[QTip]

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QTip, I like the way you phrased that a lot. You're totally applying the material correctly. It seems to me that the disagreement in this thread is more about your application against a particular type of player. More specifically, his exact range and exact tendencies.

I think your understanding and application is particularly excellent against tougher opponents, which you will encounter as you move up in limits. And that's great if you have aspirations to move up. Just remember that poker is a game of "adjusting the formula" to the opponent types. So the question is, what kind of opponent is this?

I don't know your game well enough to give you a cut and dried answer, and that's a good thing because I feel my job is to help you arrive at that yourself. Some in this thread have made pretty vehement statements about this opponent's range and tendencies, and those statements might make a different line more optimal. You might want to just think about that. You may ultimately disagree with them, and that's fine.

Here are a few more things to think about. The opponent is 15/12, right? That is definitely nice to know, but not the whole story either. For starters, your sample size is very small. Also, what is his vpip in the blinds in a HU situation? Is it tighter, looser, or the same? What kind of hands will he call with? Will he call with QJs, etc.? To me it's crazy to take a 9 completely out of his range, but I guess it's possible. Also, what hands would he 3-bet you preflop with? Will he reraise with QQ-TT? A lot of players do, so if that's the case, you have another argument against those saying you should bet the flop to "stack QQ-TT". And finally, what are his postflop tendencies? Does he play tough, aggressive poker or is he really passive?

Just some things to think about. All in all it's great that you are analyzing this hand in such detail from so many angles. That's how you get better at this game.

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Thanks for the thoughts and encouragment Sunny. I'm a beginner in this game, and I am hoping to move up to bigger games.

The "other things" you're mentioning here I need to get better at aquiring and using that information. Right now I play quite a few tables at once, so I don't get those specific reads. I need to start cutting back and paying more attention to those things. I've been multitabling to build the BR is all.

Thx again.