Massimo's Blog: Small stakes teaching and improving my game

Hey all,

Let me just give you a background on my own poker life. Since about November 2006, i've been playing 100NL shorthanded. About a month ago, i moved up to 200NL and i'm having some decent success. My BR is very good and i'm not going to be moving down anytime soon. I exclusively play shorthanded cash, but i think that many of the topics i will be covering apply to Full Ring also.

I've always liked teaching and helping people, especially when it comes to poker, i have no idea why. I feel like the best way i can do this is through a blog. I understand a lot of concepts and strategies and I feel like i can describe them pretty well, and i'll be covering a lot of those strategies in this blog.

The goals of this blog are the following:
1. Provide a post that covers all the angles of basic questions that people usually don't ask.
2. To discuss small stakes poker strategies
3. Improve my own game by looking at what i do and why
4. keep me focused.

With that said, i feel like this introduction is pretty bad. I feel a little writers block this morning, haha. Hopefully as i post more and more in this blog/operation you will understand more and more me and what i'm trying to accomplish. Once i get out of school, on may 9th, i'll try to post in this blog everyday. For now, i'll allow myself a missed day every so often.

I hope this blog will be a success!

I understand a lot of concepts and strategies and I feel like i can describe them pretty well

From yesterday...

You wrote:

that bet is really bad

This isn't a lot for a player like myself to draw insight from. I appreciate the fact that you actually looked at what i was writing (not sarcastic), but leaving a half completed response in some ways leaves me more confused about the correct play than i was before you posted your reply.

Originally Posted by Vi-Zer0Skill

This isn't a lot for a player like myself to draw insight from. I appreciate the fact that you actually looked at what i was writing (not sarcastic), but leaving a half completed response in some ways leaves me more confused about the correct play than i was before you posted your reply.

in Massimo's defense, and other posters who make such responses...it's not their responsibility to spoon-feed you information and tactics. it's much better for you to look at WHY something is a bad bet by analyzing it yourself. you learn so much more and faster that way. if after that, you still don't really understand why, you can ask for clarification, perhaps detailing your thought process of why you don't understand.

This thread looks like it can be really really good.

Sounds good, Watch this space?

in Massimo's defense, and other posters who make such responses...it's not their responsibility to spoon-feed you information and tactics. it's much better for you to look at WHY something is a bad bet by analyzing it yourself. you learn so much more and faster that way. if after that, you still don't really understand why, you can ask for clarification, perhaps detailing your thought process of why you don't understand.

I don't have a problem with Massimo - he actually has given me some good advice before (specificially, on 4betting).

I just think that incomplete posts are more harmful than not writing anything. I did analyze my own play, (self analysis is something i do with regards to my poker playing - i don't understand why you assumed i don't), but when i can't come to a clear conclusion i post it here.

I guess it really isn't anyones responsibility to post something useful just because i asked for it, but if you want to be useful to other players you are going to have to actually post a constructive criticism and not just a bare evaluation of the play.

On preflop:

I see a lot of discussion on preflop and stats. People make 15k, 20k, and 30k hand checkups all the time, hoping that someone can help them improve their game purely by stats. Preflop stats are especially a popular subject. I would like to touch on this.

I'm not sure who said it, but the quote, "preflop is a preference" is very good advice. I've seen players with a wide variety of stats who have done very well. Gabe is a great example of a very loose aggressive player who has great success, my friend Lyric is a great example of a TAGG who is also very successful, Cocco_Bill is a great example of a semi-tight passive who does extremely well, and there are a lot of guys inbetween, like myself, who have had success with semi-LAGG stats inbetween.

What a lot of people don't explain is why preflop is a preference, and what preference is suitable for what type of player. This is something i'll explain now.

I run about 24/19, i raise a lot of junk in position and play pretty tight in early position. I also like to cold call CO and sometimes MP raises on the Button with suited K's and Q's, along with sc junk and other things, although this all depends on how well i know the raiser and how loose/tight he is. The reason i play the way i do preflop is because 1. I feel i play well in position 2. I'm not that great OOP 3. i like being aggressive 4. i feel like i read hands very well, which allows me to get thin value and forces me to think hard about many situations. Therefore, i play a lot in position, never open limp, and play tight in early. I also don't cold call very much from the blinds, although again, my blind play depends on who i'm against.

Now some people like to play tighter, like 17/14, or around there. Just like the reasons for playing 24/19, there are also reasons for playing 17/14. The reasons for this i don't know as deeply, but a few reasons may be 1. You don't like playing in marginal situations post flop 2. You like to be the aggressor 3. You feel that people are usually calling stations and will pay you off. These are just a few of many possible reasons for playing around 17/14. A good example of this kind of player is ActionDJ, who i'm pretty sure is a solid 200NL winner.

These are the most common preflop stats. Others like 20/10's and Gabe copy cats (who probably can run as loose as 40% VPIP sometimes) have more obscure reasons for why they play like they do. Gabe is probably very good at seeing people's psychology, how they will react to certain situations. This allows gabe to play tons of hands because as well as determining a range well he knows what people will do with certain parts of this range. 20/10's probably are very good at turn and river play, because they will have to pick off a lot of cont bets, which i'm sure CoccoBill is very very good at.

So next time you think of posting a 20k checkup and ask if your preflop stats are good, you should really consider how well anyone can answer these questions. Sometimes you need to look at yourself and try to determine what you need to do by chatting personally with a close friend or just thinking yourself.

That being said, i'd also like to touch on ISF's ladder theory because i think it has relevance to this post. There are probably certain preflop stats that maximize you EV, i view a 16/13 pretty much the same as a 17/14, and will pay him off the same. Therefore it may be better to play 16/13 instead of 17/14, or maybe tighter than 16/13. Same goes for 24/19 as opposed to 27/22 or something like that. But this is wayyy wayy to complicated and theoretical to even talk about.

In Response to Vi-ZeroSkill:
What you said is exactly the reason why i want to do this. I agree that posts like, "that bet is terrible" is probably more hurtful than helpful. I just sometimes get frustrated with the basic or naive quality of a question or the poster, and make a frustrated response. This is not an excuse, i'll try to just not post at all if i'm frustrated.

With this blog i hope the FTR guys will be able to undertsand these standard concepts better.

I feel like this is a very good start.

There is sooo much to talk about with regards to preflop! I'll try to cover more standard things tomorrow. If you guys can ask questions and suggest what you want me to cover it will be extremely helpful!

Originally Posted by Massimo

Gabe is probably very good at seeing people's psychology, how they will react to certain situations. This allows gabe to play tons of hands because as well as determining a range well he knows what people will do with certain parts of this range.

In other words I think what you're trying to say is he "manipulates" his opponent well, which is the only concept i know of that requires deep thinking, but is just as prevalent (if not more) at low stakes than at high stakes.

Preflop continued

On limping

I never limp in shorthanded, and i reccomend never doing it if you're above 50NL. With every hand you want to play should be raised if no one else had raised, even weak holdings that you may be raising in position. The reason for this is you want to build a pot, for many reasons. The main two reasons are:
1. Build a pot so you can be more easily paid off with your big hands
2. Widen your raising range so it's harder to read your hand.
When you get to higher small stakes, people see right through the early limp call, it's usually a low pocket pair. They know you aren't going to limp or limp call a strong hand, and they will push you off your hand usually. It's hard enough playing out of position, don't make it harder by limp calling.

If 3 people limp to you on the button, that's a great place NOT to limp, but to raise. Because usually they will all fold and you'll pick up a decent pot, and if you do get a caller you can usually take it down with a cont bet.

However, at 50NL and below, it's ok to limp sometimes, especially if you raise isn't going to get you isolation (narrow the field down to one or two opponents). It's also ok to limp in low low stakes because you don't necessarily need to build a pot, because the fishieswill call your over bets and over pushes a lot of the time with bad hands.

On 3-betting

reraising a wide range preflop, also known as 3-betting light, has become a popular tactic recently. 3-betting light is a very complicated aspect of poker, and everyone has their own style. Reraising TT-AA, AQ-AK is almost a standard range lately.

Like i said, three betting light is complicated, there are many many many reasons for doing it. The most basic reason is so you can get AA and KK paid off more easily. The tighter your reraising range, the bigger your reraises should be. Other reasons for threebetting a wide range is if you don't feel the opponent handles it well, and you feel like you handle it better than them.

The most basic screwups by people when they get three-bet are:
1. Calling a 1/10 of your stack off with a PP, because against a light 3-bettor, you won't stack them when you hit your set very much.
2. Calling a wide range but folding the flop too much
3. raising loosely but folding to light three bets too much.
4. cold calling a 3-bet OOP with a weak holding and playing it badly postflop.

You can exploit these very easily, and it's pretty obvious how.

I'm sorry i felt like i did a poor job describing this but it was the best i could do right now.

On suited connectors

A lot of people know about the profitability of raising suited connectors in position, but another profitable way to play them is cold calling raises in position. You can do this with 2 or even 3 gap sc's profitably, given that you are aggressive and have good postflop skills. This is even more profitable in Full Ring according to my friend Lyric.

Raising them from the CO and button is almost a given for me, but it's just a preference. In a vaccum (on their own, without computing the extra value it gives other hands), even as a 17/14 TAGG, i feel that they are profitable.

OOP it's a little more complicated. If your going Headsup to the flop, you're going to need to bluff with them sometimes. If your pot odds are good and the pot is multiway, it's fine to call with them OOP.


