2nd Shot at 50NL - 2 More Hands

[calmB4storm]

Once again, I survived. /images/graemlins/grin.gif

Only played ~600 hands tonight, but I finished right about even.

These two hands gave me some trouble...

<font color="blue">Hand 1:</font>
<font color="green">The SB seemed at least decent, but I had only played about 25 hands with him, so I'm not positive. Would you 4-bet preflop here (no reads on button)? This is a good flop for us, unless he has an overpair of course. But I figure a raise does nothing but cost us more money when we're beat, so I'm calling with the intention of check/folding the turn and river unimproved. Thoughts?</font>

Full Tilt Poker
No Limit Hold'em Cash Game
$0.25/$0.50 Blinds
6 Players - (LegoPoker (http://www.legopoker.com) Hand History Converter (http://www.legopoker.com/hh))

SB: $104.85
Hero (BB): $51.30
UTG: $50.70
MP: $77.15
CO: $55.55
BTN: $49.40

Preflop: Hero is dealt J/images/graemlins/spade.gif J/images/graemlins/club.gif (6 Players)
UTG folds, MP calls $0.50, CO folds, <font color="red">BTN raises to $1.60</font>, <font color="red">SB raises to $5.80</font>, Hero calls $5.30, 2 folds

Flop: ($13.70) T/images/graemlins/diamond.gif 6/images/graemlins/heart.gif 8/images/graemlins/spade.gif (2 Players)
<font color="red">SB bets $7.00</font>, Hero calls $7.00

Turn: ($27.70) Q/images/graemlins/spade.gif (2 Players)
SB checks, Hero checks

River: ($27.70) 4/images/graemlins/diamond.gif (2 Players)
<font color="red">SB bets $18.00</font>, Hero folds
Uncalled bet of $18.00 returned to SB

Pot Size: $27.70 ($1.35 Rake)


<font color="blue">Hand 2:</font>
<font color="green">The villain here was a loose donk. But I don't have any stats or reads on his aggression level, so I'm not sure where I'm at on the flop. I assume his range is fairly large, with a lot of weak hands like JT, KT, etc. So I chose to raise, but I'm really not sure if it's the best play. And should I plan on check/folding the turn and river if I'm called here?</font>

Full Tilt Poker
No Limit Hold'em Cash Game
$0.25/$0.50 Blinds
6 Players - (LegoPoker (http://www.legopoker.com) Hand History Converter (http://www.legopoker.com/hh))

SB: $7.65
BB: $32.60
UTG: $74.80
MP: $24.00
Hero (CO): $50.45

Preflop: Hero is dealt A/images/graemlins/diamond.gif 7/images/graemlins/spade.gif (6 Players)
UTG calls $0.50, 2 folds, <font color="red">Hero raises to $2.50</font>, 2 folds, UTG calls $2.00

Flop: ($5.75) K/images/graemlins/club.gif A/images/graemlins/club.gif J/images/graemlins/club.gif (2 Players)
<font color="red">UTG bets $5.75</font>, <font color="red">Hero raises to $15.00???</font>

Pot Size: $35.75 ($1.75 Rake)

[RunDownHouse]

Wow, I hate that fold on hand 1. Generally, he's either setting you up to c/r AI or he's scared of the Q. The only reason for him to be scared of the Q is if he's got JJ or AK or 99 or something. I bet expecting to fold to a c/r and probably check behind the river. I don't think we get another call from worse hands after he calls the turn.

[AroundTheHorn]

Hand 1 - I'd raise pot pf... villians flop bet seems kind of week, so I probably raise it, and not put another $ in the pot... but as played, only hand you beat is AK, which is what it looks like, so I think it's a call

Hand 2 - Fold A7o pf, as played fold flop... you don't beat much, you're up against a better A, 2pair, pair+fd, staight, flush... even if you are ahead now, they no doubt have plenty of outs.

[Lurker.]

i probably call one for reasons stated above.

Hand 2 just fold PF. With your raise, are you bluffing, or value betting?

[DaycareInferno]

i don't really like either hand.

in hand 1, you were most likely ahead, but played for a small pot, and with a chance to possibly snap off bets from weaker hands. i have no problem with that, but then you folded, so it seems kind of pointless. its not like the 4 on the river was too likely to help villain or that he shuts down on the turn with AQ/AA/KK/QQ. what did you suppose he had there?

hand 2 is just real bad i think. why reraise with crap on a turbo action board like that?

[alphabet_]

I try to share some thaughts with you about hand 1.

