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Pokey · #2 09-23-2007, 02:21 PM

Here are some Valuetown examples from my $100NL play.

Get the money in while they still have potential.

Full Tilt Poker - No Limit Hold'em Cash Game - $0.50/$1 Blinds - 6 Players - (LegoPoker Hand History Converter)

Pokey (SB): $100.00
BB: $85.95
UTG: $46.50
MP: $34.70
CO: $85.25
BTN: $45.35

Villain is horrible: 66/11 preflop, 4 average aggression. He's bleeding money in every direction and he won't last long.

Preflop: Pokey is dealt A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (6 Players)
4 folds, Pokey raises to $4.00, BB calls $3.00

Flop: ($8) J[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 8[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 4[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (2 Players)
Pokey bets $5.00, BB raises to $10.00, Pokey calls $5.00

Three-betting is SUCH a strong move that I don't want to scare him off yet.

Turn: ($28) 3[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (2 Players)
Pokey checks, BB bets $28.00, Pokey raises to $79.00, BB calls all-in for $43.95
Uncalled bet of $7.05 returned to Pokey

Given his aggression factor, I take the risk of a check-raise. He doesn't disappoint me, and he quickly calls off the rest of his stack with a cruddy draw. Note that he didn't even have the proper odds to call my raise.

River: ($171.90) Q[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] (2 Players - 1 All-In)

Pot Size: $171.90 ($3 Rake)

BB had 6[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 5[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (Queen Jack high) and LOST (-$85.95)
Pokey had A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (a pair of Aces) and WON (+$82.95)

By getting the money in while villain still had a draw, I stacked him. If I'd waited until the river to try and take his money, he would have easily folded his unimproved 65o. Potential is great for a good player but extremely expensive for a bad one.

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Sneaky hands can bet harder.

Full Tilt Poker - No Limit Hold'em Cash Game - $0.50/$1 Blinds - 6 Players - (LegoPoker Hand History Converter)

SB: $142.00
Pokey (BB): $100.00
UTG: $35.10
MP: $58.95
CO: $28.05
BTN: $38.50

Villain here runs 47/15 preflop and 2.4 postflop.

Preflop: Pokey is dealt 6[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 5[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (6 Players)
UTG calls $1.00, MP folds, CO calls $1.00, BTN calls $1.00, SB calls $0.50, Pokey checks

Plenty of padding from limpers; I might as well see a free flop with my speculative hand.

Flop: ($5) 2[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 8[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 4[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (5 Players)
SB checks, Pokey bets $4.00, 3 folds, SB raises to $8.00, Pokey calls $4.00

Double-gutter; that's a hand. I bet strong and get a minraise. I can nearly call on pot odds, and definitely on implied odds since I'm in position.

Turn: ($21) 7[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (2 Players)
SB bets $21.00, Pokey raises to $50.00, SB calls $29.00

Bingo! I hit my hand. Villain bets hard and I have the absolute nuts -- I make a raise that villain can easily call, but that leaves villain with a crying call on nearly any river.

River: ($121) 3[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (2 Players)
SB checks, Pokey bets all-in for $41.00, SB calls $41.00

No way does an aggressive opponent check through with a runner-runner flush. I make the obligatory all-in bet and villain makes the obligatory crying call.

Pot Size: $203.00 ($3 Rake)

SB had 8[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 2[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] (two pair, Eights and Twos) and LOST (-$100.00)
Pokey had 6[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 5[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (a straight, Eight high) and WON (+$100.00)

This hand shows a good multi-street strategy that intends to make it very easy for villain to put all his money in the middle. Note that even though straights and flushes have hit the board, villain feels obligated to pay off the 1/3rd-pot bet (all-in) on the river with only two pair. A turn push is quite aggressive, throwing in a more-than-pot-sized raise, but smooth-calling the turn leaves too much behind to have a reasonable way of getting it all in on the river. The smallish turn raise followed by the tiny river bet are both easy for villain to convince himself to call, and I stack him with my straight.

