against many, fold.

[Pokerfarian]

I'd lean towards a fold, though I don't agree with the reasons of "it's early" or "I dont want to bust in level 2" The pot is reasonable at 420, but probably not big enough for Reverse Implied Odds not to override. Maybe lead flop?

[ssnyc]

problem is that bets at this stage and level rally do not give much info...MP overbet the pot but this is just a stab bet amount for many players...if you were in position the hand would be a little easier but as it stands I guess a fold is best...still trying to come up with a hande for him though!

[JARID]

Lead this flop. t100. Most of the time they'll just fold their overs and you take down the pot.

Otherwise, you'll see how everyone responds to your action and you can bet, check/call or check/fold the turn depending what hits and what you know of your opponents.

On the flop you stand to be ahead most of the time and should play for value and bet.

Not betting has put you in a tough spot. You've underplayed your hand to this point. Checkraising a slight overplay and call/go to turn oop sucks too.

[Uppercut]

I ended up shoving my 77 overpair, figuring there was already 420 in the pot, which was nearly half my stack. Also, I figured I had plenty of fold equity against the two opponents. MP1 instacalls with 88 and I am busto. Thanks for all the good responses. I probably should have led out on the flop as suggested and then folded to MP1's inevitable raise.

[ssnyc]

I actually like Jarid's play...lead for 100 and react...if they call you can re evaluate turn and if they raise you can leave easily...check foldig seems a little weak with that board and with the pot representing 12% of your stack...

another way to look at the hand is what you would do if he bet less...100 or even 30 (which we see a lot)...are you repopping then...the fact that he bet the 150 should mean more than it does a lot of the time