Well, i felt like that todays blog was a lot less fun than the other one, but i hope it was helpful nonetheless!

Suggestions or questions would help me a lot!

Talk about the whos/whats and whens of floating / calling down light. (obviously not just against maniacs)

Your thoughts on river bluffs??

ie. PFR AK EP at 6 max to 4xBB and get a caller in the blinds

he checks,you c/b 46T flop, he calls.

turns a 2, both check turn

river a Q, he checks river, you bet 2/3-3/4 pot

Im trying to rep AQ,KQ here. do you try any other line when considering bluffing? would you just fire 2nd barrel or make this play?

EDIT: my bluff had TPTK by mistake

Thoughts on turn bombing?

I'm going to talk about 2nd barreling. For me, 2 barrels are a a essential part of my game because i c-bet so much. I c-bet like 90% of the time in a HU pot, so when people realize that they start calling my flop bets light. This means i have to throw in some two barrels.

The most ideal spot to two barrel is on a low, dryish flop, when the turn card comes a high card, like this.

POKERSTARS GAME #9667114224: HOLD'EM NO LIMIT ($1/$2) - 2007/04/29 - 14:26:03 (ET)
Table 'Theobalda' 6-max Seat #5 is the button
Seat 1: SmutsHarry ($350.85 in chips)
Seat 2: BowWowRomeo ($136.70 in chips)
Seat 3: kawelljd ($201.50 in chips)
Seat 4: IMSUPERCREAL ($203.10 in chips)
Seat 5: iamtufts ($236 in chips)
SmutsHarry: posts small blind $1
BowWowRomeo: posts big blind $2
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to IMSUPERCREAL [Ac Th]
kawelljd: folds
IMSUPERCREAL: raises $6 to $8
iamtufts: folds
SmutsHarry: folds
BowWowRomeo: calls $6
*** FLOP *** [5h 8h 3d]
BowWowRomeo: checks
IMSUPERCREAL: bets $10
BowWowRomeo: calls $10
*** TURN *** [5h 8h 3d] [Js]
BowWowRomeo: checks
IMSUPERCREAL: bets $25
BowWowRomeo: folds
IMSUPERCREAL collected $35.20 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $37 | Rake $1.80
Board [5h 8h 3d Js]
Seat 1: SmutsHarry (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 2: BowWowRomeo (big blind) folded on the Turn
Seat 3: kawelljd folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 4: IMSUPERCREAL collected ($35.20)
Seat 5: iamtufts (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)

POKERSTARS GAME #9420277816: HOLD'EM NO LIMIT ($1/$2) - 2007/04/14 - 16:00:58 (ET)
Table 'Ankaa V' 6-max Seat #4 is the button
Seat 1: Shanyu ($366.60 in chips)
Seat 2: ROCKTITE ($88.30 in chips)
Seat 3: umpa21 ($202.35 in chips)
Seat 4: IMSUPERCREAL ($174.65 in chips)
Seat 5: millsy101 ($226.95 in chips)
millsy101: posts small blind $1
Shanyu: posts big blind $2
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to IMSUPERCREAL [Js 7s]
ROCKTITE: calls $2
umpa21: folds
IMSUPERCREAL: raises $8 to $10
millsy101: folds
Shanyu: folds
ROCKTITE: calls $8
*** FLOP *** [5s 3c 5d]
ROCKTITE: checks
IMSUPERCREAL: bets $14
ROCKTITE: calls $14
*** TURN *** [5s 3c 5d] [Kh]
ROCKTITE: checks
IMSUPERCREAL: bets $32
ROCKTITE: folds

Other times to do it are on J, Q or K high dry boards:

POKERSTARS GAME #9182606636: HOLD'EM NO LIMIT ($1/$2) - 2007/03/31 - 14:49:58 (ET)
Table 'Danjon II' 6-max Seat #4 is the button
Seat 1: adp0211 ($41 in chips)
Seat 2: i reraiz ($198 in chips)
Seat 3: IMSUPERCREAL ($244.90 in chips)
Seat 4: DangleSauce ($203.65 in chips)
Seat 5: Sir Joey J. ($71 in chips)
Seat 6: Bennard ($200 in chips)
Sir Joey J.: posts small blind $1
Bennard: posts big blind $2
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to IMSUPERCREAL [8h As]
adp0211: folds
i reraiz: folds
IMSUPERCREAL: raises $6 to $8
DangleSauce: folds
Sir Joey J.: folds
Bennard: calls $6
*** FLOP *** [6d Jh 3s]
Bennard: checks
IMSUPERCREAL: bets $10
Bennard: calls $10
*** TURN *** [6d Jh 3s] [4s]
Bennard: checks
IMSUPERCREAL: bets $28
Bennard: folds
IMSUPERCREAL collected $35.20 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $37 | Rake $1.80
Board [6d Jh 3s 4s]
Seat 1: adp0211 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 2: i reraiz folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 3: IMSUPERCREAL collected ($35.20)
Seat 4: DangleSauce (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 5: Sir Joey J. (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 6: Bennard (big blind) folded on the Turn

on K, Q, or J high boards, it's most likely someone is calling you with a mediocre hand that won't call you on the turn. Another good time is when you pick up a draw on the turn in a decent fold equity situation. However, i have to say that i don't two barrel that often, in fact, it took me a few minutes to even find an HH of me two barreling in my database. Don't make to big of a habit out of it.

For fun, i'll also talk about three-barreling. This is definitely something that should be used sparingly! The hand below is a great three barreling situation:

POKERSTARS GAME #9472245323: HOLD'EM NO LIMIT ($1/$2) - 2007/04/17 - 16:45:02 (ET)
Table 'Tokio' 6-max Seat #4 is the button
Seat 1: IMSUPERCREAL ($290.85 in chips)
Seat 2: schickli ($197 in chips)
Seat 3: Stimpy444 ($194.35 in chips)
Seat 4: dNoUnTkSe ($213.30 in chips)
Seat 5: ELROYCASH ($77.75 in chips)
Seat 6: Apothecary04 ($160.55 in chips)
ELROYCASH: posts small blind $1
Apothecary04: posts big blind $2
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to IMSUPERCREAL [8s As]
IMSUPERCREAL: raises $6 to $8
schickli: calls $8
Stimpy444: folds
dNoUnTkSe: folds
ELROYCASH: folds
Apothecary04: folds
*** FLOP *** [5h Qc 9h]
IMSUPERCREAL: bets $14
schickli: calls $14
*** TURN *** [5h Qc 9h] [Jd]
IMSUPERCREAL: bets $34
schickli: calls $34
*** RIVER *** [5h Qc 9h Jd] [5d]
IMSUPERCREAL: bets $234.85 and is all-in
schickli: folds

The opponent here is a standard TAGG who's a little more on the tight side, he is a reg. First off don't try and threebarrel bluff a non-reg, it won't work enough of the time. The reason that this is a good three barreling situation is because the board is very draw heavy on the turn. This guy gives away his hand by not raising the turn, because with a strong hand it's highly unlikely he wouldn't raise. At this point, he probably has some kind of draw or at best, TPTK. By overbetting, i make a bet where he can't call with a hand like that! The turn bet is questionable but ok.

Obviously, if this guy ever catches me doing this, i'll have to adjust. But as long as i don't showdown i can do this every once in a while (and by that i mean relatively rarely).

On the Questions and Suggestions:

Talk about the whos/whats and whens of floating / calling down light. (obviously not just against maniacs)

My favorite people to float against are non regs. The best place to float is when you are lead into as the PFR by a non reg on a low flop. This is because this line usually is a TP or mid pair sort of hand and you can easily represent hitting an overcard if your own overcards don't hit. I'm sorry but i can't find a hand history of this at the moment, but the TP or midpair lead out is fairly common. It usually goes something like this.

I raise pre on the button with xx, villain calls from the blinds.

Flop 843 rainbow, villain leads out half pot, i call

Turn J, villain checks (or makes small bet), I bet/raise, he folds.

This is a very profitable move that's easy to do.

Sometimes i'll also float c/minraises on low flops, if i've seen him do it with TP. Again, this is if i want to float overcards on a low flop.

Onto calling down light. The easiest times to call down light is when on an obvious bluffed draw. Again, i'm having trouble finding an HH for this but a simple example is something like this.

I raise in early with AJ, aggressiveish villain calls in position.
flop comes 568 two tone, i bet, villain calls.

turn is a 2, i check, villain checks

river is a 2, i check, villain bets 3/4-pot to pot, i call.

The reason for this is that villain took a line on the flop and turn that looked like a draw. Although this may be something like 97 or 2x flush draw, usually you'll just see a bare 7 or missed flush draw here.

here's an actual HH example. It's less likely that someone bluffs a missed draw OOP, but if it's a real obvious one it's an easy call down.