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Sneaky hands can bet harder, redux.

Full Tilt Poker - No Limit Hold'em Cash Game - $0.50/$1 Blinds - 5 Players - (LegoPoker Hand History Converter)

SB: $68.90
BB: $42.65
Pokey (UTG): $98.50
CO: $45.05
BTN: $72.00

Villain is mediocre-to-bad, running 29/9 preflop and with a 2.3 average aggression postflop.

Preflop: Pokey is dealt 2[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 2[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] (5 Players)
Pokey calls $1.00, CO calls $1.00, BTN folds, SB raises to $2.00, BB calls $1.00, Pokey calls $1.00, CO calls $1.00

Deuces never loses, woo!

Flop: ($8) 4[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] Q[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 2[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (4 Players)
SB checks, BB checks, Pokey bets $5.00, CO folds, SB calls $5.00, BB folds

GREAT flop. Given that the preflop raiser just checked, I decide to bet for value and to try to build a pot (hoping for callers) and it works.

Turn: ($18) 4[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] (2 Players)
SB checks, Pokey bets $12.00, SB calls $12.00

I'm not afraid of the draw anymore, so rather than try to price him out, I offer a 2/3rds-pot bet. Villain comes along for the ride. Either he's got a Q and he's drawing nearly dead or he's got hearts and he's drawing totally dead. Either way, I'm happy.

River: ($42) 8[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (2 Players)
SB bets $6.00, Pokey raises to $50.00, SB calls all-in for $43.90
Uncalled bet of $0.10 returned to Pokey

Thank goodness for position: we river the third heart and villain makes a pansy-sized bet. Rather than smooth-call my near-nuts, or make some weak-assed minraise, I push, knowing that I lose the three-pair hands and bluffs, but that I get called by the flushes. Since I was going to lose the bluffs anyways, this seems +EV to me. Villain pays me off with his heart flush.

Pot Size: $141.80 ($3 Rake)

SB had Q[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] J[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (a flush, Queen high) and LOST (-$68.90)
Pokey had 2[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 2[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] (a full house, Twos full of Fours) and WON (+$69.90)

Lessons here: let villains draw if they're drawing dead (or nearly so). If villain shows interest and you know you've got him dead-to-rights, go for the freakin' jugular. Sneaky hands have the potential to win bigger pots than obvious hands.

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Protecting your hand.

Full Tilt Poker - No Limit Hold'em Cash Game - $0.50/$1 Blinds - 6 Players - (LegoPoker Hand History Converter)

Pokey (SB): $99.00
BB: $100.00
UTG: $109.10
MP: $67.10
CO: $134.10
BTN: $155.00

Both CO and Button are extremely loose and extremely aggro.

Preflop: Pokey is dealt A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (6 Players)
UTG calls $1.00, MP folds, CO calls $1.00, BTN calls $1.00, Pokey raises to $6.00, 2 folds, CO calls $5.00, BTN calls $5.00

Super-premium hand, so I charge 'em to see.

Flop: ($20) 2[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 4[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 7[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (3 Players)
Pokey checks, CO bets $12.00, BTN calls $12.00, Pokey calls $12.00

I wasn't c-betting into these two very often, so I figured that with BOTH of them in the hand I had room to get trappy. I check, hoping for a bet, and they oblige. With a relatively blank board, I smooth-call to see a turn.

Turn: ($56) 9[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (3 Players)
Pokey checks, CO bets $33.00, BTN calls $33.00, Pokey raises all-in to $81.00, 2 folds
Uncalled bet of $48.00 returned to Pokey

This board just became *way* too drawy to allow any cheap cards. I don't want to deal with a river decision, and I don't want to be looking over my shoulder if the river comes with a diamond or spade, not to mention a 2, 3, 4, 7, or 9. With this many scare cards, I just put all my money in the middle after the bet. To my great surprise, BOTH villains fold for the relatively small additional bet. I guess they trusted me more than they trusted each other....

