Experienced at fixed limit - 2 first hands at nolimit

[kiddo]

This is my first post in the nolimit forum so dont be to hard on me. I have played fixed limit for 2 years, doing more then well playing 4 tables 10/20, 6max. But lately I have got a bit bored and decided it was time to try pot- and no-limit.

I have at least 20 pokerbokks in my library, among them Ciaffones and Cloutiers pot and nolimit books (and I agree with everyone, Ciaffones is much better) so I know some basics. But reading is one thing and playing another.

I started to play potlimit yesterday, 6handed. Today I didnt find a potlimit table so I sat down at a nolimit table $1/2, 6 players.

I would be interested to know if I played this 2 hands badly and if I think the wrong way.

HAND 1
I got around $60, he a little more. The other guy in this hand likes to limp in with a little bit of everything and isnt very aggressive postflop.

3 limpers and me checking in BB with 8 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] J [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]

FLOP: 8 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] T [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] J [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]

My thought: Oh, lucky, there is probably someone with an inside and maybe openended, lets bet the pot and see what happens. Pot is $8 and I bet $8. Everyone fold but button calling.

TURN: 8 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] T [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] J [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] (2 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img])

My thought: Uhu, he called. Can he have a draw and is thinking about taking my whole stack if he hits? Lets bet the pot again and see. I bet $24. He calls again.

River
8 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] T [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] J [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 2 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 7 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]

My thought: Oh, both straight and flush hit. Lets check and hope he checks to.

I check, he goes allin and I have around $30 left.

My tohught: Ugh, what hand can be good enough to call the pot twice? And now moving all in when board gets scary? Is he bluffing with toppair? Would I do that? No, Im to weak. Oh, this is not fixed limit, cant call with good odds. Oh, I have to learn to do strong folds if I want to play nolimt. Argh, lets hope he was calling with a real hand.

I fold.


HAND 2 nolimit $1/2

Im on button with A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] A [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]. I got $70 left (I do small buyins because I dont want to lose a lot when I just started playing, I tried microlimit but it was meaningsless, they were so bad. At this table there are a few guys I would guess makes a decent living playing)

3 guys limps, I raise 3BB ($6) (I have tried raising a little more earlier in the session with JJ and AA but they all folded). My intention is to play it hard on the flop.

2 guys call.

FLOP: A [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] K [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 5 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]

My thought: Yep! I got $45 left, I have to go allin on this one. No need to play it hard on flop, this is mine. Now the problem is how to get their money. After this thought I didnt think 2 much in this hand, probably because if u flop this in fixed limit, shorthanded, the main problem is to win a big pot and the hand is often easy to play.

Player in middle position bets a small amount (lets say $5), other guy folds.

My thought: Oho, lucky me. If I move in on him he will proably fold. (What I didnt think of: If I was out of position and flopped a draw agains preflopraiser I would sometimes try with a small bet, giving him a chance to fold and me odds to draw if he only calls)

I call.

Turn: A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] K [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 5 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 9 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]

This guy bets again a small amount, dont remeber, but lets say $10.

My thought: I still sit with the felling I had on the flop: I have to go allin on this one, no matter what. If I go allin now he will fold. I want all his money!

I double his raise. Raise $20. He calls.

Im so used to play fixed limit that I didnt really think about which odds I gave him but if he called he would pay $20, making the pot around $85.

River: A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] K [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 5 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 9 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 7 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]

He goes allin. I see the flush but cant fold. I call allin, around $30. He got K [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 4 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]

I write in the chat: "K4, why not. Nice hand" and I leave the table feeling stupid (which Im not that used to, playing poker) Im still embaressed about that "why not". I played it like a donkey and now I try to blame him for that.

First hand I dont know, the last one I think I played really bad. But how would a more experinced player do?

[booger]

You see it all the time- if someone is on a draw they will bet very small trying to hit their flush or open-ended dont let him draw cheaply. Raise the flop get it all in by the turn. If it came rainbow maybe a min raise on the flop. Better to take it down now if he folds or get it all in and win a big one when he misses. You are obviously ahead so bet hard...I get bet into by someone on a draw .25 into a 3 or 4 dollar pot that has been raised -raise it to pot or more if u are confident you are ahead.

[tbach24]

Hand 1: That river couldn't really hurt you. The flush does finish, but not many will be drawing to a runner-runner flush without pot odds and implied odds. The 7 doesn't complete any hands. If he has the straight, he already had it and this card doesn't help him. I would've check/called here and expected to either see a busted straight draw or the flopped straight.

Hand 2:
If they're folding to your raises, then raise more hands. Don't raise small with a large hand just because you want action, just loosen up your requirements.
I think on the flop I would fire out a 1/2-2/3 pot bet and then get the rest in on the turn. When you flop a monster, you want to build the pot right away.