Tough river decision against a 25 NL fish

[mcatdog]

I've built my bankroll by playing SnG's, but I would like to learn how to actually play this game. My short stack game is very good, but postflop with deep stacks I'm pretty damn mediocre. I'm going to try out 25 NL so expect me to start posting some hands here. Here are a couple from tonight.

This hand is a tough river call against a fish. The villain sat down at the table a few hands ago and in one of his first hands, called a pretty big bet on the flop with no-pair, no-draw, queen high. He became open-ended on the turn and made a pot-sized semi-bluff, and stacked someone on the river when his runner-runner straight hit.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.25 BB (8 handed) FTR converter on zerodivide.cx

SB ($24.25)
BB ($25.80)
UTG ($17.65)
UTG+1 ($6.15)
Hero ($32.05)
MP2 ($24.75)
CO ($35.55)
Button ($20.30)

Preflop: Hero is MP1 with 8, 7.
2 folds, Hero raises to $1, MP2 calls $1, CO calls $1, 3 folds.

Flop: ($3.35) 5, 8, 2 (3 players)
Hero bets $3, MP2 folds, CO calls $3.

Turn: ($9.35) 9 (2 players)
Hero bets $8, CO calls $8.

River: ($25.35) T (2 players)
Hero checks, CO bets $12, Hero?

[Fnord]

...finds a new seat and stops raising 78s pf when the table calling station has position.

[mcatdog]

Thanks for the advice Fnord, I'm not used to thinking a lot about seat selection. Do you think the players at 25 NL are of the nature that set farming is the only way to play? Should I just fold my suited connectors preflop?

Also, I can make a ton more per hour 6-tabling SnG's than I ever could playing cash games, but the point of me playing 25NL is to teach me stuff and to learn what to do in tough situations like this one. If I'm supposed to just set farm at these stakes I'd be better off playing SnG's.

[Fnord]

Do you think the players at 25 NL are of the nature that set farming is the only way to play? Should I just fold my suited connectors preflop?

No and it depends.

[mcatdog]

This story has a happy ending. I tried to figure out what hands he would have just called the flop and the turn with and all I could think of were drawing hands and a slow-played monster. The only draw that got there was 67 so I crossed my fingers and called. He showed A 4. On the very next hand my loose image paid off when I made the nuts on the turn and stacked another player. But I still felt like a fish for calling $12 with third pair.

[Fnord]

Also, I can make a ton more per hour 6-tabling SnG's.

What stakes?

You sounds solid enough to do $10/100 6 tabling 100NL...

[mcatdog]

I play the $25+2 SnG's on PokerStars. At this point in time I would never consider multi-tabling cash games at any stakes.

[Fnord]

I play the $25+2 SnG's on PokerStars. At this point in time I would never consider multi-tabling cash games at any stakes.

Why? At best you would have an expection of $5/game?

Then again I find tourney poker too fustrating to play for long periods of time.

[mcatdog]

Something like $25 per hour plus rake back (which is about another $2). I was a marginal winning player for a long time so now that I found a game I know I can beat soundly, I'm scared to mess with that formula.

I'm not even sure I'd be a winning player at all at cash games.