NInes (Ughh!)

For the last few weeks the circus has been in town. Foxwoods, my home casino, has been hosting its semiannual major tournament. In the Spring, its called the Foxwoods Classic. I've been able to finally fit in a few events into my schedule. And of the three tournaments I played so far I kept running into these damn pocket nines. Unlike our smiling friend in the picture, pocket nines did not win me any first place trophies.

There are many plays in tournaments poker where you have to be bisexual (you can go either way). Pocket nines seems to present those situations more often than not. Let me give you the lowdown.

Here I am minding my own business at the $1500 buy-in event. I'm not getting any cards, but with guile and aggression I'm staying pat. We started with $7000 in chips and I have about $6200 and we are three or four hours in and playing the 200/400 level. I'm on the big blind with - you guessed it - pocket nines. The first guy to act has about $18,000 in chips and has been getting good cards. Not stepping out very much that I could tell. He raises to $1100. Less than the standard 3X, so its likely he has a good pocket pair or AK. Possibly AQ. The cutoff calls and I call. I mean I have to at least call. I could raise and see where I'm at, but that is really risky now that the standard has been set. Plus I'd be opening up the betting for more action preflop. I'd either have to go all in or put more than 50% of my chips in the middle. Just to see where I was at? I don't think so. The 80% play (see my courses for more on the 80% play) is to call.

So here comes the flop. 7H....4C....2D. So, without a nine coming out, this is about the best flop I could hope for. The problem is that my read is that this under-the-gun guy has me beat with a bigger pocket pair. I could bet out. Nothing wrong with a $1500 bet. But what am I going to do if I get raised all in for my last $3600? I gotta call and I gotta be beat. If not by the under-the-gun guy than by Mr. Cut-off. So I check and hope it gets checked around. Nope. The original raiser makes it $2600 to go. Cut-off folds. I gotta put in 50% of my stack to call. 100% just to make a min raise. Tough. Tough. Tough. What was I hoping for? You can go either way on this one. Shove or fold. Use and trust your read. My read was: he had me beat. I mucked. Later, I saw him get kind of frisky with borderline hands and I can't be sure my read was right. But he did mention to his buddy that he had pocket aces earlier and got only a little action. Could that have been this hand? We'll never know. I fought through three quarters of the field and finally succumbed when I tried to steal and was called in two places. I lost and was out.

Then in the $1000 event I got even deeper into the tournament. There was about 20% of the field left. Again I'm way below average in chips. I got about $9000 when we started with $6000. I'm under-the-gun with....right, pocket nines. Not a lot of decision here. Gotta shove. I did. The very next guy called me with queens and out the door I flew.

In tournament poker, you go as far as the cards will take you. You can't win or even make the money just by bluffing and stealing your way in. You have to win a few easy pots with the best hand. Keep the odds in your favor and everything works out in the long run. Winning at poker, tournaments and cash is all about the long run. But please, easy on the pocket nines.