Is this a leak?

[blockafor]

$4 to $10 buy-in tourney on Stars. Normal structure (1500 starting chips).

Fairly loose player UTG limps (stack: 3000). Another fairly loose player in UTG+2 limps (stack: 4000). I'm in the hijack with 99 (stack: 1400). I will almost always raise to 250.

Edit: Yes, the blinds are 25/50.

[seke2]

What are the blinds? 25/50? I usually complete in that sort of spot in the first few levels, personally. I think it's more profitable to play essentially for overpair/set value with 88-JJ type hands in that kind of spot. Raising usually just bloats the pot and I end up looking at a multi-way huge pot holding 99 on a board with 1 or 2 overs against 2 opponents who I can't put on a hand because of their loose style and relatively large stacks...not a fan of that kind of spot at all.

[JammyDodga]

[ QUOTE ]
What are the blinds? 25/50? I usually complete in that sort of spot in the first few levels, personally. I think it's more profitable to play essentially for overpair/set value with 88-JJ type hands in that kind of spot. Raising usually just bloats the pot and I end up looking at a multi-way huge pot holding 99 on a board with 1 or 2 overs against 2 opponents who I can't put on a hand because of their loose style and relatively large stacks...not a fan of that kind of spot at all.

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree with you here, I'm just curious about how you play a couple of situations post flop.

Firstly 3 limpers - you complete, flop comes 10, 7, 5

Secondly similar to above, flop comes 2, 5, 8

You say you are playing for overpair value, does that mean you are planning on betting the second flop?

The reason I ask is I often get into trouble after limping with 99 if the flop looks a little promising.

[seke2]

First flop I'd have to see what my opponents did before I bet. Most likely if it was checked to me, I'd bet and fold to a raise. But having position usually helps me get away here when I'm not in good shape.

Second flop I'd definietly bet if action was checked to me and might raise if there was a bet ahead of me.

[PantsOnFire]

[ QUOTE ]
I agree with you here, I'm just curious about how you play a couple of situations post flop.

Firstly 3 limpers - you complete, flop comes 10, 7, 5

Secondly similar to above, flop comes 2, 5, 8

You say you are playing for overpair value, does that mean you are planning on betting the second flop?

The reason I ask is I often get into trouble after limping with 99 if the flop looks a little promising.

[/ QUOTE ]
This is exactly why position is so important in NL holdem. With a hand like 99 and more than one opponent, you are usually going to make one aggressive stab at the pot. This will depend a lot on the looseness of the opponents postflop but it's a good general rule. Most players here are only going to check a flopped straight or a set. So this positional bet will win the pot often.

Getting back to OP, I would say "almost always" is indication of a leak. I would prefer "sometimes". Having said that, if the hand typically goes down where one opponent calls your raise then you can basiscally cbet any flop and be successful often. Also, if the blinds are tight, I like the idea of getting them out of the hand.

Of course, at this stage of the tourney, with no real aggressive pf a limp here could set up a big multiway unraised pot with lots of action so the set value is very high here.

[tomek322]

I'm all for limping and flopping a set here, especially if you seen these opps limping a calling big raises.

Limping, also may induce the BB to raise to steal and you can evaluate a push if it gets folded to you after he raises.

[Sherman]

I usually raise. I hate limping at level 3+.

[LSgambler]

I prefer raising 250-300 but limp is ok.

[Heyda]

Id raise in most other levels over the 25/50 level.. you just get to many callers at them levels for raising to be worth it. So limp.

[Mingdu]

My dirty secret ... I shove this in these games ... takes it down uncontested ~70% of the time, the other ~30% is split between doubling up and busting out

Will also shove 88

Great for image too