i've been thinking about balancing a bunch recently - i didn't write an article/definition for nutsinho's comp cos i got bored while trying to write about it - probably because i'd read too much on the topic...

three things that stuck were:
1) the focus on being able to adjust to exploity our own image by representing an incredibly narrow range
2) that pure bluffs could effectively contribute to your balanced range e.g.
Quote Originally Posted by meeloche defining balance
Taking the same line as a bluff as you would for value
i had been spending too much time merging semi-bluff and value lines - which is somehow different to polarisation. Redzilla spent a bunch of time discussing polarisation with me a while ago - and despaired at my mangling of the distinction between polarisation and balance.
3) that my balancing had been predominantly on the flop, with some turn balancing thrown in. But that i hadn't sufficiently explored multi-street balancing/bluffing

i have dropped back to simple pre-flop play and 14-tabling for a while and, armed with my newly found inspiration, am going to address multi-street balancing. This requires solid reads and history, and an understanding of my image and just a tiny bit of level 2 manipulation. I'm also learning the value of the W$SD% stat....

Here is an example - is this good, or ridiculous spew?
Villain is a winning tag-nit reg against whom I have a bunch of history. He's 14-9 over 2.2k hands and has a fold to c-bet of 63%. A major leak is his W$SD% stat - he is at 65%, which is I perceive as very exploitable. He doesn't have a flush draw here much after the turn - unless he also has AdKd.

He sees me as a bit tilty/spewy with interesting pre-flop ranges (e.g. this hand) and flop lines (he's been at some of my "experimental" tables) , but has seen me block a lot of rivers and shove a lot of nut hands.

My line here looks about exactly like QQ/KK - i may even check AA behind here, and he knows it. He may find a call with AQ, but i doubt it - he may even fold AdKd cos he's a nit. Thoughts? am i just finding another excuse to spew?

Full Tilt No-Limit Hold'em, $1.00 BB (8 handed) - Full-Tilt Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

UTG ($85)
UTG+1 ($146.05)
MP1 ($214.60)
MP2 ($64)
Hero (CO) ($100)
Button ($372.85)
SB ($287.20)
BB ($129.50)

Preflop: Hero is CO with A, 2
UTG calls $1, UTG+1 calls $1, 2 folds, Hero raises to $5.50, 1 fold, SB calls $5, 1 fold, UTG calls $4.50, 1 fold

Flop: ($18.50) Q, 7, 7 (3 players)
SB checks, UTG checks, Hero bets $10, SB calls $10, 1 fold

Turn: ($38.50) K (2 players)
SB checks, Hero bets $21, SB calls $21

River: ($80.50) 9 (2 players)
SB checks, Hero bets $63.50 (All-In),