Re: How good is this advice??
 

Thanks. Yes, I have taken a look at this.


His presentation is different than how I think of the game. He talks of a certain style and adjusting that style based on the opponents reactions without mentioning the cards being held. I think more in terms of the cards I have and how those cards react to cards the opponent may have and come up with strategies based on that and how my opponent plays. At least this is how it appeared to me.


For example, the pound pound pound strategy can work very poorly against a tight-passive opponent. But I may have misread or misunderstood something. I like and respect Abdul's writings very much.

Re: How good is this advice??
 

Interesting post Russ,


I have a few points to contend with,


I don't think you should call every preflop raise even if your opponent raises 100% of the time, while I don't think you lose much in folding even your very worst hands I think you should still fold them, I can think of no way to "prove" this is more profitable, but in my experience it seems slightly better.


Also I think threebetting from the big blind has its place preflop, especially if it will slow down the opposition in future hands.


I also think you should fold your worst hands on the button preflop, although you I think raising or folding is certainly viable.


By the way, while I can respect your confidence in yourself, I don't think making bold (and to my knowledge unjustified) claims about how you are the best player in the world is going to go over well in this forum.


Best of it,


Shawn Keller

Re: How good is this advice??
 

I also think you should fold your worst hands on the button preflop, although you I think raising or folding is certainly viable.


I'm sure you meant "raising or calling here". You're getting 3 to 1 for your hand, and you have position, so why fold? I think the worst hand, 32, has pot equity of .32


By the way, while I can respect your confidence in yourself, I don't think making bold (and to my knowledge unjustified) claims about how you are the best player in the world is going to go over well in this forum.


Russ didn't post this here. He posted it on RGP. Someone else re-posted it.

Re: How good is this advice??
 

I really think you should re-examine the strength of starting hands. 32 is not the worst. It can still make a straight where as 72 cannot, nor can 83 or 94.


I also think you are too caught up with the pot odds. Again, it is more important to play the opponent than the cards in heads up. If the opponent raises only with quality hands, a muck is in order with trash hands. However, if the raise is with anything, one random trash hand is as good as another. Heads up Texas holdem is a game played with chips, not cards. Whoever can exert more control over the betting and the money in the pot has the advantage.

Re: How good is this advice??
 

When you semi-bluff a drawing hand, you can either play for a free card or try to win the pot through aggression, but not both (you can't have your cake and eat it too). You have to decide which way to go.


To me, this is not right. First, a semi-bluff is an aggressive action in an attempt to win the pot immediately. Second, it can still be a play for a free card depending upon position. By playing for a free card, you must be the last to act. It makes no sense to be playing for a free card to semi-bluff bet or semi-bluff check-raise when you are the first to act. There is no such thing as a semi-bluff for a free card on the turn (fourth street). Therefore, when you semi-bluff a drawing hand, you are doing both, playing for the free card AND trying to win the pot. (The cake is delicious!)


This is essentially the flip-side of our position discussion: Position with regards to betting opposed to position with regards to starting hands.


If there is any decision to make, it is whether to bet or to take the free card on the turn.


Against a calling station type opponent who doesn't fold as often as he should, you take the free card.


I don't think this quite right, either. On the flop, you're getting your 2:1 odds on 2:1 or so draws. A semi-bluff on the flop against a calling station is a good move. It gets money into the pot. However, a check on the turn is usually a good move because of the shift in the odds for the draw.

Re: How good is this advice??
 

I really think you should re-examine the strength of starting hands. 32 is not the worst. It can still make a straight where as 72 cannot, nor can 83 or 94.


Remember, this is talking about in position only. In position, when you act, all you know is your opponent is playing a random hand. What hands your opponent will play doesn't enter into what hands are good enough for you to play. The pot is offering you 3 to 1, so any hand is good enough to play that will pay 3 to 1 or better. The worst hand, 32, pays almost 2 to 1, so against an unknown opponent, you're theoretically giving away money by folding. Against certain opponents, it may be more profitable to fold it than play it, not because it's not worth playing, but because folding may induce more profitable errors on the part of your opponent.


Regarding 32, in headsup the high card value is more important than the straight value. 94 is much better than 32.


I also think you are too caught up with the pot odds. Again, it is more important to play the opponent than the cards in heads up.


Both are important. You have to play both cards and your opponent. Of course your cards are important, or else you would play all cards the same. Actually, it's important to *appear* to be doing just that (playing all hands alike), but in reality you have a plan in mind with different hands/flops based on your perception of your opponent's play.


If the opponent raises only with quality hands, a muck is in order with trash hands.


This isn't true at all. If your opponent is only playing quality hands, you should bring in every hand with a raise. (Remember, this is in position, acting against a random hand). You'll kill him by eating his blinds. If he shows strength, then you can consider getting out if the flop misses you.


Heads up Texas holdem is a game played with chips, not cards.


It looks to me like you're contradicting yourself. If holdem is played with chips, not cards, then the cards don't matter. If the cards don't matter, then you shouldn't fold some hands and not fold others. But you're advocating folding "trash" hands. So cards do matter.

Re: How good is this advice??
 

To me, this is not right. First, a semi-bluff is an aggressive action in an attempt to win the pot immediately. Second, it can still be a play for a free card depending upon position. By playing for a free card, you must be the last to act. It makes no sense to be playing for a free card to semi-bluff bet or semi-bluff check-raise when you are the first to act. There is no such thing as a semi-bluff for a free card on the turn (fourth street). Therefore, when you semi-bluff a drawing hand, you are doing both, playing for the free card AND trying to win the pot. (The cake is delicious!)


Obviously the choice is regarding the play of the next round. On the round you raise, you are hoping your opponent will fold, but if he doesn't, what do you do next round? You can either play for a free card, or you can make a play at the pot. You can't do both (have your cake and eat it too, at least not on the same round).


You *can* make a play for a free card out of position. On the flop you check-raise. On the turn you check again. If your opponent is afraid of your check-raising him again, you get your free card. If he's not afraid, perhaps it's because you're not check-raising him enough on the turn. If you mix up your play of good hands on the turn, he won't automatically bet into you when you check.


The turn raise play would not be for a free card per se, but for a free showdown. That is, with a hand that you plan on showing down, you can raise on the turn with the hope that you win the pot right there, or win by improving (in which case the raise gets you an extra bet), or you can show down your hand without having to pay any more than you would have anyway. So it costs you no more when you lose, and you get an extra bet when you win (and you give yourself the opportunity to win the pot right away)




Against a calling station type opponent who doesn't fold as often as he should, you take the free card.


I don't think this quite right, either. On the flop, you're getting your 2:1 odds on 2:1 or so draws. A semi-bluff on the flop against a calling station is a good move. It gets money into the pot. However, a check on the turn is usually a good move because of the shift in the odds for the draw.


If you're a favorite over pot odds, then you're not semi-bluffing, you're just betting/raising for value.


BTW, thanks for the responses. I enjoy the discussion. Hope you do too.