My first real 200NL Shots

[mixchange]

Hand 1

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $2 BB (5 handed)

Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: FlopTurnRiver)

MP ($73.05)
Button ($147)
Hero ($195)
BB ($785.25)
UTG ($88.40)

Preflop: Hero is SB with 4, 4.
3 folds, Hero raises to $6, BB calls $4.

Flop: ($12) 4, T, 2 (2 players)
Hero bets $8, BB raises to $28, Hero calls $20.

Turn: ($68) 5 (2 players)
Hero checks, BB bets $52, Hero raises to $122, BB raises to $751.25, Hero calls $39 (All-In).

River: ($390) 5 (2 players, 1 all-in)

Final Pot: $390


Always get the money in right? I know this is a common setline, too obvious for 200nl? Should I ever be worried about the flush here?


Hand 2


PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $2 BB (6 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: FlopTurnRiver)

BB ($40.55)
UTG ($119.50)
Hero ($388.80)
CO ($195.45)
Button ($557.25)
SB ($39.80)

Preflop: Hero is MP with Q, K.
1 fold, Hero raises to $6, 1 fold, Button calls $6, 2 folds.

Flop: ($15) 4, 9, 3 (2 players)
Hero bets $6, Button raises to $28, Hero calls $22.

Turn: ($71) 4 (2 players)
Hero checks, Button bets $62, Hero calls $62.

River: ($195) Q (2 players)
Hero checks, Button bets $112, Hero ???

Is he really 3 barreling here? Raise to what for value or play it safe? Villain has been hyper aggressive and built a big stack, seems like he either has the nuts or air in a lot of pots. I got a little paranoid when the board paired and probably underplayed my hand.



Hand 3

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $2 BB (6 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: FlopTurnRiver)

CO ($258.90)
Hero ($270)
SB ($196)
BB ($104)
UTG ($182.35)
MP ($198)

Preflop: Hero is Button with J, K.
UTG raises to $6, 1 fold, CO calls $6, Hero calls $6, SB calls $5, 1 fold.

Flop: ($26) 8, 3, 3 (4 players)
SB checks, UTG checks, CO checks, Hero checks.

Turn: ($26) K (4 players)
SB checks, UTG checks, CO bets $18, Hero calls $18, SB folds, UTG folds.

River: ($62) J (2 players)
CO bets $44, Hero ??

Call river?




Hand 4:

With Aggressive players, I feel like I can slowplay a bit more without obvious draws:

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $2 BB (3 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: FlopTurnRiver)

Hero ($734.05)
BB ($116)
Button ($235.10)

Preflop: Hero is SB with A, 5.
1 fold, Hero raises to $6, BB calls $4.

Flop: ($12) A, 3, 4 (2 players)
Hero checks, BB bets $6, Hero calls $6.

Turn: ($24) 9 (2 players)
Hero checks, BB bets $10, Hero calls $10.

River: ($44) 9 (2 players)
Hero checks, BB bets $22, Hero calls $22.

Final Pot: $88

Results in white below:
Hero has Ah 5h (two pair, aces and nines).
BB has Td Qh (one pair, nines).
Outcome: Hero wins $88.


Hand 5

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $2 BB (5 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: FlopTurnRiver)

Hero ($383.70)
BB ($187)
UTG ($200)
MP ($365)
Button ($78)

Preflop: Hero is SB with 7, 8.
1 fold, MP raises to $6, 1 fold, Hero calls $5, BB calls $4.

Flop: ($18) 4, 8, 5 (3 players)
Hero bets $16, BB calls $16, MP folds.

Turn: ($50) 3 (2 players)
Hero bets $28, BB calls $28.

River: ($106) K (2 players)
Hero checks, BB bets $50, Hero ??

Ughh. I don't feel like I can call this, even though villain easily has 66 here



It seems like:
- Cbetting frequently has less value. It seems like while 3 betting AK and cbetting a dry flop used to get 55 and 66 to fold, now they call you down. I feel like I get more value by not 3betting AK And AQ and 3 betting PPs and weird hands like J10s. I know everyone 3bets AK but it seems like a lot of people assume I have AK/AQ when I 3bet, and often re-raise me with PPs.
- Betting your good hands has more value.
- People will call you down with pocket pairs WAY more
- Position is worth a LOT more.
- There is a lot more aggression, re-raising, and bluffing.
- I should never limp anything except in the BB or SB limpers behind.

I don't feel like I am being particularly tricky, just not really spewing, playing Scs in position, raising PPs, etc.

21/14

there have been a couple players that really had a bead on me, I just noted them and moved tables.

soooo I am up 1K and I know I hit some hands but should I stick around? I'm not really rolled for it, but it seems to be going OK. It's definitely been a more fun brand of poker to play now that I really can count on opponents thinking, cept for the shorties who are much less frequent.