POKERSTARS GAME #9446402280: HOLD'EM NO LIMIT ($1/$2) - 2007/04/16 - 00:29:31 (ET)
Table 'Aquilegia II' 6-max Seat #6 is the button
Seat 1: IMSUPERCREAL ($198 in chips)
Seat 2: ticker9 ($324.70 in chips)
Seat 3: RoKaFeLa ($420.70 in chips)
Seat 4: Rubiche ($88.50 in chips)
Seat 5: Leatherass9 ($215 in chips)
Seat 6: FGators26 ($806.85 in chips)
IMSUPERCREAL: posts small blind $1
ticker9: posts big blind $2
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to IMSUPERCREAL [Th Tc]
RoKaFeLa: folds
Rubiche: calls $2
Leatherass9: folds
FGators26: folds
IMSUPERCREAL: raises $10 to $12
ticker9: calls $10
Rubiche: calls $10
*** FLOP *** [9s 3s 8c]
IMSUPERCREAL: bets $30
ticker9: calls $30
Rubiche: folds
*** TURN *** [9s 3s 8c] [4h]
IMSUPERCREAL: checks
ticker9: checks
*** RIVER *** [9s 3s 8c 4h] [Qc]
IMSUPERCREAL: checks
ticker9: bets $54
IMSUPERCREAL: calls $54
*** SHOW DOWN ***
ticker9: shows [As Ts] (high card Ace)
IMSUPERCREAL: shows [Th Tc] (a pair of Tens)
IMSUPERCREAL collected $201 from pot

With these situations, it's a little more obvious. Sometimes you have to piece it together a little bit. The Villain in this hand i've only had 30 hands with, but i get the sense he's kinda aggressive.

POKERSTARS GAME #9121100208: HOLD'EM NO LIMIT ($1/$2) - 2007/03/27 - 19:37:34 (ET)
Table 'Silke II' 6-max Seat #3 is the button
Seat 1: Javanut ($231.25 in chips)
Seat 2: sugawolf17 ($185.75 in chips)
Seat 3: suave720 ($129 in chips)
Seat 4: HHHthegame88 ($223.60 in chips)
Seat 5: toska82 ($120.25 in chips)
Seat 6: redgrape ($218.50 in chips)
HHHthegame88: posts small blind $1
toska82: posts big blind $2
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to redgrape [Ah Js]
redgrape: raises $6 to $8
Javanut: folds
sugawolf17: folds
suave720: folds
HHHthegame88: folds
toska82: calls $6
*** FLOP *** [2c 9s 5d]
toska82: checks
redgrape: bets $12
toska82: calls $12
*** TURN *** [2c 9s 5d] [9c]
toska82: checks
redgrape: checks
*** RIVER *** [2c 9s 5d 9c] [Ks]
toska82: bets $48
redgrape is connected
redgrape: calls $48

This one is a little more obscure, and may not even be a +EV call. But i showed it to you because it brings up a lot of good points. Again, river bluffs usually occur when the flop and turn action doesn't match the river action. This is a perfect example. On the flop, the villain has a wide range, he could have any 2, 5, or 9, any PP, straight draws and even overcards, he could also have 22 or 55. The turn doesn't give us much information because he's checking usually. The river bet is interesting, he bets a little over pot when the K comes. The thing is, this play makes little sense. i can eliminate a 5 or 2 from his range because that really wouldn't make sense. He could have a K, but again, it may be afraid of the 9 and not be inclined to bet so hard. And also, since my hand looks very weak why would he overbet? This logic caused me to call. However, keep in mind that sometimes people don't think very logically which makes me think that my call may have been bad. It worked out this time though.

*** SHOW DOWN ***
toska82: shows [7s 8s] (a pair of Nines)
redgrape: shows [Ah Js] (a pair of Nines - Ace kicker)
redgrape collected $134 from pot

Your thoughts on river bluffs??

ie. PFR AK EP at 6 max to 4xBB and get a caller in the blinds

he checks,you c/b 46T flop, he calls.

turns a 2, both check turn

river a Q, he checks river, you bet 2/3-3/4 pot

Im trying to rep AQ,KQ here. do you try any other line when considering bluffing? would you just fire 2nd barrel or make this play?

EDIT: my bluff had TPTK by mistake

This is a decent time to 2 barrel, but not doing so is fine. I probably lean towards a harder bet on the river, like 3/4 or nearer to pot, but yes i definitely make this play. Your line makes sense and a lot of the opponents range is pretty weak pairs like 4x or 6x, missed set pp's. Even Tx will have a hard time calling here.

Thoughts on turn bombing?

You know, this has become very popular and personally i don't like doing it for many reasons:

1. especially at 100NL and below, you need to be doing the betting yourself with strong hands because your calling station opponents usually won't do it for you.
2. It's a strong line that most people recognize.
3. I don't want turn scare cards to ruin my action, getting it in on the flop is usually the better option.

I think it's ok to do on a turn that put a few draws on the board against aggro players (and by aggro i mean pretty aggressive), because they'll usually be forced to bet a decent pair or draw on the turn once they cold call your flop bet. Here's a good example:

POKERSTARS GAME #9166634934: HOLD'EM NO LIMIT ($1/$2) - 2007/03/30 - 16:07:41 (ET)
Table 'Proteus IV' 6-max Seat #6 is the button
Seat 1: GIBraag ($82.25 in chips)
Seat 2: Haloth2 ($200 in chips)
Seat 3: SilentSupra ($226 in chips)
Seat 5: IMSUPERCREAL ($232.45 in chips)
Seat 6: wader ($437.35 in chips)
GIBraag: posts small blind $1
Haloth2: posts big blind $2
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to IMSUPERCREAL [7h Jh]
SilentSupra: folds
IMSUPERCREAL: raises $6 to $8
wader: calls $8
GIBraag: folds
Haloth2: calls $6
*** FLOP *** [Jc 7c Qs]
Haloth2: checks
IMSUPERCREAL: bets $14
wader: calls $14
Haloth2: folds
*** TURN *** [Jc 7c Qs] [9s]
IMSUPERCREAL: checks
wader: bets $40
IMSUPERCREAL: raises $170.45 to $210.45 and is all-in

One more thing, turn c/bombing with one pair is usually bad, because you'll almost never get called by a one pair hand. Remember, AA and KK only beat TPTK and the PP's above TP.

Ok, these two posts were a little disorganized... maybe unclear. I hope you learned something from them though.

Originally Posted by Massimo

Suggestions or questions would help me a lot!

First of all, I forgot to mention that this blog is very promising and please keep it running. I among others really appreciate what you are doing.

As for suggestions here are some brainstorming ideas of mine. Of course, don't feel the urge to answer all at once. These are just some ideas and when you feel right and find some good HHs to prove the point drop some lines and maybe edit HHs with your (as much as you can recall) thoughts during the hand inserted prior to your action.

- timing tells: are there some reliable more then others, do you fake it in order to get action ...

- when to lay down Aces, examples ...

- you raise with KK (QQ), flop comes A-high (A or K high) ... you?

- what action/opponents/deepness of stacks it takes to consider folding KK (QQ?) preflop, examples ...

- essay (preferably longer ) about value betting the river

- inducing a bluff ex. bet, bet, c/c line; some other lines? examples ...

- wa/wb situations, say you PFR, get a caller, hit TPTK on flop and villain leads - you? and in general wa/wb

- your thoughts on "call and reevaluate on turn" advice, situations where this might be right/wrong

- checking turn for pot control, when, when not to ...

- squeeze play

Knock yourself out

Originally Posted by Massimo

The most ideal spot to two barrel is on a low, dryish flop, when the turn card comes a high card

Okay, my logic has a problem with this. Let me explain why.

When you raise preflop, and the flop is something like 258r, and you cbet, you are repping an overpair, basically. Obviously, most of the time, you won't have one, or a set, or two pair - you might have 67, you might have A8s, but most often you'll have next to nothing.

So, when the king comes on the turn, and you bet again, what does this mean? Do you want it to mean "aha, I cbet with AK and now I am gold, here's a big bet that's 4 realz this time"; or are you trying to say "haha, you may have a whiffed AK that's now hit, but I have AA/55/88 and am gonna stack ya"?

Because: what hands that are good on the flop remain good on this turn? Only the monsters, AA and sets; all other hands that were genuine on that flop are now 2nd pair at best, and an aware opponent must be able to see that betting both flop and turn is only rarely going to be "genuine" on both streets.

(also, many people who float your c-bets will be holding exactly the kind of unpaired broadway hands that WILL hit on a high turn - suddenly you've gone from being floated to being way behind).

Anyway - I am not saying what I've written above is gospel, and it's only meant as another angle to look at the concept. What do you think, Max?

Good thread...ive got one - Playing pocket pairs out of position(eg from a blind facing a raise preflop)

In response to Biondino

Like i said, two barrels don't happen that often. It should be limited to the point where your opponents shouldn't "catch on" unless you showdown.

On a side note, if you do show down or two barrel often, you can get extremely thin value on your hands. There was one point where ISF was playing where he was three barreling so much that a reg who was usually nitty insta-called a three barrel with an overbet push on the river with TPTK jacks, AJ. ISF had QQ and took it down. You can do the same by two barreling weaker hands for thin value.

But sorry, that was a little bit of a tangent. I think you aren't realizing a few things here. First of all, most opponents, especially at these stakes, don't think in ranges or what you are representing, they just think about their own hands (I used to not think this, but i've started to realize how true this statement is by seeing some of my opponents, even regs, play). If people were really thinking, they'd realize, "Oh, this is a perfect spot to two barrel for him, i think he's probably bluffing." But i don't believe this happens at 200NL or below, usually, unless you've play tons of hands with a good opponent. So when the guy calls the 852 flop with A2, and the turn comes a K, they aren't going to call another bet.

And what you could possibly have depends on how the opponent thinks. I'm sure sometimes when i fire a 2nd barrel at that K, the opponent is thinking "damn, i caught him on the flop but he just hit that K." Other times, they just may think that since i'm betting that K i must have a pretty strong hand because it should scare me a bit. And like i said, some (most?) people only focus on their holdings and just don't think their hand is good enough to call two streets.

