Back in the Game
I decided to go ahead and sit down at one table of NL $50. I had a good session (+$18) without getting any big hands or winning any big pots. Here's a few key hands:
Poker Stars - No Limit Hold'em Cash Game - $0.25/$0.50 Blinds - 6 Players - (LegoPoker HH Converter)
Hero (SB): $50.60
BB: $61.95
UTG: $25.75
MP: $147.25
CO: $9.95
BTN: $47.55
Preflop: Hero is dealt 9
9
(6 Players)
UTG calls $0.50, MP raises to $2.50, 2 folds, Hero calls $2.25, 2 folds
This guy was really tight (12/9/3) over 100 hands. With the 9s I decide to call, pretty much playing for set value. I figure it's highly likely he has a big pair.
Flop: ($6) 7
5
T (2 Players)
Hero checks, MP bets $4.00, Hero raises to $12.00, MP folds
I was planning on actually folding, but I smelled weakness in his bet. When I checked to him he instantly bet $4, I put him on just a couple of high cards after that and made it $12. It worked.
Pot Size: $22.00 ($0.65 Rake)
Poker Stars - No Limit Hold'em Cash Game - $0.25/$0.50 Blinds - 6 Players - (LegoPoker HH Converter)
SB: $139.70
BB: $48.25
UTG: $52.45
Hero (MP): $53.60
CO: $113.70
BTN: $51.60
Preflop: Hero is dealt 8 9 (6 Players)
UTG folds, Hero raises to $1.50, CO calls $1.50, BTN calls $1.50, SB folds, BB calls $1.00
I was looking to see flops in this game. A few loose/bad players in the game so I figured I could build a little pot preflop and hopefully hit something to win a big pot.
Flop: ($6.25) 4 A 5 (4 Players)
BB checks, Hero checks, CO checks, BTN checks
Blech. No point in c-betting here.
Turn: ($6.25) 4 A 5 3 (4 Players)
BB checks, Hero checks, CO checks, BTN checks
Still no point in c-betting. Last time I tried this I got called with K-high (I had QJ) and lost the hand.
River: ($6.25) 4 A 5 3 8 (4 Players)
BB checks, Hero bets $2.50, CO folds, BTN calls $2.50, BB folds
I hit my 8, I know that nobody has an ace, and I think someone slowplaying would've done something on the turn. I figure I can get called by bluff catchers such as K-high, so I make a small bet, 40% of the pot. I get one call.
Pot Size: $11.25 ($0.50 Rake)
BTN had 8 7 and LOST (-$4.00)
Hero had 8 9 (a pair of Eights) and WON (+$6.75)
It worked, but not the way I intended it. Thinnest value bet ever.
One more:
Poker Stars - No Limit Hold'em Cash Game - $0.25/$0.50 Blinds - 5 Players - (LegoPoker HH Converter)
SB: $53.55
BB: $142.15
UTG: $38.20
CO: $51.65
Hero (BTN): $61.95
Preflop: Hero is dealt 8 A (5 Players)
UTG folds, CO raises to $2.00, Hero calls $2.00, 2 folds
This guy was tight, and I know he could have a big ace, but I'm flat-calling here anyway. I have no problem folding if the flop comes A-x-x and he pots it or near pots it.
Flop: ($4.75) 6 8 4 (2 Players)
CO bets $4.00, Hero calls $4.00
This is actually more dangerous for me than if it had come A-6-4. That's because he likely bets this flop with overcards as well, with an A-6-4 flop he may check to me if he has KQ, and with a $4 bet I'd just give him credit for the ace and fold. I make my standard play though and float.
Turn: ($12.75) 6 8 4 7 (2 Players)
CO checks, Hero bets $7.50, CO folds
Turn comes another "scare" card and I fire out $7.50 when he checks to me. There's a lot of hands I'm representing here (with of course a decent made one already). There's a few two pair hands I could have 87, 86. I could also have a set, or a made straight (which would probably mean I'd have to have 55 or 75, possibly 65). He actually used his time bank and folded. Don't know if he was having connection problems (he took about 10 seconds to make the c-bet too) or if he actually laid down an overpair. If he called I don't know what I would have done on the river. I guess I'd probably just have to check behind and hope he had AK and continued because he picked up a draw on the turn.
Another example of why you're so much better of flat calling in position. A8 isn't good enough to reraise this player anyway, but if I had AK I would've done the same thing.
Pot Size: $20.25 ($0.60 Rake)
So I got in 116 hands, picked up $18 and cleared my bonus too for an extra $50. With the bonus I'm really only down $30, or a little more than half a buy-in. That's not the end of the world. I certainly believe I can beat NL $50. I'd like to get to NL $100 by the end of the summer. I'm finding other ways to win pots/extract value, I'm playing well after the flop, and minimizing my losses when I do run into big hands.