1. Button raises after one limper amount of $1.6 - too small. Normal raise is = 4bb + 1bb x each limper = 4x0.5$ + 1x0.5$ = 2$ + 0.5% = 2.5$. His raise is smaller of normal - so he is unexpirienced player. As he is unfamiliar with bet-sizing, he may don't know about cards for raising - and may raise wide range (especially from BB), may be he is trying to steel blinds and limping money. As a result i put him on medium hand.

2. SB raises to 5.8$ - too big, reraise to 3 times the raiser size is enough preflop - 1.6$x3 = 4.8$ =&gt; so size from 4.5$ to 5$ is good strong reraise. Reraise to 5.8$ is too big and is looking like he is trying to protect his blind against possible stealing, or just makeing an overbet. If he had real hand would he overbet so much? No. He will be looking for action. So i put SB on pair or high cards: 77 to JJ (may be QQ to AA - but with low possibility), AK, AQ, AJ, AT, A9, KQ, KJ, KT, QJ. To this point enough, let's re-evaluate situation on flop.
PS. His overbet may be a compensation for his bad position (SB) after the preflop - so he feels OK to win pot right now.

3 You have JJ, position on the reraiser - but you have two more players to act (that's really bad) after you - limper from utg - position good for limp-reraise play even with AA or KK, and first raiser (BUTTON) who might now go AI. As for me - we don't have strong hand for reraise (4bet), i fold or call here. If you call you may get two more player on flop = thou UTG will have 5$ to 11$ odds to call, and if he calls, BUTTON will have 3.5$ to 17$ to call - so you may play against reraiser and 2 more players behind - bad result, that's why folding is this situation is OK, but card is strong enough to call.

4. SB bets on flop half the pot. The flop didn't help him. (He is NOT reraising preflop out of position with 79, be sure). This is PROBE bet - if he had AA to QQ - on this sh.it flop he could make CONTINUATION bet of 70% the pot - to say 8-11$. So, i can suppose he has high cards like AK or AQ - and is trying to know, where he stands. He bet 6$ to 2$ pot preflop, and now he is betting 7$ to 14$ pot on flop. This is not strong move.

5. This flop is perfect, is miracle flop for you. No flush draw, and just impossible chance that flop helped your opponet, plus your opponent is not sure, where he is - you have the best hand right now. I reraise here, 3 times is big - but 2.5 is good enough - so i raise here to smth like 17$, and fold or call his push depending on his agression. Call here is clearly wrong - you give chance to cards like AK or AQ or 66 to overdraw you cheaply. If ace or king came on turn - you will fold, or call? So reraise now, get information and then think.

6. Q came and villain checks - he understands his position is not good, because you call him on preflop and on flop. He showed you weakness by small bet on flop and check on turn - thou Q is scared card for you - i bet here smth 0.3 to 0.5 pot - 15$ is good enough (if he calls, you will then get free card on showdown).

7. On the river he bets 18$ you have to call 18$ to win 45$. I call here - the 5d on the river could'not help him.

[calmB4storm]

Yeah, I should've called Hand 1. I guess I was just seeing monsters under the bed, but for some reason his line really seemed strong, like I assumed he made a failed check-raise attempt on the turn or something.

In Hand 2, I agree that the flop raise is bad. I think I was raising for value, but now that I look at it, I can see that value doesn't actually exist. But you're folding A7o preflop on the button? Would you play it if there weren't any limpers? What aces should I be raising here, something like Axs and AT+?

[+EV]

On Hand 1: Either bet the turn or call a decent river bet. Actually there is a very good likelyhood that villain is betting a pair of tens or could be bluffing. Either bet the turn when he checks (classic sign of weakness to Raise PF, Cbet flop, check turn) or call that river bet. This looks a lot like AK to me and I think we are ahead enough to call river.

Hand 2 is sick: Dude. Just let it go. I hate the PF play and I hate the flop raise even more. You have a crap hand with bad reverse implied odds and a terrible flop with no draws.

I am taking a shot at 50NL also. Here it the thing I have noticed so far. Villains are not tricky. In fact they are less tricky than at NL25. Play ABC. Fold when you have a crappy hand. You will win big monies.

+EV

[HBomb]

[ QUOTE ]
Yeah, I should've called Hand 1. I guess I was just seeing monsters under the bed, but for some reason his line really seemed strong, like I assumed he made a failed check-raise attempt on the turn or something.

In Hand 2, I agree that the flop raise is bad. I think I was raising for value, but now that I look at it, I can see that value doesn't actually exist. But you're folding A7o preflop on the button? Would you play it if there weren't any limpers? What aces should I be raising here, something like Axs and AT+?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yea, ATs+ should be a good starting point for you if you're comfortable enough with it, which it seems you would be, knowing that you'd do this with A7o.