Too aggressive? (3 examples)

donkeyradish · #1 11-16-2005, 06:14 PM

A few months ago, I started to play Limit Holdem, instead of Stud, at low limits (because, there just arent enough stud opponents anymore)

Soon realized I was no good at Holdem though and needed some learning material. Was getting crushed by any decent players who came by.

So I stopped playing, read some books and read some 2+2 posts and formed an action plan.

Step 1 was get PokerTracker so I can monitor my own progress. Loading old hand histories revealed:
VP$IP = 26, PFR = 3, AF = 0.8.

I needed to play fewer hands, and raise/fold more, that was obvious

Step 2 was to start playing differently. I started a new PT database, loaded Autorate rules and set it to "rate based on last 250 hands".

So my idea was, in general I should be seeing that little green bag icon with the $ in it, right?

If it changes colour its a sign I'm slipping into bad habits.

Here I am 4000 hands later and it certainly made a difference, VP$IP = 15, PFR = 9, AF = 3.2
Results are better, (though variance seems higher), but not sure if I am maybe overdoing the aggression thing.

Time for Step 3 then ... Get someone else to critique. Here goes:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
HAND #1

In this hand, I had just sat down. All players are strangers to me.

Party Poker 1/2 Hold'em (10 handed) FTR converter on zerodivide.cx

Preflop: Hero is UTG+1 with K[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], K[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]. UTG posts a blind of $1.
Hero calls, 1 fold, MP1 raises, 3 folds, Button calls, 2 folds, Hero 3-bets, MP1 caps, Button calls, Hero calls.

Flop: (13.50 SB) 7[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], T[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], 5[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] (4 players)
Hero checks, MP1 checks, Button bets, Hero raises, MP1 3-bets, Button calls, Hero calls.

Turn: (11.25 BB) 9[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (4 players)
Hero checks, MP1 bets, Button calls, Hero raises, MP1 calls, Button calls.

River: (17.25 BB) 9[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (4 players)
Hero bets, MP1 calls, Button calls.

Final Pot: 20.25 BB

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
HAND #2

In this hand, SB has just lost a big hand might be on tilt (I thought)
Button seems calling station type (but session is only 30 hands in)

Party Poker 2/4 Hold'em (10 handed) FTR converter on zerodivide.cx

Preflop: Hero is BB with 7[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], 8[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img].
UTG calls, 2 folds, MP1 calls, MP2 calls, 2 folds, Button calls, SB raises, Hero calls, UTG calls, MP1 calls, MP2 calls, Button calls.

Flop: (12 SB) 2[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], 8[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], 4[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (6 players)
SB bets, Hero raises, UTG folds, MP1 calls, MP2 folds, Button calls, SB 3-bets, Hero caps, MP1 folds, Button calls, SB calls.

Turn: (13 BB) T[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (3 players)
SB calls $1 (All-In), Hero calls, Button calls.

River: (13.75 BB) 8[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (3 players, 1 all-in)
Hero bets, Button folds.

Final Pot: 14.75 BB

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
HAND #3

In this one MP2 is L-A based on 50 hands only, 35% VP$IP and he could have had anything.
My raise on the turn was based on twisted logic. Then the bet on the river, pure desperation. Well, he might have folded!

Party Poker 2/4 Hold'em (8 handed) FTR converter on zerodivide.cx

Preflop: Hero is Button with K[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], J[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img].
3 folds, MP2 calls, 1 fold, Hero raises, 2 folds, MP2 calls.

Flop: (5.50 SB) 3[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], T[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], 8[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (2 players)
MP2 bets, Hero calls.

Turn: (3.75 BB) 9[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (2 players)
MP2 bets, Hero raises, MP2 calls.

River: (7.75 BB) 5[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (2 players)
MP2 checks, Hero bets, MP2 calls.

Final Pot: 9.75 BB
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Stealthy · #2 11-16-2005, 06:43 PM

Hand 1: Raise pre-flop from UTG here 100% of the time at $1 $2. KK is not a good slow-play hand and $1 $2 is not a limit to get fancy at. Rest is OK, I often don't cap the flop here so that I can check-raise the turn trapping the middle guy for an extra bet.

Hand 2: Fine, the pot is large and you have good equity which you can comfortably take now. Without the paired 8 this is a call but with it a raise is good. I would raise the turn here with the SB allin. Your 8s are likely better than anything the button has so make him pay as much as you can to continue.

Hand 3: On the flop there is just about enough with implied to take one off. Turn raise is just about OK if you had a read that the player would drop medium hands to a turn raise, but a 35% VP$IP player is folding here very rarely and a call is usually better. River, give it up already, he is folding nothing here not even ace high. A bluff maybe the only way to win the pot but you will not find a fold here the 1 in 9 times you need for it to be profitable.

felix83 · #3 11-16-2005, 06:48 PM

1. Check-raising high PP's, especially twice, especially against unknowns, will get you into a lot of trouble. I prefer playing it straightforward and reevaluating.

Hand 2 looks good to me. I don't know what you mean by "twisted logic" on your turn raise on hand 3, that was a great card for you. I'd raise it too. River the pots not big enough to make this worthwhile, check behind.

bobhalford · #4 11-16-2005, 07:52 PM

Did button have 98 in hand #1?

donkeyradish · #5 11-17-2005, 05:17 AM

Firstly thanks people for the feedback, it really does help

Hand #1

I didn't give MP1 credit for what in retrospect was possibly the most likely holding... AA

Button stayed all the way to showdown with A7o (??)

Hand #2

Of course I won this hand. But only on the last card, the player all-in had 99

Hand #3

Of course I didn't win this one, but the other player only had 7 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 7 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]