Posts Tagged ‘Full Tilt Poker’

FWIW I shouldn’t have 3-bet this guy pre-flop because he rarely calls but often 4-bets and KQs isn’t quite so good that I’m happy about 3-bet-calling it (although I did after remembering who this guy was).

Full Tilt No-Limit Hold’em, $4.00 BB (9 handed) – Full-Tilt Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

CO ($205.20)
Button ($615)
Hero (SB) ($1643.25)
BB ($439.60)
UTG ($464.10)
UTG+1 ($1420.30)
MP1 ($426.70)
MP2 ($406)
MP3 ($400)

Preflop: Hero is SB with K, Q
6 folds, Button bets $8, Hero raises to $32, 1 fold, Button raises to $70, Hero calls $38

Flop: ($144) 6, A, 8 (2 players)
Hero checks, Button bets $20, Hero raises to $123, Button raises to $545 (All-In), Hero calls $422

Turn: ($1234) K (2 players, 1 all-in)

River: ($1234) J (2 players, 1 all-in)

Total pot: $1234 | Rake: $3

Results:
Button had 9, Q (high card, Ace).
Hero had K, Q (flush, Ace high).
Outcome: Hero won $1231

His flop shove is atrocious because he’s so often drawing slim to dead when called. Check-raising his underbet is very important. Although he probably will fold sometimes, there’s no way he makes a bet like that without expecting me to play back at a fair bit of the time. That means that he’s sometimes trying to induce with some big hand (a set, perhaps) and also that he’ll float and/or rebluff it. Although I have blockers to his rebluffing range, we can see that he’s willing to be quite liberal about it.

28 players remaining in the FTP Friday Night Fight, 27 places pay. As soon as I saw this flop, I told myself that if the pre-flop raiser made a continuation bet I’d have to either check-call or check-fold. I just didn’t see him betting this board into two players with anything that would fold to a raise.

The caller was a different story. He was much too loose pre-flop, and I felt like his small bet could represent almost anything: a weak pair, a total bluff…. “This guy could have like anything- easy shove,” I told myself as I dragged the bet slider to “All In.”

Full Tilt No-Limit Hold’em Tournament, 500/1000 Blinds 125 Ante (7 handed) – Full-Tilt Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

Button (t13807)
SB (t15652)
Hero (BB) (t19623)
UTG (t19575)
MP1 (t14171)
MP2 (t57493)
CO (t87283)

Hero’s M: 8.26

Preflop: Hero is BB with 4, 3
2 folds, MP2 bets t2368, CO calls t2368, 2 folds, Hero calls t1368

Flop: (t8479) 9, J, 6 (3 players)
Hero checks, MP2 checks, CO bets t3600, Hero raises to t17130 (All-In), 1 fold, CO calls t13530

Turn: (t42739) 5 (2 players, 1 all-in)

River: (t42739) K (2 players, 1 all-in)

Total pot: t42739

Results:
Hero had 4, 3 (high card, King).
CO had 6, 6 (three of a kind, sixes).
Outcome: CO won t42739  Read the complete post...

This hand generated some really interesting comments and discussion both at Thinking Poker and at Cardplayer. Thanks to everyone who participated. Some of you have seen the results already, but for those who haven’t, here’s what happened:

Full Tilt No-Limit Hold’em, $4.00 BB (9 handed) – Full-Tilt Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

Button ($518.20)
SB ($490.30)
BB ($276.80)
Hero (UTG) ($773.50)
UTG+1 ($1109.10)
MP1 ($154.10)
MP2 ($1936.65)
MP3 ($943.80)
CO ($517)

Preflop: Hero is UTG with 8, 8
Hero calls $4, 4 folds, CO bets $22, 3 folds, Hero calls $18

Flop: ($50) 8, 4, 4 (2 players)
Hero checks, CO bets $28, Hero calls $28

Turn: ($106) 4 (2 players)
Hero checks, CO checks

River: ($106) 8 (2 players)
Hero bets $66, CO raises to $467 (All-In), Hero calls $401

Total pot: $1040 | Rake: $3

Results:
Hero had 8, 8 (four of a kind, eights).
CO had Q, Q (full house, fours over Queens).
Outcome: Hero won $1037

There are two important points in particular that I wanted to highlight with this hand:  Read the complete post...

I finally got around to buying a new phone today, after having run out my contract with Sprint months ago. I’d been wavering between a Droid and an Iphone for a while, and then Full Tilt went and made the decision for me by releasing a Beta version of Rush Poker runnable only on Droid. I already knew I wanted to be with Verizon, so it was just a question of whether to get the Droid X or the Incredible. I figured the larger screen would be good for poker, so I went for the Droid X. Only had it a few hours, but so far it seems pretty cool.

