Not Quite Ready for Prime Time

Question:
Why would you play a hand this way?

Small blind with 95o, 250 behind. Limp into a pot with 7 others. So far so good.

Flop comes 99A.

Check, watch the table check around to the cuttoff, a very aggressive player who has shown the ability to bet with nothing and who has 400 behind, bets 30.

Button folds.

Raise to 60.

Folds around to player on cutoff's right, who, with 600 behind, raises to 160. After 2 and half hours of play toghether, this player has shown clear signs of aggression but also has not made a visible mistake. In other words, he seems to be good.

What does another good player do?

Clearly not what I did, which is go all in.

Answer:
Because you are an idiot.

I mean, I knew he very likely has the case nine, and the odds are clearly poor of my kicker being ahead. I guess my thinking, such as it was, was that I was going to be getting all in here anyway, I might as well get an ace to put all the money in the pot. Good analysis Mr. Sklansky. Q9 held up, and of course I know he would have folded an Ace to my reraise.

This is what happens when you are having a card dead night and then you forget the simple truth: "they'll give you cash for those chips". I could have got up with 200 left, instead of a bagel.

Walking out the door I told the floor, with whom I'm on a first name basis, that I had just busted out playing a hand like an idiot. Not actually really comforting at all, but dead on: "look at it as a learning experience". Indeed.

Lession 1: bet out flopped trips with weak kickers into 8 way pots, you need to find out who else might have the case card. Lession 2, and I have known I need to learn this for some time: take some time before raising all in. Make sure it can lead to a good outcome. Lession 3, and I sometimes know this: be willing to lay down when you know you are beat, even on a bad night.

I also had the joy of watching Schilling melt down with several Yankee fans, always known for their gentle class.