How would you play these two hands?

[GatorJH]

Stage #281110178 Tourney ID 60741 Holdem Single Tournament No Limit $150 - 2005-12-30 16:36:41 (ET)
Table: 4959981 (Real Money) Seat #5 is the dealer
Seat 2 - GATORJERRYH ($7857.50 in chips)
Seat 4 - JOKY ($2280 in chips)
Seat 5 - KADMEL ($3362.50 in chips)
GATORJERRYH - Posts small blind $150
JOKY - Posts big blind $300
*** POCKET CARDS ***
Dealt to GATORJERRYH [5s 5d]
KADMEL - Raises $600 to $600

At this stage do you re-raise here?

Stage #281112088 Tourney ID 60741 Holdem Single Tournament No Limit $150 - 2005-12-30 16:39:01 (ET)
Table: 4959981 (Real Money) Seat #4 is the dealer
Seat 2 - GATORJERRYH ($5095 in chips)
Seat 4 - JOKY ($2280 in chips)
Seat 5 - KADMEL ($6125 in chips)
KADMEL - Posts small blind $150
GATORJERRYH - Posts big blind $300
*** POCKET CARDS ***
Dealt to GATORJERRYH [8s Kc]
JOKY - Folds
KADMEL - Calls $150
GATORJERRYH - Checks
*** FLOP *** [2d 2s 7h]
KADMEL - Checks
GATORJERRYH - Bets $300
KADMEL - Calls $300
*** TURN *** [2d 2s 7h] [Ks]
KADMEL - Checks
GATORJERRYH - Bets $900
KADMEL - Raises $1800 to $1800

This was two hands later, do you push, call or fold?

I'll post either the next steps after a few comments.

[ZenOffsuit]

What is your read of this player? If he has been involved in alot of hands...then those 5s could be a good re-raise hand.

Second hand, again tough call w/out a read. I check that flop and bet out on the turn.

[bearcats05]

1st hand: a read would be nice... you could call if you feel you can outplay him.
2nd hand: i agree its a tough call, probably fold if you dont have a good read.

[Cpaz]

It would help to have a read but I push the first one. Use that chip stack. (It looks like you folded.)

Second one I would reraise and see how serious he is.

[Aplomado]

Second hand, raise the limper preflop. Hit him with about $900. You've got position and a pretty decent hand three-handed.

First hand - Without an underlying read I push.

Second hand - Without an underlying read I fold. Justify your flop bet here please.

[The K1ngpin]

For the first hand- There is an 11% chance you will hit the set on the flop. There is a 98.143% chance you will flop one or more overcards. I'd either call or fold, especially if he is a good [tight] player.

Even if you do hit the set it still may not be the nuts. This just seems like one of those hands that you would just be better off not calling a pre flop raise with, if for nothing else than to just be safe. It is a hand you can't lose much money with if you fold, but you sure risk losing a lot if you play.

If you re-raise pre flop and he calls, then what? You fold hopefully on the flop if you don't hit the set, which you most likely won't. If you do not fold after the flop and you don't really hit anything, why play a guessing game?

You can push him all in of course; what if he calls? He might have AA, KK, JJ, QQ, TT, 99, point is is it is just too risky for such a simple hand.

[GatorJH]

What is your read of this player? If he has been involved in alot of hands...then those 5s could be a good re-raise hand.

Both players remaining were solid players, but both had been stealing pots when they had a chance and there had been minimal hands shown down lately.

Second hand, raise the limper preflop. Hit him with about $900. You've got position and a pretty decent hand three-handed.

I actually thought about this after I posted this and agree that I should have raised pre-flop.

Second hand - Without an underlying read I fold. Justify your flop bet here please.?

The flop bet was a pure steal attempt.

For the first hand- There is an 11% chance you will hit the set on the flop. There is a 98.143% chance you will flop one or more overcards. I'd either call or fold, especially if he is a good [tight] player.

Even if you do hit the set it still may not be the nuts. This just seems like one of those hands that you would just be better off not calling a pre flop raise with, if for nothing else than to just be safe. It is a hand you can't lose much money with if you fold, but you sure risk losing a lot if you play.

If you re-raise pre flop and he calls, then what? You fold hopefully on the flop if you don't hit the set, which you most likely won't. If you do not fold after the flop and you don't really hit anything, why play a guessing game?

You can push him all in of course; what if he calls? He might have AA, KK, JJ, QQ, TT, 99, point is is it is just too risky for such a simple hand.

