My Thoughts on Poker (long but good)

[futuredoc85]

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I haven't bumped this in a while so Here I go Again (BTW Whitesnake Pwns). This will be a bit more advanced than my previous posts so I hope it generates some good discussion.

Anyways I was talking to unarmed about this hand where I folded a set. Here it is.

Poker Stars - No Limit Hold'em Cash Game - $3/$6 Blinds - 6 Players - (LegoPoker Hand History Converter)

SB: $282.60
BB: $642.00
Hero (UTG): $1,042.75
MP: $468.20
CO: $88.85
BTN: $1,737.35

Preflop: Hero is dealt 5[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 5[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (6 Players)
<font color="red">Hero raises to $24.00</font>, 2 folds, BTN calls $24.00, SB folds, BB calls $18.00

Flop: ($75) 5[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 3[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 8[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] (3 Players)
BB checks, <font color="red">Hero bets $54.00</font>, BTN calls $54.00, BB folds

Turn: ($183) 6[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] (2 Players)
Hero checks, <font color="red">BTN bets $114.00</font>, Hero calls $114.00

River: ($411) Q[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (2 Players)
Hero checks, <font color="red">BTN bets $300.00</font>, Hero folds

Pot Size: $711.00 ($3 Rake)

This was a good fold by me, villain will vbet worse sometimes but more often than not I'm beat so I folded. However one thing I noted is shania doesn't like this fold.

For those of you who do not know what shania is basically it is metagame. The idea behind it is if there were three scenarios.

Scenario A: you only play AA
Scenario B: You only play AA and 23o
Scenario C: You play 100% of hands

In scenario C you will make the most money with pocket aces because your range is much wider and more often you will have weaker holdings.

Anyways the reason why Shania does not like this fold is because 55 is basically the top of my range so if I'm folding here it makes villain's bluff profitable with 100% of his range. However this is completely irrelevant.

Now you might be asking why did I spend 2 paragraphs on something and than say that its irrelevant but it actually is very important.

Too often 2p2ers overemphasize Shania and stuff like that and justify suboptimal plays because of it but that is a huge mistake. The thing is poker is the goal is only to make as much money as possible. So even if you are playing an exploitable style that is not game theory optimal it does not matter. Because the goal of poker is not playing game theory correct it is to make money.

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i like your fold given river check, but i think b/f is a viable rive line as well given stacks are deep enough for it and most ppl wont bluff-shove this river on you ever, but will check behind some hands that call a bet.