Poker Stars - No Limit Hold'em Cash Game - $0.25/$0.50 Blinds - 6 Players - (LegoPoker HH Converter)
Hero (SB): $50.60
BB: $61.95
UTG: $25.75
MP: $147.25
CO: $9.95
BTN: $47.55
Preflop: Hero is dealt 9
9 (6 Players)UTG calls $0.50, MP raises to $2.50, 2 folds, Hero calls $2.25, 2 folds
This guy was really tight (12/9/3) over 100 hands. With the 9s I decide to call, pretty much playing for set value. I figure it's highly likely he has a big pair.
Flop: ($6) 7
5 T (2 Players)Hero checks, MP bets $4.00, Hero raises to $12.00, MP folds
I was planning on actually folding, but I smelled weakness in his bet. When I checked to him he instantly bet $4, I put him on just a couple of high cards after that and made it $12. It worked.
Pot Size: $22.00 ($0.65 Rake)
Poker Stars - No Limit Hold'em Cash Game - $0.25/$0.50 Blinds - 6 Players - (LegoPoker HH Converter)
SB: $139.70
BB: $48.25
UTG: $52.45
Hero (MP): $53.60
CO: $113.70
BTN: $51.60
Preflop: Hero is dealt 8
9 (6 Players)UTG folds, Hero raises to $1.50, CO calls $1.50, BTN calls $1.50, SB folds, BB calls $1.00
I was looking to see flops in this game. A few loose/bad players in the game so I figured I could build a little pot preflop and hopefully hit something to win a big pot.
Flop: ($6.25) 4
A 5 (4 Players)BB checks, Hero checks, CO checks, BTN checks
Blech. No point in c-betting here.
Turn: ($6.25) 4
A 5 3 (4 Players)BB checks, Hero checks, CO checks, BTN checks
Still no point in c-betting. Last time I tried this I got called with K-high (I had QJ) and lost the hand.
River: ($6.25) 4
A 5 3 8 (4 Players)BB checks, Hero bets $2.50, CO folds, BTN calls $2.50, BB folds
I hit my 8, I know that nobody has an ace, and I think someone slowplaying would've done something on the turn. I figure I can get called by bluff catchers such as K-high, so I make a small bet, 40% of the pot. I get one call.
Pot Size: $11.25 ($0.50 Rake)
BTN had 8
7 and LOST (-$4.00)Hero had 8
9 (a pair of Eights) and WON (+$6.75)It worked, but not the way I intended it. Thinnest value bet ever.
One more:
Poker Stars - No Limit Hold'em Cash Game - $0.25/$0.50 Blinds - 5 Players - (LegoPoker HH Converter)
SB: $53.55
BB: $142.15
UTG: $38.20
CO: $51.65
Hero (BTN): $61.95
Preflop: Hero is dealt 8
A (5 Players)UTG folds, CO raises to $2.00, Hero calls $2.00, 2 folds
This guy was tight, and I know he could have a big ace, but I'm flat-calling here anyway. I have no problem folding if the flop comes A-x-x and he pots it or near pots it.
Flop: ($4.75) 6
8 4 (2 Players)CO bets $4.00, Hero calls $4.00
This is actually more dangerous for me than if it had come A-6-4. That's because he likely bets this flop with overcards as well, with an A-6-4 flop he may check to me if he has KQ, and with a $4 bet I'd just give him credit for the ace and fold. I make my standard play though and float.
Turn: ($12.75) 6
8 4 7 (2 Players)CO checks, Hero bets $7.50, CO folds
Turn comes another "scare" card and I fire out $7.50 when he checks to me. There's a lot of hands I'm representing here (with of course a decent made one already). There's a few two pair hands I could have 87, 86. I could also have a set, or a made straight (which would probably mean I'd have to have 55 or 75, possibly 65). He actually used his time bank and folded. Don't know if he was having connection problems (he took about 10 seconds to make the c-bet too) or if he actually laid down an overpair. If he called I don't know what I would have done on the river. I guess I'd probably just have to check behind and hope he had A
K and continued because he picked up a draw on the turn.Another example of why you're so much better of flat calling in position. A
8 isn't good enough to reraise this player anyway, but if I had AK I would've done the same thing.Pot Size: $20.25 ($0.60 Rake)
So I got in 116 hands, picked up $18 and cleared my bonus too for an extra $50. With the bonus I'm really only down $30, or a little more than half a buy-in. That's not the end of the world. I certainly believe I can beat NL $50. I'd like to get to NL $100 by the end of the summer. I'm finding other ways to win pots/extract value, I'm playing well after the flop, and minimizing my losses when I do run into big hands.
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