Time for a sanity check

Bubbagump · #1 06-23-2004, 09:33 PM

Been cruising along for the past 5 months without any bumps in the road. Now all of a sudden things are going bad, real bad. I figure It's time to start posting some hands and fixing the leaks. Heres 4 hands from the 1-2 6 max session I just finished.

All comments greatly appreciated.

Hand 1

PokerStars 1/2 Hold'em (5 handed) converter

Preflop: Hero is Button with T[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], T[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img].
2 folds, Hero raises, 1 fold, BB calls,

Flop: (4.50 SB) 6[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 6[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], 9[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (2 players)
BB bets, Hero raises, BB calls.

Turn: (4.25 BB) 9[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets, BB raises, Hero calls.

River: (8.25 BB) 7[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (2 players)
BB bets, Hero calls.

Fairly certain I'm beat here but can't bring myself to fold. Should I have folde?

Final Pot: 10.25 BB
Main Pot: 10.25 BB, between Hero and BB. > Pot won by BB (10.25 BB).

Results in white below: 
BB shows Ts 9c (full house, nines full of sixes).
Hero shows Tc Td (two pair, tens and nines).
Outcome: BB wins 10.25 BB. 

************************************************

Hand 2

PokerStars 1/2 Hold'em (6 handed) converter

Preflop: Hero is Button with 6[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], 6[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img].
1 fold, MP calls, 1 fold, Hero calls, SB completes, BB raises, MP calls, Hero calls, SB calls.

Flop: (8 SB) 8[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], 5[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], 9[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (4 players)
SB checks, BB bets, MP calls, Hero calls, SB folds.

I know the BB will bet flop with nothing when he's raised pf. So I've made up my mind I calling him down as long as no big cards come on turn or river. Should I have raised him on flop given the additional str8 outs I have?

Turn: (5.50 BB) 3[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (3 players)
BB bets, MP folds, Hero calls.

River: (7.50 BB) 6[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (2 players)
BB bets, Hero raises, BB calls.

This was one of only 2 hands I won this session, I was happy to take it down though I think I should have been more aggressive with it.

Final Pot: 11.50 BB
Main Pot: 11.50 BB, between Hero and BB. > Pot won by Hero (11.50 BB).

Results in white below: 
BB shows Qh Qs (one pair, queens).
Hero shows 6s 6c (three of a kind, sixes).
Outcome: Hero wins 11.50 BB. 

**********************************************

Hand 3

PokerStars 1/2 Hold'em (5 handed) converter

Preflop: Hero is Button with A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], K[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img].
2 folds, Hero raises, 1 fold, BB calls,

Flop: (4.50 SB) T[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], T[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], K[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets, BB calls.

Turn: (3.25 BB) 2[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets, BB raises, Hero 3-bets, BB caps, Hero calls.

River: (11.25 BB) 8[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (2 players)
BB bets, Hero calls.

Final Pot: 13.25 BB
Main Pot: 13.25 BB, between Hero and BB. > Pot won by BB (13.25 BB).

Once again I know I'm beat here but can't bring myself to fold.

Results in white below: 
BB shows Td Qc (three of a kind, tens).
Hero shows Ah Ks (two pair, kings and tens).
Outcome: BB wins 13.25 BB. 

***********************************************
Hand 4 (last hand)

PokerStars 1/2 Hold'em (6 handed) converter

Preflop: Hero is BB with K[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], 7[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img].
UTG calls, 2 folds, Button raises, 1 fold, Hero calls, UTG calls.

Button has been raising my BB for several orbits,this is the best hand I've gotten in the BB when he's raised. I'm not crazy about it, but I'm worried about the tight image I am cultivating my mucking my bb every time he raises me.

Flop: (6.50 SB) K[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], Q[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], 3[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (3 players)
Hero checks, UTG checks, Button checks.

My thinking here was check raise the Button an force UTG to fold. Oops.

Turn: (3.25 BB) T[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] (3 players)
Hero bets, UTG folds, Button calls.

River: (5.25 BB) J[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (2 players)
Hero checks, Button bets, Hero calls.

I hate this river card, I hate it even more when the Button takes the full amount of time to bet, but i call anyway.

Final Pot: 7.25 BB
Main Pot: 7.25 BB, between Button and Hero. > Pot won by Button (7.25 BB).

Results in white below: 
Hero shows Kc 7d (one pair, kings).
Button shows Ts Ad (straight, ace high).
Outcome: Button wins 7.25 BB. 

OK, that's it. Thanks for taking the time to read these. Now let me have it.

Bubbagump

Recliner · #2 06-24-2004, 12:09 AM

So you've had a bad run of cards it happens to everyone.

In the first hand I might have tossed the had to the third bet on the turn because you said yourself you expected to lose.

The second hand you got lucky on the river.

The third hand I would have expected to see trip tens. You should have known you were beat on the turn. Why did you three bet it?

The fourth hand I'd have folded on the river.

Bubbagump · #3 06-24-2004, 07:43 AM

[ QUOTE ]
The third hand I would have expected to see trip tens. You should have known you were beat on the turn. Why did you three bet it?

