Was pretty pleased with play today. I want to still loosen up, I am running 17/14/6 through the 800 hands I played today. Good bankroll management and confidence – these two things play a huge roll in poker. I am very happy that after my downswing last month, I went back to 25NL for confidence. I made up some of my lost bankroll and gained confidence in myself. Then, I had the BR and mindset to go back and challenge $50NL. I played for a bit today, as my wife wanted to read. I made just under 1 BI, which sure helps with the confidence aspect.
This is pretty standard, though I made the mistake of thinking he went all in for some reason, I dunno why I had that brain fart. In any event, this is still getting all in on the flop, just a standard hand where we both played it right and is really neutral EV, because there will be the times when I have the AA and the villain has the KK to nullify it. In fact, it happened the very next hand!! lol
Again standard. I just missed the combo draw this time.
Do I need to be double barreling this turn? No reads at all, villain just sat down. I just don’t think he is folding, based on his stack size.
Obviously giving this hand up. I have A high and don’t think it is too smart to get it all in on the flop with A high.
Too weak, how should I play this flop?
Here is a hand that I won that I think I did not play optimally.
$0.25/$0.5 No Limit Holdem
6 players
Converted at weaktight.com
Stacks:
| UTG | ($48.25) | ||
| UTG+1 | ($40.15) | ||
| CO | ($79.15) | ||
| Hero | ($71.15) | ||
| SB | ($63.30) | ||
| BB | ($8.50) |
Pre-flop: ($0.75, 6 players) Hero is BTN
2 folds, CO raises to $2, Hero raises to $6.75, 2 folds, CO calls $4.75
This is an obvious 3-bet preflop, raising it up here for value. Villain is 17/8/2.5 over about 80 hands.
Flop: 
($14.25, 2 players)
CO checks, Hero bets $8.75, CO calls $8.75
This is a standard cbet I would make on this board, slightly more than half the pot.
Turn: 
($31.75, 2 players)
CO checks, Hero ($55.65)?
I bet $21 here on the turn. It was about 65% of the pot or so, but about 40% of my stack, which is the effective stack for this hand. I thought I needed to check here, to induce a river bluff, but was told this is too obvioius of a line. A better bet is about $15, so he can raise it up to 3 * my bet and think he has some fold equity. I cost myself some good value here, because I am pretty sure he had a made hand (he folded).
I do find I am getting 3-bet off of my low and medium pps. This happened about 4 or 5 times today. I think that appleseed brought up a good point to me, that I sometimes need to switch tables even if I do think I am better than the other players. The fact remains that there are easier tables out there to tackle. So there is that slight difference. The play though is still generally atrocious at this level, so I should have no problem with this level. Here is a hand to illustrate just how terrible some of these players truly are.
$0.25/$0.5 No Limit Holdem
5 players
Converted at weaktight.com
Stacks:
| UTG | ($38.85) | ||
| Hero | ($54.10) | ||
| BTN | ($26.15) | ||
| SB | ($47.70) | ||
| BB | ($116.00) |
Pre-flop: ($0.75, 5 players) Hero is CO
UTG calls $0.5, Hero raises to $2.25, 3 folds, UTG calls $1.75
Flop: 
($5.25, 2 players)
UTG bets $2, Hero raises to $6, UTG calls $4
Turn: 
($17.25, 2 players)
UTG bets $17.5, Hero raises to $35, UTG calls $13.1
River: 
($82.85, 2 players)
Final Pot: $78.45
UTG shows: 
Hero shows:
Hero wins $79.85 ( won +$36.6 )
UTG lost -$38.85
On “Too weak, how should I play this flop?” – when you find out how to play this let me know too! I think I would maybe bet out $4 into the $4.50 pot just to show you’re serious and not trying to buy the pot cheaply but I think you do have to muck after his raise unless you have some read on the player. At least that’s the way I’ve been playing it. I have, on a rare occasion, re-raised and either won the pot or given up with a bigger loss.
I need to learn to leave a table if there’s a lot of three betting going on also. If they’re three betting they are at least mildly competent and at worst maybe they’re good. I stubbornly stay there when I feel I’m better than them (or most of them) and there’s just so many softer tables where you know your pocket 5s won’t get re-raised.
I’m glad you finally got your money moved over. Don’t wipe all the fish out for at least one more week while I try to clear a $75 bonus from Full Tilt.
1)”Combo Draw”
I’m almost tempted to shove the turn but villain was an unknown so I like a check behind. If villain has seen you bet your strong hands all the way, I like the shove because you have one over and the flush draw. He could possibly fold a weak mid pair or oe str8 draw when the J hit the turn.
2)”A High”
Sometimes I check behind on a low draw heavy flop if SB is solid or tight passive. I think he CC alot of low-mid pairs on SB. That flop really hit’s his range. I probably don’t even bet pock A on that flop. I would look to pot control and spike an A or K on the turn and see what he does OOP on the turn.
3)”Too Weak”
Depends on your read vs villain. He limps and calls your 3 bet. You bet 3/4 pot and he reraises you 3x on a low flop. It depends on what you think he limps BTN with and if he will double barrel or shut down if called on the flop.
With no reads, I don’t mind a bet/fold. If you think he is tricky tag/lag, I would bet/call and evaluate he does on the turn. If he bet’s 3/4 pot or higher on turn, I would just c/fold. I think you can find a better spot vs BTN because you will have position on him for most of the orbit.
4)”pock Q”
Preflop:
Standard
Flop:
I like a bigger bet since you guys are about 150 deep. I would bet around $10-$12 and if he calls the pot will be $40 or so. This flop is so draw heavy, he can’t possibly fold a flush draw or oe str8 draw. Wanna build the pot so that you can get it in by the river.
Turn:
Once the 9 hits, you pretty much got the nuts. Your no longer scared of the oe str8 or flush draw. Therefore, I think a bet of 1/2 pot will be good and try to bait him in. You could possibly check too to induce a bluff on the river because he will think your on the flush draw yourself. (These are all read dependent, no reads I just bet 1/2 pot and don’t check the turn).
5)”910s hand”
well played. I like the preflop 3 bet on CO. I like the donk lead. I’m trying to incorporate that more into my game. I usually think they are leading strong and I just call because I don’t want to get blown off my hand/draw.
Once you hit your turn flush, you just gotta go with it and shove.
well played.
Appleseed:
1) Interesting thoughts on hand 1 with the combo draw, I will look into how that plays out, double barreling that hand.
2) I agree with your commetn here on the rag flop to a degree. The thing is, I 3-bet here preflop, so I have to bet this flop every single time. If it were a normal raise and not a 3-bet, then it depends on villain. Weak players I m cbetting everytime. A player capable of C/R the flop, I might opt to take a free card and if any paint comes, I go for the delayed cbet.
4) I really don’t want to scare out too many hands here, so I am not sure if betting that high is good or not, it is worth looking into it. I discussed this hand with Jason and he believes a smaller turn bet is good. I thought about a check as well, but it is too transparent. I smaller turn bet, between 1/3 and 1/2 the size of the pot seems to be the optimal play here.
5) I did not donk lead that hand. I was trying to represent the ace when i raise his flop donk bet. Value town once I hit.
Thanks for the good comments on the hands apple. Might be good to see if we can get a sweat in either Saturday or Sunday. Let me know if you wanna do one.