You also mentions what if he's calling the flop with overs. Well, if an A comes on the turn and you don't have one, it's not a good spot to two barrel because that definitely could have hit him. Although if another high card comes on the river, and he checks to you again, you can safely bluff him out, although it just depends on the player. The point is, though that if he does have high cards he most likely has an A, but a KQJ or T are likely enough not to have hit his hand that you can bet again. Obviously, sometimes these cards will improve his hand, and you just have to live with that.

Good suggestions Sheetah, i'll try to get at all of those eventually.

I'm enjoying this Massimo, keep it up.

A response to biondino...

Originally Posted by biondino

When you raise preflop, and the flop is something like 258r, and you cbet, you are repping an overpair, basically. Obviously, most of the time, you won't have one, or a set, or two pair - you might have 67, you might have A8s, but most often you'll have next to nothing.

So, when the king comes on the turn, and you bet again, what does this mean? Do you want it to mean "aha, I cbet with AK and now I am gold, here's a big bet that's 4 realz this time"; or are you trying to say "haha, you may have a whiffed AK that's now hit, but I have AA/55/88 and am gonna stack ya"?

Both or either, which is why it's a good bluff. On a dry board like 258r, people usually call c-bets b/c they think you have missed overs. They might have TT/99/A8/A5/98 and are hoping you'll give up on the turn. An overcard (J+) is a great one to second barrel, b/c they now think there are two ways they could be beat, either you had an overpair all along or you just paired your missed overs. In my experience, it works like a charm.

Zook's point is simple and good.

Sorry i didn't post today, i had a lot of schoolwork to do.

I'll try to get to all of your points Sheetah.

great thread massimo.

i just had a thought about two barrels, even though you sorta said it already. (btw hope you don't mind other ppl posting comments like this in ur blog. just say if you do.)

it's when i see someone call my cbet with like A2 or A3 on a J 4 2 board. these are especially good targets to keep betting at given the boards you described.
the exception are complete calling stations. it's important to learn the first time if someone is a true station and not really bluff them (ideally from observation instead of spending ur own $$).
i add a note to ppl that do this that says something like "call cbet v weak" and ideally a note "tight for big pot" or something is there too. they often have 30/10 or so stats, but can even have tag like stats.

Originally Posted by Sheetah

- timing tells: are there some reliable more then others, do you fake it in order to get action ...

I usually don't go with "timing tells" because of LAG, multitabling, and faking it. So I think the most reliable timing tell is a very quick action. There was a hand recently where i had a image of threebetting light against one of the regs. A hand comes, i he raised from the CO, i threebet with some unpaired cards (AK maybe, i don't quite remember).

The flop came

I cont bet a little over half pot and the guy literally instacalled.

the turn came a

I felt like the insta call told me something. With a hand like AQ, i think the opponent would consider raising, and probably with KQ also. I would also think that a set would at least think a little bit of it's plan. Hands like 77-JJ, and QJ, possibly 22-44 all "have to call this flop against me" because i almost always cont bet in 3-bet pots and could have a lot of air.

The T was a good card because it only hit one hand, TT, since i doubt he would be in this hand pre with QT (it's possible though). So i decided since it looked like his hand was weak enough to fold to a two barrel, i can do it very profitably. i bet about 3/4 pot or a little more and he folded.

Even with that story i don't reccomend you put much emphasis on "timing tells."

In terms of fake timing for myself, sometimes i'll run it down to the time bank before i make a raise if i have a strong hand, since i think about that much time with bluffs. Conversely, sometimes when i bluff i'll make my raise quickly, because it looks like i didn't even think about it even though i had already planned out my moves depending on the cards that came.

- your thoughts on "call and reevaluate on turn" advice, situations where this might be right/wrong

We talked about this in a thread in the shorthanded forum... if you want good thoughts on that look at that thread. But i'll touch on something about it that people don't talk about much.

Usually people take the comment "call and reevaluate the turn" as reevaluate according to the bet and the card that comes. But sometimes, i call the flop and reevaluate based almost completely on the card. Sometimes you'll be in a situation on the flop in position where you feel you are in a push or fold situation (because of the draws on the board) and that pushing is marginal and it's hard to know if it's -EV or slightly +EV. Sometimes i'll call even with the drawiness of the board, planning to push on a good turn (given that he makes the follow through on the turn that i think he was going to do), because my EV becomes significantly better against draws when there is only one more card to come.

Yeah that's kind of vague but i can't think of a specific situation right now, i'm sooooooooo tired

"- checking turn for pot control, when, when not to ..."

I'm pretty sure this statement doesn't really apply to shorthanded. There's really know situation where i check for the the reason of keeping the pot small. There are plenty of other reasons for checking. In general in shorthanded, i feel that people probably should be betting the turn more often with their weak TP's or middish holdings because a lot of people like to call turn bets but not river bets. Although, some people like to call river bets when the turn is checked behind which is one reason why you would want to check behind. Again, though, this has nothing to do with pot control.

I know that pot control is something that is important in FullRing, but sadly i'm not experienced enough in that to answer this question well.

- squeeze play

I never really got into squeezing preflop. Sauce123 used to do it a lot and came to the conclusion that it was "overrated" which just inspired me more not to start doing it often. However, there are very good spots to do this. If the PFR is a multitabling ABC TAGG (Fgators anyone?) raising in either the CO or button and the cold caller(s) is/are also TAGGY, you should reraise here every so often because you'll almost always get a fold. Against movemaking aggro players, sometimes i'll make a raise that looks like a squeeze but is in fact a very strong hand in hopes they push over me.

Just don't get carried away with it because people recognize it and will make it very hard for you.

- wa/wb situations...

i'm sorry i don't know what this stands for.

- you raise with KK (QQ), flop comes A-high (A or K high) ... you?

When i'm reraising with KK or QQ, i almost always cont bet an A high flop because there's a only a few hands (usually) in my opponents range that hit an A and people like to give up those flops if they don't have one.

In a raised pot, unless the board is ridiculously draw heavy, it's probably better to check behind (if your in position) because there are few scare cards. After you do that though, you may have to call one or two streets depending on the player you are facing. OOP, again, it just depends on who you are facing.

In general all the plays you make should be tailored to the opponent(s). A lot of the time, same situations should be handled in different ways. You just have to logic out and decide which is the best way yourself. I hope hearing my thoughts on situations in general, help you come to better decisions.

Wa/wb means way ahead or way behind u noob.

Originally Posted by Massimo

"- checking turn for pot control, when, when not to ..."

I'm pretty sure this statement doesn't really apply to shorthanded. There's really know situation where i check for the the reason of keeping the pot small.

uhhhh this makes u sound kind of dumb but it does show the point that people completely overrate pot control.

How bout when u have tpwk on the turn on a A923 board rainbow and ur checked to. Opp has check called the flop, and he c/r sometimes on turns. You don't need to bet to stop a draw nor are there many hands that call a turn bet that aren't raising.
So you check.

Originally Posted by Massimo

- wa/wb situations...

i'm sorry i don't know what this stands for.

way ahead or way behind

Ex. you raise with AK, one caller, flop comes K x x and villain leads into you. This situation is often called wa/wb cause either you are up against a piar of kings but your kicker is crushing him (wa) or a set/2P (wb)

Originally Posted by Massimo

- you raise with KK (QQ), flop comes A-high (A or K high) ... you?

When i'm reraising with KK or QQ, i almost always cont bet an A high flop because there's a only a few hands (usually) in my opponents range that hit an A and people like to give up those flops if they don't have one.

That logic is absolutely appaulingly horrible. I don't care if I just used two adverbs in a row.

You guys should stick to asking simple questions. Max, nor me, nor a lot of midstakers can't give very good answers about them and it's just going to confuse you.
For example saying pot control exists is stupid, but saying it exists and not knowing it well is equally as stupid. A lot of pros will say the number one thing low stakes players do wrong is overusing pot control, aka understanding pot control wrong.
So don't ask non simple questions is what I recommend.
In no way am i trying to insult Max (although that comment was dumb and acting like you know that it's right is equally as dumb), max is a good player who is definetely a winner at 200nl, it just shows how hard it is to answer some of these questions.

ISF (Danny), if you would read my posts more carefully you would see that several times i point out that:

1. These questions are too general because you should tailor your plays to your opponent.
2. I Emphasize that these are "thoughts" and the the word of God.

And i don't get why the logic of the post you just quoted is "appaulingly horrible." Against unknowns, i almost always cont bet in a 3-bet pot and the "A most likely didn't help his hand" was just a point about a normal opponents preflop range. The fact that i have KK or QQ in this situation shouldn't change my betting if i bet this flop almost every time without reads.


Edit i just realized that i just got confused by ISF's double negative. But nevertheless, can you make paragraphs and sentences please!


Onto other things. As ISF pointed out, my thoughts on pot control were debateable and after talking with many players about it i think i'll revise it.

First off, the main point i want to make is that checking behind a turn for "pot control" is a completely overused tactic by people who don't like to play big pots. A lot of the time, there is tremendous value in betting the turn especially if you are an aggressive player like me.

Now here is my arguement against the term "pot control." The reason i don't like the term is because most of the time, the reason you are checking or keeping the pot small is because it allows you to play your hand better, it is more +EV. In every situation you should do the move that has the best EV. You are not controlling the pot purely for the sake of keeping it small. I repeat, you are not controlling the pot purely for the sake of keeping it small.

