A hand reading exercise.

[EGO]

I'm working on reading hands, and am using a combo of PT, a poker calculator, and a laminated card that I made with a dry erase marker. What I'm doing is trying to read the hands of my opponents, narrowing ranges as actions permit.

Sadly, there are only few times that I've been able to accurately assess what my opponents hands were, and it takes quite some time for me to go through all my checks and whatnot, but I feel I'm making progress.

Here's a hand where I feel that the guy I'm studying, a very tight TAG (10/7/2.5) who plays upward of 8 tables at a time made a river mistake.

PokerStars 1/2 Hold'em (10 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: 2+2 Forums)

Preflop: Hero is BB with 9[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], Q[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img].
<font color="#666666">4 folds</font>, MP2 calls, <font color="#CC3333">MP3 (TAG)/ raises</font>, CO calls, Button(Slightly Loose Player)/ calls, <font color="#666666">2 folds</font>, MP2 calls.

I've only got 26 hands on MP2, but a limp certainly doesn't indicate a terribly strong hand. Maybe a smaller pair, two suited cards, an ace, or two big offsuit cards. It's hard to tell exactly. The slightly loose player is a 37/6/0.6, so is looking kind of fishy, but only 100 hands and he's showing down mostly decent hands with a Wtsd/W$SD of 43/46. I put him on a probably small pair, suited connector, or Ax. Not much to go on. TAG is pretty reliable to have a big pair or big cards here. He isn't the type to get fancy with middle connectors. CO is a TAG who is most likely on a pair, AQs, KQs, or KJs. He'll probably reraise or fold with most everything else.

As an aside, I've found that putting players on more specific hands is very difficult pre-flop, particularly with no raise or only one raise.

Flop: (9.50 SB) 2[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 3[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 7[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(4 players)</font>
MP2 checks, <font color="#CC3333">TAG bets</font>, CO folds, Slightly Loose Player calls, MP2 calls.

TAG is going to bet this flop with everything he would raise pre-flop, so I can't narrow his hand down any here. SLP could be calling with a wide range of hands also. MP2's overcall makes me more inclined to think he's on some sort of draw or slowplay, and a set or a flush draw are all that fit so far.

Turn: (6.25 BB) 8[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(3 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">MP2 bets</font>, <font color="#CC3333">TAG raises</font>, Slightly Loose Player calls, MP2 folds.

I love donk-bets. When I saw this bet come across the screen, I put MP2 on a smaller pair, and possibly a new draw, but not a slowplay. The donk/fold line is one I like to see from my opponents, particularly on these kinds of boards. It tells me that he's the type of guy to try to force out overcards with an out-of-rhythm bet. It also tells me he's probably much more likely to check-raise his legit hands. I've noted it. The raise from the TAG probably makes an overpair much more likely, with AK next most likely, and 77 a distant third. The cold-call from the SLP, who will fold crap hands, suggests that he might be on a draw of some sort.

River: (11.25 BB) 8[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">TAG bets</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Slightly Loose Player raises</font>, TAG calls.

There's no way in heck that I'm betting this river (in theory. In practice, I actually frequently bet here and pay off a raise with an overpair.), since I don't think my (likely) overpair can be called by very many hands that we beat. The raise solidifies my read of a flush draw.

Final Pot: 15.25 BB

Anyone else take a different line on what the various players have here?

[shane88888]

That's a very odd curiosity call for an 8-tabler.

Looks like a very standard hand, unless, of course, the SLP was pulling one very slick bluff for a 1-2 game.

[TripleH68]

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Sadly, there are only few times that I've been able to accurately assess what my opponents hands were, and it takes quite some time for me to go through all my checks and whatnot, but I feel I'm making progress.

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Keep thinking about/analyzing/discussing hands while away from the table.

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As an aside, I've found that putting players on more specific hands is very difficult pre-flop, particularly with no raise or only one raise.

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As you mentioned you should be putting them on a range of hands.

[EGO]

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That's a very odd curiosity call for an 8-tabler.

Looks like a very standard hand, unless, of course, the SLP was pulling one very slick bluff for a 1-2 game.

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Well, it turns out I was right. The TAG had A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] and the slp had Q[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]T[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]. While I'm still getting the hang of this, and have often been surprised by holdings that I never expected, I'm finding the "study" process of poker much more fun, and less of a drag.

[22pajo]

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Keep thinking about/analyzing/discussing hands while away from the table.


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As well as thinking about/analyzing/discussing hands while away from the table do you think OP's method of practicing hand reading is worth the considerable effort it takes?

[22pajo]

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Sadly, there are only few times that I've been able to accurately assess what my opponents hands were, and it takes quite some time for me to go through all my checks and whatnot, but I feel I'm making progress.


[/ QUOTE ]
I'm using a similar method for practising hand reading and i can empathise with you. Its hard work but i do feel it will be worth it long term.
Sorry thats just my 6 pence worth. I dont have any comment on the hand you posted.

[BigBadBabar]

looks like the tag had a big pair and the other guy made his flush.

[James.]

keep working on it and you will get better as you get a feel for the flow of the action street by street. sometimes i would just focus on one table when out of a hand, just trying to put people on hands and see how close i was at showdown. practice makes better(not perfect given the number of uknown variables, but you know what i mean).

[Frank Zappy]

I'm a huge loser when I multitable for that very reason. It's east to miss the 3rd suited card hits when you're distracted/busy with a complex situation at another table.

Nice work on the reads.