First NL session ($10NL)

Alright guys, help a limit kid out. Here are some hands from my first NL session. All in all good. 900 hands +3.5 buyins. I know a lot of these plays are poor but gimme a bit of a break, this is truly my first full session ever at NL 6max ring. I would appreciate explanation rather but 1 word answers but I can understand if a play is standard and only elicits a standard repsonse. Here goes the donking....

Hand 1
My thoughts, what other hand could have possibly hit this flop? Im hoping to let villian catch up a little bit. This sparked a good little debate in chat.

Ultimate Bet
No Limit Holdem Ring game
Blinds: $0.05./$0.10.
6 players
Converter

Stack sizes:
UTG: $3.84
UTG+1: $17.55
Hero: $10.89
Button: $9.80
SB: $9.57
BB: $26.29

Pre-flop: (6 players) Hero is CO with J J
UTG calls, UTG+1 folds, Hero raises to $0.5, 2 folds, BB calls, UTG folds.

Flop: ($1.15) J 6 7 (2 players)
BB checks, Hero checks.

Turn: ($1.15) 3 (2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets $1.15, BB calls.

River: ($3.45) Q (2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets $2, BB calls.

Results:
Final pot: $7.45


Hand 2
Planning on sticking the raise in on the turn but I got spooked by the turn card. Nearly timed out and folded on the river. Would this be the worst fold ever?

Ultimate Bet
No Limit Holdem Ring game
Blinds: $0.05./$0.10.
5 players
Converter

Stack sizes:
UTG: $32.93
Hero: $24.60
Button: $13.96
SB: $11.29
BB: $12

Pre-flop: (5 players) Hero is CO with K A
UTG folds, Hero raises to $0.4, 2 folds, BB calls.

Flop: 4 T 7 ($0.85, 2 players)
BB bets $0.85, Hero calls.

Turn: T ($2.55, 2 players)
BB bets $1.5, Hero calls.

River: 9 ($5.55, 2 players)
BB bets $5, Hero calls.

Results:
Final pot: $15.55


Hand 3
Tough spot. Anyone ever gets away from?

Ultimate Bet
No Limit Holdem Ring game
Blinds: $0.05./$0.10.
5 players
Converter

Stack sizes:
UTG: $16.39
CO: $7.38
Hero: $9.95
SB: $2.64
BB: $6.11

Pre-flop: (5 players) Hero is Button with A 4
UTG calls, CO folds, Hero calls, SB calls, BB checks.

Flop: 4 3 2 ($0.4, 4 players)
SB checks, BB bets $0.4, UTG folds, Hero calls, SB calls.

Turn: 5 ($1.6, 3 players)
SB bets $0.1, BB raises all-in $5.61, Hero calls, SB calls all-in $2.14.

River: A ($15.06, 1 player + 2 all-in - Main pot: $8.32, Sidepot 1: $6.74)


Results:
Final pot: $15.06

Hand 4
Decided...wth...I am gonna float a cbet. In hindsight villian was a bit of a calling station and a pretty poor player. Does anyone just shutdown when these get called or should I be following this up with a turn bet. Against a better player doesn't my hand appear to contain a King here?

Ultimate Bet
No Limit Holdem Ring game
Blinds: $0.05./$0.10.
5 players
Converter

Stack sizes:
UTG: $21.61
CO: $16.41
Button: $7.56
Hero: $12.32
BB: $6.78

Pre-flop: (5 players) Hero is SB with T A
UTG raises to $0.35, 2 folds, Hero calls, BB folds.

Flop: 8 K 6 ($0.8, 2 players)
Hero checks, UTG bets $0.8, Hero raises to $2.25, UTG calls.

Turn: 5 ($5.3, 2 players)
Hero checks, UTG checks.

River: 4 ($5.3, 2 players)
Hero bets $2.75...

Results:
Final pot: $10.8

Hand 1: I don't like checking here on the flop. Although you hold the best hand at the moment, that can change quite easily. Never slow play sets, unless its a set of Aces or Kings, on a rainbow flop with no straight draws.
The goal here is to get as much money in the pot as possible. The more you bet on every street the easier it is to value shove the river.