That is what my point is. There are many reasons for doing a certain action, and it's more complicated then just keeping the pot small. It could be because your hand only has two streets of value against your opponents range, or because the opponent likes to call rivers when the turn is checked behind, it can be tons and tons of things. Pot control is a legitimate concept but it's only legitimate if you understand what people mean by it.

I'd also like to make the point that even though i don't like the term it's probably the best way to briefly describe in general why you are playing the hand the way you are. Again, i just think it's misunderstood.

Originally Posted by IowaSkinsFan

How bout when u have tpwk on the turn on a A923 board rainbow and ur checked to. Opp has check called the flop, and he c/r sometimes on turns. You don't need to bet to stop a draw nor are there many hands that call a turn bet that aren't raising.
So you check.

You completely make my point for me. The reason you check here isn't because you just because you want to control the pot it's because there isn't value in betting against this certain opponent. Sure, this goes under the category of "pot control" however it is has little to do with wanting to keep the pot small for the sake of keeping it small.

Originally Posted by Massimo

Originally Posted by IowaSkinsFan

How bout when u have tpwk on the turn on a A923 board rainbow and ur checked to. Opp has check called the flop, and he c/r sometimes on turns. You don't need to bet to stop a draw nor are there many hands that call a turn bet that aren't raising.
So you check.

You completely make my point for me. The reason you check here isn't because you just because you want to control the pot it's because there isn't value in betting against this certain opponent. Sure, this goes under the category of "pot control" however it is has little to do with wanting to keep the pot small for the sake of keeping it small.

debating the fact that it's stupid to call this concept pot control is just as, if not more, stupid.

yes, you bet because there is very little value, but you also check because you don't want to inflate the pot because you have a hand you don't want to play for stacks with. There's two sides to it.

The reason i reacted so harshly is because you really should put a better disclaimer before you make these points, we don't want to mislead low stakes players and stunt their growth. Which is why I feel like people should keep these questions simple.

Also I think you were confused by my double negative in one of my points because you act like i made contradicting statements that were exactly the same.

What is the best (but not obviously well-known) concept to learn in order to beat 50NL and up? (I.e. the stakes when your opponents begin to stop having their cards face up)

Originally Posted by Ash256

What is the best (but not obviously well-known) concept to learn in order to beat 50NL and up? (I.e. the stakes when your opponents begin to stop having their cards face up)

ummm not stealing the question again but probably 400nl- 99% of opponents are obvious with their holdings, besides some of them pushing draws sometimes.

Originally Posted by Ash256

What is the best (but not obviously well-known) concept to learn in order to beat 50NL and up? (I.e. the stakes when your opponents begin to stop having their cards face up)

This is an awesome question.

I think what a lot of small stakes players are looking for is a simple phrase or paragraph that sums up poker. That is why there are so many questions that are very general, "what do i do in this situation if this guy c/r me on a board of this and i have this."

But the reality is that the paragraph that sums of poker is also general. IMO, the paragraph that sums up poker is this:

Poker is about predicting and exploiting. You must predict what your opponent has and how he will play as best you can, and from that analysis exploit that opponent (raising, calling, folding, sizing a bet a certain way) in the best possible way, the most +EV way.

This is the best concept for all players to understand. There is no one way to beat every opponent, but the approach to beating an opponent is always the same. Predict and Exploit. By playing a lot of hands, getting advice, and reading about hands, you become better and faster at this skill.

Small Stakes is different than High Stakes because in small stakes the players are easy to predict and are exploited very easily because they are bad (in countless ways). There are many players at 200 NL and 100NL who would get killed at at higher stakes because 1. they are predictable 2. they don't predict (read) good opponents very well 3. they don't know how to exploit good players very well.

So if you want some advice specifically for small stakes players, it's that most small stakers are very predictable (easier to read their hands, easy to know what they'll do) and are easy to exploit because they have a good amount of leaks. A lot of times, players exploit themselves with their own leaks, and therefore some exploitation is already taken care of for you.

Please ask me questions about my last post if you don't understand completely so i can explain myself more clearly.

Originally Posted by IowaSkinsFan

Originally Posted by Ash256

What is the best (but not obviously well-known) concept to learn in order to beat 50NL and up? (I.e. the stakes when your opponents begin to stop having their cards face up)

ummm not stealing the question again but probably 400nl- 99% of opponents are obvious with their holdings, besides some of them pushing draws sometimes.

Are you saying up to 400nl?

Great post

Originally Posted by IowaSkinsFan

So don't ask non simple questions is what I recommend.

Okay, it's clear that lower stake players should really grasp the basics first and only then move on to more advanced stuff. But I still think there is lot of value here. Sooner or later one must figure out all possible plays there are. If not for own use, then to be able to recognize and possibly counter. Despite the great danger of concepts being misunderstood and misapplied, lots of small stakers are typically hard to persuade to change the way they play so not a big harm will be done.

On the other side, we all must (should) learn it at one moment, through own experience or advice from others. And when it comes to advice, you typically want to hear lots of opinions, i.e. yet another opinion is always welcome. And what's the point of this blog anyway. Today, just about every topic has been heavily discussed and by way better players. Does that make Massimo's writing waste of time? Hell NO! The man is a proven winner and his thoughts are always an interesting read. And his thinking of certain 'move' might just to fill the gap and make everything suddenly 'click'. For example: Massimos's thoughts on turn bombing and squeeze play I found very insightful. Keep up the good work man.

Oh, speaking of 'clicks':

Massimo, write something about your 'Aha' moments.

You know, some deep insights that changed the way you perceive the game and opened new horizons.

Originally Posted by kmind

Originally Posted by IowaSkinsFan

Originally Posted by Ash256

What is the best (but not obviously well-known) concept to learn in order to beat 50NL and up? (I.e. the stakes when your opponents begin to stop having their cards face up)

ummm not stealing the question again but probably 400nl- 99% of opponents are obvious with their holdings, besides some of them pushing draws sometimes.

Are you saying up to 400nl?

Yes and sorry max im not meaning to steal your thread

Originally Posted by Sheetah

Oh, speaking of 'clicks':

Massimo, write something about your 'Aha' moments.

You know, some deep insights that changed the way you perceive the game and opened new horizons.

You know, i don't think i really had any 'aha' moments. It always took me a while to get a grip on things. I remember when everyone was talking about light three betting and i just started going crazy with it and spewing. Eventually i realized this and started to be more solid with it and everything kind of happened like that. I just eventually was getting better and better at different skills as i kept playing. I'd look back to months before and realize how bad i was, i still do. I still feel like there's a lot that i can improve on and probably a couple months down the road i'll realize how bad i was back in early May.

For example: Massimos's thoughts on turn bombing and squeeze play I found very insightful

Thanks! Comments like these inspire me to write more.

Yes and sorry max im not meaning to steal your thread

Yeah don't worry bout it.

Q&A
I'm going to turn this thread around a bit. I feel like it's easier for me to share my thoughts through a Q&A. So here's what we'll do:

- paste a Hand history in this post. Explain to me everything you know about the opponent(s) in the hand, and make sure to include all relevant information.
- From there i'll respond to the hand history by writing how i'd play the hand and why, and also spew out random thoughts that come out of my head from looking at it.

I think this will be really fun and interesting. Feel free to post not just complicated hands but very simple hands, because i think you'll probably learn a lot from my analysis on the simple ones.

Nice thread Massimo. A couple things, first about preflop #'s. You can use just VPIP/PFR to narrow someone's range, however as everyone knows the money is made postflop. Their preflop stats must coordinate with thier postflop game. The two extremes are a 12/10 nit with an AF of .5 and a 50/30 maniac with an AF of 8. The nit is only playing premium hands yet is never betting? The maniac is playing half the deck but hits everything? The more hands a person is playing should lead to a lower AF, especially on the turn and river or they are folding a lot of turns and rivers.

The other thing I picked up on in this thread is a lack of discussion on value betting. This also comes into play in your 'pot control' or better stated 'checking the turn' discussions. You need to determine how many streets of value your hands has against a villain, and if that is only 2 streets then you need to determine if that 2nd street of value is the turn or river. Example you hold AK on the BTn flop comes K27r. Villain has 99 called PF in the SB and calls your flop bet. He seems solid and if you bet 3 streets he will likely fold the turn/river. After your flop bet you check the 8 turn. He now may value bet his 99 feeling that it is the best hand, or will likely call your river bet giving you the 2 streets of value. Of course if you feel he will call you down with 99, then you need to value bet all 3 streets.

I would like to know Massimos thoughts on value betting, and when is it optimal to shove for value?

The ISF vs Massimo debate - this thread strikes me as a chance for Massimo to discuss poker using his own experiences and learning while never claiming that either his info, nor the info of any other poster, should be taken as THE correct way to do something.

Indeed, he's revised his thoughts on a couple of things as the thread has progressed - this doesn't mean he's necessarily suddenly "got" a concept, but for the reader it gives them an alternative viewpoint to consider, correct or otherwise.

As a decent low-stakes player, this kind of thread is way more sueful because it's a discussion than it would be if we were simply being lectured.

Nice points Jager. The reason i haven't discussed value betting that much is because that's usually not that big of a problem for a small stakes player.

Originally Posted by Jager

I would like to know Massimos thoughts on value betting, and when is it optimal to shove for value?

Like i've said many times in this thread, this is a general question and hard to answer because it really depends on who your facing. Does the guy like to make hero calls, or does he make calls cause he feels priced in? Does he like to make big folds. Does he view my value like bets as bluffs or my shoves, what has he seen me bluff?

