Archive for December, 2009
2009: My Poker Year in Review
December 31st, 2009 | Author: foucault
Resolution One: Keep Grinding NLHE Cash Games
This is my bread and butter game, and even if I don’t do anything to improve, just maintaining my current winrate and putting in hours will be very valuable to me. Of course I do want to get better, but my general focus will be on playing rather than doing stuff to improve (posting hands, watching instructional videos, etc.).
This was a bit of a mistake. The 2+2 strategy forums, especially the high stakes ones, have really gone downhill, so I don’t regret not having frequented them. I do feel like I ought to take better advantage of the great instructional videos that are out there, though. It’s a particularly good thing to do when on a downswing or just generally feeling frustrated or a lack of confidence.
Also, I’m not going to worry too much about non-NLHE games. I tried to do it last year, but it didn’t prove too productive. I’ll play/study them when I feel like it, but it’s not going to be a priority. I’m confident in my ability to pick them up quickly should that become necessary/desirable and I choose to devote all my time to it, such that I don’t think I need to prioritize working on them now.
Pathetic
December 28th, 2009 | Author: foucault
The more I think about it, the more I feel like this is one of the worst calls I’ve made in a long time:
Full Tilt No-Limit Hold’em, $10.00 BB (5 handed) – Full-Tilt Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com
SB ($4423.50)
BB ($2026)
UTG ($2477)
MP ($2168.50)
Hero (Button) ($2000)
Preflop: Hero is Button with J
, 10
UTG bets $30, MP calls $30, Hero calls $30, 1 fold, BB calls $20
Flop: ($132.50) 7, 10
, 8
(4 players)
BB checks, UTG checks, MP bets $80, Hero calls $80, 2 folds
Turn: ($292.50) A (2 players)
MP checks, Hero checks
River: ($292.50) 9 (2 players)
MP checks, Hero bets $333, MP raises to $2057 (All-In), Hero calls $1555.50 (All-In)
Total pot: $4069.50 | Rake: $3
Results:
Hero had J, 10 (straight, Jack high).
MP had J, Q (straight, Queen high).
Outcome: MP won $4066.50
I talked myself into a call on the grounds that I didn’t think he would check QJ after turning a double gut shot and a good bluff card. But it’s far less likely that he would make this check-raise with a bare J, that he would get here with air (I’d expect him to bet the turn or river), or that he’d turn a pair into a bluff (since my overbet is basically J/air and he probably doesn’t expect me to fold a J). Granted it’s not very likely I have QJ, as I’d almost certainly bet the turn, but that’s about the only thing that makes this a viable bluffing spot for him.
Just a Slowplay
December 28th, 2009 | Author: foucault
Feels like a good spot to me because it’s plausible that I’m giving up with some trash that I 3-bet, most of the hands that I could stack with a bet-bet-bet line will value bet for me anyway, and there’s a very plausible way for lesser hands to make something second-best. The only drawback is that if I start showing interest on the turn or river after checking the flop, it looks suspicious.
Full Tilt No-Limit Hold’em, $6.00 BB (6 handed) – Full-Tilt Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com
UTG ($819.10)
MP ($600)
CO ($246)
Button ($486.85)
SB ($1083.60)
Hero (BB) ($1609.45)
Preflop: Hero is BB with A, A
1 fold, MP bets $21, 3 folds, Hero raises to $72, MP calls $51
Flop: ($147) 8, 8, 8 (2 players)
Hero checks, MP bets $60, Hero calls $60
Turn: ($267) 4 (2 players)
Hero checks, MP checks
River: ($267) 9 (2 players)
Hero checks, MP bets $156, Hero raises to $1477.45 (All-In), 1 fold
Total pot: $579 | Rake: $3
Results:
Hero didn’t show A, A (nothing).
Outcome: Hero won $576
My best guess is he had some sort of mediumish pair that tried to go for thin value but figured out what was going on when I check-shoved the river. I doubt I would have won more from such a hand by betting flop.
Tags: 3-bet, hand reading, NLHE, no-limit hold 'em, poker, Poker Strategy, river check-raise, short-handed, slow play, triple barrel | 
Comments Closed
Satellite Spaz
December 25th, 2009 | Author: foucault
There was a rarity on Poker Stars on Sunday: substantial overlay in one of their major tournaments. They ended up contributing nearly $100,000 in overlay to reach the 40-seat guaranteed in the $700 PCA satellite. This hand occurred with 114 players remaining. The average stack was 20K, and I figured my 15K gave me about a 50/50 shot at a seat.
PokerStars No-Limit Hold’em, 700 Tournament, 300/600 Blinds 70 Ante (9 handed) – Poker-Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com
UTG (t18789)
UTG+1 (t12630)
MP1 (t35373)
Hero (MP2) (t15444)
MP3 (t15640)
CO (t6981)
Button (t16283)
SB (t3596)
BB (t42214)
Hero’s M: 10.09
Preflop: Hero is MP2 with J, J
1 fold, UTG+1 bets t1777, 1 fold, Hero raises to t15374 (All-In), 5 folds, UTG+1 calls t10783 (All-In)
Flop: (t26650) K, Q, 7 (2 players, 2 all-in)
Turn: (t26650) 10 (2 players, 2 all-in)
River: (t26650) 4 (2 players, 2 all-in)
Total pot: t26650
Results:
UTG+1 had A, A (one pair, Aces).
Hero had J, J (one pair, Jacks).