Pot Size: $155.00 ($3 Rake)

Read this hand as an example of showing weakness to induce bets, snapping off multiple bluffs, knowing your opponents, and protecting your hand.

----------

Protecting your hand, redux.

Full Tilt Poker - No Limit Hold'em Cash Game - $0.50/$1 Blinds - 6 Players - (LegoPoker Hand History Converter)

Over a short sample, villain is running 40/17 with a postflop aggression of almost 11.

SB: $106.45
Pokey (BB): $169.25
UTG: $102.25
MP: $157.05
CO: $100.00
BTN: $461.15

Preflop: Pokey is dealt J[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] J[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] (6 Players)
UTG folds, MP calls $1.00, CO folds, BTN calls $1.00, SB folds, Pokey raises to $7.00, MP folds, BTN calls $6.00

Flop: ($15.50) 2[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 9[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 7[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (2 Players)
Pokey bets $15.00, BTN raises to $30.00, Pokey calls $15.00

I bet my overpair expecting villain to fold; instead he minraises. I smooth-call, intending to check-raise a safe turn.

Turn: ($75.50) 3[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (2 Players)
Pokey checks, BTN bets $45.00, Pokey raises all-in to $132.25, BTN folds
Uncalled bet of $87.25 returned to Pokey

The good news is that I still have an overpair. The bad news is that the board is ridiculously drawy now. I check, knowing that this opponent simply cannot resist the opportunity to push me off my hand. After he makes his bet, however, I am unwilling to see a river card -- with well over half the deck as scare cards, I can't trust myself to make the right decision there. Instead, I put it all in the middle, expecting an improper call from any solid draw or strong 9, and a fold from everything else. Villain folds, and I snap off a large turn bluff, picking up a big pot uncontested.

Pot Size: $165.50 ($3 Rake)

On a less wet board I might have gone for a smaller check-raise to gain value; as it stands, I need to protect my hand from an increasingly unpleasant board. This is the kind of opponent who puts monsters under my bed; knowing that, I bet all-in to prevent an extremely expensive FTOP mistake on the river.

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Protecting your hand, part III.

Full Tilt Poker - No Limit Hold'em Cash Game - $0.50/$1 Blinds - 6 Players - (LegoPoker Hand History Converter)

SB: $148.05
BB: $101.80
Pokey (UTG): $145.40
MP: $78.10
CO: $207.80
BTN: $238.60

Villain in this hand has good stats, if a bit on the nitty side: 19/13 preflop with a 2.5 average aggression postflop. We don't tangle much, but sometimes it's inevitable.

Preflop: Pokey is dealt A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (6 Players)
Pokey raises to $4.00, MP folds, CO calls $4.00, 2 folds, BB calls $3.00

Obvious.

Flop: ($12.50) K[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 2[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] Q[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (3 Players)
BB checks, Pokey bets $9.00, CO folds, BB calls $9.00

Value bet hoping for a call from a good K.

Turn: ($30.50) 2[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (2 Players)
BB bets $22.00, Pokey raises all-in to $132.40, BB calls all-in for $66.80
Uncalled bet of $0.00 returned to Pokey

A very important turn: that 2 just counterfeited KQ and almost surely didn't help villain in any case (good news). There are now two flush draws on the board (bad news). Villain has bet into me, indicating something strongish (bad news). My hand is quite strong despite that (good news). If villain is drawing he's only got one more card for a suckout (good news). I make a pot-sized reraise to end this farce: villain is likely to fold here, but if he calls he'll still be behind most of the time.

River: ($208.10) 8[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (2 Players - 2 All-In)

Pot Size: $208.10 ($3 Rake)

BB had T[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] K[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (a flush, King high) and WON (+$103.30)
Pokey had A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (two pair, Aces and Twos) and LOST (-$101.80)

Villain calls and sucks out on the river, but when the money went in he was far behind. I lost the hand, but I won the Sklansky bucks: my play was superior to his. After all, when the money went in the pot I had a slightly greater than 77% chance of winning the whole thing. Bad luck but good play -- hey, that's just poker.

