Back to NL $25
Cashed out $80 on UB (pending approval), so that run is over. Multiplying the free $10 eight-fold in a week, not bad. Anyway, played a little over 200 hands tonight on Stars, here's some interesting ones.
Poker Stars - No Limit Hold'em Cash Game - $0.10/$0.25 Blinds - 4 Players - (LegoPoker HH Converter)
SB: $4.75
BB: $26.60
UTG: $47.55
Hero (BTN): $23.85
Preflop: Hero is dealt K
K
(4 Players)
UTG raises to $1.00, Hero raises to $3.75, 2 folds, UTG calls $2.75
Flop: ($7.85) J 4 7
(2 Players)
UTG bets $4.50, Hero raises to $9.00, UTG raises all-in to $43.80, Hero calls all-in for $11.10
Uncalled bet of $23.70 returned to UTG
Turn: ($48.05) J 4 7 2 (2 Players - 2 All-In)
River: ($48.05) J 4 7 2 A
(2 Players - 2 All-In)
Pot Size: $48.05 ($2 Rake)
UTG had 6 6 (a pair of Sixes) and LOST (-$23.85)
Hero had K K (a pair of Kings) and WON (+$22.20)
Here's a helpful hint. Make bigger reraises with AA and KK (maybe QQ also) in these games. A few reasons. One, it's much easier to put the money in if called. Second, you WILL be called a lot of times. My big reraise looks so much like AK; in fact, villain said he thought I had AK after the hand was over. If I'm doing my math right, villain's implied odds are 9:1, meaning he will have to stack me 5/6 of the time if he hits a set. That will likely happen, since I am basically committing to this pot with my big reraise; though if he puts any money in there postflop sans set, which he did, it's a losing play.
I see this kind of thing often by the way. That is, calling a 3-bet (out of position a lot of times), and then having no plan for the hand. Villain, who seemed like a decent player, looked like he was lost after the flop. So he tried to lead, maybe to "find out where he was at", and so I minraised to induce a shove. (It worked, yay!) He didn't know how to respond to my action though, and ended up resorting to "finding a hand that he could beat" and putting the money in. I'm hoping Professional No Limit Hold'em addresses this topic, because I have trouble with it too in button vs blind situations, and it's the reason I couldn't stay at NL $50.
Poker Stars - No Limit Hold'em Cash Game - $0.10/$0.25 Blinds - 5 Players - (LegoPoker HH Converter)
SB: $26.55
BB: $24.75
Hero (UTG): $32.10
CO: $10.30
BTN: $45.25
Preflop: Hero is dealt T T (5 Players)
Hero raises to $1.00, 3 folds, BB raises to $2.00, Hero calls $1.00
Flop: ($4.10) 4 K T (2 Players)
BB bets $0.50, Hero raises to $4.00, BB calls $3.50
Turn: ($12.10) 4 K T 2 (2 Players)
BB checks, Hero bets $6.00, BB calls $6.00
River: ($24.10) 4 K T 2 7 (2 Players)
BB bets all-in for $12.75, Hero calls $12.75
Pot Size: $49.60 ($2 Rake)
BB had J J (a pair of Jacks) and LOST (-$24.75)
Hero had T T (three of a kind, Tens) and WON (+$22.85)
Here's a hand with a simple plan. I had tens. A passive minbetting player reraises me the minimum (first time he's come over the top in 50 or so hands with him). I figure my tens are behind, but I'm getting 3:1 immediate odds with plenty of money behind, so I call for set value. If I didn't hit my set, I was done with the hand.
I was surprised how it went down after the flop. I hit my set, but he went all the way with JJ. I haven't been showing erratic play in the session, so I don't know how he calls down. I could easily have AK/KQ there. I really thought he had AA. Though perhaps after calling once he felt committed (or liked his flush draw on the turn and figured for only $12.75 on the river had to go for it). I made only 1/2 pot bets on the turn and river, so if wasn't that hard to get the money in.
One more hand:
Poker Stars - No Limit Hold'em Cash Game - $0.10/$0.25 Blinds - 5 Players - (LegoPoker HH Converter)
SB: $67.10
BB: $26.65
UTG: $24.70
CO: $32.10
Hero (BTN): $25.55
Preflop: Hero is dealt A K (5 Players)
2 folds, Hero raises to $1.00, SB calls $0.90, BB folds
Flop: ($2.25) 2 4 7 (2 Players)
SB checks, Hero checks
Turn: ($2.25) 2 4 7 Q (2 Players)
SB checks, Hero bets $1.50, SB calls $1.50
River: ($5.25) 2 4 7 Q K (2 Players)
SB checks, Hero bets $2.50, SB calls $2.50
Pot Size: $10.25 ($0.50 Rake)
SB had Q A and LOST (-$5.00)
Hero had A K (a pair of Kings) and WON (+$4.75)
This is why it's so easy to beat this level. At a higher level I'm getting checkraised on the turn almost always (though I'm probably getting reraised preflop, which I would have to respond with a 4-bet). Here I'm getting merely called by TPTK. The point of this hand though is that you can sometimes valuebet the river with just top pair in these games. After this guy called the turn and checked the river, it looked like he had a modest hand, maybe 66 or 54 or some marginal pair. I hit top pair with top kicker. Also, It doesn't look like I have much, so a 1/2 pot bet would likely be paid off. In the unlikely event that I do get raised, I can ditch the hand. A player checking to me three times though isn't going to have much here 95% of the time.
Finally, Professional No Limit Hold'em, which I alluded to earlier, has been released. I'll have it in 1-3 weeks from Amazon (saving $10 and waiting a bit is worth it). I'm able to crush NL $25 now, but I think this book will help me beat the tougher competition I'd stand to face at the higher levels.
