AQo at 2+2 nano table

#1 09-17-2005, 02:39 AM

I was nursing a headache earlier, and thought this game would be fun as opposed to trying to multitable higher stakes poorly. Game is composed of some very tough TAGs, although a couple players were LAGging it up a bit.

I played extremely tight and aggressive, ending up 12/8/2.6 after 109 hands, although I think my VPIP was only 8-9 at this point. I'd won nearly every hand I played so far, most without showdowns. CO was sparkygoblue, 27/17/1.53.

CO is raising with a wide range of hands here obviously. I am used to a bet/bet/check line with UI overs HU against passive donks, so am not quite sure how to play this.

Preflop and flop are standard, no? I was kind of expecting an obligatory flop checkraise, and planned on calling down if it happened. The turn checkraise surprised me, do I have an easy fold here? I thought there was a decent range of straight draws or overcards that might be trying to push me off the hand. I felt stupid as soon as I hit call, but figured I was showdown committed at that point and called the river.

What if I didn't bet the turn with the intention of calling a bet on the river (raising if I hit a pair)? Is a bet/check/call line ok, or is bet/bet/check still stronger with the intention of bailing if it goes awry?

Thanks in advance for input, comments on all streets are welcome.

PokerStars 0.02/0.04 Hold'em (9 handed) FTR converter on zerodivide.cx

Preflop: Hero is Button with A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], Q[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img].
5 folds, CO raises, Hero 3-bets, 2 folds, CO calls.

Flop: (7.50 SB) 7[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], 6[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], J[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (2 players)
CO checks, Hero bets, CO calls.

Turn: (4.75 BB) 9[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (2 players)
CO checks, Hero bets, CO raises, Hero calls.

River: (8.75 BB) 9[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] (2 players)
CO bets, Hero calls.

Final Pot: 10.75 BB
Main Pot: 10.75 BB, between CO and Hero.

hemstock · #2 09-17-2005, 02:43 AM

You got check-raised by a TAG and propably a thinking player on the turn. Your A-high doesn't look that good does it? The turn bet is the last money I would put in the pot. I'm not sure I like the preflop raise either

12ozLongneck · #3 09-17-2005, 02:50 AM

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You got check-raised by a TAG and propably a thinking player on the turn. Your A-high doesn't look that good does it? The turn bet is the last money I would put in the pot. I'm not sure I like the preflop raise either

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AQo looks pretty good against a high percentage of the hands that CO could be trying to steal with. I like it.

pryor15 · #4 09-17-2005, 05:28 AM

assuming CO is a reasonable player, i don't see too many hands he calls with on the flop that you can beat at the end. he calls with 2 clubs, 89s, or anything that hit the board.

i think the wider range of raising hands CO may be playing pre-flop actually argues for a fold on this board. i doubt you win this often enough.

TomBrooks · #5 09-17-2005, 03:36 PM

Fold when he checkraises you on the turn. Only a maniac would checkraise you with nothing after you three bet pre flop and bet the flop and turn.

POKhER · #6 09-17-2005, 03:43 PM

Fold the turn, can't pin him down to many hands?

Mayybe a blind steal attempt with JXs? Legit raise with AJo? Who knows [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

kapw7 · #7 09-17-2005, 03:50 PM

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I played extremely tight and aggressive, ending up 12/8/2.6 after 109 hands ...

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Stats mean nothing but these numbers are not good. Are your general stats in this category? Get in action with more hands so youdon't get stuck with losing hands like this. Call down only when you have a read not without one.

Fantam · #8 09-17-2005, 03:58 PM

I like your preflop and flop play.

I also agree with betting the turn when checked to by CO as he could easily be checking UI overcards. However, I think that I would have folded to the turn check raise.

If CO is a thinking TAG and he raised with a high pocket pair, or if he hit the flop with a reasonable preflop stealing hand, then his play made sense.

With a pair on the flop, he may have decided that there was a reasonable chance that you had UI overcards and then waited for the turn to trap you with a check raise.

Also, I think that your not betting the turn would have been weak, as that would have allowed him a free card to many possible drawing hands.

#9 09-17-2005, 09:17 PM

Thanks for the criticism everyone. I know calling the turn checkraise was awful. I was starting to wonder whether firing again on the turn was even a good idea.

[ QUOTE ]
Stats mean nothing but these numbers are not good. Are your general stats in this category?

[/ QUOTE ]

Actually, I'm getting concerned about my numbers too. I registered an account on Party after not having played poker in five years. For 35k hands on the beginner's tables I went 16/6/2.06. In retrospect I should have played more small pairs / low Axs / suited connectors right up front, but at the start I probably would not have played them profitably. After 20k hands I started looking closely at the PT stats. I was making a killing with AA-TT, AK, AQ, KQ, and a small profit on little pairs, big suited broadway, Axs, Kxs, and breaking even on suited connectors. I was losing my shirt on big offsuit hands - between AJo, ATo, KJo, KTo, QJo, QTo, and JTo, all but AT were in the red. I have no idea how KQo could go .61 bb/100 for 330 hands, while KJo went -.15 bb/100 for 305. At any rate, I tightened way up on these hands.

The slaughter at the beginner's tables ended with me at 5.95 bb/100, and the transition to regular .5/1 and 1/2 has been pretty painful. I'm still avoiding the big offsuit hands like the plague, but now there's often a raise or not enough players in the pot so that I'm playing a lot less of the suited aces/connectors and small pairs as well. While my AF is over 2.5, and PFR at 7-8, my VPIP has slipped to an icky 12.34 for my 12k hands on the regular tables. BB/100 is 1.46, so at least I'm still winning, but most of my profit is now coming from deposit/IGMPAY/reload bonuses at the different party skins.

So how do I get my VPIP up a bit? I know I suck terribly at defending my blinds, since I havent had to do it until now and I usually just ditch it, which is driving down my VPIP some. I'm trying to work on this, obviously. Should I force myself to play the big offsuit hands strictly according to sshe starting guidelines and hope they eventually end up in the green? Over the last 12k hands they are still all way in the red except for a barely profitable KTo. Thoughts?

// Sorry for the essay - I am a CS major, not an English major, really!

Greg J · #10 09-17-2005, 10:03 PM

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So how do I get my VPIP up a bit?

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This is what all the kids want to know these days it seems. The short answer is stop playing so formulaically (yes that is a word -- I just checked!). A lot of preflop limping and raising is situational. You want to put yrself in positions where you are up against poor players because (hopefully) you will make good subsequent decisions and they will make bad ones. Usually this can mean raising more than betting. Yr on the button with QTs, EP bad player (the "any 2 will do" type) limps, folded to you... RAISE!