…but this guy managed. He almost got there, too: PokerStars Pot-Limit Omaha High, $1.00 BB (6 handed) Hand History converter Courtesy of PokerZion.com Button ($170.35) Hero ($250) BB ($1351.95) UTG ($258.90) MP ($456.15) CO ($96.50) Preflop: Hero is SB with … Read more…
I think Villain’s turn range consists of bluffs, flushes, AQ, sets, and perhaps the occasional 43 or AJ no spade that is raise-folding. I think it’s unlikely that he’s raising a singleton spade, as without a pair he’s setting himself … Read more…
The day started well enough. My table couldn’t be called “soft”, but given the overall tough field, I imagine it was one of the more desirable tables. We were supposed to be playing 8-handed, but my table consisted of me, … Read more…
I started the day with 30K, quickly ran it up to 80K, dropped back down to 40K, ran it up to 130K, dropped down as low as 36K, then quickly ran back up to 140K and finished the day with … Read more…
Yesterday, I posted a few hands where I exploited Early Position raisers with transparent ranges. Here’s an example of of the kind of play you can make to combat players who try to exploit you in this way: PokerStars No-Limit … Read more…
Many Tight-Aggressive players do a poor job of mixing up their ranges for raising from Early Position. This means that you can often identify boards on which your perceived range is stronger than theirs and bluff relentlessly: PokerStars No-Limit Hold’em, … Read more…
I was tweating yesterday about some big folds that I made in my Sunday tournaments. At least one person expressed interest, so here are the two biggest. Villain was 11/8, and I’d been reasonable to tight, though admittedly my Team … Read more…
In my recent poker strategy article, Slowplaying, I emphasize how much a failure to build the pot can cost you when you slowplay a huge hand in NLHE. One of the exceptions I discuss is when you have an aggressive … Read more…
PokerStars Pot-Limit Omaha High, $1.00 BB (6 handed) Hand History converter Courtesy of PokerZion.com MP ($263.80) CO ($250) Button ($362.30) SB ($264.20) Hero ($250) UTG ($166.90) Preflop: Hero is BB with Ah, 4c, Ac, Tc. UTG calls $1, 1 fold, … Read more…
The field in the $1050 PokerStars Super Tuesday had been whittled down from 394 to 28. With 10 BB’s, I wasn’t in great shape, but I had a fighting chance. And then the internet at my apartment went out. I … Read more…
BTN and SB both seem fishy, not just because of their stacks but because they are respectively 100/20 and 55/9, albeit over small samples. I felt like they’d both have a lot of random crap and I could drive them … Read more…
…so overbet-overbet it is: PokerStars No-Limit Hold’em, $2 BB (5 handed) Hand History converter Courtesy of PokerZion.com UTG ($518.95) MP ($500) Button ($538.90) SB ($211.55) Hero ($1162.75) Preflop: Hero is BB with 7s, 7d. 2 folds, Button raises to $6, … Read more…
PokerStars No-Limit Hold’em, $6 BB (2 handed) Hand History converter Courtesy of PokerZion.com Hero ($1078.40) BB ($2126.95) Preflop: Hero is Button with 7s, 9c. Hero raises to $18, BB calls $12. Flop: ($36) 2c, 2d, 6h (2 players) BB checks, … Read more…
Villain’s hand looks so much like a busted draw that I was afraid I was getting leveled. I had to double-check the board to confirm that it really made no sense for him to play any value hand this way … Read more…
Also, fold the river: PokerStars No-Limit Hold’em Tourney, Big Blind is t80 (6 handed) Hand History converter Courtesy of PokerZion.com UTG (t1560) MP (t3290) CO (t6660) Hero (t4198) SB (t3839) BB (t1453) Preflop: Hero is Button with 7h, 9h. 3 … Read more…
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, … Read more…
First hand is a very relevant bit of recent history: PokerStars No-Limit Hold’em, $6 BB (2 handed) Hand History converter Courtesy of PokerZion.com Hero ($1153.70) Button ($752.10) Preflop: Hero is BB with Th, Jh. Button raises to $12, Hero raises … Read more…
I have no idea what to make of his flop min-check-raise as the pre-flop raiser, but I seriously doubt he can stand a turn raise. I just don’t see him doing this with either 2 pair+ or a good draw. … Read more…
PokerStars No-Limit Hold’em Tourney, Big Blind is t600 (6 handed) Hand History converter Courtesy of PokerZion.com Hero (t14702) UTG (t30344) MP (t15991) CO (t16405) Button (t34712) SB (t61552) Preflop: Hero is BB with Ks, 9s. 3 folds, Button raises to … Read more…
This was the first and only hand I played with Villain, he just sat with a random amount that was probably all he had in his account: PokerStars No-Limit Hold’em, $10 BB (2 handed) Hand History converter Courtesy of PokerZion.com … Read more…
I’m posting three hands tonight, all of them against the same Villain. I’d just stacked him for the second time, and after that he bought in for just 30 BB’s, won a sizable pot, and then started donking a lot … Read more…