Outcome: UTG+1 won t26650
Tags: 3-bet, bad beat, NLHE, no-limit hold 'em, PCA, poker, Poker Strategy, satellite, Session Review, tournament |
4 Comments »
Strange Stop and Go
December 20th, 2009 | Author: foucault
Let me say up front that I don’t think I played this particularly well. Nevertheless, I think there’s some interesting discussion to be had here.
This hand was from the Poker Stars $500 weekly. Villain is Roothlus, a very successful MTT pro who teaches at Poker X Factor and is sponsored by Ultimate Bet (but let’s not go there right now). He’s smart but definitely on the TAG/nitty side. He knows and respects me and probably has a good idea of how I expect him to play. MP is a random fish.
PokerStars No-Limit Hold’em, 530 Tournament, 100/200 Blinds (9 handed) – Poker-Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com
Button (t11755)
SB (t7968)
BB (t9775)
UTG (t28380)
UTG+1 (t7255)
Hero (MP1) (t21954)
MP2 (t8381)
MP3 (t11250)
CO (t6950)
Hero’s M: 73.18
Preflop: Hero is MP1 with A, K
2 folds, Hero bets t555, MP2 calls t555, MP3 raises to t2300, 4 folds, Hero calls t1745, 1 fold
Flop: (t5455) 7, 9, Q (2 players)
Hero bets t19654 (All-In), MP3 calls t8950 (All-In)
Turn: (t23355) Q (2 players, 2 all-in)
River: (t23355) 8 (2 players, 2 all-in)
Total pot: t23355
Results:
Hero had A, K (one pair, Queens).
MP3 had 10, 9 (two pair, Queens and nines).
Outcome: MP3 won t23355
Counterfeited on the River?
December 18th, 2009 | Author: foucault
Full Tilt No-Limit Hold’em, $20.00 BB (2 handed) – Full-Tilt Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com
Hero (BB) ($5124.50)
SB ($6237.50)
Preflop: Hero is BB with 7, 6
SB bets $60, Hero calls $40
Flop: ($120) 6, 7, 10 (2 players)
Hero checks, SB bets $80, Hero raises to $299, SB calls $219
Turn: ($718) 3 (2 players)
Hero bets $555, SB calls $555
River: ($1828) 10 (2 players)
Hero checks, SB bets $950, Hero calls $950
Total pot: $3728 | Rake: $0.50
Results:
SB had 2, 8 (one pair, tens).
Hero had 7, 6 (two pair, tens and sevens).
Outcome: Hero won $3727.50
In theory, Villain should not be value betting at all thin in this spot. I am virtually always either checking to give up or checking to trap/induce with a monster. It’s virtually impossible for me to show up with a medium-strength hand here- the counterfeited two pair is really just about the only way it could happen.
The question is whether Villain realizes this, or whether he will try to value bet something like JJ (which is usually good but virtually never getting called by worse). I decided there were enough busted draws to call given the pot odds I was getting.
As an added bonus, it helped to set up this hand:
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Out of Position Float
December 14th, 2009 | Author: foucault
Full Tilt No-Limit Hold’em, $10.00 BB (5 handed) – Full-Tilt Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com
Button ($1753)
SB ($1534)
Hero (BB) ($2003.25)
UTG ($1058.75)
MP ($1060)
Preflop: Hero is BB with 6, K
2 folds, Button bets $25, SB calls $20, Hero raises to $123, Button calls $98, 1 fold
Flop: ($271) J, 7, 5 (2 players)
Hero bets $187, Button raises to $400, Hero calls $213
Turn: ($1071) 2 (2 players)
Hero checks, Button checks
River: ($1071) 8 (2 players)
Hero bets $1480.25 (All-In), 1 fold
Total pot: $1071 | Rake: $3
Results:
Hero didn’t show 6, K (nothing).
Outcome: Hero won $1068
I don’t expect Villain ever to be on a draw here, as he’s opening himself up to getting blown off of it. He’s probably bluffing most often, sometimes raising for thin value/protection/cheap showdown, and rarely with a monster. That kind of argues for just shoving the flop, but I’d rather do that with hands that will have at least some equity when called: bottom pair, a straight draw, etc. Since he’s often bluffing, I’m also going to flat call hands like AJ or KK, since they are mostly bluffcatchers at this point.
Bluff Turn and/or River?
December 13th, 2009 | Author: foucault
Full Tilt No-Limit Hold’em, $20.00 BB (6 handed) – Full-Tilt Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com
CO ($2441)
Button ($2814)
SB ($4000)
Hero (BB) ($6186)
UTG ($2278.70)
MP ($630)
Preflop: Hero is BB with 3, K
4 folds, SB bets $40, Hero calls $20
Flop: ($80) 5, 4, 6 (2 players)
SB checks, Hero bets $33, SB calls $33
Turn: ($146) Q (2 players)
SB checks, Hero checks
River: ($146) 10 (2 players)
SB checks, Hero bets $88, 1 fold
Total pot: $146 | Rake: $3
Results:
Hero didn’t show 3, K (nothing).
Outcome: Hero won $143
This is a spot where I think checking turn will yield almost as much fold equity as betting, and for a far cheaper price. Villain rarely has the As, unless he has a pair to go with it. If we bet turn, we’re repping almost exactly As, a straight flush, or a bluff. Maybe Villain will give us credit for value betting Ks on two streets, but that’s about it. By checking turn, we can bet river and rep a far wider range. Also, the turn check makes it look like we have some showdown value and thus don’t need to bluff river. I’m even thinking that if Villain bets river, I can put in a big raise, again recognizing that he doesn’t have the As and probably not even a good spade for the same reason.
Tags: bluff, hand reading, NLHE, no-limit hold 'em, poker, Poker Strategy, polarized range, semi-bluff |
Comments Closed
