Hands for Review #1

So in an effort to improve my post flop play I have decided to play some ring game instead of solely playing SNG's. I started out 4 tabling (I 4 tabled #33 sng's so am used to that pace) the $25 tables with the intent of writing down some hands where I questioned how I played them (and probably rightfully so).

Please take a look at these hands and let me know your thoughts on them. Unless noted assume that there are no solid reads on players.

Hand 1

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.25 BB (9 handed) Poker-Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: FlopTurnRiver)

UTG ($41.25)
UTG+1 ($25.80)
MP1 ($44.45)
MP2 ($25.40)
MP3 ($12.65)
CO ($7)
Button ($20.10)
SB ($5.25)
Hero ($45.10)

Preflop: Hero is BB with 9, K.
UTG calls $0.25, 4 folds, CO calls $0.25, 1 fold, SB completes, Hero checks.

Flop: ($1) 7, 8, J (4 players)
SB checks, Hero checks, UTG bets $0.75, CO folds, SB folds, Hero calls $0.75.

Turn: ($2.50) J (2 players)
Hero checks, UTG bets $1.5, Hero raises to $3.5, UTG calls $2.

River: ($9.50) 5 (2 players)
Hero bets $6

Hand 2 - This line seems to be way too weak tight and I think I should have either raised or folded. Amiright?

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.25 BB (8 handed) Poker-Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: FlopTurnRiver Cards)

UTG+1 ($24.30)
MP1 ($24.65)
Hero ($33.40)
CO ($19)
Button ($15)
SB ($25.10)
BB ($14.50)
UTG ($4.50)

Preflop: Hero is MP2 with , .
1 fold, UTG+1 raises to $1, 1 fold, Hero raises to $2.25, 4 folds, UTG+1 calls $1.25.

Flop: ($4.85) , , (2 players)
UTG+1 bets $2, Hero calls $2.

Turn: ($8.85) (2 players)
UTG+1 checks, Hero checks.

River: ($8.85) (2 players)
UTG+1 bets $6, Hero calls $6.

Hand 3 - same table 2 hands later

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.25 BB (9 handed) Poker-Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: FlopTurnRiver Cards)

BB ($33.90)
UTG ($24.65)
Hero ($23.15)
MP1 ($19)
MP2 ($15)
MP3 ($15)
CO ($25)
Button ($14.15)
SB ($4.60)

Preflop: Hero is UTG+1 with , . MP3 posts a blind of $0.25.
1 fold, Hero raises to $1, 4 folds, Button calls $1, 2 folds.

Flop: ($2.60) , , (2 players)
Hero checks, Button bets $0.25, Hero calls $0.25.

Turn: ($3.10) (2 players)
Hero checks, Button checks.

River: ($3.10) (2 players)
Hero bets $1, Button raises to $2, Hero calls $1.

Hand 4
PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.25 BB (7 handed) Poker-Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: FlopTurnRiver Cards)

SB ($4.25)
BB ($50.30)
UTG ($25)
MP1 ($5)
MP2 ($18.90)
CO ($12.75)
Hero ($32.10)

Preflop: Hero is Button with , . MP1 posts a blind of $0.25.
1 fold, MP1 (poster) checks, 2 folds, Hero calls $0.25, SB completes, BB checks.

Flop: ($1) , , (4 players)
SB bets $1, BB folds, MP1 folds, Hero calls $1.

Turn: ($3) (2 players)
SB bets $3 (All-In), Hero calls $3.

River: ($0) (2 players, 1 all-in)

#1 eewww. If u want to play ur draw hard, do it on flop with good equity, don´t pick a turn, that encourages a good part of villians range to get it in right now. As played I´d rather c/c river, cant see many hands calling beside QdX and boats

#2 Give up on river, ur dead. Raising flop would be good, we´re probably folding out QQ-KK

#3 I c/c river. I doubt a J calls us.

#4 Everytime u open limp the button an angels loses his wings. As played I dont see u ever being ahead

As I suspected I have lots to learn!!!!

