25NL: Blocking bet worked!!! Whoo Hoo!!!

[MSPChris]

First hand posted here... so be gentle.

I've seen several threads and read a lot of references to pot control bets and blocking bets. Didn't have a good understanding of what they were until reading NLTAP recently.

This situation came up, and I saw the opportunity. I'll step through my thoughts on the hand and I would invite comments. Was I on to something or on something?

I sat down to start the session with $5 minimum buy-in, and I've been working on playing short-stacked. So, I'm usually shoving pre-flop or river.

UTG was 22/22 over 45 hands (!!!) Table is generally tight.


Poker Stars
No Limit Hold'em Cash Game
$0.10/$0.25 Blinds
Poker Stars
No Limit Hold'em Cash Game
$0.10/$0.25 Blinds
6 Players
Lego Poker Hand Converter (http://www.legopoker.com/hh/)

<font color="black">Stack Sizes</font>
SB: $25.85
BB: $63.35
<font color="black">UTG: $29.25</font>
MP: $13.35
<font color="green">Hero (CO): $11.15</font>
BTN: $40.30

<font color="black">Preflop:</font> 8/images/graemlins/spade.gif A/images/graemlins/heart.gif ($0.35, 6 Players)
<font color="red">UTG raises to $1</font>, MP folds, Hero calls $1, 3 folds

Pre-Flop: Up to this point in the game I would have folded. When UTG raised, this seemed like a decent chance to see the flop, especially since I had position. I called, ready to toss if I missed the flop.

<font color="black">Flop:</font> 4/images/graemlins/diamond.gif T/images/graemlins/spade.gif Q/images/graemlins/diamond.gif ($2.35, 2 Players)
<font color="red">UTG bets $1</font>, Hero calls $1

Flop: With this board, the $1 seemed like a c-bet. With his PF range, it also seemed likely he could have missed the flop. I also had in my mind that he could be slow-playing TP, because this was the point where i would have either shoved or folded.

<font color="black">Turn:</font> 3/images/graemlins/club.gif ($4.35, 2 Players)
UTG checks, <font color="red">Hero bets $1</font>, UTG calls $1

Turn: If UTG comes over the top I fold and still have 9 behind. His call at that point showed me weakness.

<font color="black">River:</font> 7/images/graemlins/heart.gif ($6.35, 2 Players)
UTG checks, <font color="red">Hero bets $4.75</font>, UTG folds

The blank on the river, combined with the check, convinced me to make the large river bet.

Pot Size: $6.35 ($0.30 Rake)


Notes: I'd watched UTG raise literally every time he entered the pot. I also knew that my short-stack play up to that point would have convinced him that I had at least an A, and the river bet sold the story.

Re-reading this post, I also think UTG misplayed his hand badly, giving me the chance to steal the pot.

[Reef]

YUCK

fold preflop, fold flop (or raise less often), either check or bet turn bigger , river is ok as bluff.

[Suited_Queens]

That is a steal. A blocking bet is when you bet a relatively small amount compared to the pot to see a showdown for cheap from OOP.

[MSPChris]

[ QUOTE ]
That is a steal. A blocking bet is when you bet a relatively small amount compared to the pot to see a showdown for cheap from OOP.

[/ QUOTE ]

The blocking bet was on the turn, after UTG checked. I thought my A could be good on the turn, but I wanted to see the river cheaply. I thought $1 into a $4 pot was a good way to do two things 1) Win the pot right there, on the cheap 2) Find out what UTG had -- I was expecting him to come over the top with a made hand.

If UTG was slow-playing, I got to the river cheaply and I could have folded had he bet.

[KEW]

Hate the entire hand until the river bluff..

Learn how to play FULL stack poker!!!!

[the machine]

i think what happened here was u had the best hand. you gave villain a real cheap price to draw to a flush and he check folded to you on the river. the turn bet sucks because when you have a hand youre not gonna bet this weak so it just shows that ur bluffing. if you do decide to bet, which i wouldnt, i htink the hand ends for me preflop, bet a normal bet as if you had a set, TP, 2 pair, anything. if he had a flush draw you gave him proper odds to draw and in turn he had more outs then just the flush given that you had no pair, so even though u won the hand e profited long run there

[MSPChris]

[ QUOTE ]
Learn how to play FULL stack poker!!!!

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm trying to... that's why I've been reading these forums daily for about three months.

The thing is, I'm *way* too loose pre-flop. I never think I am when I'm playing, but guess what? I'm at about 38% over about 3000 hands.

I read about short-stacking, and about how played correctly it forces you to play tighter pre-flop. So I thought I would try it.

Thanks for the comments. I can tell you put a thought into both of them.

[MSPChris]

[ QUOTE ]
i think what happened here was u had the best hand. you gave villain a real cheap price to draw to a flush and he check folded to you on the river. the turn bet sucks because when you have a hand youre not gonna bet this weak so it just shows that ur bluffing. if you do decide to bet, which i wouldnt, i htink the hand ends for me preflop, bet a normal bet as if you had a set, TP, 2 pair, anything. if he had a flush draw you gave him proper odds to draw and in turn he had more outs then just the flush given that you had no pair, so even though u won the hand e profited long run there

[/ QUOTE ]

I never thought about the price for the flush draw. When I started watching villain play during the session his numbers were 22/22 -- he was entering every pot with a raise. That said high cards to me, i never thought about suited cards...

I'll think about what you've said.. thank you

I like your take on the hand..

[Sirasoni]

[ QUOTE ]
I read about short-stacking, and about how played correctly it forces you to play tighter pre-flop. So I thought I would try it.

[/ QUOTE ]

The thing is calling A8o to a raise here isn't playing tight preflop.

[MSPChris]

I agree -- during the session (several sessions over the past two days) i rarely called, let alone with that.

Probably the loosest call I'd made. And i would have folded, except that villain was raising literally every pot he entered ( his numbers over 45 hands were 22/22 )

He raised UTG on a table that was fairly tight. I'd already doubled up, and thought $1 in position was worth a look at the flop.

I agree it wasn't a great call, but I knew why I was calling. I was ready to fold, but the hand played out differently.

(Maybe it was wishful thinking on my part and it worked out?)