couple hands

Crispy Bacon · #1 09-15-2007, 05:04 AM

I've been doing terribly recently and while I'd like to blame variance, I'm pretty sure I'm making lots of bad decisions. I'd really appreciate some brief advice of where I'm going wrong and what I'm doing right. These hands are against standard 25/15 type players unless otherwise stated: (btw I didn't lose all of them)

1.
Full Tilt Poker
No Limit Holdem Ring game
Blinds: $0.50/$1
6 players
Converter

Stack sizes:
UTG: $110.35
Hero: $55.25
CO: $102.15
Button: $131.85
SB: $129.05
BB: $180.70

Pre-flop: (6 players) Hero is UTG+1 with K[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]
UTG folds, Hero raises to $3, 2 folds, SB calls, BB raises to $9, Hero raises all-in $55.25

2. Man this is so ugly, I'm embarrassed to post this - want to check which street to fold, flop or turn?
Full Tilt Poker
No Limit Holdem Ring game
Blinds: $0.50/$1
6 players
Converter

Stack sizes:
UTG: $132.35
UTG+1: $98.05
CO: $180.70
Button: $111.35
Hero: $86.25
BB: $103.65

Pre-flop: (6 players) Hero is SB with A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 8[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]
UTG folds, UTG+1 calls, CO folds, Button calls, Hero calls, BB checks.

Flop: A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 4[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] T[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] ($4, 4 players)
Hero bets $2, BB folds, UTG+1 raises to $6, Button folds, Hero calls.

Turn: 9[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] ($16, 2 players)
Hero checks, UTG+1 bets $12, Hero calls.

River: 7[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] ($40, 2 players)
Hero checks, UTG+1 bets $12, Hero calls.

Results:
Final pot: $64

3. Ok this one is against a loose fish who I've seen call down and bet at big pots with middle pair. Dunno why i minbet flop - never do this, and obv turn raise was meant to be all-in

Full Tilt Poker
No Limit Holdem Ring game
Blinds: $0.50/$1
4 players
Converter

Stack sizes:
UTG: $116.65
Button: $66
SB: $123.35
Hero: $40

Pre-flop: (4 players) Hero is BB with 9[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]
UTG folds, Button calls, SB calls, Hero checks.

Flop: 8[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 5[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] ($3, 3 players)
SB checks, Hero bets $1, Button raises to $4, SB folds, Hero calls.

Turn: 6[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] ($11, 2 players)
Hero checks, Button bets $16, Hero raises to $32, Button calls.

River: 5[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] ($75, 2 players)
Hero checks, Button bets $9, Hero calls all-in $3.
Uncalled bets: $6 returned to Button.

Results:
Final pot: $81

4. Just totally lost here:

Full Tilt Poker
Pot Limit Holdem Ring game
Blinds: $0.50/$1
4 players
Converter

Stack sizes:
UTG: $102.20
Button: $102.20
Hero: $109.50
BB: $133.15

Pre-flop: (4 players) Hero is SB with J[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] J[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]
UTG raises to $3.5, Button folds, Hero raises to $9, BB folds, UTG calls.

Flop: 8[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 7[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 9[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] ($19, 2 players)
Hero bets $11, UTG raises to $29, Hero raises all-in $100.5,

5.

Full Tilt Poker
Pot Limit Holdem Ring game
Blinds: $0.50/$1
6 players
Converter

Stack sizes:
UTG: $193.55
UTG+1: $116.55
CO: $98.50
Hero: $33.80
SB: $163.10
BB: $50

Pre-flop: (6 players) Hero is Button with 9[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 9[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]
3 folds, Hero raises to $3, SB calls, BB folds.

Flop: 9[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] Q[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 8[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] ($7, 2 players)
SB checks, Hero bets $3.5, SB calls.

Turn: J[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] ($14, 2 players)
SB checks, Hero checks.

River: 5[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] ($14, 2 players)
SB checks, Hero bets $8, SB raises to $16, Hero calls.

Results:
Final pot: $46

6. OK this one is very read dependant because villain had squeezed me like 4 out of my last 5 raises and I thought it was time to make a stand - do you do this with this hand or wait for something better?

Full Tilt Poker
No Limit Holdem Ring game
Blinds: $0.50/$1
5 players
Converter

Stack sizes:
UTG: $33.40
Hero: $39.70
Button: $98.50
SB: $82.20
BB: $138.60

Pre-flop: (5 players) Hero is CO with T[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] K[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]
UTG folds, Hero raises to $3, Button folds, SB raises to $10, BB folds, Hero raises all-in $39.7.