[/ QUOTE ]

I wasn't convinced he had a ten until he capped the turn after checking it to me. I was thinking weaker King or QJ. I have a hard time putting people on the most obvious hand in the 6 man games, because people play a lot of strange hands very aggressively in these short games.

Bubbagump

Rico Suave · #4 06-24-2004, 09:57 AM

buggagump:

Hand 1: Calling down is not terrible, but against most players, I think you can fold to the turn raise.

Hand 1: I do not like your preflop limp here. 1 limper to you on the button with a small pocket pair...you are not getting odds to hit your set. Fold. If you want to play, raise it. The flop call is ok. The turn call is a loose call imo.

Hand 3: bleh. HU, I would probably just call down after the turn raise.

Hand 4: Fold preflop!

--Rico

Bubbagump · #5 06-24-2004, 10:40 AM

Thanks for you comments Rico. In retrospect, I aggree with everything you've written.

I do have one question regarding your comments with the way I played the K7 in the BB against the Button raise. Up to that point in the session I had not had that many playable hands, and I was folding many many hands PF in my blinds for a raise. I was worried that this player on the button was starting to feel he could take advantage of my tight play and was just raising my BB because he knew I would fold. Also remember this is only a 6 handed game. What is the minimum hand you would consider protecting your BB with when the button continually raises every orbit?

I will readily admit, I've made a lot of questionable plays in my last couple of sessions. I've had an extended bad run for the past few weeks and it seems whenever I make a decision lately it's the wrong decision. If I lay down TPTK with a premium group 1 hand, on the turn to check raise or re-raise, inevitably my opponent will show down a pair of 5's. And when I do call in the same situation, I am always against the exact hand the player was representing. I lost my mojo somewhere along the way and I think posting some hands is the first step to getting it back.

Thanks again.

Bubbagump

Rico Suave · #6 06-24-2004, 11:08 AM

buggabump:

[ QUOTE ]
I do have one question regarding your comments with the way I played the K7 in the BB against the Button raise. Up to that point in the session I had not had that many playable hands, and I was folding many many hands PF in my blinds for a raise. I was worried that this player on the button was starting to feel he could take advantage of my tight play and was just raising my BB because he knew I would fold.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think this is a legitimate concern. But in this case, there is a UTG limper, so the button is probably not on a pure steal. If the button had open raised, then I think calling or 3-betting is fine.

[ QUOTE ]
What is the minimum hand you would consider protecting your BB with when the button continually raises every orbit?

[/ QUOTE ]

If this guy tries to steal your blinds everytime, then you have to play back at him at some point. It really depends on how he plays post flop as to what hands and how you defend. If he tries to steal and goes to showdown most of the time, then you would want to play back at him with a hand that has showdown value....3-bet him with most aces, kings, and any pocket pair. Just call with other decent holdings, like JT or QT, T9s, etc. If he plays tighter post flop and is capable of folding, then I would 3 bet with lots of hands QJo, KTo, JTo, Q9 etc. and again, most aces, K and pocket pairs.

I think the key here is to play back at him a couple of times to let him know that it may cost him to try and steal your blinds.

And, btw, I am not expert on blind defence, so you may want others to chime in here.

--Rico

Zetack · #7 06-24-2004, 11:23 AM

Hand one, I'd probably call it down after the turn raise, but the more I think about it the more I think its a mistake unless the button is capable of a pure bluff check raise.

This is a hand some players might make a move on the turn with if they had a small pocket pair and they put you on two overcards. The problem is, unless they really suck at board reading, they can't do that with a pair smaller than 66, so the only thing (on the turn) that you could beat except a pure bluff is 77 or 88. That's not much. And you lose the 77 on the river.

Much as I'd hate to have a player think he can check raise me out of a pot when I was the pre-flop and flop raiser, it may be the time to do it...and you can turn it against him later when your hand is stronger or the board is better.

Hand two.

I hate the Pf limp. I don't play much shorthand, but I think 66 may be playable in that game--but not for a limp--are you playing this thing for a set? Oh, then I see the river and I see your strategy--you play goot!!! [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

Unfortunately he wasn't going anywhere with his Queens so you had no way to win the pot except getting very lucky, but this is a raise PF and a raise on the flop--or a PF fold.

Hand three I think is fine, I don't think you know you're in trouble until he caps the turn, but at that point I think you have to call it down...its still possible he's on a weaker King--this is aggressive shorthanded play after all.

Hand four:

Don't worry about your tight image you can use it to work them later, if they're noticing at all.

I don't think this is a case of the button raising your blind, because there is already a limper. If you need to play back at this guy wait until it'll be heads up.

--Zetack

HajiShirazu · #8 06-24-2004, 11:35 AM

Hand 1 - fold the turn
Hand 2 - raise preflop, raise on the flop.
Hand 3 - call down and expect to lose
Hand 4 - fine, I occasionally like just betting out here, many people will auto raise if bet into after raising preflop, then you can 3-bet.