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Even if you're ahead, sometimes it's -EV to bet.

Full Tilt Poker - No Limit Hold'em Cash Game - $0.50/$1 Blinds - 6 Players - (LegoPoker Hand History Converter)

SB: $100.85
BB: $47.20
Pokey (UTG): $149.65
MP: $106.50
CO: $42.35
BTN: $83.50

SB is a maniac: 87/50 preflop, 1.6 average aggro postflop.

Preflop: Pokey is dealt A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] J[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (6 Players)
Pokey raises to $4.00, 3 folds, SB calls $3.50, BB folds

Flop: ($9) J[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 4[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (2 Players)
SB checks, Pokey bets $6.00, SB calls $6.00

Pure value bet, hoping villain plays back. He doesn't.

Turn: ($21) 2[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] (2 Players)
SB checks, Pokey bets $10.00, SB calls $10.00

Weak bet to induce a raise. He doesn't. This is worrisome: when an aggressive player slows down, it's time to get frightened.

River: ($41) T[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (2 Players)
SB bets $20.00, Pokey calls $20.00

The inevitable scare card hits and villain bets it. Villain wins at showdown about 36% of the time, so the odds are strong that this is just a bluff. That means my hand is best more than 50% of the time. Despite this, I cannot profitably raise -- villain will almost never fold a better hand and almost never call with a worse hand, so even though I am ahead more than half the time, if I bet it will be -EV, winning me the same amount of money most of the time and losing me more on those unusual occasions when I'm behind.

Pot Size: $81.00 ($3 Rake)

SB had 4[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] T[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] (two pair, Tens and Fours) and LOST (-$40.00)
Pokey had A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] J[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (two pair, Aces and Jacks) and WON (+$38.00)

Moral of the story: aggression is good as a general rule, but being overly and blindly aggressive is -EV. Only bet when there's profit in it.

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Checking to induce a bluff from an aggressive opponent.

Opponent is 42.4/10.6/1.6, steals 16% of the time and LOVES to float flops.

Full Tilt Poker - No Limit Hold'em Cash Game - $0.50/$1 Blinds - 5 Players - (LegoPoker Hand History Converter)

SB: $114.60
Pokey (BB): $183.55
UTG: $329.40
CO: $100.85
BTN: $160.20

Preflop: Pokey is dealt A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] Q[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (5 Players)
2 folds, BTN raises to $3.50, SB folds, Pokey raises to $15.00, BTN calls $11.50

With a premium hand I mix it up by reraising instead of calling, trying to get the upper hand.

Flop: ($30.50) A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] T[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 5[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] (2 Players)
Pokey bets $25.00, BTN calls $25.00

Standard continuation bet, combined with a standard float from villain.

Turn: ($80.50) 9[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (2 Players)
Pokey checks, BTN bets all-in for $120.20, Pokey calls $120.20

I "show weakness" and villain fires all-in. I was surprised to see just how strong his hand actually was.

River: ($320.90) 3[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] (2 Players - 1 All-In)

Pot Size: $320.90 ($3 Rake)

BTN had A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] J[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (a pair of Aces) and LOST (-$160.20)
Pokey had A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] Q[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (a pair of Aces) and WON (+$157.70)

This hand shows another example of NOT betting to maximize pot size. It also shows the importance of knowing what story your betting line is telling -- in this case, I spoke of weakness to induce a bluff, so I had to call the resulting bet.

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Not telling a consistent story.