I didn’t realize it at the time or I would have raised the flop, but this is one of those interesting PLO situations where my draw is a pretty solid favorite against the nuts: PokerStars Pot-Limit Omaha High, $1.00 BB … Read more…
I figured Villain’s river range was nuts/bluffs, and given that this was a backdoor draw and the flop draws missed, there’d be enough bluffs to warrant a call. I hadn’t counted on this: PokerStars Pot-Limit Omaha High, $1.00 BB (5 … Read more…
I’ve never really been a grinder, one of those online poker players who plays 10+ tables at once, cursor and attention whizzing from monitor to monitor so quickly that they have only seconds to think about they want to play … Read more…
Villain was pretty disbelieving of me and wasn’t making a lot of what I call “disciplined folds”, meaning that in small- to medium-sized pots he usually called any time his hand was defined as medium-strength rather than trying to figure … Read more…
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 … Read more…
I had a deep run but ultimately a disappointing 15th place finish in last night’s $1000 Super Tuesday tournament on PokerStars, which performance they chronicled on their blog. I say “disappointing” not only because I went from 2/18 to out … Read more…
PokerStars No-Limit Hold’em Tourney, Big Blind is t50 (9 handed) Hand History converter Courtesy of PokerZion.com MP2 (t2650) MP3 (t3048) CO (t2775) Button (t4909) SB (t2070) BB (t2715) Hero (t2646) UTG+1 (t3952) MP1 (t6300) Preflop: Hero is UTG with Kd, … Read more…
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 … Read more…
Sucks to check-fold rockets getting 3.5:1 but there’s just nothing I beat. Any worse hand has showdown value and checks back river, methinks PokerStars No-Limit Hold’em, $4 BB (6 handed) Hand History converter Courtesy of PokerZion.com BB ($142) UTG ($268) … Read more…
Villain was unknown to me and had pretty crazy stats for a 6-max game, like 57/32 or something. He floated a lot of flops and would fire the turn when in position, so I was originally looking to check-raise. The … Read more…
Sorry that I was slow in posting results and lax about responding to comments. Not only was I moving over the weekend (got a place in Boston for a few months- more on this soon), but I also took ill. … Read more…
This hand is a good example of being aware of your own range and what your hand will look like to Villain. I had recently folded to a triple barrel from this same Villain, who generally exhibits very aggressive tendencies. … Read more…
Today I’ve got another variation on the “What’s Your Play?” theme. I’m going to give you the play, and you have to give me the range with which you would make it. Of course for the sake of discussion, please … Read more…
PokerStars Pot-Limit Omaha High, $1.00 BB (5 handed) Hand History converter Courtesy of PokerZion.com Hero ($288.45) BB ($99.70) UTG ($238.20) MP ($110.80) Button ($250) Preflop: Hero is SB with Qh, Kh, Jc, Ts. 2 folds, Button raises to $2.5, Hero … Read more…
Villain is an excellent NLHE player and surely competent enough to read my hand and play well in this spot. I feel like there are no just good options with my hand on a flop like this because it’s essentially … Read more…
I think my line looks pretty damn strong here. Obviously it’s not going to work when Villain has trips himself, but I feel like he has a lot of TT-AA here as well (not to mention AK before he calls … Read more…
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 … Read more…
In NLHE, I pretty much always choose to call rather than re-raise-get-it-in when I have position and suspect some sort of coinflip situation (overs vs. pair pre-flop, top pair vs. big draw on the flop, etc.). I figure that between … Read more…
I was looking to check-raise flop. When he checked it back and the turn is a brick, he’s got a wide range but a narrow value range so it’s check-call, check-call. PokerStars No-Limit Hold’em, $6 BB (2 handed) Hand History … Read more…
Villain is clearly bluffing on the river- his line makes no sense with any strong hand except 44, and even that may not call a river shove (it’s a lot more plausible for me to check a set on the … Read more…
My post from last night flubbed a simple equation badly enough that I felt the need to scrap it and start over from scratch. I’ve left the old post up for posterity’s sake and so people can see what not … Read more…
Edit: As several commenters pointed out, I screwed this up in multiple ways. I’m getting ready to start up a session, but I’ll be making a new post with a corrected equation soon. In the meantime, you can disregard this … Read more…
Thanks to everyone who sounded off on the special HUD edition of “What’s Your Play?”. As always your comments were thought-provoking, and I was actually led to conclude that the answer isn’t as open-and-shut as I thought. I’ll start by … Read more…
