When to back off cbets

[r8ed]

OK, I posted here yesterday (deleted it) because I just started playing 6max. I was initially under the impression that you can play any two and basically play off your opponents. This works to some extent but I was getting outkicked and outdrawn.

I then read dalecooper's guidelines via the sticky link. Last night I adjusted my play to be more in line with his thoughts. It worked well. I went from limping most hands preflop to raising my good/positional hands preflop. At first people backed down but after a while they got sick of me raising the button too often. They never reraised, they just called (fools). I bet 1/2 to 3/4 pot when I cbet but if I got called (1 or 2 calling stations) I was put in a situation I'm sure comes up often: What to do when you miss each street after rasing prelflop?

Continue 1/2 + or back down to 1/3 or checking? One calling station would call down to the river often and let it go there if he missed and you bet 1/2+. This was fine except when I totally missed the board and he was there on the river. I already invested lots of $$ and he was content to stay in if he had any piece. I saw him call 3/4 bets down with KK and beat somebody who had TPTK to take a large pot. He would let it go on the turn if he had a poor hand that had no chance to improve. I had to bet to get the "tighter" guys out on the flop. Should I raise preflop and check when I totally miss? That seems lame, plus it gives my hand strength away. I bet 1/2 to 3/4 whether I hit or missed which kept them guessing.

There is one or more of these guys on every table so this keeps happening. It's hard to put them on a hand because they never raise. I don't like giving free cards because that gives them more incentive to hang around. They do fold the flop/turn 1/3 of the time. They fold or lose the river 1/2 the time.

Despite these scenarios I did well. I made $57 at 100NL in 2.5 hours. Not huge but the table avoided all-ins and I'm still learning. I made some poor decisions but very few.

Anyway, if anyone can give some advice on c-betting with 1 or more calling stations (even if you hit TPTK) with one other player possibly in the hand that would help. I would imagine keep doing it because it keeps the heat on them and when you do hit you can disguise your hand and bust them if they catch 2nd best on the river.

Thanks.

[alias2211]

I was also in a game w/ a guy that was calling big raises ( I usually bet pot on flop as a cbet). After a few orbits, though, I realized that for some strange reason if I checked the flop after him and he checked the turn, I could fire out the same bet on the turn and get him off the hand. Once I figured this out I was able to finish up a buyin for the night, not off one monster hand, but by picking up lots of decent pots along the way. So it will vary from player to player. You just really have to see at what point in the hand he's getting off the hand and make a note. Try a few different things to see what works, then exploit the weakness that you've found.

I sometimes see higher BR'ed players go down to lower levels (like a $1000NL going to $200NL) and call just about every bet imaginable. I think the premise is that they want to catch players who give up after just one barrel on the flop and then just abuse them. And it can be highly profitable at the right table that allows them to do it. A typical hand progress would be you make a 3x or pot sized PFR and they call OOP. You raise in position for a cbet on the flop they call. They check the turn, and if you check behind here, they're gonna lead out on you w/ a pot sized bet from OOP, even though you might have the best hand. When you see someone like that, you have to start overbetting PF on hands you like, and when you hit the flop, don't try to value bet. Just lead out w/ the flop bet and get called, then stall the turn and wait for them to come at you again with a blocker on the river. Then you can go over the top. But be prepared to play for pot sizes that are relatively larger than you might be used to. And you have to show them that you'll push back or they'll lean on you hard.