The Well: Green Plastic

[Taylor Caby]

Feel free to ask me some questions. I'm not sure what to expect but I'll do my best.

tc

[Requin]

Cool, thanks TC. Which person is your greatest poker resource (who is your go-to guy for discussing hands)?

[Jay Riall]

Who would you least like to play HU and why?

[Taylor Caby]

[ QUOTE ]
Who would you least like to play HU and why?

[/ QUOTE ]

atonius, cause i think hes better than me. i will play anyone heads up at 50/100nl on UB but not him, unless i was running/playing really well and i wanted to try to get better.

[kitaristi0]

Great, thanks for doing this.

1. You are in the BB and unknown player makes a standard button raise. Do you 3-bet AJs/AJo/AQs/AQo? What about AT?
2. Same scenario as above except this time you have a small or mid PP.
3. UTG+1 opens, BTN calls, you are in the BB with 22/77/TT. Do you 3-bet?
4. You open on the button with 66 and average aggro TAG 3-bets in the BB. Do you call?


In general, talk a bit about 2nd barrel bluffing (and possible triple barrel bluffing), i.e. what kinds of flop textures, opponents, situations you consider throwing in a 2nd barrel. If you feel that's too vague, here are a few example spots:

1. You open in the CO and BB calls. The flop is 9[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 6[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 2[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]. You cbet and get called. How often and on what cards do you 2nd barrel? (assume you have no hand no draw)
2. Same scenario as above except the flop is T55r.
3. Same scenario as above except the flop is 632r.
4. Same scenario as above except the flop is Q72r.
5. Same scenario as above except the flop is K[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] J[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] T.



What are your thoughts on floating (i.e. calling the flop or turn with a very weak hand to steal the pot on a later street)? Is this something you use? Do you prefer bluffraising the flop?



Many (if not all) successful high stakes players tend to play very aggressively preflop, with lots of openraising, 3-betting and very little limping. Do you think it is possible to be a successful winning high stakes player by playing a very passive style preflop which emphasises coldcalling raises, limping often etc.?

[Taylor Caby]

[ QUOTE ]
Great, thanks for doing this.

1. You are in the BB and unknown player makes a standard button raise. Do you 3-bet AJs/AJo/AQs/AQo? What about AT?
2. Same scenario as above except this time you have a small or mid PP.
3. UTG+1 opens, BTN calls, you are in the BB with 22/77/TT. Do you 3-bet?
4. You open on the button with 66 and average aggro TAG 3-bets in the BB. Do you call?


In general, talk a bit about 2nd barrel bluffing (and possible triple barrel bluffing), i.e. what kinds of flop textures, opponents, situations you consider throwing in a 2nd barrel. If you feel that's too vague, here are a few example spots:

1. You open in the CO and BB calls. The flop is 9[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 6[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 2[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]. You cbet and get called. How often and on what cards do you 2nd barrel? (assume you have no hand no draw)
2. Same scenario as above except the flop is T55r.
3. Same scenario as above except the flop is 632r.
4. Same scenario as above except the flop is Q72r.
5. Same scenario as above except the flop is K[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] J[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] T.



What are your thoughts on floating (i.e. calling the flop or turn with a very weak hand to steal the pot on a later street)? Is this something you use? Do you prefer bluffraising the flop?



Many (if not all) successful high stakes players tend to play very aggressively preflop, with lots of openraising, 3-betting and very little limping. Do you think it is possible to be a successful winning high stakes player by playing a very passive style preflop which emphasises coldcalling raises, limping often etc.?

[/ QUOTE ]

1. it always depends. if i have a normal image then i will 3 bet all of these hands. if ive won a bunch of pots in a row, we are very deep stacked, and the player is tricky i may release AT AJ AJs type of hands and wait for a better spot. i am always worried about my image at the table and it is basically the guideline for anything i do.

2) small pairs are played in a similar fashion. if stacks are small (100 BBish) and i dont think hes folding very many hands PF (many players love to call with anything to a RR when they have position) then i might just get rid of small pairs. If i think his range is wide and he has a decent (at least 30%) chance of folding, I will raise all of these hands. If stacks are bigger I may opt to just call because if i make a set i can win a huge pot. frankly these are standard lines i take but by no means how i always play it. i think its important to mix up the way you play these hands because when you play with the same guys over and over you better not become predictable.

3) usually: call/depends - on some similar things as above - reasonable chance i can take it down now? stack size etc/ usually raise

4) yes, especially if we have more than 100 BB's. also especially if my image is pretty wild I will call and be very apt to call down lightly as i know players will be playing back at me. even if i have a tight image, i will still call because now it is more likely he has a big hand that i could bust with a set. so basically, i almost always call, and for differing reasons depending on my table image.

floating is something that i dont do a ton, in the true sense of the term (with nothing). i will however do this with a few overs, gutshot, or occasionally random hands. i prefer to raise against players because you gain no information from calling. this is a play that is necessary to win at the highest games so i do use it sometimes, i just find its more difficult to pull off especially when i have a very aggressive image, players usually arent laying top/middle pair down to me if they check the next street and i bet.

i dont think its possible to be a successful, high stakes internet player, that is passive preflop. if you are playing live, with really deep stacks against opponents who didnt relaly know what they were doing, then yes, it is possible

[Dan Bitel]

thaks for doing this tc,

Around here, we think that "raising for information" (especially with 100BB stacks) is bad, as it normally folds out worse hands, costs a lot vs better hands, turns your hand into a bluff, informations is always accurate etc etc. What are your views on this?

Also, what are your views on open limping preflop and minraising preflop?

[Taylor Caby]

[ QUOTE ]
Cool, thanks TC. Which person is your greatest poker resource (who is your go-to guy for discussing hands)?

[/ QUOTE ]

couldnt say one person in particular. there are lots of 2+2 and cardrunners people. i used to talk about hands mostly with andrew wiggins (muddywater) when i was learning the game, but now i find i will usually just post and there are a ton of players whose input is great.

tc

[eviljeff]

what is your biggest fear with respect to poker? legislation? personal failure?

[Taylor Caby]

[ QUOTE ]
what is your biggest fear with respect to poker? legislation? personal failure?

[/ QUOTE ]

it has to be the legislation. ive really worked hard with some people to create a business that is in many ways dependent on online poker. if i never could play poker again, i wouldnt really care, but id be pretty disappointed if the business failed. i know that sounds strange but its true.

i am not afraid of failure in the least bit. its not something ive ever really been afraid of in any part of my life. i know failure is possible, but so what, failing doesnt change who you are. you learn from it and move on.