So i'll show you by giving an example from yesterday. The opponent is a guy i haven't seen much of, but by his overall stats and how i've seen him play he seems solid and TAGGY.

POKERSTARS GAME #9804883113: HOLD'EM NO LIMIT ($1/$2) - 2007/05/08 - 01:30:23 (ET)
Table 'Phaedra IV' 6-max Seat #4 is the button
Seat 1: tapatapa ($235.55 in chips)
Seat 2: jmega ($197 in chips)
Seat 3: Wii_fund ($80.10 in chips)
Seat 4: IMSUPERCREAL ($402.95 in chips)
Seat 5: Lazar2 ($160.80 in chips)
Seat 6: fourboys1 ($229.80 in chips)
Lazar2: posts small blind $1
fourboys1: posts big blind $2
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to IMSUPERCREAL [Th 7h]
tapatapa: folds
jmega: raises $5 to $7
Wii_fund: folds
IMSUPERCREAL: calls $7
Lazar2: folds
fourboys1: calls $5
*** FLOP *** [Qs 3h 4h]
fourboys1: checks
jmega: bets $16

A continuation bets in multiway pots usually mean something pretty good at 200NL and below. I wouldn't say the same for 400NL, there seems to be a lot more multiway betting. But this is 200NL, so i immediately think a lot of his range are a pair of AQ-QJ, JJ-AA, sets and A high flush draws. I realize that by raising i'm not going to get him off most of these hands.

IMSUPERCREAL: calls $16
fourboys1: folds
*** TURN *** [Qs 3h 4h] [7c]
jmega: bets $38

Now i'm pretty sure he has AA-QQ, 33, 44, or AQ-QJ. I have no reason to believe this guy two barreled because 1. it's not a good spot to do it and 2. he's never done it before. A FD is also possible but less likely. Since my T and 7 outs are hidden, and i'll probably get some value out of my flush, the turn is an Easy call.
IMSUPERCREAL: calls $38

*** RIVER *** [Qs 3h 4h 7c] [Ts]
jmega: checks
IMSUPERCREAL:

This was the utterly perfect river, I'm almost positive i'm winning. So now i have to interpret the check. He could have done that with a FD, in this case it doesn't matter what i bet because he's folding. The other reason for checking would be to induce a bluff, and since i'm obviously a very aggressive player this is very very plausible. So in this spot i want my bet to look as much as possible as a bluff, because it looks exactly like a missed draw. In fact, he was right my flush draw did miss but my two pair/trips draw didn't.

IMSUPERCREAL: bets $341.95 and is all-in
jmega: calls $136 and is all-in (instantly)
*** SHOW DOWN ***
IMSUPERCREAL: shows [Th 7h] (two pair, Tens and Sevens)
jmega: mucks hand
IMSUPERCREAL collected $399 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $402 | Rake $3
Board [Qs 3h 4h 7c Ts]
Seat 1: tapatapa folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 2: jmega mucked [As Ac]
Seat 3: Wii_fund folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 4: IMSUPERCREAL (button) showed [Th 7h] and won ($399) with two pair, Tens and Sevens
Seat 5: Lazar2 (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 6: fourboys1 (big blind) folded on the Flop

Read him like a book the whole way (lol @ my veiled brag).

In this specific spot i didn't really have reads. However, i could make my best guess at what he's doing by induction. Since he was had TAGGY stats, i assumed he probably knew what he was doing and also had knowledge of popular plays (like the check to induce a bluff). Also, since he represented a certain hand on the flop and turn, i assume that hand is going to be very hard to fold, especially to a push from and aggressive player.

I'll touch more on this later but i have to get to class!

Please start giving me HH's to anaylize everyone.

Summary of this thread: Start thinking about your opponents more.

Wow. This thread is gold! Thanks for your detailed response, I've been thinking about it repeatedly and it's helping my game a lot.

Thread bookmarked!

I haven't played in a long time but I'll give it a shot. I don't remember anything about my opponent (should I have not posted?) but I was just wondering if playing this conservative was alright or if maybe I missed value?:

POKERSTARS GAME #7489264052: HOLD'EM NO LIMIT ($0.25/$0.50) - 2006/12/17 - 20:13:45 (ET)
Table 'Nanking' 6-max Seat #5 is the button
Seat 1: johnbaker21 ($50 in chips)
Seat 2: kmind ($49.25 in chips)
Seat 3: JPBel ($93.40 in chips)
Seat 4: therese82 ($44.25 in chips)
Seat 5: bbmthe ($53.40 in chips)
Seat 6: shearm1987 ($42.45 in chips)
shearm1987: posts small blind $0.25
johnbaker21: posts big blind $0.50
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to kmind [Kd Ad]
kmind: raises $1.50 to $2
JPBel: folds
therese82: folds
shearm1987 said, "God, I'm an idiot."
bbmthe: calls $2
shearm1987: folds
johnbaker21: calls $1.50
*** FLOP *** [Js 4h Ah]
johnbaker21: checks
JPBel said, "dont feel bad we all make those mistakes"
kmind: bets $5
bbmthe: calls $5
johnbaker21: folds
*** TURN *** [Js 4h Ah] [Jc]
kmind: checks
bbmthe: bets $3
kmind: calls $3
*** RIVER *** [Js 4h Ah Jc] [5d]
kmind: checks

Sorry i haven't posted in a while, i just got home for summer and have been chilling out. I'll update soon

Originally Posted by kmind

I haven't played in a long time but I'll give it a shot. I don't remember anything about my opponent (should I have not posted?) but I was just wondering if playing this conservative was alright or if maybe I missed value?:

POKERSTARS GAME #7489264052: HOLD'EM NO LIMIT ($0.25/$0.50) - 2006/12/17 - 20:13:45 (ET)
Table 'Nanking' 6-max Seat #5 is the button
Seat 1: johnbaker21 ($50 in chips)
Seat 2: kmind ($49.25 in chips)
Seat 3: JPBel ($93.40 in chips)
Seat 4: therese82 ($44.25 in chips)
Seat 5: bbmthe ($53.40 in chips)
Seat 6: shearm1987 ($42.45 in chips)
shearm1987: posts small blind $0.25
johnbaker21: posts big blind $0.50
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to kmind [Kd Ad]
kmind: raises $1.50 to $2
JPBel: folds
therese82: folds
shearm1987 said, "God, I'm an idiot."
bbmthe: calls $2
shearm1987: folds
johnbaker21: calls $1.50
*** FLOP *** [Js 4h Ah]
johnbaker21: checks
JPBel said, "dont feel bad we all make those mistakes"
kmind: bets $5
bbmthe: calls $5
johnbaker21: folds
*** TURN *** [Js 4h Ah] [Jc]
kmind: checks
bbmthe: bets $3
kmind: calls $3
*** RIVER *** [Js 4h Ah Jc] [5d]
kmind: checks

Yeah, i feel like this could be played better, although it isn't bad. Preflop and Flop are standard. I probably bet the turn 2/3 because it's more likely he has Ax or 2 hearts than Jx, and if he raises you can just let it go. If you were in position i'd check behind the turn. If he calls two streets and a high card like a K,Q, or T comes i think you can safely value bet the river too. If it comes a low card, well... probably just c/c.

When you don't know anything about an opponent you just have to go with what makes sense. Many players are sensical, sometimes you'll run into maniacs or stations. You just have to assume they are sensical because there are probably just as many maniacs as stations out there.

Just remember most players only think about their own cards and the bets in front of them.

Great thread Max. I appreciate the time you put into this thread.
Here is my HH for the Q & A:

I've run into this situation a few times lately, where the turn bet/raise is either going to commit us or I can just shove. I don't want to fold out worse hands with an overbet, but I hate calling a river where I'm likely beat.

Unfortunately I don't have a great read here since I'm fairly new to the table. My image must be TAG and I'm playing tight. The villain here is loose and aggressive, probably about 50/15, aggressive but not a maniac post flop. He likes to call in position with any 2 suited or connecting cards.
On the turn do you push him all in or raise a callable amount with the intention to get it all in on the river regardless?
Note: With a high set, I'll sometimes slow play into an uncoordinated board(Please do not make this the emphasis of your critque unless it would help the hand dramatically).

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.10 BB (6 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: FlopTurnRiver)

BB ($7.85)
UTG ($27.45)
MP ($8.90)
Hero ($10.40)
Button ($9.30)
SB ($9.75)

Preflop: Hero is CO with Q, Q.
UTG calls $0.10, 1 fold, Hero raises to $0.5, Button calls $0.50, 2 folds, UTG calls $0.40.

Flop: ($1.65) 3, Q, 7 (3 players)
UTG checks, Hero checks, Button bets $1, UTG folds, Hero calls $1.

Turn: ($3.65) J (2 players)
Hero checks, Button bets $1.5, Hero raises to $5, Button calls $3.50.

River: ($13.65) T (2 players)
Hero bets $3.9 (All-In), Button calls $2.80 (All-In).

Final Pot: $20.35

Originally Posted by Silly String

Great thread Max. I appreciate the time you put into this thread.
Here is my HH for the Q & A:

I've run into this situation a few times lately, where the turn bet/raise is either going to commit us or I can just shove. I don't want to fold out worse hands with an overbet, but I hate calling a river where I'm likely beat.

