Are semi-bluffs any good at uNL?
 

The more uNL I've been playing, the more I question plays like the one I make here.

Poker Stars, $0.01/$0.02 NL Hold'em Cash Game, 6 Players
LeggoPoker.com - Hand History Converter

Hero (CO): $5.71
BTN: $5.03
SB: $1.16
BB: $3.67
UTG: $3.60
MP: $6

Pre-Flop: Q[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] K[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] dealt to Hero (CO)
UTG calls $0.02, MP folds, <font color="red">Hero raises to $0.10</font>, <font color="red">BTN raises to $0.24</font>, 3 folds, Hero calls $0.14

Flop: ($0.53) 2[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] T[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] J[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (2 Players)
<font color="red">Hero bets $0.50</font>, <font color="red">BTN raises to $1.50</font>, <font color="red">Hero raises to $5.47 and is All-In</font>, BTN calls $3.29 and is All-In

Turn: ($10.11) 5[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (2 Players - 1 is All-In)

River: ($10.11) 3[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (2 Players - 1 is All-In)

Results: $10.11 Pot ($0.50 Rake)
Hero showed Q[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] K[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (high card King) and LOST (-$5.03 NET)
BTN showed A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (a pair of Aces) and WON $9.61 (+$4.58 NET)

Isn't the whole point of shoving here as a semi-bluff to shut out hands just like aces that can't call because this could be a set or 2 pair? In small stakes, around .5/1 and 1/2, I feel like this play works very well due to fold equity, but I seem to get this result quite often. How should I proceed with my strong draws in these stakes?

Re: Are semi-bluffs any good at uNL?
 

this is a really bad case because 1) he 3bet you preflop and 2) hes raising your flop bet. you're essentially just getting it in with bad equity when you know he won't fold. if you knew your opponent wasnt folding, you wouldn't bluff

Re: Are semi-bluffs any good at uNL?
 

they just aren't smart enough to fold. let's be honest. Nut peddle, it's the only way.

Semi bluff shoves are only a good idea if you have outs + FOLDING EQUITY (see QDMCQ's post above) vs. a tight-ish player good enough/weak enough to fold.

Re: Are semi-bluffs any good at uNL?
 

Just c/c the flop unless you suspect light 3betting, which you shouldn't. Especially at 2nl, they won't fold when you hit the draw anyways.

edit: I don't agree about nut peddling. If you raised, he called pf and you bet and got raised I would shove.

Re: Are semi-bluffs any good at uNL?
 

[ QUOTE ]
The more uNL I've been playing, the more I question plays like the one I make here.

Poker Stars, $0.01/$0.02 NL Hold'em Cash Game, 6 Players
LeggoPoker.com - Hand History Converter

Hero (CO): $5.71
BTN: $5.03
SB: $1.16
BB: $3.67
UTG: $3.60
MP: $6

Pre-Flop: Q[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] K[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] dealt to Hero (CO)
UTG calls $0.02, MP folds, <font color="red">Hero raises to $0.10</font>, <font color="red">BTN raises to $0.24</font>, 3 folds, Hero calls $0.14

Flop: ($0.53) 2[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] T[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] J[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (2 Players)
<font color="red">Hero bets $0.50</font>, <font color="red">BTN raises to $1.50</font>, <font color="red">Hero raises to $5.47 and is All-In</font>, BTN calls $3.29 and is All-In

Turn: ($10.11) 5[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (2 Players - 1 is All-In)

River: ($10.11) 3[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (2 Players - 1 is All-In)

Results: $10.11 Pot ($0.50 Rake)
Hero showed Q[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] K[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (high card King) and LOST (-$5.03 NET)
BTN showed A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (a pair of Aces) and WON $9.61 (+$4.58 NET)

Isn't the whole point of shoving here as a semi-bluff to shut out hands just like aces that can't call because this could be a set or 2 pair? In small stakes, around .5/1 and 1/2, I feel like this play works very well due to fold equity, but I seem to get this result quite often. How should I proceed with my strong draws in these stakes?

[/ QUOTE ]

He's never folding to your shove here. He 3bet you pre and raised your flop lead. He wants to get all the money in quick. His range is TT+ and won't fold it.

