Tonight I got 99 twice and...

From a 2 table $5 SnG on Pokerstars...

The first hand is from the early going. I'm the BB with 99 and don't want to go to the flop with so many limpers, so i raise 3x to thin the herd. I'm fine with the first guy going all-in, if he had anything, he would have pushed to begin with. The thing is, I want to isolate him, so I push to discourage anybody else from playing. I swear an oath when the last guy calls.

That's my reasoning. Thoughts?

*********** # 1 **************
PokerStars Game #1498749033: Tournament #6873359, Hold'em No Limit -
Level III (25/50) - 2005/04/09 - 23:09:06 (ET)
Table '6873359 1' Seat #5 is the button
Seat 1: dowjaking (3830 in chips)
Seat 2: OneBadBeat (2100 in chips)
Seat 3: MikeyMaxx (990 in chips)
Seat 4: cbmjr (1525 in chips)
Seat 5: WLDBILL (430 in chips)
Seat 6: AcesN88 (1080 in chips)
Seat 7: ngericl (2635 in chips)
Seat 9: anego (910 in chips)
AcesN88: posts small blind 25
ngericl: posts big blind 50
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to ngericl [9d 9s]
anego: calls 50
dowjaking: folds
OneBadBeat: folds
MikeyMaxx: calls 50
cbmjr: calls 50
WLDBILL: calls 50
AcesN88: calls 25
ngericl: raises 100 to 150
anego: calls 100
MikeyMaxx: folds
cbmjr: calls 100
WLDBILL: raises 280 to 430 and is all-in
AcesN88: folds
ngericl: raises 2205 to 2635 and is all-in
anego: calls 760 and is all-in
cbmjr: folds
*** FLOP *** [3c 3d 5h]
*** TURN *** [3c 3d 5h] [4h]
*** RIVER *** [3c 3d 5h 4h] [Ac]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
results in white
ngericl: shows [9d 9s] (two pair, Nines and Threes)
anego: shows [Ah Jh] (two pair, Aces and Threes)
anego collected 960 from side pot
WLDBILL: shows [Js Ts] (a pair of Threes)
anego collected 1540 from main pot

As for the 2nd hand, it's just a few minutes later and I find myself with 99 again. This time I'm in EP, so I play it like it's a little pair and limp, hoping to flop a set. I need to know where I stand on the flop, so I bet the pot. I'm pretty sure I'm behind with the one caller. I know I'm behind when the 2nd 8 hits. Still, was it a good fold?

PokerStars Game #1498776407: Tournament #6873359, Hold'em No Limit -
Level III (25/50) - 2005/04/09 - 23:14:07 (ET)
Table '6873359 1' Seat #2 is the button
Seat 1: dowjaking (3930 in chips)
Seat 2: OneBadBeat (2300 in chips)
Seat 3: MikeyMaxx (740 in chips)
Seat 4: cbmjr (1325 in chips)
Seat 6: AcesN88 (1155 in chips)
Seat 7: ngericl (1700 in chips)
Seat 9: anego (2350 in chips)
MikeyMaxx: posts small blind 25
cbmjr: posts big blind 50
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to ngericl [9h 9s]
AcesN88: folds
ngericl: calls 50
anego: folds
dowjaking: folds
OneBadBeat: folds
MikeyMaxx: calls 25
cbmjr: checks
*** FLOP *** [Ah Qd 8c]
MikeyMaxx: checks
cbmjr: checks
ngericl: bets 150
MikeyMaxx: calls 150
cbmjr: folds
*** TURN *** [Ah Qd 8c] [8h]
MikeyMaxx: checks
ngericl: bets 200
MikeyMaxx: raises 340 to 540 and is all-in
ngericl: folds
MikeyMaxx collected 850 from pot
MikeyMaxx: doesn't show hand

If you thought you were behind after he called your flop bet in hand 2, why bet the turn? If you were trying to get him out, more of a bet is needed. If you were waiting for aggression from him and planning to fold afterward, why not just check? As small a bet as you made (relative to the pot/flop bet), I could see decent players making a move even with nothing. On the other hand if you'd put him all-in when the 8 came, he may well have folded, unless he held the 8.

Yes... and you don't need to bet the whole pot there to see where you stand, I think a 1/3-1/2 pot bet would be fine. On a call, you can assume a draw, or Qs or 8s. I put the guy on 98 personally. And you have only 2 outs, you can find a better spot for 350 chips. The blinds aren't harsh yet, but I might've raised that hand to try and ensure the button, grab some initiative, and maybe pick up some blinds.

Originally Posted by JeffreyGB

If you thought you were behind after he called your flop bet in hand 2, why bet the turn? If you were trying to get him out, more of a bet is needed. If you were waiting for aggression from him and planning to fold afterward, why not just check? As small a bet as you made (relative to the pot/flop bet), I could see decent players making a move even with nothing. On the other hand if you'd put him all-in when the 8 came, he may well have folded, unless he held the 8.

Yea, the turn bet was feeble.

Yes... and you don't need to bet the whole pot there to see where you stand, I think a 1/3-1/2 pot bet would be fine.

I made a pot-sized bet thinking most players with bottom pair or on a draw would fold. Maybe even with a Q and a crappy kicker. In essence, the bet was supposed to end the hand right there.

And it should have been as far I was concerned. But I made a bad turn bet hoping against hope he was on a draw or something.