Archive for March, 2010

I was betting any river, because he’s an excellent hand reader and I think it’s very hard for him to put me on anything but a big pair, but this was a particularly good card:

Full Tilt No-Limit Hold’em, $10.00 BB (6 handed) – Full-Tilt Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

BB ($1313)
Hero (UTG) ($2905.25)
MP ($1230)
CO ($1159.50)
Button ($1680)
SB ($1000)

Preflop: Hero is UTG with K, A
Hero bets $40, 2 folds, Button calls $40, SB calls $35, 1 fold

Flop: ($130) 8, 4, 4 (3 players)
SB checks, Hero bets $88, Button calls $88, 1 fold

Turn: ($306) 8 (2 players)
Hero checks, Button bets $150, Hero calls $150

River: ($606) 8 (2 players)
Hero bets $420, 1 fold

Total pot: $606 | Rake: $3

Results:
Hero didn’t show K, A (nothing).
Outcome: Hero won $603

After betting big on the turn, my range is polarized (ie I’m not doing it with KQ, 77, or 54) and weighted towards the strong side (43, KJ, 33, 44). I think Villain’s range is exactly hands that beat my bluffs but lose to my value range, with the possible exception of exactly 99. I don’t have many hands in my range that need to bluff, so it’s important that I bluff with the few weak hands I can show up with:

Full Tilt No-Limit Hold’em, $10.00 BB (7 handed) – Full-Tilt Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

UTG ($2160.25)
MP1 ($1324.50)
MP2 ($1381)
CO ($1502.50)
Hero (Button) ($1813.75)
SB ($647)
BB ($2764.75)

Preflop: Hero is Button with 6, 7
UTG bets $35, 2 folds, CO calls $35, Hero calls $35, SB calls $30, 1 fold

Flop: ($150) K, 4, 3 (4 players)
SB checks, UTG bets $90, 1 fold, Hero calls $90, 1 fold

Turn: ($330) J (2 players)
UTG checks, Hero bets $222, UTG calls $222

River: ($774) 9 (2 players)
UTG checks, Hero bets $666, 1 fold

Total pot: $774 | Rake: $3

Results:
Hero didn’t show 6, 7 (nothing).
Outcome: Hero won $771

A good player is never check-calling this river. Weaker players will, though, and they rarely check better. This guy was new to me but seemed decent and had an aggression factor of 7 over a small sample. Good reason, in other words, to think he’s not a check-caller.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold’em, $10.00 BB (8 handed) – Poker-Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

BB ($1063)
UTG ($1573.75)
UTG+1 ($987)
MP1 ($1365.50)
MP2 ($535.50)
CO ($4925.25)
Hero (Button) ($1042)
SB ($1207)

Preflop: Hero is Button with Q, K
5 folds, Hero bets $20, SB calls $15, BB calls $10

Flop: ($60) J, 5, 6 (3 players)
SB bets $35, 1 fold, Hero calls $35

Turn: ($130) 7 (2 players)
SB bets $70, Hero calls $70

River: ($270) 6 (2 players)
SB checks, Hero bets $187, SB raises to $1082 (All-In), Hero folds

Total pot: $644 | Rake: $3

Results:
SB didn’t show
Outcome: SB won $641

I seriously considered calling, but as a bluff, this seemed like an expensive alternative to just firing a third barrel on the river. I did wish I’d never bet, though.

As “The Poker Philosopher”, and in honor of one of my favorite non-poker blogs, I occasionally consider the ethical dimensions of a high-profile controversy in the poker community. In September, I discussed Joe Sebok’s decision to join Team Ultimate Bet. In November, I examined a $50,000 $W swap gone wrong (or right, depending on which party you ask). This month, I consider the multiple accounts of Nick “Stoxtrader” Grudzien. In the interest of full disclosure, I’ll state up front that I work for Poker Savvy Plus, a video training site that competes with Grudzien’s Stoxpoker. I also believe that I have played against several of Grudzien’s accounts without knowing that they were the same person. While I don’t believe either of these facts colors my view of the situation, I’ll leave the reader to be the final authority on that.

The latest scandal to rock the online poker world is Nick “Stoxtrader” Grudzien’s admission that he has played under multiple screennames on both Poker Stars and Full Tilt Poker. According to his post in the 2+2 thread on the subject:

In the last few days various allegations have been made that I have played on multiple accounts on FTP and Stars and that by doing so I have violated the terms and conditions of the sites and also cheated in ways including colluding. The relevant facts are:  Read the complete post...

The vast majority of people who contact me about “advertising” are actually looking for some shady shit like this, though some of them express it more subtly:

“I work for XXX and we are looking for you to publish some content of ours on your website.  In exchange, I can give you a free £30 free bet at our casino.  Our content writer has produced several reviews of our online slot games.  Would you be interested in posting one of these articles on your site in exchange for a £30 free bet?”

I don’t usually respond, but this one was particularly blatant, so I wrote back:

Sorry, I write my own reviews, and I don’t take bribes.

It’s not really fair to call the Villain in this hand a nit, but he’s one of the tightest winning 5/10 regulars anyway. That’s part of the reason I bet the turn against him, rather than just check-calling the turn as I might against a more aggressive player.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold’em, $10.00 BB (6 handed) – Poker-Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

Hero (SB) ($2982)
BB ($970)
UTG ($969.50)
MP ($200)
CO ($275)
Button ($3271.65)

Preflop: Hero is SB with A, 9
1 fold, MP bets $20, 1 fold, Button calls $20, Hero raises to $90, 2 folds, Button calls $70

Flop: ($210) 3, 9, A (2 players)
Hero bets $177, Button calls $177

Turn: ($564) 8 (2 players)
Hero bets $388, Button raises to $880, Hero calls $492

River: ($2324) K (2 players)
Hero checks, Button bets $2124.65 (All-In), Hero folds

Total pot: $2324 | Rake: $3

Results:
Button shows 4, 4 (one pair, fours).
Outcome: Button won $2321

I told him in chat that 4′s were the best hand, but really even Kdx beats 44 by the river, so I doubt he believed me.

It’s pretty unlikely that I’ll have a flush by the river, but against a nit I don’t really consider calling with less. That’s the problem with exploitive play: it is itself exploitable.

A lot of commenters tell me that while the weird bluffs and thin value bets I post here are fun to read, they don’t feel they can apply them in the games they play. Well, today I’ve got a great investment that’s available to everyone! As little as $10 has the potential to return $10,000 and a world of opportunity for some very deserving young people.

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I should be shoving the turn (for value), but this was still fun:

Full Tilt No-Limit Hold’em, $10.00 BB (4 handed) – Full-Tilt Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

BB ($1296.75)
UTG ($1000)
Hero (Button) ($2015)
SB ($4327)

Preflop: Hero is Button with A, 4
1 fold, Hero bets $25, 1 fold, BB calls $15

Flop: ($55) J, 3, 2 (2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets $33, BB raises to $154, Hero calls $121

Turn: ($363) 9 (2 players)
BB bets $300, Hero calls $300

River: ($963) 2 (2 players)
BB checks, Hero checks

Total pot: $963 | Rake: $2

Results:
Hero had A, 4 (one pair, twos).
BB had 6, 4 (one pair, twos).
Outcome: Hero won $961

The Ad is a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, I block one of his outs, but on the other hand, the nut flush draw is the most likely draw for him to have. Since he can’t have that, it does reduce the number of flushes in his range. I was just so sure based on his flop bet sizing…