Tuesday, March 25, 2025

No sooner than I post the last hand and this occurs!

I'm not really a donkey, am I?
I find this hand exemplar of NOT stacking off when deep stacked.  We find ourselves at a $0.25/0.50 table sitting on $90.27.  This is one of those bomb pots where the whole table sees the flop by posting a BB each and the hand begins with the flop.

Flop is Qs8s8h, $3.00 in the middle (6 players) and I have Js8c.  Trips.  Good hand.  By far not the nuts, but not far off.  2 flush on board, I lead for $2.25 in the BB after the SB checks to me.  Gets called by the next two players ($105.84 and $92.52 respectively) as well as the BTN ($20.25).

Turn is a Kd.  $12 in the middle.  Given the flop action, there are plenty of targets out there for my continued bet: naked Queens, spade draws, T9 and JT gutters, worse 8's.  I don't think I should check down the hand at this point given the sheer quantity of draws available.  I continue on the turn with a $7.50 bet which gets called by the next player ($96.09 behind), and min raised to $15.00 by the following guy ($75.27 behind.  BTN folds.  It's a min raise; I can fold here because I can already be beat - and if I'm beat, there is no suckout for me.  This could also be a probing bet to determine the strength of my hand, vs. his [at best drawing hand] perceived JsTs which still has a ton of equity.  I think about pumping more money in or pumping the brakes - and I settle on brakes; it's a bomb pot and he can have any two cards including (no blockers to some of the combos) QQ, KK, Q8, K8, A8 - all of which have me beat.  The other guy seems to settle on the same though: call.

River is a helpful Ks.  $57 in the middle.  Ks completes flushes, but gives me bottom boat which beats all flushes.  With bottom boat, however, I'm only beating flushes and random bluffs.  I will not stack off here - I'd prefer to fold a winner than dump 150BB on a random hand that was undefined from the get-go.  Checks to the turn raiser who downsizes to $13(?!?!?!?!?!).  To me, that feels very much like a teaser bet to get me to check/raise.  My mantra for this hand is, "do not stack off," and I follow through with a flat weak-ass call, as does the player to my left.  $93 in the middle and we get the reveal:

AhAs for the plyer to my left and Kc8d for the better boat and win.  He did not win max value!  As for the AA, he's beating nothing by the river save for bluffs.  He should have saved money by folding the turn and/or river.

If you sign up for ClubsPoker, you can view the hand rather than relying on my mediocre retelling.  Use the referral link provided if you're able to do so.

The hand in question is linked here.

Friday, March 21, 2025

Hand of the Night

Holding hands for the Hand of the Day

This hand is not all that interesting, other than the fact that my opponent stacks off 200+BB.  A little preface for the hand: the site that I'm on offers a forced ante hand randomly.  I'm not sure of the odds of a forced ante, but in the event it's a "bomb pot," every ponies up a BB and we automatically see a flop... i.e. no pre flop action.

This hand comes to you from a $0.25/$0.50 table - where I'm pleased to announce that I'm playing nearly 100% of my time.

$4.00 in the pot (8 players * $0.50 per).  Flop is 4hQsQd.  I'm in the SB with 55, and first to act.  I check & it checks to the HJ who bets half pot, $2.  He's now sitting on $53.02.  BTN calls with $114.77 behind, and I flat leaving me with $123.16.  I've seen these players bet the 4 often enough to know I should see a turn card without much thought.

I'm sure you know where this is going: 5d on the turn, completing my totally hidden 5's full of queens.  Board reads 4hQsQd5d  Now, I'm not sure if either them have anything whatsoever, and I'm okay with letting a free card go if they both have air.  However, I'm going to find out pretty quickly if one of them have a Q, because I expect a continued bet - particularly because there's a 2 flush board out there, and there's also a straight draw with the 4 5.  To my delight, the HJ bets $6.50 - for sure repping the Q, and the fat stack BTN comes along for $6.50.  Now I'm faced with a dilemma; I want to stack the 200BB guy.  If I have any shot of doing that, I need to juice the pot now, or hope to get it in on the river.  If I juice the pot now, though, I can set up an easier river shove, rather than a jagged over bet on the riv or a check/raise.  With $23 in the middle prior to my call, I go roughly pot, raising to $24.  They both come along.

$82 in the pot and $90.77 effective (I have more than the BTN, so we're playing for his $90.77 stack).  River is 7s, completing a weird backdoor straight, but otherwise not providing much fear to any naked Q.  I didn't feel comfortable at the time (retrospectively, I probably should have opened shoved, so I missed out on another $15 in profit) so I led the river for $75.  Both players snap call and I scoop probably my largest pot yet on this site: $257.52.

HJ shows KdQh and BTN shows QcJs for the case Queen....  NH fellas!


If you 
sign up for ClubsPoker, you can view the hand rather than relying on my mediocre retelling.  Use the referral link provided if you're able to do so.

The hand in question is linked here.

Tuesday, March 18, 2025

Don't do that!

It wouldn't be fair for me to only go one way regarding chastising my opponents, now would it?  In today's hand, we're 640BB deep at a $0.05/$0.10 table.  This time, I have notes on my opponent which say, "He will open full 500BB all in if he believes he's nutted which is not nutted (bottom straight, 2 pair, etc.)."  This is Poker Meister speak for, he can ship the semi-nuts or nuts when he's strong.

