Blind War
 

Villain here is a chatty TAG (23/17/3 ATT to steal = 40) who feels the need to talk about how great he is. We have tangled in the past in blind battles, and I have advised him to watch it and have played back at him with junk. The hand below is an example of the pissing contest that we are in. He is constantly trying to outplay me (as he is clearly uncomfortable with his inability to please a woman orally), and I am just trying to get to SD with anything reasonable.

Party Poker 3/6 Hold'em (6 max, 5 handed) converter

Preflop: Hero is BB with 9[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], 8[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img].
<font color="#666666">3 folds</font>, <font color="#CC3333">SB raises</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero 3-bets</font>, SB calls.

Flop: (6 SB) 8[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], 3[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], K[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
SB checks, <font color="#CC3333">Hero bets</font>, <font color="#CC3333">SB raises</font>, Hero calls.

Turn: (5 BB) J[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">SB bets</font>, Hero calls.

River: (7 BB) 4[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
SB checks, Hero checks.

Final Pot: 7 BB

Results in white below: <font color="#FFFFFF">
SB has 5d Jd (one pair, jacks).
Hero has 9c 8c (one pair, eights).
Outcome: SB wins 7 BB. </font>

Party Poker 3/6 Hold'em (6 max, 6 handed) converter

Preflop: Hero is BB with K[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], 8[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img].
<font color="#666666">4 folds</font>, <font color="#CC3333">SB raises</font>, Hero calls.

Flop: (4 SB) 4[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], Q[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], 2[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
SB checks, Hero checks.

Turn: (2 BB) 5[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">SB bets</font>, Hero calls.

River: (4 BB) 9[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
SB checks, Hero checks.

Final Pot: 4 BB

Thoughts?

Re: Blind War
 

In hand 1 I normally call preflop. If he is stealing a ton, I could see 3-betting to try to get him off your back. I also might valuebet the river, as I think he will call with A high, smaller PPs. Granted you are behind sometimes, but I do think there is value here.

Hand 2, I 3-bet preflop [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]. I think this is a much better 3-bet than hand 1. Given that you didn't I kinda like your postflop play. You have a decently strong hand that you want to get to showdown. He checks the flop, which is so suspicious, and you don't want to fall into his trap. The rest of the hand looks fine.

Re: Blind War
 

I don't like the PF 3-bet in hand 1.

I'd play hand 2 the same.

I find blind wars tough to digest. Most of the time, they are pissing matches where the winner &amp; the pot size is determined by sheer luck (i.e. an unlikely pair spiked in a spot where the hand shouldn't be). I try to avoid unnecessary PF aggression without better hands (e.g. 98s).

Re: Blind War
 

[ QUOTE ]
In hand 1 I normally call preflop. If he is stealing a ton, I could see 3-betting to try to get him off your back. I also might valuebet the river, as I think he will call with A high, smaller PPs. Granted you are behind sometimes, but I do think there is value here.

Hand 2, I 3-bet preflop [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]. I think this is a much better 3-bet than hand 1. Given that you didn't I kinda like your postflop play. You have a decently strong hand that you want to get to showdown. He checks the flop, which is so suspicious, and you don't want to fall into his trap. The rest of the hand looks fine.

[/ QUOTE ]

i was intentoanlly varying my play to keep him off balance, hence the 3-bet with 98s and the call with K8s.

Re: Blind War
 

i may be wrong, but how about a river bet in hand 1. This type of player would surely bet with a k or j and he might call with as little as ace high. Is this horrible?

Re: Blind War
 

[ QUOTE ]
I was intentoanlly varying my play to keep him off balance, hence the 3-bet with 98s and the call with K8s.

[/ QUOTE ]

I know I have nearly no posts, so my advice is not viewed as credible, but, given your other threads, you may want to check out the short-handed play chapters in King Yao's book. Specifically the top 10 mistakes in shorthanded play chapter where he talks about intentionally varying your play (and how it's almost never correct to do so).

Forgive me if this is rude or insulting as I in no way mean to be.

Re: Blind War
 

You got the preflop backwards on these.

Hand 1, I just call preflop.

Hand 2, I re-raise because I have high card power.

Re: Blind War
 

[ QUOTE ]
i was intentoanlly varying my play to keep him off balance, hence the 3-bet with 98s and the call with K8s.

[/ QUOTE ]

You gotta push your edge if he's going to steal every time from the SB. You give up too much not 3betting K8.

If you're running good, and he knows it, I don't mind 3betting 98 as well, but you shouldn't do it every time IMO.

Re: Blind War
 

I also think you have a thin value bet in hand 1. You have to expect that a K or J would bet the river. Unless he'll bluff raise the river at something close to the correct frequency -- in which case I think check is good.

Hand 2 it sounds like you are ahead of his range, so I'd 3 bet. I can sort of see not 3 betting with an ace for deception occasionally, but it's not like you're giving away your hand by 3 betting here, especially in view of your 3 bet in the first hand. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

Z