Full Tilt Poker - No Limit Hold'em Cash Game - $0.50/$1 Blinds - 5 Players - (LegoPoker Hand History Converter)

SB: $191.95
Pokey (BB): $144.45
UTG: $444.30
CO: $43.40
BTN: $87.40

I've been struggling on the table, and I've recently lost some big hands. Villain is super-bad: 68/9 preflop, went to showdown 37% of the time and won there 39% of the time. He's sloppy and lucky, and he's got money I want.

Preflop: Pokey is dealt A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (5 Players)
UTG calls $1.00, CO calls $1.00, 2 folds, Pokey raises to $5.00, UTG calls $4.00, CO folds

Time to use my lousy table image.

Flop: ($11.50) 8[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 9[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 5[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (2 Players)
Pokey bets $8.00, UTG calls $8.00

I hope he pays off my c-bet; he does.

Turn: ($27.50) T[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (2 Players)
Pokey bets $23.00, UTG calls $23.00

Nothing has changed; I make a big bet to try and get some money in the pot. Villain calls.

River: ($73.50) A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (2 Players)
Pokey bets all-in for $108.45, UTG calls $108.45

River time. Keep in mind that villian is *BAD* -- he's looking for a reason to call, not a reason to fold. So I give him one. My river bet is too big, and that looks very fishy. Villain KNOWS I don't have a flush because there's no way I could play a flush draw this way (in actuality, I definitely could, but like I said: villain is bad). Villain decides I must be making a desperation bluff with air, and talks himself into a heroic call.

Pot Size: $290.40 ($3 Rake)

UTG had J[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] T[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] (a pair of Tens) and LOST (-$144.45)
Pokey had A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (three of a kind, Aces) and WON (+$142.95)

I told an inconsistent story and villain got levelled into paying off an extra buyin on the river.

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Know they enemy.

Full Tilt Poker - No Limit Hold'em Cash Game - $0.50/$1 Blinds - 6 Players - (LegoPoker Hand History Converter)

Pokey (SB): $148.05
BB: $104.15
UTG: $39.00
MP: $259.05
CO: $77.25
BTN: $31.75

Villain hasn't been around long, but he's terrible AND he's on tilt. He just lost a big pot and someone at the table is taunting him for it (not me, of course). Villain runs 45/3 preflop and 2 average aggression. He's a target.

Preflop: Pokey is dealt 7[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] Q[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (6 Players)
UTG folds, MP calls $1.00, CO calls $1.00, BTN folds, Pokey calls $0.50, BB checks

Speculative hand, low price, lots of padding. I complete.

Flop: ($4) 9[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 3[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] Q[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (4 Players)
Pokey bets $2.00, BB folds, MP calls $2.00, CO calls $2.00

Flop gives me a mediocre hand. I bet weakly to try and pick up the pot and get two callers. Hmmmm.

Turn: ($10) J[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (3 Players)
Pokey bets $6.00, MP calls $6.00, CO calls $6.00

Now I've got a flush draw thrown into the mix. I make another weak bet and get two callers again. I'm liking my pot odds and implied odds.

River: ($28) A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (3 Players)
Pokey bets all-in for $139.05, MP folds, CO calls all-in for $68.25
Uncalled bet of $0.00 returned to Pokey

If my hand wasn't good before, it's DEFINITELY good now. Given that villains have been calling all along, I'm hoping someone just backed into two pair with their Ax hand. No stronger flush makes any sense, and my hand is wickedly-well disguised. Rather than try and get both to pay off a small bet, I go for the gusto and shove. MP escapes but CO pays off my massive overbet.

Pot Size: $164.50 ($3 Rake)

CO had Q[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] T[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (a pair of Queens) and LOST (-$77.25)
Pokey had 7[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] Q[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (a flush, Ace high) and WON (+$84.25)

Again, I tell an inconsistent story, again I overbet to disguise my hand, again villain calls because of emotional reasons, and again my sneaky hand collects me a huge pot. Now, I'm not saying that overbets are always the best choice, but if you OCCASIONALLY mix them into your lineup -- particularly when your betting is highly inconsistent -- you can get a big payout from the right enemy.