I think this is one of the worst hands I’ve played in a while: PokerStars No-Limit Hold’em, $10.00 BB (6 handed) – PokerStars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com Button ($646.60) SB ($1000) Hero (BB) ($1000) UTG ($458) MP ($2288.55) CO ($1148) … Read more…
A reader recently asked me about a hand, presumably in response to a comment I made about bet sizing on the river when your opponent’s range is defined as a bluff-catcher: “What do you think would be optimal sizing on … Read more…
The first video in my new four-part series about HUD-based decision making and using statistics to exploit opponents has just gone live at Poker Savvy Plus. In conjunction with that, I’ve got a twist on the old “What’s Your Play?” … Read more…
Even with a double-gutter, I’m not getting the right immediate odds to call. I’m counting on implied odds both from value betting (or calling, as the case may be) an 8 and from bluffing 9’s and Q’s. No-Limit Hold’em, $4.00 … Read more…
As played, Villain pretty much never has a straight, and he probably realizes that I know that. This means that I can just abuse him on the river with overbets, and the best he can do is try to guess … Read more…
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) … Read more…
PokerStars No-Limit Hold’em, 530 Tournament, 2000/4000 Blinds (8 handed) – Poker-Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com Button (t157009) SB (t218178) Hero (BB) (t115355) UTG (t136613) UTG+1 (t93678) MP1 (t157446) MP2 (t106054) CO (t192690) Hero’s M: 19.23 Preflop: Hero is BB with … Read more…
The last hand I posted touched on the concept of recognizing the best bluffing hand(s) in your range. Here’s another example: PokerStars No-Limit Hold’em Tourney, Big Blind is t600 (9 handed) Hand History converter Courtesy of PokerZion.com SB (t32977) BB … Read more…
PokerStars No-Limit Hold’em, $6.00 BB (9 handed) – Poker-Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com UTG+1 ($600) MP1 ($600.10) MP2 ($309.35) MP3 ($1521.45) CO ($1167.20) Hero (Button) ($618) SB ($663) BB ($600) UTG ($444) Preflop: Hero is Button with A, 10 5 folds, … Read more…
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 … Read more…
Villain’s flop call out of position with a gutshot may look bad, but it actually illustrates an important point about deep-stacked NLHE: you must play in such a way that your opponent can never exclude nutted hands from your range. … Read more…
Full Tilt No-Limit Hold’em Tournament, 15/30 Blinds (9 handed) – Full-Tilt Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com UTG (t4465) Hero (UTG+1) (t5220) MP1 (t5035) MP2 (t5865) MP3 (t5000) CO (t4955) Button (t4460) SB (t4970) BB (t5030) Hero’s M: 116.00 Preflop: Hero is … Read more…
I had some tough tables in the USA COOP main event, full of aggressive tournament regulars. There was a ton of raising 3-betting, and when one player got disconnected and was not around to defend his blind, sparks really flew. … Read more…
I final tabled the $500 KO Friday Night Fight on FTP last night, finishing in a slightly disappointing 8th. Not too shabby though considering I never got above the average stack and collected not a single bounty. Since my November … Read more…
I had a bit of a read on Villain that he bet big with his monster hands and small when going for thin value. In deciding to turn my hand into a bluff, I didn’t give sufficient consideration to the … Read more…
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 … Read more…
Sometimes Villains just spaz out and throw crazy bluff raises at you: PokerStars No-Limit Hold’em, $20.00 BB (2 handed) – Poker-Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com Hero (BB) ($2289.50) SB ($2098.50) Preflop: Hero is BB with 4, 4 SB bets $60, Hero … Read more…
PokerStars No-Limit Hold’em, $20.00 BB (2 handed) – Poker-Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com Hero (BB) ($3307.50) SB ($2010) Preflop: Hero is BB with 3, 3 SB bets $60, Hero calls $40 Flop: ($120) 5, 4, 2 (2 players) Hero checks, SB bets $100, Hero … Read more…
We had some fun rivering quads, so let’s play this game again. Villain views me as aggressive but not crazy. It is extremely unlikely that he is checking behind either a strong made hand or a strong draw on the … Read more…
Villain tells me had 6d 4d, which seems plausible: Full Tilt No-Limit Hold’em, $20.00 BB (6 handed) – Full-Tilt Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com MP ($7477) CO ($2314) Hero (Button) ($6720) SB ($6379) BB ($2207) UTG ($9558.50) Preflop: Hero is Button … Read more…
I started things off with a solid cold decking, and within minutes I was 3rd overall: Full Tilt No-Limit Hold’em Tournament, 10/20 Blinds 3 Ante (9 handed) – Full-Tilt Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com UTG (t6043) UTG+1 (t6006) MP1 (t6253) MP2 … Read more…
One of my criticisms of Winning Poker Tournaments One Hand at a Time, which I generally liked, was that the authors neglected opportunities to play Ace-high for showdown value and turned such hands into a bluff too frequently. Today I … Read more…