The guy who sold it to me was pretty ridiculous. I came in knowing what I wanted: which phone, which plan, etc. He was immediately trying to sell me on a two-year contract and downright distraught when I declined the insurance. I believe, “I would never have a $500 phone without insurance.” As a debater, I’m always tempted to try to refute stupid arguments like this, but I have to remind myself that this isn’t a situation where I’m going to convince him of anything. He may or may not actually realize why it’s a bad investment, but it’s not like he’s ever going to be like, “Oh hey you’re right that insurance totally is a losing proposition for anyone who can afford to buy a new phone if necessary.”  Read the complete post...

A lot of you probably get these “pro tip” e-mails from Full Tilt from time to time. I’ve glanced at a few and they were always very rudimentary and sometimes wrong. The title of this one caught my eye, though, and while it’s not a very sophisticated concept, it’s well-executed:

Andy Bloch on “Visualizing an Opponent’s Range”

This is essentially what I’m visualizing as I play a hand: a little bubble floating over my opponent’s head that contains an ever-narrowing range of hands. In fact, I think may borrow this technique for a video or two of my own.

Thanks to all the commenters who have contributed to some very good discussion this week. Let’s keep it going!

Full Tilt No-Limit Hold’em, $4.00 BB (9 handed) – Full-Tilt Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

Button ($518.20)
SB ($490.30)
BB ($276.80)
Hero (UTG) ($773.50)
UTG+1 ($1109.10)
MP1 ($154.10)
MP2 ($1936.65)
MP3 ($943.80)
CO ($517)

Preflop: Hero is UTG with 8, 8
Hero calls $4, 4 folds, CO bets $22, 3 folds, Hero calls $18

Flop: ($50) 8, 4, 4 (2 players)
Hero checks, CO bets $28, Hero calls $28

Turn: ($106) 4 (2 players)
Hero checks, CO checks

River: ($106) 8 (2 players)
Hero ??

Villain is a decent regular, a bit on the tight side but smart and capable. What do you do here and why?

I’ve bragged about some creative bluffs recently, so here’s one where I got owned:

Full Tilt No-Limit Hold’em, $4.00 BB (9 handed) – Full-Tilt Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

SB ($434)
BB ($160)
UTG ($400)
UTG+1 ($641.60)
Hero (MP1) ($1081.40)
MP2 ($418.40)
MP3 ($1143)
CO ($131)
Button ($402)

Preflop: Hero is MP1 with Q, Q
1 fold, UTG+1 bets $12, Hero calls $12, 6 folds

Flop: ($30) 4, 9, 10 (2 players)
UTG+1 checks, Hero bets $9, UTG+1 calls $9

Turn: ($48) 7 (2 players)
UTG+1 checks, Hero bets $15, UTG+1 raises to $64, Hero calls $49

River: ($176) 7 (2 players)
UTG+1 bets $140, Hero raises to $996.40 (All-In), UTG+1 calls $416.60 (All-In)

Total pot: $1289.20 | Rake: $3

Results:
UTG+1 had A, A (two pair, Aces and sevens).
Hero had Q, Q (two pair, Queens and sevens).
Outcome: UTG+1 won $1286.20

When he check-raises the turn, I realize there’s a substantial risk that I’m not good. I don’t see him playing any full houses this way, so I went for it.

Different opponent from yesterday’s hand, but similar situation where a guy is simultaneously pissing me off and making it very obvious that he doesn’t have the nuts. I contemplated floating, but this is a really good hand to just ship on him:

Full Tilt No-Limit Hold’em, $4.00 BB (9 handed) – Full-Tilt Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

MP2 ($398.70)
MP3 ($804.30)
Hero (CO) ($1527.10)
Button ($1017.60)
SB ($1443.40)
BB ($400)
UTG ($432.50)
UTG+1 ($548.60)
MP1 ($563.85)

Preflop: Hero is CO with A, 2
5 folds, Hero bets $12, 1 fold, SB raises to $40, 1 fold, Hero calls $28

Flop: ($84) 6, 7, J (2 players)
SB bets $54, Hero calls $54

Turn: ($192) 10 (2 players)
SB checks, Hero bets $148, SB raises to $296, Hero raises to $1433.10 (All-In), 1 fold

Total pot: $784 | Rake: $3

Results:
Hero didn’t show A, 2.
Outcome: Hero won $781

Pre-flop and flop are both relatively standard plays when this deep. You can and should call a lot more hands in position when there is so much money behind, especially when, as in this case, it is extremely unlikely that your opponent has better than one pair. These calls bank a bit on the implied odds of making a hand but moreso on the bluffing opportunities you will have on later streets.  Read the complete post...