[|~|ypermegachi]

you got 5 buyins of cushion. i'd stay where you are...be aggressive with moving up if you're comfortable with it. (actually, i wouldn't because i'm a bankroll nit, but it's probably +EV to stay where you are).

hand 1: you have a set. all in baby.
hand 2: 3bet the flop and go from there. as played i think you need to call.
hand 3: of course call the river.
hand 4: normally i bet the flop in this situation, but i like your adjustment given the read.
hand 5: i think a blocking river bet is best here.

besides the issue you have with AK, it looks like what you're describing is a lower stakes game like 25NL. i.e...value bet them to death.

[mixchange]

I should note that its the same villain in Hands 1 and 2, seems like a strong player, hyperaggressive but has shown down the goods plenty

in Hand #2 I did not want to 3bet him because I have seen him re-raise my flop bets with air or weak holdings. I wanted him to feel like he had control of the hand and thinking that I was confused, I had folded before in similar situations. I was planing a turn c/r, but the board paired and I wussed out.


IMO extremely different from 100NL, lots more aggression, 3betting, re-raises with air. Does not seem anything like 25-100nl. I was surprised because a lot of people told me that 100 and 200 aren't that diff. I did 4K hands and ended 6pt100/bb, still easily just variance but I am willing to grind it out and see how it goes. Scary thing is I am addicted to the way 200NL plays.

I also noticed how many fewer tables I had to choose from, and started using a lot more table waiting lists which I didn't need a lot of at 100nl.

[Galapogos]

Why is it that people on here make the Pokerstars 200NL game seem so hard (not saying it isn't!) but when I watch videos guys made from 2p2 it just seems like the same old same old? People seem either weak passive/nittish and then there's your selection of fish at the table. And maybe one aggro guy you have to wait to get a good hand against because they suck at being aggro. Am I overinterpretting (new word?) what you guys are trying to say about the game?

[mixchange]

I was surprised how different it seemed to play to me after 40K of 100NL.

But no, it didn't seem that hard. Oddly, it seemed to suit my game better.

any hand comments gal?

[Galapogos]

Hand #1: Get it in no question. He's very likely to have reraised you with TT especially in BvB. That's the only hand that realistically beats you.

Hand #2: I like the way you played this against this villain as long as you just called the river. If he has either the nuts or air there's no reason to raise.

Hand #3: I'm getting a strong 888 vibe but I call still.

Hand #4: Good.

Hand #5: I c/f river. If I knew the player that would make it different but I just don't think this is worth it vs an unknown.

[Jager]

The big difference between these 2 levels,is that there are still plenty of standard regs, but at 200 you can find some real tough players. There are probably 5 or so guys who are playing at 200 daily, but you will also see 2/4+ players on the 200 tables a lot.

Hand 1:Good
Hand2: 3bet flop
Hand 3: call river
Hand 4: Fine, if he was a reg tho I would not play this hand this way.
Hand 5: This is 100% read based.

[IowaSkinsFan]

all this is good.
call hand 5 and raises hand 3 to a little less than 3x IMO.

[zook]

1. 3-bet flop and get money in

2. See 1

3. Call river.

4. Fine as a change of pace, to take advantage of an aggro.

5. Fold pre-flop. As played, probably c/f turn... crappy hand, crappy draw, oop... can't see what worse hands will call flop and turn. As played fold river.

[mixchange]

Thanks for taking the time to reply.

Results

Hand 1: Hero went All in badly behind to the flush, but boated out on river. I was curious to see if anyone was worried about the flush, but everyone wanted me to go anyways. It's interesting how nobody talked about the flush at all.

Hand 2: This time I have the flopped flush against the same villain and he is holding AQo -- So I think actually I might have gotten something out of him with a river raise, but I was worried that probably only a FH would call. Since he was bluffing the whole way (I knew he had the ability to fire two strong barrels and I knew reraising back at him would end the hand) I was surprised by the third bet, but it made sense when I saw his hand. I'm still a little torn about raising in this spot... but I think I went with my read on him pretty well, normally I would be raising flop or turn.

Hand 3: Hero loses to an A3c, hero was drawing to 1 out on the river. One of those crying calls for me, even with top two I had this bad feeling in a 4 way pot where the flop checks around, one person bets turn and river strongly and a flush out. I would fold without the J-- too tight?

Hand 4: I've had loads of fun using people's aggression to hang themselves...

Hand 5: I think you are right Zook, this was a fold PF considering position. I've been making most of my money by avoiding marginal situations and setting myself up for success, not to play a hard spot.