Trying to plug the donk call leak...

[cheburashka]

Hi all,

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, I'm trying to plug what I consider to be my biggest current leak--making donk calls in marginal situations.

I'm still having a tough time adjusting, so I thought I would post another hand and ask for your thoughts.

13 left in a 4/180. I am playing pretty tight and very aggressive (21/15/2.6). Villain is 14/9/2.3 over 66 hands.

SB: (19775 in chips)
BB: (17436 in chips)
UTG: (15764 in chips)
Hero: (24262 in chips)
CO: (6806 in chips)
BU: (3143 in chips)

Blinds 400/800/75. Hero in MP with K [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] A [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]

Action: 1 fold, Hero raises 1600 to 2400; 3 folds; BB calls 1600.

Flop 2 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] T [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 8 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]

BB checks, Hero bets 3500; BB raises 11461 to 14961 and is all-in; Hero?

I think that pre-flop and CBet following check are standard, but I'm a bit stumped about how to handle the check-raise. I put villain on something like TT+, AQ+, but I also think something speculative like 9Ts or JTs are (slight) possibilities.

I'm desperately trying to find a way to break my ridiculous habit of donking off my stack, without having Barry write "pussy" in his notes on me.

[crunchh]

have nearly same pb

would apreciate any answer as well

[DarrenX]

I'm not sure how similar the $11s play in comparison to the $4s, but after betting it's an easy fold for me. I may occasionally take the free card when checked to as well (occasionally doing this with a made hand as well as to not get predictable).

[black666]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm not sure how similar the $11s play in comparison to the $4s, but after betting it's an easy fold for me. I may occasionally take the free card when checked to as well (occasionally doing this with a made hand as well as to not get predictable).

[/ QUOTE ]

[McMelchior]

You realize with your read it's a call? You're only a 40% dog getting 1.7:1 ...

If I have been very aggressive as you write, once in a while I'll check a flop like this in position, figuring that either

- I'll hit on the turn, or

- I'll have the option of either betting the turn or seeing the river for free if BB checks again, or

- I'll push BB of a weak hand if he bets a (non-threatening) turn.

Always c-betting tends to be exploited at all buy-ins.

[cheburashka]

[ QUOTE ]
Always c-betting tends to be exploited at all buy-ins.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks for your reply. I am CBetting ~80% against a single opponent, depending on the flop, regardless of whether I have a made hand or not. Is that standard? Too much? Too little?

[McMelchior]

[ QUOTE ]
I am CBetting ~80% against a single opponent, depending on the flop

[/ QUOTE ]
Believe me, I'm not out to get you here, but what does that actually mean?

EDIT: OK, I think I understood it ... you're betting the top 80% non-scariest flops, right? If so that's probably fine, even though I'd recommend taking the style of the opponent into consideration a lot. Still, if you only check very suited/coordinated flops after PF raising you're still exploitable ... btw., if you don't want to fold to a CR you should probably c-bet bigger making the decission easier ...

[cheburashka]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I am CBetting ~80% against a single opponent, depending on the flop

[/ QUOTE ]
Believe me, I'm not out to get you here, but what does that actually mean?

[/ QUOTE ]

It means a few things. Assuming for a second that I'm on AK:

Opponents and position: Against 1 opponent, I'm CBetting about 80% of the time taking the flop into account (see next point), whether leading or checked to in position. Against 2 opponents, I'm at the same ~80% if checked to in position, otherwise I'm more likely to check unless the opponents are the "call anything pre-flop, fold to any aggression post-flop" types of players. Against 3 or more opponents, I'll almost always check.

Flop: With flops that seem possible to hit him but not me (e.g. 89T, JTx, QTx, QJx), I'm more likely to check. Against ragged flops or flops with only 1 high card, I'm almost certainly CBetting. On average I'm at ~80% against 1 opponent or if checked to in position against two opponents.

Made hand or not: Against 1 opponent, I follow the same rule regardless of whether I made the hand or not, because I want to avoid predictability. Against 2 or more opponents, I will always bet a made hand in order to prevent someone from sucking out a draw.

Is this a reasonable approach, or am I missing something?