SSNL Study Session #2 Topic: Don't Justify Their Optimistic Calls

[DawnToDusk]

This is kind of a bump for all to see the thread but it is also meant to continue the discussion started by MyTurn2Raise.

MyTurn2Raise kind of spurred on our discussion of what information we can use to help us determine if our hand is one worth paying off big bets with. It changes in every situation with every different opponent but I am sure there are some generalizations we can all come up with. Here are the questions he brought up:

1)How often does s/he bluff?
2)Do they chase with draws hoping to stack?
3)What size bets does the opponent seem to fear/respect? Does this vary based on the type of draw they hold?

NL:TP talks about question one and two a little so someone feel free to expand upon it. Question three is a great question that I think we ought to discuss. I for sure find myself sizing up opponents stacks and asking myself the questions, "Can I get my opponents whole stack by making so and so call...?" "Do I want to call a possible big all-in bet from my opponent with my hand?" "What size bets are my opponents to call with?" I think we have all heard these questions before but I dont believe that we ask ourselves these questions in relation to opponents stack sizes all the time.

So that brings up the question how perceptive are our opponents to stack sizes? If you could generalize an opponents playing style, how does their stack size and our stack size affect their decisions?

Here is a generalization I made about a player and the one after mine is from MyTurn2Raise. Why don't you look at them and add some of your own generalizations about hand ranges that you might call with as well as adding how stack sizes affect these players. Also dont forget to add your own player categorizations. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]


DawnToDusk:
I found that one opponent that makes more marginal hands a little more +EV is a showdown muppet. Especially if they are passive. At the same time when I am playing HU with one of these players, I try to get a read on the texture. If the board is coordinated I know that I won't want to be paying big bets with my hand. If the board isn't that coordinated I have to be careful to not pay off a big bet with a dominated hand. Because of this it makes it easy to not offer the correct implied odds to my opponents and value betting on the river is really easy.

MyTurn2Raise:
One that I see alot is bad shortstack players who will c/r allin with any pair. I can bet a comfortable amount, ie pot size, and know that I will call any c/r or push.