Back after a long break, need some help

I took a few months off from poker and just started back about 2 weeks ago, however I am more frustrated than ever with this game. Before I left I was regularly grinding 25nl and it took me 2 weeks for me to realize today that I probably cannot beat 25nl anymore.

No problem, (I thought) stepped down to 10nl to try and get a grip on my game and after dropping 8bi in my first session at the stake I find my self here. I will admit I did ramp up the number of tables since I was playing for lower stakes. Normally I never play more than 3 tables at once but this session I found myself 8 tabling.

Anyway, one of the things that shocked me the most about 10nl was the rampant 3 betting from the blinds. It seemed like I was constantly in a position where I had opened and got 3 bet from someone. I do NOT remember having to deal with this back when I played this level.

Also, people gave me no respect when I tried 3 betting from the blinds. Constant button openers who never even considered hitting the fold button when faced with a 3 bet. Mind you, I'm still 3 betting a range that I feel is stronger than a Button opener's range but yet I'm getting put into these stupid post flop spots because it is hard for me to assign a range to villains who don't fold anyway! How can I avoid these ridiculous 3 betting wars at the micros!??! It's driving me insane!

I guess I am just asking for advice on how I can get back on the winning track, I'm being faced with some conditions that I am not used to. Has anyone else experienced something similar after taking a break from playing? I'm not ever sure where to begin...

Any help or advice would be appreciated. Btw I'm sorry if I am being too broad in the way of asking for help but this is a reflection of how lost I am atm.

Thanks in advance

Anytime I come back from a break, I have this urge to jump right in and start lagging it up. So to combat that, I just play super ABC and maybe 2 tables until I get my game back.

But regardless, if you're getting in situations that you don't know what to do, a lot of times the best option is to fold imo. Just make sure you review the hands afterward (or post them here) so you'll know what do the next time it happens.

So in other words, post some HH in this thread. Without specific examples, we can't help you much and it just sounds like whining and complaining.

So what you're saying is you came back after not playing for a while, played almost 3x as many tables as you normally would, and lost?

Originally Posted by spoonitnow

So what you're saying is you came back after not playing for a while, played almost 3x as many tables as you normally would, and lost?

...and you observed that 3betting from the blinds is rampant but wonder why ppl don't respect your 3bets from blinds?

I agree with Super Grinder, play ABC on 2-3 tables. Once you get a read on who is stealing/ 3betting a lot from the blinds open up your 4bet range.

GL bud.

Don't 3 bet bluff people who don't fold to 3 bets, 3 bet them wider for value instead, it's really not that complicated. Find out whoplays in what ways vs 3 bets and adapt your 3 betting range to exploit them (bluffing them if they fold to much, value towning them, if they call or 4 bet too much.) If you're looking at 3 bet dynamics as a generic thing where you just 3 bet "a range that's ahead of a button opening range vs everyone then it's no wonder you're getting owned.

It's not that your range is ahead of their opening range that make 3 betting good, it's that your 3 bets exploit your opponents continuing to a 3 bet range either by getting value, making them continue dominated hands, or making them fold too much to your 3 bet bluffs. How you do vs an opening range is pretty irrelevant in terms of deciding what sort of 3 bet strategy to adopt vs a speicifc villain. All it means is thaton average you'll have more fold equity due to their opening range being wider, but this varies from person to person. If you're 3 betting a guy who opens 60% of buttons and folds 85% to 3 bets with AJs BB vs BU this is a really horrible 3 bet regardless of whether your hand is "ahead of his opening range"

DUCY

I'm sorry I should have been more clear of what I meant by ahead of someone's range. I do understand that a persons continue to 3 bet range is different from his button opening range. What I was trying to explain was that I am 3 betting hands that (in my mind) ARE for value, against villain's continuing range. AQo,KQo,AJo,99+ anytime I three bet these hands I am expecting to be ahead vs the continue range. However, I am finding myself in postflop spots where I am not exactly sure what to do.

Also, Spoonit I mentioned that I was losing for 2 weeks prior to my multi-tabling session, so I am convinced that my problems do not all stem from that one session where I played too many tables.

Here are a few spots where I was not sure on how to proceed

Hand 1- I remember villain in this hand being a passive fish. I expected him to almost never fold to my 3 bet and my flop bet is obviously for value from any PPs and weaker Ks in his range. On the turn my check is to simply try to control the size of the pot, even against him I'm not too thrilled getting this many BBs in with TP.

