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Prima Network $10.00 No Limit Hold'em - 6 players - View hand 1539706
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BB: $12.45 - VPIP: 16, PFR: 12, 3B: 0, AF: 1.7, Hands: 92
UTG: $10.00 - VPIP: 17, PFR: 11, 3B: 3, AF: 3.1, Hands: 381
Hero (MP): $10.97 - VPIP: 23, PFR: 20, 3B: 8, AF: 3.6, Hands: 32997
CO: $10.00 - VPIP: 19, PFR: 16, 3B: 5, AF: 2.2, Hands: 4799
BTN: $10.00 - VPIP: 19, PFR: 15, 3B: 4, AF: 3.0, Hands: 1000
SB: $13.32 - VPIP: 77, PFR: 15, 3B: 0, AF: 1.7, Hands: 91

Pre Flop: ($0.15) Hero is MP with 9 9
UTG raises to $0.40, Hero calls $0.40, 2 folds, SB calls $0.35, 1 fold

Flop: ($1.30) 2 9 7 (3 players)
SB checks, UTG bets $0.85, Hero raises to $3

Final Pot: $3.00

He opens utg and cbets this flop 3way so I think his range is strong, when I call and turn is a heart I don't get much value from a overpair. Call here to let fish in the pot ore raise to get it in vs overpairs

I could go either way, but I think I prefer raising. If the fish has a straight or flush draw he's coming along anyway because they chase anything and typically if they have nothing, they just fold. Personally, unless UTG is pretty meh, I would think he would bomb this flop with an overpair being the board is so draw heavy and there's a fish in the pot. No reason to be balanced in your sizing when the person you're targeting value from doesn't know any better. This could very well be some kind of draw so that would make me want to raise even more.

Looks good. I rather not let the SB see a cheap turn card on this board, nor do I want a turn card to kill any action against UTG, who likely has an overpair that won't fold to the flop raise. Also, if SB is really bad there is a chance he'll call the flop raise anyways with any hand he planned on calling the initial bet with anyways.

I think raising sounds good. Slowplaying may win a little extra money from the fish from time to time, but raising will accomplish the same thing a lot. Vs. the UTG player, his range could be quite strong, so slowplaying when an opponent is typically strong doesn't make much sense. It wouldn't be bad to call really, but let's just to get it in on this street to get more value from draws/big hands before a scare card comes or something else happens to kill potential action.

I don't disagree with raising here, but there's a lot of merrit in calling here as well if UTG is a regular and views you as a regular also because your pre-flop calling range in MP vs UTG is mostly set-mining or suited broadway ace hands and with the fish behind you you're really not bluffing ever. Provided he can read hands he could fold his over pairs here with out worrying too much about it. I think you have a potential range balancing problem when you do this kind of stuff and in theory calling conceals your range much better and lets the fish in with weaker hands behind you.

I would think that a calling range with a fish in the pot is just as strong as a raising range on a board with a lot of draws. Sometimes you'll get a reg to level themselves in thinking that you're ISO'ing the fish with this raise IP trying to force them out while keeping the fish in the hand IP.

I don't disagree with raising here, but there's a lot of merrit in calling here as well if UTG is a regular and views you as a regular also because your pre-flop calling range in MP vs UTG is mostly set-mining or suited broadway ace hands and with the fish behind you you're really not bluffing ever.

I thought of this too. Without more info, like you said yourself, raising definitely isn't wrong. I know if it were myself or some other DC'ers in the UTG players shoes, we are thinking automatically, this is a set. Where if a MP caller flats here OTF, I would put him on some PP's like TT, JJ, 88, 66, plus FD's that didn't raise, like AQs, KQs.

Not really, a calling range would be perceived as weaker than a raising range because it contains a number of medium over pairs and flush draws without the equity to raise/call a 3bet, and I don't think you can necessarily presume a raise here is to isolate the fish when he hasn't put any money in the pot. I mean, this just looks like a value line to me every time and I can't really remember the last time I saw anything less than a nut flush here.

I'd just be worried we're raising for value in a situation where we'd never be raising as a bluff.

Not really, a calling range would be perceived as weaker than a raising range because it contains a number of medium over pairs and flush draws without the equity to raise/call a 3bet, and I don't think you can necessarily presume a raise here is to isolate the fish when he hasn't put any money in the pot. I mean, this just looks like a value line to me every time and I can't really remember the last time I saw anything less than a nut flush here.

I'd just be worried we're raising for value in a situation where we'd never be raising as a bluff.

We also have to remember this is $10NL and people...even reg's, don't fold overpairs here.

Well it may very well be that simple, which is why I'm not strictly against raising as I said, I'm just worried this creates a bad habbit of not thinking about our perceived range and the table dynamics for when we move up to the point where we can't rely on our opponents being complete idiots to get paid off.

I understand that as well. I'm not trying to justify just a raise here. I do think calling has merits as well. There are just times when balance isn't an option and part of me feels like raising is more +EV than calling.

We also have to remember this is $10NL and people...even reg's, don't fold overpairs here.

I think this does trump any of our preceived range concerns.

Direstr88 adds a good point to the conversation and I get where he is coming from. Just to put that fact (that we look like we have a set to a thinking player) in the back of your mind even if it doesn't apply here. The "more unknown" the UTG player is the more apt I am to raise. If I have picked up some good postflop reads, then calling starts to make more sense. I think it's good we are not viewing it as a cut and dry spot where there is only one answer.

For instance, if UTG liked to 2-barrel a lot after c-betting the flop, then we shouldn't take the play away from him, and also give the fish a chance to tag a long a few more times than he might when facing a raise.

Right, it's not a cut and dry decision at all, for instance a lot of people assume raising this board for value is "standard" and therefore villains presume it's a board to 3 barrel brick, brick on because of the perceived range of the caller being air heavy by the river - which means calling your value hands instead of raising them suddenly gains implied odds vs. villains air etc.and you're on level 2.

I still feel our point of honesty vs the fish is a big problem tho' for when it matters, just wanted to play devil's advocate tho' because I think the "raise, standard" thinking kind of over simplifies this.