The Good, The Bad...The Ugly? (9/4)

Harv72b · #1 09-05-2005, 01:04 AM

Got going on my night session and I just wasn't feeling it, so I'm posting this up early this time. Same thing as always: one hand I think I played well, the other I think I played poorly. Comments & criticism are greatly appreciated. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Hand 1

Reads: Not much of a read on either villian, as I'm only about 2 orbits into my session at this table. MP2 seemed to have all the classic markings of a loose-passive: limping first in too often, calling down with very mediocre hands in small pots, and not protecting his hands postflop. The thing was, he was only playing about 25% of his hands, which wasn't all that loose. Button had been entirely unnoteworthy up to this point; I hadn't seen him do anything good or bad. I'd only been involved in a couple hands thus far and hadn't shown down anything, so I have no table image.

Party Poker 3/6 Hold'em (8 handed) FTR converter on zerodivide.cx

Preflop: Hero is SB with 8[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], 8[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img].
3 folds, MP2 calls, 1 fold, Button raises, Hero 3-bets, 1 fold, MP2 calls, Button caps, Hero calls, MP2 calls.

Flop: (13 SB) 6[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], 9[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], 7[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (3 players)
Hero bets, MP2 raises, Button 3-bets, Hero calls, MP2 calls.

Turn: (11 BB) 5[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (3 players)
Hero bets, MP2 calls, Button raises, Hero 3-bets, MP2 calls, Button calls.

River: (20 BB) K[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (3 players)
Hero bets, MP2 calls, Button calls.

Final Pot: 23 BB
Main Pot: 23 BB, between MP2, Button and Hero.

Hand 2

Reads: MP1 had seemed a little loose and pretty aggressive, but not overly so in either regard & over a very small sample size. I had been playing very tight on this table (few playable cards) and hadn't shown down anything yet. Unlike my usual M.O., I hadn't been defending my blinds to the death either. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

Party Poker 3/6 Hold'em (7 handed) FTR converter on zerodivide.cx

Preflop: Hero is BB with A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], T[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img].
1 fold, MP1 raises, 4 folds, Hero calls.

Flop: (4.33 SB) 9[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], 4[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], 4[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] (2 players)
Hero bets, MP1 raises, Hero calls.

Turn: (4.16 BB) Q[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (2 players)
Hero checks, MP1 bets, Hero folds.

Final Pot: 5.16 BB
Main Pot: 4.16 BB, won by MP1.
Pot 2: 1 BB, returned to MP1.

toss · #2 09-05-2005, 01:21 AM

In the first hand I'd want to just called Button's raise on the turn. The board is 4 straight and 3 flushed, there was a lotta action on the flop, and Button still raises after you donked and MP2 still called. I'd want to slow down.

Hand 2... My weakness is defending/stealing blinds properly. I guess its okay to lead out into the PFR on this kinda board and when he raises I'd muck the turn UI like you.

Nick C · #3 09-05-2005, 01:39 AM

Hand 1 seemed fine to me at first, but maybe Toss is right. (It's possible I was letting the river action influence me.) At the time of the turn raise, Button's still not letting the action or the board scare him. (Or if either of those things do scare him, he's not letting on.) Still, it looks like he just had A [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] A [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] or something, and if MP2 has you beat, he sure is being crafty (or timid) about it. It looks to me like you won this one.

Hand 2: Do flop leads like this one work for you? I can see it setting up a steal (versus, say, a better ace) on the turn or river, but I don't see you getting a flop fold much, on this board. Then again, you could have the best hand, and, if so, showing early strength could help keep you from getting pushed off of it, in addition to maybe buying the pot from a stronger hand.

I tend to check-call the flop and then check-fold the turn unimproved in spots like this (or call down if I think my opponent is LAGgy enough), but I feel like I'm being outplayed sometimes when I do that. Playing ace-high is not really one of my strengths.

Harv72b · #4 09-05-2005, 01:44 AM

My usual line on hand 2 is to check/raise the flop and take it from there, representing a pair or maybe a flush draw. This time I just decided to try something a little different; I planned to fire again on the turn if villian just called the flop bet.

SackUp · #5 09-05-2005, 01:55 AM

Hand 1: I like a lot. Nice 3bet preflop. Flop and turn donk bets are both fine b/c you are going for the 3 bet and making sure you get mp2s dead money. Way to charge them both for their overpair and high spade on the flop and turn.

nh

Hand 2: This one is pretty awful i think. The raise is coming from mp1 so it isn't a blind defense. It is such a small pot - no sense in really getting in a tussle over this.

Two overs and a backdoor FD, but it all looks very dirty to me. I like a c/c on the flop and c/f on turn UI. Though I really don't mind a c/f. If you are a going to bet out I think you need to b/f this, but that is just spewing, so I'd take the c/c or c/f line on the flop.

SackUp · #6 09-05-2005, 01:58 AM

[ QUOTE ]
My usual line on hand 2 is to check/raise the flop and take it from there, representing a pair or maybe a flush draw. This time I just decided to try something a little different; I planned to fire again on the turn if villian just called the flop bet.

[/ QUOTE ]

I like the c/r line on this flop as well and will employ it often against a tag. The turned queen is not your favorite card for this play though.

Harv72b · #7 09-05-2005, 04:03 PM

Okay...what I did & why:

Hand 1: I'm obviously 3-betting preflop to try and isolate against overcards. I don't have a read on Button, but when he caps it I assume a normal capping range of AA-QQ/AK.

I lead the flop for value; I have a pair and an OESFD. I'm expecting Button to raise my bet with anything other than AK (no spade). I'm not expecting MP2 to raise it, which worries me a little.

When the offsuit 5 hits on the turn, I figure that I need to lead to avoid Button checking it thru. When he raises again, I figure that there's only hand he could have which beats me: A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] K[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] specifically. I 3-bet it because I think there's a much better chance that he's holding an overpair + high spade. I'm still not sure what MP2 has, but when he doesn't raise my donkbet after not capping the flop, I feel safe that it's not a made flush.

The river plays itself after the turn action. MP2 has A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 9[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], and Button held K[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] K[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (making it impossible for him to fold the river after catching a set). MHIG.

I liked my play here a good deal. I do understand the point about possibly overplaying my straight on the turn, but I really did feel that I was getting good value on the 3-bet. And if he did have the nut flush, I can always river my 2-outer to the straight flush. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

Hand 2 I really didn't know what I was doing or why. Leading the flop isn't going to accomplish much, as any halfway aggressive player is going to raise my bet with anything worth a PFR. All it does it tie me to the pot for an extra SB, whereas I might actually have gotten a free card if I'd just check/called and MP1 had unimproved overcards. In fact, I think that would have been a better line...check/call flop, check/fold turn UI, or if it gets checked thru on the turn, donk a rag on the river.

That whole hand just looks icky. [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

toss · #8 09-05-2005, 05:34 PM

[ QUOTE ]
MP2 has A 9, and Button held K[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]K[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

Oh how sweet a river CR would've been. I would never try it though even if I had just called the turn raise.

#9 09-05-2005, 06:26 PM

Hand 2: If you are going to try and steal then check raise the flop/lead turn...or if you have big kahunas then check raise the turn.

Leading the flop here does nothing because any two overcards or a pair is going to call/raise and either one doesn't give you any information. No hands will fold, and then you are SOL on the turn when you are first to act. By check raising this you can take control of the hand and get some better hands (i.e AJ or AQ) to fold.