Those annoying microbets! Yell at me please.

[Gustav]

Villains in both hands are huge loose fish and overall just terrible. Their preflop ranges are too large to help narrow down their holdings much at all. I feel like I played these hands horribly, but when faced with these ridiculous quarter pot bets I just can't keep my finger off the call button. I can't help but think about all the times when I call in these situations with strongish hands and villain shows something complete ridiculous.


Hand 1: Well river seems like a pretty clear fold in retrospect, but what about the other streets? At what point would you fold this?

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $1.00 BB (4 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: 2+2 Forums)

Button ($410.95)
Hero ($99)
BB ($100)
UTG ($118.20)

Preflop: Hero is SB with 9[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], 8[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img].
<font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Button raises to $3</font>, Hero calls $2.50, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>.

Flop: ($7) J[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 7[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], 5[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
Hero checks, <font color="#CC3333">Button bets $2</font>, Hero calls $2.

Turn: ($11) 9[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
Hero checks, <font color="#CC3333">Button bets $4</font>, Hero calls $4.

River: ($19) Q[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
Hero checks, <font color="#CC3333">Button bets $5</font>, Hero calls $5.

Final Pot: $29


Hand 2: Only river is interesting. His pf and flop range is pretty massive. At the river I'm beating Ax and a missed flush draw, and getting fantastic odds. Easy fold anyway?

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $1.00 BB (5 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: 2+2 Forums)

Button ($171.85)
SB ($112.30)
Hero ($100.70)
UTG ($100)
MP ($132.50)

Preflop: Hero is BB with A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], K[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img].
<font color="#CC3333">UTG raises to $4</font>, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, Button calls $4, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises to $17</font>, UTG folds, Button calls $13.

Flop: ($38.50) J[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], 8[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 8[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">Hero bets $20</font>, Button calls $20.

Turn: ($78.50) Q[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
Hero checks, Button checks.

River: ($78.50) 8[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
Hero checks, <font color="#CC3333">Button bets $10</font>, Hero calls $10.

Final Pot: $98.50

[TheRenaissance]

Hand 1: As you said, everything is fine but the river.
Hand 2: Calling river is ok I guess, if for no other reason than to give you a read on his bet sizing.

[SavageMiser]

I disagree on Hand 1. I fold this pre-flop, but I'm like that with suited connectors OOP. I don't like calling the flop or the turn or the river.

But OK, let's say I did call the flop, I would then check-raise the turn. The flop call looks like you're drawing, let him think you hit. Check-calling with second pair on a flushing, coordinated board seems leaky to me.

If a player is constantly making small bets in position like this, he's usually angling for information. He's saying "I have nothing or very little, how about you?" You can call them down with TP and get paid but if you have nothing or a middling holding I think you've got to show some aggression to take down the pot.

Hand 2 is OK.