Poker Stars - No Limit Hold'em Cash Game - $0.10/$0.25 Blinds - 4 Players - (LegoPoker HH Converter)
SB: $4.75
BB: $26.60
UTG: $47.55
Hero (BTN): $23.85
Preflop: Hero is dealt K
K (4 Players)UTG raises to $1.00, Hero raises to $3.75, 2 folds, UTG calls $2.75
Flop: ($7.85) J
4 7 (2 Players)UTG bets $4.50, Hero raises to $9.00, UTG raises all-in to $43.80, Hero calls all-in for $11.10
Uncalled bet of $23.70 returned to UTG
Turn: ($48.05) J
4 7 2 (2 Players - 2 All-In)River: ($48.05) J
4 7 2 A (2 Players - 2 All-In)Pot Size: $48.05 ($2 Rake)
UTG had 6
6 (a pair of Sixes) and LOST (-$23.85)Hero had K
K (a pair of Kings) and WON (+$22.20)Here's a helpful hint. Make bigger reraises with AA and KK (maybe QQ also) in these games. A few reasons. One, it's much easier to put the money in if called. Second, you WILL be called a lot of times. My big reraise looks so much like AK; in fact, villain said he thought I had AK after the hand was over. If I'm doing my math right, villain's implied odds are 9:1, meaning he will have to stack me 5/6 of the time if he hits a set. That will likely happen, since I am basically committing to this pot with my big reraise; though if he puts any money in there postflop sans set, which he did, it's a losing play.
I see this kind of thing often by the way. That is, calling a 3-bet (out of position a lot of times), and then having no plan for the hand. Villain, who seemed like a decent player, looked like he was lost after the flop. So he tried to lead, maybe to "find out where he was at", and so I minraised to induce a shove. (It worked, yay!) He didn't know how to respond to my action though, and ended up resorting to "finding a hand that he could beat" and putting the money in. I'm hoping Professional No Limit Hold'em addresses this topic, because I have trouble with it too in button vs blind situations, and it's the reason I couldn't stay at NL $50.
Poker Stars - No Limit Hold'em Cash Game - $0.10/$0.25 Blinds - 5 Players - (LegoPoker HH Converter)
SB: $26.55
BB: $24.75
Hero (UTG): $32.10
CO: $10.30
BTN: $45.25
Preflop: Hero is dealt T
T (5 Players)Hero raises to $1.00, 3 folds, BB raises to $2.00, Hero calls $1.00
Flop: ($4.10) 4
K T (2 Players)BB bets $0.50, Hero raises to $4.00, BB calls $3.50
Turn: ($12.10) 4
K T 2 (2 Players)BB checks, Hero bets $6.00, BB calls $6.00
River: ($24.10) 4
K T 2 7 (2 Players)BB bets all-in for $12.75, Hero calls $12.75
Pot Size: $49.60 ($2 Rake)
BB had J
J (a pair of Jacks) and LOST (-$24.75)Hero had T
T (three of a kind, Tens) and WON (+$22.85)Here's a hand with a simple plan. I had tens. A passive minbetting player reraises me the minimum (first time he's come over the top in 50 or so hands with him). I figure my tens are behind, but I'm getting 3:1 immediate odds with plenty of money behind, so I call for set value. If I didn't hit my set, I was done with the hand.
I was surprised how it went down after the flop. I hit my set, but he went all the way with JJ. I haven't been showing erratic play in the session, so I don't know how he calls down. I could easily have AK/KQ there. I really thought he had AA. Though perhaps after calling once he felt committed (or liked his flush draw on the turn and figured for only $12.75 on the river had to go for it). I made only 1/2 pot bets on the turn and river, so if wasn't that hard to get the money in.
One more hand:
Poker Stars - No Limit Hold'em Cash Game - $0.10/$0.25 Blinds - 5 Players - (LegoPoker HH Converter)
SB: $67.10
BB: $26.65
UTG: $24.70
CO: $32.10
Hero (BTN): $25.55
Preflop: Hero is dealt A
K (5 Players)2 folds, Hero raises to $1.00, SB calls $0.90, BB folds
Flop: ($2.25) 2
4 7 (2 Players)SB checks, Hero checks
Turn: ($2.25) 2
4 7 Q (2 Players)SB checks, Hero bets $1.50, SB calls $1.50
River: ($5.25) 2
4 7 Q K (2 Players)SB checks, Hero bets $2.50, SB calls $2.50
Pot Size: $10.25 ($0.50 Rake)
SB had Q
A and LOST (-$5.00)Hero had A
K (a pair of Kings) and WON (+$4.75)This is why it's so easy to beat this level. At a higher level I'm getting checkraised on the turn almost always (though I'm probably getting reraised preflop, which I would have to respond with a 4-bet). Here I'm getting merely called by TPTK. The point of this hand though is that you can sometimes valuebet the river with just top pair in these games. After this guy called the turn and checked the river, it looked like he had a modest hand, maybe 66 or 54 or some marginal pair. I hit top pair with top kicker. Also, It doesn't look like I have much, so a 1/2 pot bet would likely be paid off. In the unlikely event that I do get raised, I can ditch the hand. A player checking to me three times though isn't going to have much here 95% of the time.
Finally, Professional No Limit Hold'em, which I alluded to earlier, has been released. I'll have it in 1-3 weeks from Amazon (saving $10 and waiting a bit is worth it). I'm able to crush NL $25 now, but I think this book will help me beat the tougher competition I'd stand to face at the higher levels.
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