Full Tilt No-Limit Hold'em, $0.10 BB (6 handed) - Full-Tilt Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

CO ($4.60)
Button ($19.29)
Hero (SB) ($20.16)
BB ($23.76)
UTG ($9.56)
MP ($10.99)

Preflop: Hero is SB with ,
UTG calls $0.10, 2 folds, Button bets $0.20, Hero raises to $0.80, 2 folds, Button calls $0.60

Flop: ($1.80) , , (2 players)
Hero bets $1.20, Button calls $1.20

Turn: ($4.20) (2 players)
Hero checks, Button bets $2, Hero calls $2

River: ($8.20) (2 players)
Hero checks, Button bets $15.29 (All-In)
Hero ???

Total pot: $8.20




Hand 2- I don't remember the villain in this hand, but this is a clear 3 bet for value. I get a bad flop for every hand in my range minus the ddBroadways and overpairs, and I feel like Im going to get peeled a ton here.

Full Tilt No-Limit Hold'em, $0.10 BB (4 handed) - Full-Tilt Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

BB ($14.48)
UTG ($18.92)
Button ($5.93)
Hero (SB) ($10)

Preflop: Hero is SB with ,
UTG bets $0.35, 1 fold, Hero raises to $1.25, 1 fold, UTG calls $0.90

Flop: ($2.60) , , (2 players)
Hero ???

Total pot: $2.60

Hand 3- At this table the MP, button, and SB were 3 betting quite a bit. At one point MP had 24% 3 bet and SB had a 14% 3 bet respectively over about 150 hands. Button was running at 5% but I did see him showdown A5s which he 3 bet MP with earlier, so I know he is capable. However, this also could have just been a response to MP who was clearly being a maniac. Either way, I think my hand is too strong to fold and I didn't feel a 4 bet was going to accomplish much.

Flop- (Is there merit in leading here?) As played, I guess I just need to call but It sucks if a club gets there. Raising sucks also, folding sucks more.

Full Tilt No-Limit Hold'em, $0.10 BB (6 handed) - Full-Tilt Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

MP ($17.64)
Hero (CO) ($13.32)
Button ($13.58)
SB ($10.50)
BB ($10)
UTG ($10)

Preflop: Hero is CO with ,
2 folds, Hero bets $0.30, Button raises to $1, 2 folds, Hero calls $0.70

Flop: ($2.15) , , (2 players)
Hero checks, Button bets $1.20,
Hero ???

Total pot: $4.55

Against the top 35% of hands according to PokerStove:

Code:

	equity 	win 	tie 	      pots won 	pots tied	
Hand 0: 	52.455%  	50.62% 	01.84% 	    4233159708 	153568182.00   { KQo }
Hand 1: 	47.545%  	45.71% 	01.84% 	    3822596664 	153568182.00   { 55+, A2s+, K3s+, Q6s+, J7s+, T7s+, 97s+, 87s, A4o+, K8o+, Q9o+, J9o+, T9o }

Then you're out of position and have to account for the rake.

If you don't want to stack off with TPTK in a 3-bet pot, then how are you 3-betting for value?

Also this thread is a great example of posting about a general problem vs. posting some hands. The latter is almost always better.

H1: if he is very passive, not positionally aware, and he raises pre, maybe it's better not to 3b with KQo (it's not like it's a steal from an aggressive and positionally aware player). What are his stats? I'd bet a bit more for value on the flop, as these guys don't care about bet size, if they want to call, they call, that's it, doesn't matter much how much you bet. As played I think I'd b/f the turn and b/f the river. Kinda hard to say what to do when he shoves the river, but when passive fishes come alive, usually run for the exit. Without further reads, I fold it.

H2: b/f flop repping a big/medium pair. You can fold a bunch of small pairs doing that. If you do that and he calls you probably have to barrel most turns as well I think. If you think he is going to raise or float a lot, then it may be better to just c/f it. It's really very read dependent.

H3: there is that conventional wisdom which says that calling a 3b OOP is rarely a good idea. TBH, 5% 3b is really not much at 6max, so it may be wise to dump it this time. Or if you have a read that he 3b wider than that OTB, then 4b/f. As played, I think donking the flop is bad because -unless you have reads- if he raises you never know if he does that with a club or a made hand that crushes you, and you have to fold for lack of equity. Not donking is also bad, because you offer a free card to any club he may be holding. I think c/c and re-eval on the turn.