Hendricks433 · #2 09-15-2007, 05:12 AM

why are you short stacked in every hand? play with full buy ins.

goofyballer · #3 09-15-2007, 07:18 AM

HAND 1: MAN I JUST MENTIONED IN ANOTHER THREAD THAT SHOVING AK IN THIS SPOT IS CAUSE PEOPLE DON'T KNOW HOW TO PLAY POKER WHEN THEY 4BET SMALLER AND GET CALLED AND BAM, I OPEN THIS THREAD, I THINK IT'S A SIGN FROM GOD THAT YOU AREN'T SUPPOSED TO SHOVE HERE, YOU HAVE POSITION WHICH IS A VALUABLE TOOL IN NO LIMIT HOLD THEM AND ALLOWS YOU TO CONTROL THE POT MUCH MORE EASILY POSTFLOP AND THUS GET MONIES IN WHEN YOU ARE GOOD AND NOT PUT MONIES IN WHEN YOU ARE BEHIND INSTEAD OF EITHER TAKING DOWN A $12 POT OR FLIPPING 4 STACKS, SO JUST 4BET TO A WAYYYYY SMALLER SIZE AND IF HE SHOVES THEN LOLCALL CAUSE LOL YOU HAVE AK AND IF HE CALLS THEN PLAY SOME POKER AND POST WHAT HAPPENS ON THE FLOP CAUSE THAT IS WHAT IS GOING TO TEACH YOU HOW TO PLAY SOME [censored] POKER, NOT SHOVING AK PREFLOP LIKE A ZOMBIE

HAND 2: ON A DRY BOARD THE EV OF CONTINUING IN THE HAND AT ALL AFTER YOU GET RAISED ON THE FLOP WITH TPNK IS SUPER THIN, IF IT'S THERE AT ALL, AND YOU'RE OOP WHICH IS NOT A VALUABLE TOOL IN NO LIMIT HOLD THEM, JUST LET IT GO TO FLOP RAISE

LIKE SERIOUSLY THAT BOARD IS SO DRY ON FLOP WTF IS HE RAISING A7? I HAVE A FEELING YOU GOT VALUETOWNED

HAND 3: I'M STARTING TO SEE A PATTERN WHEREIN YOU PUT LOTS OF MONEY INTO LIMPED POTS WITH WEAKISH HANDS, IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU ALREADY KNOW THE FLOP MINBET IS BAD AND THE REST OF THE HAND IS KINDA MESSED UP BECAUSE OF THE WEIRD VIBE GOING ON AFTER THAT....YET REGARDLESS, WHY ARE YOU CHECKRAISING TURN WITH A PRETTY SHODDY KICKER? ARE YOU HOPING TO GET CALLED BY A WEAKER ACE? ESPECIALLY AFTER HE OVERBET THE TURN, OK THE FLOP WAS WEIRD BUT I THINK THIS IS A PRETTY EASY TURN FOLD AS SOON AS HE BETS

ALSO I COULDN'T HELP BUT NOTICE YOU DESPERATELY NEED TO RELOAD PREFLOP

HAND 4: LOOKS GOOD, IT DEPENDS ON READS BECAUSE YOU SHOULD ONLY MAKE PLAYS LIKE THIS AGAINST PPL YOU SUSPECT ARE PLAYING BACK AT YOU LIGHTISH, BUT IF THIS DUDE IS YOUR STANDARD AGGRESSIVE TAG THEN OVERPAIR + GUTSHOT = NUTS OBV

HAND 5: YOUR CBET IS WAY TOO TINY, IT'S A PRETTY DRAWY BOARD AND THROWING 1/2 POT OUT THERE IS BEGGING DONKS TO DRAW OUT ON YOU, TURN AND RIVER PLAY ARE BOTH OK

HAND 6: ONCE AGAIN I NOTICE YOU HAVE A BIT OF A LIGHT STACK THERE; BECAUSE OF THAT THIS IS ESPECIALLY BAD, BECAUSE PEOPLE SPITE-CALL SHORTSTACKS FAIRLY LIGHT IN THESE SPOTS AND YOU WILL OFTEN FIND YOURSELF DOMINATED BY HANDS AS WEAK AS KQ THAT HE'LL CALL WITH; I'D MUCH, MUCH RATHER HAVE 87S HERE THAN KTO

Crispy Bacon · #4 09-15-2007, 11:51 AM

goofy, thanks very much for comments - lots of food for thought for me.

some questions:
hand 1: I don't get 4 betting to around half our stack and then considering a fold on flop. Surely we're pot committed if we 4 bet and therefore may as well shove now. If I do have a full buy-in then 4 betting and getting shoved won't be fun because we're probably well behind. Won't a better option with AK if we're not shoving be just to call the 3 bet and THEN play some poker?

hand 2: completely agree, played it like an uberfish - he value-towned me with 2 pair

hand3: against TAG player if I've made a standard bet it's a fold on flop isn't it? I actually think this is one hand I played well cos villain was doing weird things so his range was very wide from draws to bottom/mid pairs to the nuts and his big overbet smelt fishy, so I think the turn c/r gets max value from his weird hands. He ended up sucking out on me with 95o

hand4: surprised you think this is ok, isn't this a set more often than not? He had the nut straight in this hand.

hand 5 & 6 : cool, very helpful

Never really thought too much before about being so short. I normally buy in for about 60BB's - is it better to buy in for max and reload immediately if you drop below 50 or so? Is being below 50 a big disadvantage?

