Hello All. I would appreciate any feedback. Thanks in advance.

I normally play small stakes limit hold em cash games online. My home game is a 10 man sng, but only 3 or 4 times a year. Occassionally, when I'm on a bad run in limit, I'll play some freerolls to feel better about my own play when compared to the wackos. I just learned about the weekly Saturday gold vip $20,000 freeroll on Stars. I bubbled last week and got $20 (187 th) this week. I figured it was worth practicing a bit .






Poker Stars
No Limit Holdem Tournament
Blinds: t15/t30
9 players
Converter

Stack sizes:
UTG: t2570
UTG+1: t1550
MP1: t1770
MP2: t1440
MP3: t4335
CO: t720
Hero: t2700
SB: t1410
BB: t3515

Pre-flop: (9 players) Hero is Button with 9:spade: 9:club:
UTG calls t30 (pot was t45), 4 folds, CO calls t30 (pot was t75), Hero raises to t150, 2 folds, UTG calls t120 (pot was t255), CO folds.

Flop: 7:diamond: 4:club: 2:heart: (t375, 2 players)
UTG checks, Hero bets t360, UTG calls t360 (pot was t735).

Turn: K:diamond: (t1095, 2 players)
UTG checks, Hero checks.

River: J:club: (t1095, 2 players)
UTG bets t480, Hero calls t480 (pot was t1575).

Results:
Final pot: t2055

Unless the villain was calling on the flop to bluff on a later street w/ A10-AK, he either picked up a pair and is value betting, or is value-bet-bluffing.

I find it irritating when people limp/call 4-6x raises from UTG. It's a sign of a horrible player, yes....



Flop: I'd bet less, probably about 150-200, no need to increase the pot size so much w/ just a pair of nines.

Turn: He checked again, I'd bet here, hoping that if he calls, he might check the river and you can check behind U/I, and see a cheaper showdown. If he c/r's the turn, you can fold, either being up against a set or AJ (which is ridiculous, but happens often in $4.40's... people just can't lay down Ax on the flop to a bet!)

River: Calling here is based more on reads, which you gave none. In a $4.40, I'd probably call, but I think you would have an easier decision if you played the earlier streets differently. The only hand you really beat here is A7, 88, and maybe 66, 55... but those are incredibly unlikely.

Early in a tourney, I would have limped with the 9's on the button. You want more player in the pot so that if you hit a set, it's more likely that another player hit TP who will pay you off.

But you since you raised preflop, I bet less on the flop as there are no draws so around 250 would be fine. Once UTG calls, I'd get nervous since he can't be on a draw.

I check behind on the turn and call the river (could be a value bet or bluff). Here, his river bet would have been less if your flop bet had been less which is why I don't like the near pot sized bet on the flop.

Yeah, I'd just limp here and try to flop a set - multiplayer pot with position with a pair of 9s is a wonderful situation to be in.

That said, given the preflop action, that bet on the flop is really large - I'm not sure what you were trying to do with it, other than create a difficult situation. If you got called, you don't like your hand anymore, and over half the deck are scare cards. In a 4 dollar tourney I call the river, but I don't like it.

I this line.

Raise preflop is good - you can limp if you want, but raising is better.

As some people have alraedy said, you can make a smaller bet on the flop - 1/2 pot is fine. In the majority of cases, you pick the pot up right there, but betting less limits your exposure in case he has a big hand. The exception would be if you know your opponent is a total monkey who will call big bets with overcards - then your pot bet is good.

Bet 1/2 pot on the turn after he checks and then check behind on the river. This gives you the information you need and now if he bets the river (or check-raises turn) you know you are beat.