Newbie here

[McNeese72]

I've just started playing the microlimit games the last month or so. And I'm in my third reading of SSHE. I jumped right into $1/2 on Pokerstars to start with and learned real quick that I needed some more seasoning to play at that level. So I've dropped down and have played .50/1 and .25/.50 and, also, some .05/.10 just for the hell of it. I've been having more winning sessions than losing and am slowly winning back what I lost in a couple of sessions of $1/2.

I know things are a lot looser in .05/.10 and it is hard to protect a hand but what would you guys do different in the hand below. Or should I just mark it up as it sometimes happens even though it is very irritating. Thanks for any suggestions.

PokerStars 0.05/0.10 Hold'em (9 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

Preflop: Hero is MP1 with K/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, K/images/graemlins/spade.gif.
<font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, UTG+1 :#A500AF(villain)/ calls, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises</font>, <font color="#666666">2 folds</font>, CO calls, Button calls, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, BB calls, UTG+1 :#A500AF(villain)/ calls.

Flop: (10.40 SB) 2/images/graemlins/heart.gif, 6/images/graemlins/spade.gif, T/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="#0000FF">(5 players)</font>
BB checks, villain checks, <font color="#CC3333">Hero bets</font>, CO folds, Button calls, BB calls, villain calls.

Turn: (7.20 BB) 3/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="#0000FF">(4 players)</font>
BB checks, villain checks, <font color="#CC3333">Hero bets</font>, Button calls, BB calls, villain calls.

River: (11.20 BB) 6/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="#0000FF">(4 players)</font>
BB checks, <font color="#CC3333">villain bets</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises</font>, Button folds, BB calls, <font color="#CC3333">villain 3-bets</font>, Hero calls, BB calls.

Final Pot: 20.20 BB

Results in white below: <font color="#FFFFFF">
BB has 8s 8d (two pair, eights and sixes).
villain has 6h 7s (three of a kind, sixes).
Hero has Kd Ks (two pair, kings and sixes).
Outcome: villain wins 20.20 BB. </font>

[ArturiusX]

Hi, and welcome. I'd focus on replying to hands rather than posting your own (unless you've got something REALLY tricky). Don't worry about a bad reply, a resident 2+2er will always correct/argue with you. Don't be afraid to contribute.

Anyway, on with the hand, I play it the same. Its a bad beat, theres nothing you can do. Its poker, just accept.

[PokerProdigy]

You played it well and can't really worry about this sort of thing, I didn't see any chances to protect your hand so you just have to bet for value like you did.

[McNeese72]

Okay, thanks. I've been lurking and reading posts for about two weeks. Will continue to do that. The hand just irritated me.

[Dave G.]

Hi,

I think you should just call this river. Not knowing anything about villain it's hard to know what he's doing. If he's very passive typically then this bet is quite scary.

The main reason for just calling the river though is you have two people to act behind you who might call the river for one bet, but probably not for two.

If you call here and they both call, you win 3 bets when you're ahead from your opponents. But if you raise, most likely button and BB will fold, and you'll only win 2 bets off villain if you're ahead. If you are behind, villain will 3-bet you and you end up losing 3 bets here instead of just 1.

So by calling, when you're ahead you win 3 bets. When you're behind you lose 1. But by raising, when you're ahead you win only 2 bets, but when you're behind you lose 3. Calling is therefore a much better play than raising.

Edit: I'll add also that I play the rest of the hand the same way.

[PokerProdigy]

Hey ArturiusX can I ask you your opinion on a certain part of this hand that confuses the hell out of me?

P.S. This post is not just for Arturius X but also anyone else who wants to discuss this topic. It's regarding whether a raise (by hero) was correct on the river.

[Elbie]

I would just call that river-bet with people still to act behind.

Welcome to the forums. Don't include the results in your future posts

[McNeese72]

The river raise was the only thing that I questioned myself on.

[ArturiusX]

Its a tough one, because the villian woke up to the board pairing, which is never a pretty site.

If we call, we may gain overcalls, although thats not certain. .05/.10 will probably call though, so with that in mind I think call/raise is pretty close. The good part about a raise is that hands like 88, 99, JJ and QQ (although villian didnt raise preflop, at this level its not uncommon for EP limpers with these hands) will have to pay extra bets to take a showdown.

If our players yet to act call, and the villian 3-bets, we're obviously in big trouble, but we can call since we're trapping more bets.

So yeah, I think its close. But the chance of a mid pocket pulling off a semi bluff would tip me towards a raise.


Oh yeah, don't post results too (to the OP).

[Dave G.]

[ QUOTE ]
If our players yet to act call, and the villian 3-bets, we're obviously in big trouble, but we can call since we're trapping more bets.

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree that we have to call because we don't know what villain is doing, but if we are 3-bet here we are hardly "trapping bets". Getting 3-bet here means we are almost always dead.

[McNeese72]

Okay, no results next time. What's the reasoning?

[ArturiusX]

Oh yeah, we're toast. But I could imagine QQ/JJ playing the same way (total donk, but this is .05/.10).

Also one factor I left out, is of course, a read. A true TAG playing the same as the villian would check-raise this river (would have made the villian a lot more money). So, hes probably not bright, and we might be able to put him as being a semi-bluffer with AT or something. *shrugs*

[k000k]

[ QUOTE ]
Hi, and welcome. I'd focus on replying to hands rather than posting your own (unless you've got something REALLY tricky). Don't worry about a bad reply, a resident 2+2er will always correct/argue with you. Don't be afraid to contribute.

Anyway, on with the hand, I play it the same. Its a bad beat, theres nothing you can do. Its poker, just accept.

[/ QUOTE ]

Welcome to the forums. Yep, what he said.. In fact, posting wrong answers about hands is probably about the fastest way to learn the right moves!

This hand is 100% straight forward, every action you made was easily the right action, no question. Looks like you lost unless he's betting you have 2 overcards, but oh well, next hand...

Edit: I read the river action wrong, I though he DID checkraise it, which would be an easy call.. I'd definately without question CALL the river bet, not raise it.. Sry bout that,

[KaiShin]

[ QUOTE ]
Okay, no results next time. What's the reasoning?

[/ QUOTE ]
It may skew the advice from those posters who don't have the willpower to not look at the results /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[ArturiusX]

[ QUOTE ]
Okay, no results next time. What's the reasoning?

[/ QUOTE ]

Its just about giving us the same information that was available to you at the time. Unless of course your cheating, in which case you don't really need to be posting here /images/graemlins/cool.gif

[Dave G.]

Nevermind. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[k000k]

[ QUOTE ]
I disagree that raising the river is "easily" the right decision. It may be closer than I think but it's still pretty marginal.

What do you put villain on that we are still beating well enough to risk driving out the two potential callers behind us for the opportunity to face a 3-bet?

[/ QUOTE ]

Ya, I agree, see edit...

[davelin]

Personally I'd just call the river bet.

[Greg J]

Welcome.

You played this hand okay until the river. I really think that villian is giving away his hand -- I mean he is basically telling you, "hey, I have a six." This kind of bet is a dead give away. Many loose and clueless players will do this instead of checkraising. Of course you have to call it down (as they will make silly bluffs often enough to make calling profitable), but I don't think you should raise.

EDIT: Others mentioned calling to go for overcalls. I agree that this is another reason to just call. Others have explained this well.

[HajiShirazu]

I would just call the river bet, especially since you can get overcalls and you probably have to call a 3-bet since the pot will be extremely large and you beat almost any hand that doesn't have a six.
For what it's worth, it's pretty close as in my experience the guy doesn't have a 6 here as often as people seem to think. Heads up I would always raise.