Would be very interested to hear your response to my hand1 response - I think this is an important concept for me to get my head around. Thanks again for taking the time to write such a helpful post.

goofyballer · #5 09-15-2007, 05:26 PM

[ QUOTE ]
some questions:
hand 1: I don't get 4 betting to around half our stack and then considering a fold on flop. Surely we're pot committed if we 4 bet and therefore may as well shove now. If I do have a full buy-in then 4 betting and getting shoved won't be fun because we're probably well behind. Won't a better option with AK if we're not shoving be just to call the 3 bet and THEN play some poker?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, noticing your shortstack now, shoving really isn't all that bad even if it's a bit of an overbet, but I was talking less about this hand and more about the situation in general assuming 100bb stacks. In that case, you can call the 3bet, but there are problems that go with that:
- You get pushed off the best hand too often postflop
- It doesn't really combat his 3betting light against you
- You miss an opportunity to force him to make mistakes against your range; assuming you always 4b KK+ and AK in the same style, then him calling a 4b or shoving over it means he's running into a fairly big hand from you in general
- You have position postflop and can check behind unscary boards and try to push him off better hands on scaryish boards that you missed

[ QUOTE ]
hand3: against TAG player if I've made a standard bet it's a fold on flop isn't it?

[/ QUOTE ]

He's TAG but had 95o here? Hrm. I mean, you might have had him this time but his line is so weird and kinda screaming strength (but kinda not with the turn overbet, but still, what are you gonna put him on?) and your hand is marginal enough that even if you call him down you risk getting valuetowned by slightly less marginal aces.

The only reason that I wouldn't necessarily fold the flop is because your minbet is probably inducing raises some of the time. Folding the flop still isn't bad though.

[ QUOTE ]
hand4: surprised you think this is ok, isn't this a set more often than not? He had the nut straight in this hand.

[/ QUOTE ]

I just now noticed your reraise preflop is too short - pot-sized raise is to 11.5, and since you're OOP I'd go to about 13. The point of this is to discourage him from calling preflop with hands that would make sets on this board. And like I said, you don't have to shove here - it's kinda read-dependent and your play here depends a lot on how lightly you think villain is playing back at you. If the dude is a retarded LAGTAG then he can probably have ATs here, but some players are only gonna show up with like KK+ and sets, so that's a judgement you have to make.

[ QUOTE ]
Never really thought too much before about being so short. I normally buy in for about 60BB's - is it better to buy in for max and reload immediately if you drop below 50 or so? Is being below 50 a big disadvantage?

[/ QUOTE ]

Generally when you sit at a poker table, you should feel like you have an edge against the other players at the table (and if you don't, it's time to find a new table), and if you have an edge against other players, then you want to be able to win the maximum possible amount of money in any given hand. To do this, you have to have as much in your stack as possible. 95% of the players on this forum buy in for 100bbs (the other 5% are dirty shortstackers), and personally I rebuy anytime I lose a hand. I use Full Tilt Shortcuts which lets me middle-click anytime I want to reload, so if I put money into the pot and don't win that's an easy way to make sure I'm full-stacked again for the next hand.

Requin · #6 09-15-2007, 05:45 PM

1. Fine

2. Fold litterally every street, and I'd just check the flop to start.

3. If the guy's a fish its ok, but bet the last bit yourself on the river.

4. Reraise bigger preflop, to like 11 or 12, bet/getting it in on the flop s fine.

5. Looks fine but bet the flop bigger.

6. Hard to say, but usually given stacks villain is never folding here.

In general your bet sizing is very bad. This is a big leak, not a small one, you should work on that.

Crispy Bacon · #7 09-16-2007, 05:16 AM

[ QUOTE ]
In general your bet sizing is very bad. This is a big leak, not a small one, you should work on that.

[/ QUOTE ]

Should I be going more like 2/3 pot in general, whether it's a c bet or value bet?

JackAll · #8 09-16-2007, 06:58 AM

wow

Crispy Bacon · #9 09-16-2007, 07:00 AM

[ QUOTE ]
wow

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm a NL cash noob just trying to learn, give me a break maybe?

skibbel · #10 09-16-2007, 07:15 AM

Nearly all you bet/raise sizes sucks.
=> read and learn
http://www.pr0crast.com/2+2.NL.Anthology.v1.htm