First, a little background. I have been playing online for about a year, playing some during the school year and doing fairly well, playing a little limit, lots of sngs, and placing seventh in a rebuy guarantee tourney on PS. I netted about 1.5K for that one, which was a pretty big score for me, being a poor college student. Now I wish I had used that money to create a limit bankroll to start playing 1/2 regularly, but being a poor college student, I decided i needed the money and took most of it off. I played with the $200 i left for the rest of the school year, but took it off right at the end of the year cause I needed the money to last me until I started my summer job. Long story short, put some money back on with my first paycheck, experienced a great run of sngs, and started playing 1/2, showing a profit. The problem was, I hadn't really built up enough of a bankroll to be playing 1/2, only about 100 bbs. Then my sng streak ran cold, and I lost a good chunk of the roll on sngs. I now didn't have enough to even feel comfortable taking a shot at 1/2 anymore, so I decided to get disciplined and start at the level I do have a bankroll for, namely .25/.50, and work my way up. I really want to work on my game, and feel comfortable with my ability to beat the game before I play at stakes that really matter. I would like to eventually be able to use this as a little side income during the school year. Now that I have explained my situation, I would like to post a hand and get some thoughts from some people more experienced with limit than I. I kind of feel that played this hand pretty fishy, at least on the flop, but it worked out.

PokerStars 0.25/0.50 Hold'em (10 handed)

Preflop: Hero is UTG+2 with , .
UTG calls, 1 fold, Hero calls, 3 folds, CO calls, 1 fold, SB completes, BB checks.

Flop: (5 SB) , , (5 players)
SB checks, BB checks, UTG checks, Hero checks, CO bets, SB folds, BB calls, UTG raises, Hero calls, CO 3-bets, BB calls, Hero calls.

Turn: (8 BB) (4 players)
BB checks, Hero checks, CO bets, BB calls, Hero calls.

River: (11 BB) (4 players)
BB checks, Hero bets, CO calls, BB folds.

Final Pot: 13 BB

Looking back, I think I was way too early to make this call preflop, and I don't think I should have called on the flop either, although i had decent outs. I called the two bets cold because the raiser had exactly two bets and I didn't really think he had a strong hand, he just raised because he had exactly two bets left. Unfortunately I didn't consider the possiblity of the first bettor reraising, which I definitely should have. Anyway, once I got myself into this mess, I called on the turn because I was getting 10 to 1, and I think I was getting about that on the call. Anyway, I really want input on the turn call and maybe what to do on the river when my five outer hits. I'm pretty well convinced I completely misplayed the first two rounds. Anyway, I hope the hand converter thing worked, and thanks for any input.

First off, fold preflop in ep and only play that in LP after many callers. Second, it was bet and check raised befored it got back to you. You only have middle pair with a medium kicker and 2 back door draws. This is a definite fold. Also, the hand history says the UTG check raised but he not listed in calling the 3 bet on the flop. Did he call or did he fold. Either way, you should be long gone from this hand already.

I think that hand is also playable in MP after a couple limpers (assuming a typical low limit game), but definitely not in EP.

The pot would have to be pretty huge, or your opponents total maniacs, to call two bets on the flop.

And, welcome to BTP

Yes, welcome to the forum.

No way I play that in EP, and no way I call two bets post-flop with middle pair/crap kicker.

Optimistically, you had 3 outs for your [Tc}, 2 outs for trips with your , and you were drawing to runner-runner straight and runner-runner flush possibilities. It was ugly, but of course I'm glad you won the pot.

And damn, Norton--what's your VP$IP?

Thanks for all the replies. I basically knew all that already. I knew I was playing it terribly pretty much all the way through, but I made the preflop call partly because I had been on another table when it popped up and I honestly thought I was farther back than I was, with more limpers, but that was obviously much too cursory of a glance at the screen. I then preceded to play it pretty much like a calling station, and got lucky. Oh well. At least I won.

It's a little under 18. I'm on vacation so I don't have it in front of me, but I think SSHE has you calling down to 87s in MP. If the table is very aggressive, then I might pass, but if 2 people plus me limp then the rest of the fish are probably coming along.