Posts Tagged ‘river check-raise’

One of the cooler hands from my time splashing around in the small stakes:

PokerStars No-Limit Hold’em, $1.00 BB (2 handed) – PokerStars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

Hero (SB) ($100.50)
BB ($51)

Preflop: Hero is SB with K♦, Q♠
Hero bets $2, BB calls $1

Flop: ($4) 5♣, 10♥, 2♣ (2 players)
BB checks, Hero checks

Turn: ($4) 7♥ (2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets $1.85, BB calls $1.85

River: ($7.70) 4♦ (2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets $3.65, BB raises to $10, Hero raises to $30.05, 1 fold

Total pot: $27.70 | Rake: $0.50

Results:
Hero didn’t show K♦, Q♠ (nothing).
Outcome: Hero won $27.20

PokerStars No-Limit Hold’em, $10 BB (2 handed) Hand History converter Courtesy of PokerZion.com

Hero ($1000)
BB ($3855.15)

Preflop: Hero is Button with 8s, Ts.
Hero raises to $30, BB calls $20.

Flop: ($60) 8c, 5d, Qd (2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets $44.6, BB calls $44.60.

Turn: ($149.20) 8h (2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets $96.5, BB raises to $230, Hero calls $133.50.

River: ($609.20) Ah (2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets $221.5, BB calls $221.50.

Final Pot: $1052.20

Results in white below:
BB has Kd 9d (one pair, eights).
Hero has 8s Ts (three of a kind, eights).
Outcome: Hero wins $1052.20.

I put Villain on a draw but flatted the turn expecting that he would bluff missed rivers. Clearly I was wrong about that part, but I’m pretty happy that I got him to “snap me off” with K-high.

His river checking range consists of draws/bluffs that are giving up and huge hands that are never folding no matter how much I bet. Most of the latter actually beat my hand, though they are very much in the minority.  Read the complete post...

I’ve posted a lot lately about overbetting, so here’s a spot where overbetting with (functionally) the nuts would be a bad idea:

PokerStars No-Limit Hold’em, $6 BB (8 handed) Hand History converter Courtesy of PokerZion.com

SB ($696)
BB ($645)
UTG ($785.70)
UTG+1 ($493)
MP1 ($368.50)
MP2 ($201)
CO ($109.30)
Hero ($747)

Preflop: Hero is Button with Kc, Kd.
1 fold, UTG+1 raises to $18, 3 folds, Hero raises to $50, 2 folds, UTG+1 calls $32.

Flop: ($109) 5c, Jh, 4d (2 players)
UTG+1 checks, Hero checks.

Turn: ($109) Ks (2 players)
UTG+1 checks, Hero bets $66, UTG+1 calls $66.

River: ($241) Qs (2 players)
UTG+1 checks, Hero bets $111, UTG+1 raises to $270, Hero raises to $631, UTG+1 calls $107 (All-In).

Final Pot: $1249
Results in white below:
UTG+1 has Qh Qc (three of a kind, queens).
Hero has Kc Kd (three of a kind, kings).
Outcome: Hero wins $1249.

In this case, the hands that can call an overbet, namely QQ and JJ, will in all likelihood check-raise the river anyway. Better to make a smaller bet that can be called by hands like AA, AK, or KQ, since you probably won’t miss out on value from lower sets anyway.

I folded the second nuts to a raise like this a few days ago, because there was no chance he didn’t have it, and got me thinking how cool it would be to do that as a bluff. Based on sizing, it’s unlikely Villain has the nuts here, so it seemed like a good spot to give it a go.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold’em, $4 BB (2 handed) Hand History converter Courtesy of PokerZion.com

Button ($495.05)
Hero ($2083.15)

Preflop: Hero is BB with Kc, Qh.
Button raises to $8, Hero calls $4.

Flop: ($16) Ks, 3s, 9s (2 players)
Hero bets $16, Button calls $16.

Turn: ($48) 5h (2 players)
Hero bets $44, Button calls $44.

River: ($136) 4s (2 players)
Hero checks, Button bets $72, Hero raises to $144, Button folds.

Final Pot: $352

Results in white below:

Hero has Kc Qh (one pair, kings).

Outcome: Hero wins $352.

I do think, by the way, that this is a good spot for me to check the nuts on the river. Just about any hand that can call a bet will bet for value if checked to, plus Villain may occasionally bluff with a hand that would have folded to a bet.