Hand 2: This is a bad fold. Unless you have a sick read on this guy, this is an easy call in my opinion. You will be surprised how often you will see trip tens, lower flushes, and even overpairs in this situation. Raise turn and call any bet on river.

Hand 4: I wouldn't worry solely about what hand you are trying to project by your line...you also need to include what his line represents, which is at the very least a flush draw, and more likely a KQ/KJ/AA type of hand.
And your line really doesn't say that you have a K - it just looks all tricked up and your opponent really would have little idea of what hand you held...great if you hit a wacky two-pair or a straight - not so hot if you want to push hm off a one-pair hand with a weak river lead.

Hand 3 - This should be easy fold on turn.

Hand 4 - I would probably put you on a king, but like you said, villain is poor player, calling station type, which is the default at NL10. I'd just play hands for pure value at NL10 and fold this one pre-flop.

Pretty much, when you have a hand raise and keep betting. When in doubt whether to bet or check with a good hand bet.

1 - keep firing. Build the pot now.

2- you raise pf, and he open fires on that board? Set or lower flush 90% of the time. Raise now.

3- You have the ass end. Treat it as such.

4- Don't bluff calling stations. Make hands or good draws and bet them. Don't tangle with air (not at these stakes anyways).

Gotta build those pots on the first two. Guys, he didn't build the pot in the first two because he wanted a hand like say AQ to catch up. Can someone explain with sound logic why this is bad? I couldn't get my words right and probably made it sound more confusing than it had to be.

Hand #3: If you insist on bluffing, shut down after he calls that massive flop bet. Your river bet is too small and has no fold equity.

dont slowplay stuff ever

Originally Posted by gabe

dont slowplay stuff ever

I have to respectfully disagree here. It actually is my tendency too to never slowplay but I've had to adjust this because I was losing lots of value. If we take the typical loose player who has a VPIP of 40+, they'll end up in a lot pots with weak holdings that never hit anything. A fair share of these guys are simply passive and slowplaying against them is retarded, but a large part of those also try to be aggro and they have learned to not do this when you show continuous strength.

When you're up against a guy like that, you'll either hit the board and have them fold, or miss and you'll get blown off the pot. If you never slowplay, there is no way you can catch these guys, unless you happen to hit a major hand that beats their major hand, which is rare.

Typically there are two scenario's:
- slowplay your monster and bet/raise hard on later streets, since they simply won't believe you anymore (works if you typically bet/raise your strong straightforward and do this to mix it up now and then)
- they end up in a hand they simply can't win anymore because their 82o missed the board completely, so when you show weakness they promptly decide to start betting very hard to blow you off the pot. If you never slowplay, there is almost no way you can catch them.

I guess if you're very intuitive about these things, you can play all your strong hands fast and do some calldowns with second/third pair when you think they might be bluffing.. but I'm not that good so I just mix in the occasional slowplay to induce bluffs.

Originally Posted by gabe

dont slowplay stuff ever

I'm assuming you are being level ($) specific. At this level bluffing/slowplaying does not seem to be the way to get the most money in the pot. I am having trouble marrying these passive players to pots though.

If I am going to raise the flop in hand 2 how much should I make it? Unless my opponent has TT/77/44 he cannot have anywhere near a nut draw.

Anyone see folding the flop in hand 3? How about the limp OTB with Axs after only 1 limper?

What should I be firing on the turn in Hand 4? Something like $4?

I think he was being 10NL specific. If you knew him to be a donk who tries to play right then a slowplay may be right (to induce bluffs). A lot of players simply won't put money in without a hand. If you keep betting they'll go into calldown mode with TPWK, hopefully you have a set or 2 pair.

I like slowing down and inducing bluffs with TPTK a lot more than a set or something stronger.

General play is so poor at this limit that you want to build the pots as large as you can and you should never bluff expecting someone to fold. In most case such as hand #2, You should just keep pushing as more often then not you got the goods. I dont see how you could lay this down. And for hand #4, if you gonna go with this line (wich you shouldnt at 10NL) I would definitly follow up with a second barel 3/4 pot.

my 2 cents