Also, LOL at your loc + this hand.

Re: Are semi-bluffs any good at uNL?
 

[ QUOTE ]
Just c/c the flop unless you suspect light 3betting, which you shouldn't. Especially at 2nl, they won't fold when you hit the draw anyways.

edit: I don't agree about nut peddling. If you raised, he called pf and you bet and got raised I would shove.

[/ QUOTE ]

and he would call and you would have 8 outs for all the money. NUT PEDDLE at micros. Avoid FPS.

Re: Are semi-bluffs any good at uNL?
 

[ QUOTE ]
and he would call and you would have 8 outs for all the money. NUT PEDDLE at micros. Avoid FPS.

[/ QUOTE ]That's terrible advice. At 2nl you could play any style and make money as long as you know how to value bet and play flops. Their bluffs are much more transparent than higher levels and easy to snap off with marginal hands.

Re: Are semi-bluffs any good at uNL?
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
and he would call and you would have 8 outs for all the money. NUT PEDDLE at micros. Avoid FPS.

[/ QUOTE ]That's terrible advice. At 2nl you could play any style and make money as long as you know how to value bet and play flops. Their bluffs are much more transparent than higher levels and easy to snap off with marginal hands.

[/ QUOTE ]
i think you speak of having a made hand. This example is an 8 outer which is not a great hand to have in this situation. Good luck, though!

Re: Are semi-bluffs any good at uNL?
 

Grunch, responding to title.

Semi Bluffs should only be used when you have solid reads.

Re: Are semi-bluffs any good at uNL?
 

[ QUOTE ]
Grunch, responding to title.

Semi Bluffs should only be used when you have solid reads.

[/ QUOTE ]

Or more than eight outs. The way the hand is played he's got TT-AA and maybe AJ if he's a complete donk.

Getting it in with an OESD and this kind of board the way the hand is played is extremely unprofitable. I'd fold pf, check/call or bet/fold the flop. If you must see a turn, fold if it's a brick.

It's 2NL, they're stacking off to you with TPTK. He's calling you with like KJo and QJo here. Wait for a made hand or a 12-18 outer to get your money in.

Re: Are semi-bluffs any good at uNL?
 

Theres .50 in the pot. If you check flop hes going to c-bet .50 prolly. You could take a cheap turn with a good hand. Turn card was a blank. fold.

You both had big stacks so you must have some read on him.

Re: Are semi-bluffs any good at uNL?
 

I like this if you are a bit deeper or if you have more outs. as played on the flop he is not going to fold.

Re: Are semi-bluffs any good at uNL?
 

[ QUOTE ]
Also, LOL at your loc + this hand.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ha ha, yeah there's some good irony there.

Re: Are semi-bluffs any good at uNL?
 

I did have reads, and I neglected to put them in. His numbers over about 100 hands were 22/22/7.3

Any hand he played, he either raised himself or re-raised preflop. And his agression is through the roof. I definitely think I misplayed this, and I really have to get it through my head that these players see a big overpair or tptk as a huge hand.

I'm learning as I go, and hopefully I'll soon turn these situations into profitable ones. Although, I really haven't seen too much stacking off with tptk, which is surprising. I feel like there was actually more of that at $.50/$1.

On the contrary, I've had multiple hands where I think I'm betting for value and an ace high flush just calls on the river, or even a full house. I don't understand why it's going on, but it definitely is.

Re: Are semi-bluffs any good at uNL?
 

[ QUOTE ]
Although, I really haven't seen too much stacking off with tptk, which is surprising. I feel like there was actually more of that at $.50/$1.

On the contrary, I've had multiple hands where I think I'm betting for value and an ace high flush just calls on the river, or even a full house. I don't understand why it's going on, but it definitely is.

[/ QUOTE ]They stack off with it when you value bet them all three streets or whatever but you're right there is less shoving with it as far as I could tell, definitely the case in 5nl. More players shove all in with nothing than a weak made hand, which they just call down, in my experince at 2nl and 5nl &gt;21k hands. Or, they call shoves like this with middle pair which is why I think doing it is okay because you aren't in terrible shape and suits metagame purposes... i.e. people play back more (i.e. shove with air).