First introduced in Harrington on Hold ‘Em, this play is an oldie but a goodie:

Full Tilt Poker No-Limit Hold’em Tourney, Big Blind is t50 (6 handed) Hand History converter Courtesy of PokerZion.com

BB (t3000)
UTG (t840)
Hero (t3359)
CO (t5965)
Button (t2950)
SB (t3205)

Preflop: Hero is MP with Tc, 9c.
1 fold, Hero raises to t100, 3 folds, BB calls t50.

Flop: (t225) 2d, 3d, 6c (2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets t123, BB calls t123.

Turn: (t471) Qs (2 players)
BB checks, Hero checks.

River: (t471) Kh (2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets t266, BB folds.

Final Pot: t737
Results in white below:
Hero has Tc 9c (high card, king).
Outcome: Hero wins t737.

I rivered a K, obv. Particularly effective against players who don’t pull fancy moves like floating out of position (this guy can have Ax I think but not a random Kx or Qx float) or check-raising the river.

Despite flopping a straight, I think checking is clearly correct on all streets.

Full Tilt No-Limit Hold’em Tournament, 200/400 Blinds 50 Ante (9 handed) – Full Tilt Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

CO (t12678)
Button (t11345)
SB (t19510)
Hero (BB) (t7756)
UTG (t15153)
UTG+1 (t24828)
MP1 (t17322)
MP2 (t11167)
MP3 (t5135)

Hero’s M: 7.39

Preflop: Hero is BB with A, 3
2 folds, MP1 bets t899, 5 folds, Hero calls t499

Flop: (t2448) 2, 4, 5 (2 players)
Hero checks, MP1 checks

Turn: (t2448) K (2 players)
Hero checks, MP1 bets t999, Hero calls t999

River: (t4446) 2 (2 players)
Hero checks, MP1 bets t3299, Hero raises to t5808 (All-In), 1 fold

Total pot: t11044

Results:
Hero didn’t show A, 3.
Outcome: Hero won t11044

When Villain doesn’t bet flop, he’s announcing he has nothing. Maybe he hit the K, maybe he’ll bluff it, but either way checking is best. River is so blank that he’s going to value bet again if he hit the K, and if he didn’t, then he has air and we want him to keep bluffing.  Read the complete post...

Might as well. I mean, I had blockers.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold’em, $6.00 BB (6 handed) – Poker-Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

Button ($1546.80)
SB ($3819.10)
BB ($1477.80)
Hero (UTG) ($1844.50)
MP ($1745.95)
CO ($2134.80)

Preflop: Hero is UTG with 8, 8
Hero bets $24, 2 folds, Button raises to $78, 2 folds, Hero calls $54

Flop: ($165) J, 4, 7 (2 players)
Hero checks, Button bets $126.90, Hero calls $126.90

Turn: ($418.80) 3 (2 players)
Hero checks, Button checks

River: ($418.80) 10 (2 players)
Hero checks, Button bets $372, Hero raises to $1638.40 (All-In), 1 fold

Total pot: $1162.80 | Rake: $3

Results:
Hero didn’t show 8, 8 (nothing).
Outcome: Hero won $1167

I recently asked for reader opinions regarding a hand where I had top pair until the river, which brought an Ace but also missed a possible flush draw. Here I’m posting the results and my thoughts. If you haven’t already offered your own thoughts, please follow the link above and leave a comment before reading any further.

First, I’ll show you what happened:

PokerStars No-Limit Hold’em, $20.00 BB (2 handed) – Poker-Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

Hero (BB) ($9526.50)
SB ($3306)

Preflop: Hero is BB with Q, K
SB bets $60, Hero calls $40

Flop: ($120) 3, 10, K (2 players)
Hero checks, SB checks

Turn: ($120) 6 (2 players)
Hero bets $120, SB calls $120

River: ($360) A (2 players)
Hero bets $269, SB calls $269

Total pot: $898 | Rake: $0.50

Results:
SB had A, J (one pair, Aces).
Hero had Q, K (one pair, Kings).
Outcome: $898 returned to SB

Thinking over this session after I finished playing for the night, it occurred to me that a more creative option may have been best in this hand. I chose to value bet because I expected Villain rarely to bluff and always to check behind hands worse than mine. I felt it was close as to whether I’d be ahead of his calling range, but I didn’t want to check-fold.  Read the complete post...