Hand 1 - I see your point about playing a draw hard on the flop instead of the river. btw, villian called and flipped over Ad Js

Hand 2 - I am sensing that there is a LOT more post flop aggression in ring play than SNG's. If I do raise flop and villian either flats or re-raises am I now giving up on this hand?

Hand 3 - Should I have played either the flop or turn differently?

Hand 4 - I was wondering what that thud was. As for the hand I actually meant to put in a read here that villian would fire multiple barrels with air as he had just lost a good portion of his stack that way. Does this change how you play the hand?

Originally Posted by GatorJH

As I suspected I have lots to learn!!!!

Hand 1 - I see your point about playing a draw hard on the flop instead of the river. btw, villian called and flipped over Ad Js

Hand 2 - I am sensing that there is a LOT more post flop aggression in ring play than SNG's. If I do raise flop and villian either flats or re-raises am I now giving up on this hand?

Hand 3 - Should I have played either the flop or turn differently?

Hand 4 - I was wondering what that thud was. As for the hand I actually meant to put in a read here that villian would fire multiple barrels with air as he had just lost a good portion of his stack that way. Does this change how you play the hand?

you´re behind in hand 2 anyway, if he decides to continue dont put anymore money in after u raise flop

in hand 3 u see a good flop to cbet, it hits ur range pretty well. as played i dont like the river bet, you´re turning ur hand into a bluff, I´d rather c/c and let Jx fire once more and avoid getting raised by stronger hands.

hand 4 is just...dont ever open limp the button postflop is fine given reads and stack sizes.

Originally Posted by XTR1000

hand 4 is just...dont ever open limp the button with a poster or one limper (either raise of fold) postflop is fine given reads and stack sizes.

thanks for the review guys.

Hand 2 villian had the Ace which I am pretty sure I could have put him on easier had I bet the flop.

Hand 3 - As soon as I checked the flop I kicked myself in the ass and then got scared after that and played the hand way too wimpy. Btw, villian had Kd Td and made his straight on the turn.

Hand 4 - Still getting in the hang of either raising or folding when opening a hand for ring games. Villian had Kh Qd and my hand held up.

Originally Posted by GatorJH

Hand 3 - As soon as I checked the flop I kicked myself in the ass and then got scared after that and played the hand way too wimpy. Btw, villian had Kd Td and made his straight on the turn.

In renton's "full ring digest" he makes the note that more often than not, a minbet means they've got air, or are on a draw (often a weak one).

I find villains with more passive, stationey stats reveal their hand strength by their bet sizes constantly. I would just have raised the flop here up to 3/4pot -- he probably would have folded the gutshot. Maybe not if he's a huge station, but even so, that's probably how I would have played it. Or lead out on the flop to rep an ace, shutdown to any resistance.

Now that you're playing cash instead of tournies you can afford to make plays like these. I'm having the opposite problem: Moving from cash to tourneys I'm forgetting to tighten up. I've loosened up my game so much at cash that I'm forgetting to go back to a tighter early tourney game.

Originally Posted by dozer

Now that you're playing cash instead of tournies you can afford to make plays like these. I'm having the opposite problem: Moving from cash to tourneys I'm forgetting to tighten up. I've loosened up my game so much at cash that I'm forgetting to go back to a tighter early tourney game.

I remember Johnny_fish saying some time ago that we should not play both cash games and MTT/SNGs at the same time (at least when we are starting out). I for once, only play freeroll MTTs (3-4 / month) and cash games for the moment.

I heard the same thing Jimmy and am just focusing on ring games right now. It is, as Dozer put it, just hard to get used to loosening up and making light raises, watching bet patterns, etc. I will probably become a pain in the ass because I will be posting some hands quite often till I get a better handle on my play.

Yeah I gotta stop playing SnGs. I've lost $240 playing MTTs/SnGs since joining FT a month ago. I usually fire one up while I'm playing cash games to make an even 9 tables, but I can see how that wouldn't be great for my game.

Contrary to popular belief early tourney game isn't the same as cash games. At least not the way I play cash games