Unfortunately I don't have a great read here since I'm fairly new to the table. My image must be TAG and I'm playing tight. The villain here is loose and aggressive, probably about 50/15, aggressive but not a maniac post flop. He likes to call in position with any 2 suited or connecting cards.
On the turn do you push him all in or raise a callable amount with the intention to get it all in on the river regardless?
Note: With a high set, I'll sometimes slow play into an uncoordinated board(Please do not make this the emphasis of your critque unless it would help the hand dramatically).

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.10 BB (6 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: FlopTurnRiver)

BB ($7.85)
UTG ($27.45)
MP ($8.90)
Hero ($10.40)
Button ($9.30)
SB ($9.75)

Preflop: Hero is CO with Q, Q.
UTG calls $0.10, 1 fold, Hero raises to $0.5, Button calls $0.50, 2 folds, UTG calls $0.40.

Flop: ($1.65) 3, Q, 7 (3 players)
UTG checks, Hero checks, Button bets $1, UTG folds, Hero calls $1.

Turn: ($3.65) J (2 players)
Hero checks, Button bets $1.5, Hero raises to $5, Button calls $3.50.

River: ($13.65) T (2 players)
Hero bets $3.9 (All-In), Button calls $2.80 (All-In).

Final Pot: $20.35

This is another reason why i don't like slowplaying, especially OOP: your hand becomes very obvious on later streets and also is hard to play. I'd just bet the flop, the turn, and the river.

But you did slowplay, which isn't bad, so i'll comment on how it plays out. The button bets on the flop, but that doesn't necessarily mean that much because with two checks in front of him he could be betting a wide range. It's fine to just call this bet, but i'd probably lead the turn 2.4 or so. If he has a hand like a set or two pair that he's going to stack off with, he'll raise you and you can just push. If he doesn't, well he would probably be checking behind anyways or betting and folding to a c/r. However, with the lead you can get possibly value from the turn and river. If he calls the turn lead i'd value bet the river.

As for c/r the turn, i'm fine with the c/r size as long as you push the river. I'm not sure why you think you're possibly beat on this river, pushing will get a lot of calls from weaker hands that would've otherwise checked behind.

Thanks Max, here's another couple.
Villain is a rocky nit over about 60 hands ~ 10/8/2. I haven't seen him play any big hands or showdowns yet. My image is TAG or Tag-lite.
I did not intentionally slow play this hand for deception, but I didn't want to scare off a weaker A with a raise. Given his range AJ+ is likely.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.25 BB (6 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: FlopTurnRiver)

MP ($21.80)
Hero ($29.30)
Button ($25.80)
SB ($28.80)
BB ($26.55)
UTG ($24.55)

Preflop: Hero is CO with A, K.
UTG raises to $1, 1 fold, Hero calls $1, 3 folds.

Flop: ($2.35) A, 7, 9 (2 players)
UTG bets $1.65, Hero calls $1.65.

Turn: ($5.65) Q (2 players)
UTG bets $3.6, Hero calls $3.60.

River: ($12.85) 3 (2 players)
UTG bets $6.1, Hero calls $6.10.

Final Pot: $25.05


Here's another hand vs. a semi-decent LAG ~ 40/30/4. He isn't really maniacal and I have only seen him show down one hand in 30 so far. He is winning his fair share of pots without showdown though. He does raise often enough to be semi-bluffing draws etc., but he isn't just spewing.
Comments on my table talk would be appreciated too.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.25 BB (6 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: FlopTurnRiver)

SB ($22.25)
BB ($24.85)
UTG ($32.65)
MP ($33.05)
CO ($24.75)
Hero ($26.65)

Preflop: Hero is Button with 8, 9.
UTG raises to $1, 2 folds, Hero calls $1, SB calls $0.90, 1 fold.

Flop: ($3.25) J, T, K (3 players)
SB checks, UTG bets $2.05, Hero calls $2.05, SB folds.

Turn: ($7.35) Q (2 players)
UTG checks, Hero bets $6, UTG calls $6.

River: ($19.35) A (2 players)
UTG checks, Hero bets $17.6 (All-In),
Table talk: 3rd party said, "nice bet"
Hero said, "you like?"
3rd party said, "i call"
UTG said, "yep"
UTG said, "AQ here"
Hero said, "your hand?"
UTG said, "si"
UTG said, "think you got the flush"
Hero said, "yep"
UTG said, "of course"

UTG folds.

Final Pot: $36.95

**Post edited to add more details about opponents and my image.**

Originally Posted by Silly String

Table talk: 3rd party said, "nice bet"
Hero said, "you like?"
3rd party said, "i call"
UTG said, "yep"
UTG said, "AQ here"
Hero said, "your hand?"
UTG said, "si"
UTG said, "think you got the flush"
Hero said, "yep"
UTG said, "of course"

UTG folds.

stfu

Would you believe me? I wanted him to think I was stealing a split. I don't think he is calling a PSB/push anyway in that situation.

silence is golden

bluffers are too nervous to talk in real life

Originally Posted by Silly String

Thanks Max, here's another couple.
Villain is a rocky nit over about 60 hands ~ 10/8/2. I haven't seen him play any big hands or showdowns yet. My image is TAG or Tag-lite.
I did not intentionally slow play this hand for deception, but I didn't want to scare off a weaker A with a raise. Given his range AJ+ is likely.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.25 BB (6 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: FlopTurnRiver)

MP ($21.80)
Hero ($29.30)
Button ($25.80)
SB ($28.80)
BB ($26.55)
UTG ($24.55)

Preflop: Hero is CO with A, K.
UTG raises to $1, 1 fold, Hero calls $1, 3 folds.

Flop: ($2.35) A, 7, 9 (2 players)
UTG bets $1.65, Hero calls $1.65.

Turn: ($5.65) Q (2 players)
UTG bets $3.6, Hero calls $3.60.

River: ($12.85) 3 (2 players)
UTG bets $6.1, Hero calls $6.10.

Final Pot: $25.05

I think you're going to be surprised by my answer here, i fold the turn. This guys is pretty rocky, I'm pretty sure the only hands that your not losing to here on the turn are AJ and AK, and i'm not even sure if those hands are in his range. And the fact that his bets look all like value bets make me confident that you're losing here, badly.

I probably reraise pre too, since this guy isn't going to be spewing much postflop.

Here's another hand vs. a semi-decent LAG ~ 40/30/4. He isn't really maniacal and I have only seen him show down one hand in 30 so far. He is winning his fair share of pots without showdown though. He does raise often enough to be semi-bluffing draws etc., but he isn't just spewing.
Comments on my table talk would be appreciated too.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.25 BB (6 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: FlopTurnRiver)

SB ($22.25)
BB ($24.85)
UTG ($32.65)
MP ($33.05)
CO ($24.75)
Hero ($26.65)

Preflop: Hero is Button with 8, 9.
UTG raises to $1, 2 folds, Hero calls $1, SB calls $0.90, 1 fold.

Flop: ($3.25) J, T, K (3 players)
SB checks, UTG bets $2.05, Hero calls $2.05, SB folds.

Turn: ($7.35) Q (2 players)
UTG checks, Hero bets $6, UTG calls $6.

River: ($19.35) A (2 players)
UTG checks, Hero bets $17.6 (All-In),
Table talk: 3rd party said, "nice bet"
Hero said, "you like?"
3rd party said, "i call"
UTG said, "yep"
UTG said, "AQ here"
Hero said, "your hand?"
UTG said, "si"
UTG said, "think you got the flush"
Hero said, "yep"
UTG said, "of course"

UTG folds.

Final Pot: $36.95

**Post edited to add more details about opponents and my image.**

I'd probably just bet $8-$10 since he's pretty much guaranteed to call that. Your hand looks like a flush so you really have to price him in.

In terms of talking, you should have probably just shut your trap here. It looks like he's ready to make a crying call, although who really knows.
I usually will start talking if someone really looks like they are going to fold, like when their time bank is really low or something.

I've also noticed that when i type "don't fold" i usually get calls
i'm not sure if it's a coicidence or what.

Update: Mid-Stakes

I'm sorry to all the followers that i stopped posting, i kinda stopped focusing on poker. Then i decided that i wanted to focus on poker and i'm probably taking the next year of school off to focus on poker.

After going on a small heater, my bankroll has worked itself up to a point where i can play 400NL. I want to keep building my BR and moving up. So now i'm changing the theme of this blog to my midstakes journey and my thoughts on the aggressive games i'll be facing at 400NL and up.

Hopefully we'll be able to figure out some new things and I'll be cruising.

Thanks again Max. Good luck at 400NL+. Do you still want hands posted here for comment or are you shifting toward strats for higher limits?
Anyway, in hand #1 you are right. He had AQ. I thought seriously about folding river, but called it off anyway. I am a pay off wizard. I like the idea of 3betting here, I just didn't want to chase of AJ or AQ and look what happened.
Hand #2, should I raise the turn or try to get the rest in on the river. Looking back a turn raise might get a call and subsequently commit an A. It also helps avoid the problems associated with a fourth river spade. What do you think?

Originally Posted by Silly String

Hand #2, should I raise the turn or try to get the rest in on the river. Looking back a turn raise might get a call and subsequently commit an A. It also helps avoid the problems associated with a fourth river spade. What do you think?

How can you raise when you're the one betting?

:P

Do you still want hands posted here for comment or are you shifting toward strats for higher limits?

