I’ve got an article called “Value Flows Downstream” in the August issue of 2+2 Magazine. The article is about river play and how it can influence other streets. In particular, it discusses the importance of thin value betting marginal hands on the river, so I figured I’d post some thinnish river plays I’ve made recently.
This one is pretty straight-forward, I think:
Full Tilt Poker No-Limit Hold’em, $10 BB (5 handed) Hand History converter Courtesy of PokerZion.com
BB ($1003)
UTG ($1788)
MP ($1115.25)
Hero ($4408.50)
SB ($1228)
Preflop: Hero is Button with Qd, Qh.
1 fold, MP raises to $35, Hero raises to $120, 2 folds, MP calls $85.
Flop: ($255) 4h, 8c, 6h (2 players)
MP bets $200, Hero calls $200.
Turn: ($655) As (2 players)
MP bets $100, Hero calls $100.
River: ($855) 3c (2 players)
MP bets $100, Hero raises to $333, MP calls $233.
Final Pot: $1521
Results in white below:
MP doesn’t show.
Hero has Qd Qh (one pair, queens).
Outcome: Hero wins $1521.
Full Tilt Poker No-Limit Hold’em, $6 BB (3 handed) Hand History converter Courtesy of PokerZion.com
Button ($605.55)
Hero ($614.20)
BB ($664)
Preflop: Hero is SB with Qh, Qd.
Button raises to $12, Hero raises to $42, 1 fold, Button calls $30.
Flop: ($90) Ad, 5c, Jd (2 players)
Hero checks, Button bets $78, Hero calls $78.
Turn: ($246) Td (2 players)
Hero checks, Button checks.
River: ($246) 5s (2 players)
Hero bets $94, Button calls $94.
Final Pot: $434
Results in white below:
Hero has Qh Qd (two pair, queens and fives).
Button doesn’t show.
Outcome: Hero wins $434.
We see here an added benefit of value betting thin, which is that it can tilt a guy. This is against the same Villain from the last hand maybe a dozen hands later:
Full Tilt Poker No-Limit Hold’em, $6 BB (3 handed) Hand History converter Courtesy of PokerZion.com
Button ($456.55)
Hero ($827.20)
BB ($598)
Preflop: Hero is SB with Kd, Kc.
Button raises to $12, Hero raises to $42, 1 fold, Button calls $30.
Flop: ($90) 3h, Ad, Ks (2 players)
Hero checks, Button bets $198, Hero calls $198.
Turn: ($486) 6c (2 players)
Hero checks, Button bets $216.55 (All-In), Hero calls $216.55.
River: ($919.10) 9c (2 players, 1 all-in).
Final Pot: $919.10
Results in white below:
Hero has Kd Kc (three of a kind, kings).
Button has 7h Jc (high card, ace).
Outcome: Hero wins $919.10.
But don’t try to take me to Valuetown:
Full Tilt Poker No-Limit Hold’em, $10 BB (6 handed) Hand History converter Courtesy of PokerZion.com
Button ($172)
SB ($1144.50)
Hero ($1000)
UTG ($635.25)
MP ($962)
CO ($1513)
Preflop: Hero is BB with 9s, Ts.
1 fold, MP raises to $30, 3 folds, Hero calls $20.
Flop: ($65) 9c, 3d, 7h (2 players)
Hero checks, MP bets $35, Hero calls $35.
Turn: ($135) Kc (2 players)
Hero checks, MP bets $80, Hero calls $80.
River: ($295) Qc (2 players)
Hero checks, MP bets $115, Hero raises to $555, MP folds.
Final Pot: $965
Full Tilt Poker No-Limit Hold’em, $10 BB (4 handed) Hand History converter Courtesy of PokerZion.com
BB ($906.05)
UTG ($1132)
Button ($1738)
Hero ($2502.50)
Preflop: Hero is SB with 6c, 8c.
2 folds, Hero raises to $30, BB calls $20.
Flop: ($60) Jd, Ac, 6d (2 players)
Hero bets $47, BB calls $47.
Turn: ($154) Jc (2 players)
Hero checks, BB bets $99, Hero calls $99.
River: ($352) 9d (2 players)
Hero checks, BB bets $115, Hero raises to $666, BB folds.
Final Pot: $1133
Great article.
On the third hand, I don’t know how you didn’t raise the turn. I think I’d raise there 75% of the time, unless I had a really good 3-barrel read on the player.
You talking about the KK hand? The guy went all in on the turn….
Sorry, no the T9s hand.
Your opponents turn bet in Hand1 is SOOO sketchy….$100 into $650.
Should this typically be seen as weakness or strength? Was it just a pot control move?
I suppose calling is really the only way to get paid here. Raising will only get called by better hands…and folding isn’t an option.
Darren,
I’m not sure why I didn’t raise the turn. At the time, I wasn’t really sure where I stood, and this particular guy had played enough with me lately that I don’t think he’s going to fold top pair on the turn no matter how strong my line looks. It was a smallish bet, so I just stuck around to see how things developed on the river.
Todd,
Yeah the guy was a giant fish. If I recall correctly, he had TT, which is exactly the kind of hand I put him on. It’s a bummer the turn was an A, because I definitely could have stacked him if it had been a rag. I wasn’t the least bit concerned about draws. Probably I should have raised the flop.