Can you really afford to play this tightly when the blinds are so large and there are just three players remaining? At some point you will need to gamble.

It seems like the general consensus is that these were two tough hands to call. True? I actually took almost all of my alloted time on both hands and then made the following moves:

Hand 1:
KADMEL - Raises $600 to $600
GATORJERRYH - Raises $1050 to $1200
JOKY - Folds
KADMEL - All-In(Raise) $2762.50 to $3362.50

Hand 2:
KADMEL - Raises $1800 to $1800
GATORJERRYH - Calls $900
*** RIVER *** [2d 2s 7h Ks] [9c]
KADMEL - All-In $3725

Do you now lay them down or call? Looking at them now it appears that a fold is the right move. Agree? Disagree? Presuming that they are both fairly solid players what hands do you put them on? I am not looking for a huge range here but one or two hands that you think they have.

[littlewashu]

What is your read of this player? If he has been involved in alot of hands...then those 5s could be a good re-raise hand.

Both players remaining were solid players, but both had been stealing pots when they had a chance and there had been minimal hands shown down lately.

Second hand, raise the limper preflop. Hit him with about $900. You've got position and a pretty decent hand three-handed.

I actually thought about this after I posted this and agree that I should have raised pre-flop.

Second hand - Without an underlying read I fold. Justify your flop bet here please.?

The flop bet was a pure steal attempt.

For the first hand- There is an 11% chance you will hit the set on the flop. There is a 98.143% chance you will flop one or more overcards. I'd either call or fold, especially if he is a good [tight] player.

Even if you do hit the set it still may not be the nuts. This just seems like one of those hands that you would just be better off not calling a pre flop raise with, if for nothing else than to just be safe. It is a hand you can't lose much money with if you fold, but you sure risk losing a lot if you play.

If you re-raise pre flop and he calls, then what? You fold hopefully on the flop if you don't hit the set, which you most likely won't. If you do not fold after the flop and you don't really hit anything, why play a guessing game?

You can push him all in of course; what if he calls? He might have AA, KK, JJ, QQ, TT, 99, point is is it is just too risky for such a simple hand.

Can you really afford to play this tightly when the blinds are so large and there are just three players remaining? At some point you will need to gamble.

It seems like the general consensus is that these were two tough hands to call. True? I actually took almost all of my alloted time on both hands and then made the following moves:

Hand 1:
KADMEL - Raises $600 to $600
GATORJERRYH - Raises $1050 to $1200
JOKY - Folds
KADMEL - All-In(Raise) $2762.50 to $3362.50

Hand 2:
KADMEL - Raises $1800 to $1800
GATORJERRYH - Calls $900
*** RIVER *** [2d 2s 7h Ks] [9c]
KADMEL - All-In $3725

Do you now lay them down or call? Looking at them now it appears that a fold is the right move. Agree? Disagree? Presuming that they are both fairly solid players what hands do you put them on? I am not looking for a huge range here but one or two hands that you think they have.

the first hand i would have raised him just like you did, but when he came back over the top ithink the fold would be in order you odds to hit the set are bad and is it really worth all of the chips just to see the flop. I figure higher pp maybe jj qq.

2nd hand. yea what was up with that 300 bet there. I would have jammed him real bad after I got my king there maybe went all in myself make him react to you instead here you are reacting to him esp if he has been stealing pots and blinds. Ithink you have to make him pay to see that last card does anyone disagree with this. beside odds are he doent have that other 2 and if he made something wouldve bet after the king im thinking he might have even been on some kind of draw here dont ask me why, or small pp

[GatorJH]

Thanks for the imput everyone. Here is how those two particular hands ended.

Hand 1
KADMEL - All-In(Raise) $2762.50 to $3362.50
GATORJERRYH - Calls $2162.50
*** FLOP *** [10d 8d 3s]
*** TURN *** [10d 8d 3s] [6h]
*** RIVER *** [10d 8d 3s 6h] [4h]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
GATORJERRYH - Shows [5s 5d] (One pair, fives)
KADMEL - Shows [10c 10h] (Three of a kind, tens)
KADMEL Collects $7025 from main pot

Hand 2
KADMEL - All-In $3725
GATORJERRYH - All-In $2695
KADMEL - returned ($1030) : not called
*** SHOW DOWN ***
KADMEL - Shows [2h Ac] (Three of a kind, twos)
GATORJERRYH - Mucks
KADMEL Collects $10190 from main pot