I'd like people to post hands where they made interesting, out of the ordinary plays... even if they look like total spews. I personally want to stop talking about whats standard and start discovering good and non-standard. (not because i think midstakes isn't standard, it is most of the time. But i'm pretty good at standard right now).

gl massimo,

nice to see a mid stakes op thread

Bad Day today:

I was down 6.5 buyins today in about 2400 hands. It was not a good day in terms of gettting cards, i couldn't win a pot. But as long as my play is good, i shouldn't be upset... but i'm just not sure sometimes because i make marginal aggro plays.

I had two failed three barrels:

Villain in this hand is a pretty good semi-lag. He seems pretty aggro, c/r flops a lot when calling from the blinds. I feel that he made a relatively bad call because he's never seen me do any big bluffs, although it is three handed. Then again, i probably shouldn't be threebarreling with utter air. What do you think?

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $4 BB (3 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: FlopTurnRiver)

BB ($416)
Hero ($502.20)
SB ($465.60)

Preflop: Hero is Button with Q, 8.
Hero raises to $12, 1 fold, BB calls $8.

Flop: ($26) 2, 5, 9 (2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets $16, BB calls $16.

Turn: ($58) K (2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets $40, BB calls $40.

River: ($138) 2 (2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets $110, BB calls $110.

Final Pot: $358

Villain shows T9

This was an interesting one, i'm pretty surprised by the villains call here also, and very surprised how he played his hand. He's running about 23/11 over 100 hands, he's barely showed down so i really don't know anything, and all those hands were from previous sessions.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $4 BB (6 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: FlopTurnRiver)

CO ($138.90)
Button ($398)
SB ($396)
BB ($438.70)
Hero ($529.90)
MP ($509.05)

Preflop: Hero is UTG with K, Q.
Hero raises to $16, 3 folds, SB calls $14, 1 fold.

Flop: ($36) 5, 3, 7 (2 players)
SB checks, Hero bets $24, SB calls $24.

Turn: ($84) A (2 players)
SB checks, Hero bets $60, SB calls $60.

River: ($204) A (2 players)
SB checks, Hero bets $160, SB calls $160.

Final Pot: $524

Results in white below:
SB has Jh Jd (two pair, aces and jacks).
Hero has Ks Qh (one pair, aces).
Outcome: SB wins $524.

I really wanted to try at least one really unstandard hand, but i couldn't seem to find any situations where it would be profitable. Hopefully i'll be able to find a good situation tomorrow.

I'd probably say the worst hand of my session was this. Villain is completely unknown. It's just really dumb to threebet here, especially if i'm going to be clueless on a flop like this. I'm trying to think ahead more before i make plays, because of things like this:

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $4 BB (4 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: FlopTurnRiver)

BB ($111.50)
UTG ($508.05)
Hero ($396.80)
SB ($447)

Preflop: Hero is Button with Q, T.
UTG raises to $12, Hero raises to $40, 2 folds, UTG calls $28.

Flop: ($86) 7, 3, T (2 players)
UTG checks, Hero bets $56, UTG raises to $196, Hero folds.

Final Pot: $338


I lost so many small pots it's hard to pinpoint one thing from that session. But i feel that it was many things like the hand above, where i acted without a plan. Hopefully i can improve on this next session.

I like 1
2 doesnt seem like a 3 barrel
3 is just dumb your right.

ur bluffs seem ok, but i dont like the river bet on #2 as much...

but what i really like about them is the info you got on how villain thinks about you.
i mean, it'll be sweet if/when a thin bet works out later on, like if you have JJ next time in hand 1.

Hey Max, great thread. I can't believe I didn't notice it until now, but I never read this forum. GL at 3-6.

Originally Posted by Massimo

Villain in this hand is a pretty good semi-lag. He seems pretty aggro, c/r flops a lot when calling from the blinds. I feel that he made a relatively bad call because he's never seen me do any big bluffs.

I don't mind his call that much for a couple of reasons.

First off I don't necessarily agree with the logic of him having to give you credit because he's never seen you three barrel before. He knows that good players are often going to fire another barrel when the king comes, and he doesn't have to have seen you personally make that bluff to know that you're the type of player who might do that. When I played Danny heads-up at 10NL a few months ago when I was Internet busto, less than 20 hands into our session he re-popped me with 54o and he said he thought I'd give him credit for a good hand because it was the first time he re-popped me. No, I already know before we started playing that he's a good player and he's going to re-pop me a lot so I don't need to give him credit just because it's "the first time" (and only 20 hands in at that). I think he can expect you to bet that turn with most of your range which makes it standard for him to call with second pair.

The river is the interesting street I think. He almost never has a better hand than second pair the way the hand went down, that's why you're making the bluff in the first place. I think he should fold this river a lot of the time, but he has to call some % of the time or else he's getting exploited too easily with his style of calling PFR's from the blinds.

Well I rambled on a lot longer than I meant to here. I just wanted to make the point that a lot of times you can infer that a person might be three-barreling or three-betting light or whatever in a certain spot without actually seeing them do it firsthand. What do you think?

I think you should check a fair amount on hand 2 on the flop.

Be not ashamed of mistakes and thus make them crimes.

Originally Posted by sauce123

Be not ashamed of mistakes and thus make them crimes.

sauce you're very philophosical tonight

Originally Posted by sauce123

Be not ashamed of mistakes and thus make them crimes.

Sauce obvoiusly has been tripping for the last week.

Originally Posted by IowaSkinsFan

I think you should check a fair amount on hand 2 on the flop.

Your right. I should also probably stop two barreling Aces because:

1. The Ace improves peoples hands a lot.
2. I'm almost never firing a second barrel when the Ace comes with an Ace in my hand. (If i want to two barrel them, i need to start doing this often)

The funny thing about that hand is that i think the third barrel was actually the best bet in the entire hand.

Update: I've switched to 4 tabling for the time being. I know that i'm capable of making +EV, good plays every hand. I find that right now, i'm not capable of making those good plays when i'm playing more than 4-tables. Hopefully i'll start gaining more of the 4-table mentality for 6-8 tables.

So far, since i switched to 4 tables, i feel that i have played every hand in a +EV way, and in only one pot i felt that my line was sub optimal. I've only played about 1000 or so hands doing it so far, though.

Originally Posted by Massimo

The funny thing about that hand is that i think the third barrel was actually the best bet in the entire hand.

can u explain?

my thinking was that passive ppl sometimes c/c the flop with AQ/AK, and the second ace is good for him either way.

Today went very well. I 4-tabled 400NL for about 3 1/2 hours, ran hot, and made 2 grand.

Again i felt i played pretty well.

I am continuing to look for spots to get creative, and two of these spots came up today. This first one i am contemplating a river c/r because tomtom is pretty aggro and i'm pretty sure he's v-betting a Q here. However, i'm not exactly repping anything if i do, but is it still good just because his hand is probably so weak?

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $4 BB (6 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: FlopTurnRiver)

MP ($314.60)
CO ($575.05)
Button ($394)
SB ($582)
BB ($400)
Hero ($744.50)

Preflop: Hero is UTG with 8, 7.
Hero raises to $16, 2 folds, Button calls $16, 2 folds.

Flop: ($38) 7, Q, 4 (2 players)
Hero bets $24, Button calls $24.

Turn: ($86) K (2 players)
Hero checks, Button checks.

River: ($86) 5 (2 players)
Hero checks, Button bets $34, Hero folds.

Final Pot: $86

Here's one that i actually tried. I just met the opponent this session and he's been running pretty loose and aggro. I didn't c/r the flop because i wanted to rep a 4 as much as possible and maybe lead a K or Q on the turn as a semi bluff. Even though his turn bet doesn't really look like an overpair to me anymore, i still decided to follow through with the bluff.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $4 BB (6 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: FlopTurnRiver)

UTG ($332)
MP ($248.60)
CO ($506.55)
Button ($265.60)
SB ($392)
Hero ($1619.05)

Preflop: Hero is BB with 9, J.
2 folds, CO raises to $14, 1 fold, SB calls $12, Hero calls $10.

Flop: ($42) 3, 4, 4 (3 players)
SB checks, Hero checks, CO bets $24, SB folds, Hero calls $24.

Turn: ($90) 3 (2 players)
Hero checks, CO bets $75, Hero raises to $175, CO raises to $468.55, Hero folds.

Final Pot: $440

Now for possible spews. I'm pretty sure this one is a spew, but i'm just curoius if you guys think this has merit. The opponent in this hand runs about 50/15 and isn't aggro. Also, he was unknown to me prior to this session. I've squeezed a few times at this table (note: i didn't notice him typing "jjj" prior to my push).

Actually, now that i think a bit more, this really really sucks. I'd still like to know what you guys think though. I have faced a few donks who have minraised in spots like this as an utter bluff.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $4 BB (5 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: FlopTurnRiver)

SB ($765.40)
Hero ($494.60)
UTG ($676.70)
MP ($400)
Button ($665.55)

Preflop: Hero is BB with K, A.
1 fold, MP raises to $16, Button calls $16, SB calls $14, Hero raises to $72, MP folds, Button calls $56, SB folds.

Flop: ($176) Q, J, 8 (2 players)
Hero bets $130, Button raises to $260, Hero raises to $422.6, Button calls $162.60.

Turn: ($1021.20) 5 (2 players)

River: ($1021.20) 4 (2 players)

Final Pot: $1021.20


I'll probably go to 6-tabling today or tomorrow.

I like the c/r on hand 1.

hand 2 i think is horrible.

Hand 3 Is not that bad but I probably dont bet the flop. What was this guys fold to cbet %?