I played a pretty long session at 40/80 over the weekend, definitely one of the longest I’ve played at such high stakes. It was a surprisingly tight game, with one guy who was not a fish but was noticeably weaker than the rest of us. But there really wasn’t a lot of light 3-betting, floating, etc. like there often is in such games, and I think that’s part of the reason I felt comfortable staying for as long as I did.
For a while, there was one very good player on my left, but he didn’t seem to be gunning for me or anything. I did end up losing one big pot to him:
Full Tilt No-Limit Hold’em, $80.00 BB (5 handed) – Full-Tilt Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com
Button ($12774.60)
SB ($58139.50)
BB ($34182.50)
Hero (UTG) ($18345)
MP ($16831)
Preflop: Hero is UTG with 8
, 8
Hero bets $280, 1 fold, Button calls $280, 2 folds
Flop: ($680) 8
, A, K (2 players)
Hero bets $456, Button calls $456
Turn: ($1592) 3 (2 players)
Hero bets $1234, Button calls $1234
River: ($4060) 4 (2 players)
Hero bets $2875, Button raises to $6880, Hero folds
Total pot: $9810 | Rake: $3
Results:
Button didn’t show
Outcome: Button won $9807
Against even pretty good players, this is a fold that I wouldn’t think too much about. A set of 8’s is really towards the bottom of my value range at this point, I can definitely have some flushes, and Villain will usually have enough showdown value to call when he thinks I’m bluffing rather than bluff raise. But against a great player, I really feel like I have to question everything. Folding a set of 8’s is exploitable here, and while it’s not easy to exploit, I have to consider that he may be capable of it.
Here’s two others I played with him, where I got the upper hand:
Full Tilt No-Limit Hold’em, $80.00 BB (5 handed) – Full-Tilt Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com
Button ($29021.60)
SB ($38030)
BB ($49580)
Hero (UTG) ($16356)
MP ($16240)
Preflop: Hero is UTG with 10
, Q
Hero bets $280, 1 fold, Button raises to $800, 2 folds, Hero calls $520
Flop: ($1720) 7, J, 7 (2 players)
Hero checks, Button bets $1200, Hero calls $1200
Turn: ($4120) 2 (2 players)
Hero checks, Button checks
River: ($4120) 9 (2 players)
Hero bets $1666, 1 fold
Total pot: $4120 | Rake: $3
Results:
Hero didn’t show 10, Q (nothing).
Outcome: Hero won $4117
Full Tilt No-Limit Hold’em, $80.00 BB (5 handed) – Full-Tilt Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com
BB ($19115.60)
UTG ($48207)
MP ($42828)
Hero (Button) ($23929)
SB ($8000)
Preflop: Hero is Button with 9, A
2 folds, Hero bets $199, 1 fold, BB calls $119
Flop: ($438) 10, 4, 5 (2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets $288, BB raises to $880, Hero calls $592
Turn: ($2198) K (2 players)
BB bets $1600, Hero raises to $5555, 1 fold
Total pot: $5398 | Rake: $3
Results:
Hero didn’t show 9, A (nothing).
Outcome: Hero won $5395
A9 could even be good here, but Villain is capable of value betting thinly (ie with hands that fold to this raise), he’ll often have draws, and I don’t think I can call the river, meaning I’d do well to take the pot now if I can even with the best hand.
I know I said there wasn’t much floating going on, but there was this:
Full Tilt No-Limit Hold’em, $80.00 BB (5 handed) – Full-Tilt Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com
UTG ($17009.60)
MP ($39728)
Button ($42262)
Hero (SB) ($26143)
BB ($16947)
Preflop: Hero is SB with 10, J
2 folds, Button bets $240, Hero raises to $960, 1 fold, Button calls $720
Flop: ($2000) 8, 3, 4 (2 players)
Hero bets $1333, Button calls $1333
Turn: ($4666) 8 (2 players)
Hero bets $3333, Button calls $3333
River: ($11332) K (2 players)
Hero checks, Button checks
Total pot: $11332 | Rake: $3
Results:
Button had 9, K (two pair, Kings and eights).
Hero had 10, J (one pair, eights).
Outcome: Button won $11329
I’m just glad I didn’t try to bluff the river.