HU 5/10 fairly common spot from a student

[cero_z]

Hi Everyone,

Help me coach. This is a hand from a student. I think he played it well, and has a tough decision on the turn. Did he, and is it tough?

Villain is probably typical of the winners at 5/10 HU, albeit a little less aggressive pre-flop than is typical. He 3-bets pre with good hands (Broadway, big pairs, A8o I saw once), but I haven't seen him turn over anything really funky (or even semi-funky like 65s) after 3-betting pre. He doesn't seem to try to make "big" calls, especially vs. Hero, who is on the conservative side, and who I'd guess Villain views as a little weak-tight. Post-flop, Villain is about as aggressive as normal. Again, how do you like Hero's play (especially the turn bet), what do you do when Villain pushes, and how easy a decision is that?

Full Tilt Poker - No Limit Hold'em Cash Game - $5/$10 Blinds - 2 Players - (LegoPoker HH Converter)

<font color="black">Hero (BB): $1500.50</font>
SB: $8283

<font color="black">Preflop:</font> Hero is dealt 9[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 9[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (2 Players)
<font color="red">SB raises to $30</font>, Hero calls $20

<font color="black">Flop:</font> ($60) 3[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] Q[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] Q[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (2 Players)
Hero checks, <font color="red">SB bets $60</font>, <font color="red">Hero raises to $180</font>, SB calls $120

<font color="black">Turn:</font> ($420) 3[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] Q[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] Q[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] J[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (2 Players)
<font color="red">Hero bets $310</font>, SB Raises to 1300 (2030 in the pot, 990 more to Hero to call all-in)

[TheWorstPlayer]

Sometimes people make hands even HU. I would check the turn for sure. Maybe call or maybe fold, but I'd never bet. Draws or not that large a part of his range to merit betting. Unless for some reason you think betting will INDUCE bluffs. But if that's the case, then I dont think your description of the opponent is correct.

The smooth call, c/r flop line is fine, but I'd usually prefer reraising pre- and then just betting the flop for a similar, but safer result.

[JKratzer]

if villian pushes turn it seems like a pretty easy fold. i mean, hero is repping a Q and villian might not believe him, but it doesn't sound like he's ready to push here as a bluff. as for the hand in general i like it. tough to comment on heads-up play, despite your good description.

[KRANTZ]

i hate the postflop line unless you have an image that will induce rebluffs or semibluffs or get him to stack off with 66. hero does NOT have that image, far from it, so this hand should play relatively straight up, even heads up.

in which case when you DO take the line your student did, he can fold to the turn push.

[Whisper]

I would tell him to leave the table becasue it looks like he is getting demolished and im sure his image and the momentum are against him(could be wrong, and he sat down vs a huge stack). As for the hand, i dont see how you can call without a sick read, this is really a be at the table thing. I think turn bet is fine given hero raised flop, but now its time to fold.

[JKratzer]

what is the "relatively straight up play"? c/c flop, c/f turn?

[cero_z]

[ QUOTE ]
what is the "relatively straight up play"? c/c flop, c/f turn?

[/ QUOTE ]

That was going to be my question. I would think it's more like c/r flop, check turn and cry.

[bigt439]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
what is the "relatively straight up play"? c/c flop, c/f turn?

[/ QUOTE ]

That was going to be my question. I would think it's more like c/r flop, check turn and cry.

[/ QUOTE ]

wouldnt that make it a relatively bad play?

i dont see anything wrong with check call, check...

[KRANTZ]

[ QUOTE ]
what is the "relatively straight up play"? c/c flop, c/f turn?

[/ QUOTE ]

by relatively straight up i meant that he likely has the hand he's representing, because he should be afraid of your line and he's not.

you could c/c flop, c/c turn, c/c flop, lead turn, c/c flop, c/f turn, lead flop, etc., whatever.

[cero_z]

Thanks for the replies so far. Here are some of my thoughts:

KRANTZ, your point about Hero's weak-tight image limiting his action, thus rendering some 2p2 standard lines sub-optimal, is a good one IMO, and mirrors some of the general comments I have for this player. However, whether we're TAG, LAG, or weak-tight, I think that we have to be checkraising this flop as a default, in a HU match. Our hand is pretty big yet quite vulnerable, and I think that the hand plays out more +EV for us if we take an aggressive stance on the flop, which could mean leading the flop as well.

Whatever specific line we choose here, I think our thought process should be, "I have a strong hand right now, and I'm going to look to get some money in the pot. My hand is good enough that I don't have to be afraid of building the pot somewhat through aggressive action." I think that ideally, you want some decent money to go in on the flop, and not very much to go in on a lot of turn cards. I think playing aggressively on the flop, even OOP, is the best way to accomplish that.

IMO check-calling a normal (non-maniacal) player's flop bet plays right into your opponent's hands. You will generally see a bet, and if we call and check the turn, our opponent will realize that we either have a medium strength holding that will not be comfortable facing a bet, or that we are using the not-very-common (these days) line of c/c, check turn slowplay. In other words, our opponent should read us for the kind of hand we have, and make our lives tough.

If we c/r the flop, and follow it up with a bet on a lot of turns, we will force our opponents to make a much ballsier play if they want to test us, and at the same time, we'll avoid giving a free card with a hand that's still very often ahead (on any given turn card), but which is vulnerable to many cards.

Another thing I was considering is that when the Villain pushes the turn, that really tends to be trips+, or a hand that we really want to get in against. Here's my logic: better hands are overpairs, trip Qs, and boats. Obviously, these are all pretty unlikely holdings in the general sense: it's HU, those are just a few combinations, and it makes no sense to constantly fear the nuts. Worse hands are draws and smaller pairs. 77 could push in this spot if he decides he's not folding, and the board is getting progressively scarier, so he's better off getting his money in now. Any flush draw that picked up an additional draw on the turn would be a good candidate for a regular to push; in fact, IMO pushing would be by far the standard line there with ATd, T8d, etc. We have the 9d, which limits those combos somewhat.

BUT, with Jdxd, I think very few competent players would push, given the likelihood of blowing out hands that are now drawing super-thin. For that reason, I basically rule out a Jack in my opponent's hand when he pushes. That brings me back to the "he has a very big hand or a bluff" position, and I think if that's the range you put him on, you have to call, getting 2:1. What do you all think about this?

I tinkered with the hand history a little, for the sake of the discussion. In the actual hand, Hero bet the turn, and Villain folded, which I think will happen quite often, since Hero is usually still ahead at that point.