My opponent limps (what all good fishees do) and I look down at QcQs from one off the cut off.  I open for my standard $.75 - I if there are limpers, I go 7.5x for one limp, 10.5x for two, 12.5x for three.  On this site, I get calls for days with raising sizes that large which, to me, is incredible!  Folds around to the fishee who does what fishees do and flats.

$1.65 in the middle.  We see a Ac9s8d flop.  I've only begun to fight, cause that Ace may create consternation for many people, but not me!  I'm not going all in by any means, and I can certainly set myself up to be bluffed later, but for now, there are many hands my opponent can limp / call with that don't contain an Ace.  I'm targeting 8x, 9x, JT, 67, T8.  Also, I want to get a feel for his Ax hands - I'm "concerned" if he makes the call here, but not totally concerned because I think there's value here by betting.  He checks to me and I click $1.05 - little more than 2/3 pot.  He flats.

$3.75 in the middle.  5s turn - Ac9s8d5s putting a 2 flush out there, completing 67.  He checks once again.  I lead for ~2/3 again - $2.25, focusing more on his draws because I'm pretty sure he'd lead with 67 if he hit it, and I'm pretty sure he would've bet out if he had an Ax hand.  He flats again.

$8.25 in the middle.  The both hated and loved Qh on the river.  Ac9s8d5sQh puts an obvious JT straight out there, while also completing the 67 straight on the turn.  No flushes complete.  My opponent opens for $69.36 (I have $60.23 behind).  600BB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  WTF?????  I mean - the Qh riv makes me beat almost all pair hands (exception of a slow-played AA).  But this guy has no problem shipping it very deep with the semi-nuts and the nuts.  Given there's 2 nutty hands out there, I have to fold, right?  It sucks to lay down a set on the river, but I can't justify a 600BB blow-up.  I fold.

For whatever reason, he shows - I guess to let me know he bluffed me?  Maybe he thinks he's good?  He shows Jh8s for a pair and straight re-draw.  My head lowers :-( as I realize I've been bluffed.  Nice play, sir, nice play - or "VNH."

Is this really a "don't do that?"

First, if you sign up for ClubsPoker, you can view the hand rather than relying on my mediocre retelling.  Use the referral link provided if you're able to do so.

The hand in question is linked here.

Friday, March 14, 2025

File under: Don't do that!

I remember this show from when I was a kid!

I think I'm going to start a series chastising my opponents for burning cash... yeah... that's what I'm going to do! It may be crass of me to do that, but I don't care - this is my blog & I do what I want to!

Obviously, I see players doing stupid stuff all the time - but I'm going to save the particularly egregious stuff for posting.  What you can expect to see is mostly deep stacked stuff, which brings us to today's post.

We're deep stacked, with $28.11 effective at a $0.05/0.10 game.

Folds around to my left (I'm in the cut off, one off the button) and he opens a standard-ish $0.35 with $35.38 behind.  I look down at a speculative 6h4h and opt to take a flop.  I can get spicy and raise here, but this guy has been fairly quiet, my hand is relatively easy to throw away post flop, and if the planets align, I can put in a minimal amount of money up front with a TON behind, without it costing me if I miss.  Therefore, rather than go for a quick takedown (i.e. 3bet and have to choose to fold to a 4bet potentially), I speculate and call.  The BB with $12.53 takes the call as well.

$1.1 in the middle: Flop is Ts3d5c.  I hit an open-ender.  Checks to original raiser who opens for $.55 - half pot.  Again, my options are still viable - raise or flat.  I have such a hidden hand if I hit that if my opponent has a hand himself, I'll get paid.  Right now, though, as with the pre-flop action, I don't want to get raised off my hand (if I raise and he re-raises, I'm losing part of the value of my hidden draw).  Therefore, I flat once again, opting to see another card fairly cheaply.  Also, for those playing at home, recognize that we have immediate odds here that we're getting less than even money (8 outs - 4 7's and 4 2's * 4 = ~32% odds to hit) on the next 2 cards, but obviously the implied odds are tremendous.

$2.75 in the middle.  Turn is a big bold beautiful 7h.  I hit my straight and it's the nut straight for the board.  Checks again to the original raiser who confirms my suspicion that he has a hand by leading another half pot $1.38.  Now that I'm in the driver's seat, it's decision time.  I want to get more money in the middle given that we're so deep (I'm sitting on $27.21 effective at this time).  I go for a $5.25 raise in order to spike up the pot, leaving $21.96 behind and around $10 in the middle.  It would be nice to at least get a buy-in / buy-in and a half in the middle.  BB snap calls(?????) the raise, and original raiser clicks all the way to all in for $34.83.  Obviously I snap call with the nuts as does BB - two pots are presented: $37.94 for the main and $30.96.

Weirdly, I'm shown JhTh from the original raiser (WTF dude???  Pair of Tens and a weak-ish kicker?  Seriously?!?!?!?) and 6d9d for the double gutter draw who was just clicking buttons on the flop (WTF, but not as WTF as my 300BB deep stacked JT friend).

River is Ac, a blank, and I scoop $67.40!  Again, don't do that!

If you sign up for ClubsPoker, you can view the hand rather than relying on my mediocre retelling.  Use the referral link provided if you're able to do so.

The hand in question is linked here.

Wednesday, March 12, 2025

File this under: image matters!

It's possible I'm a Diva and just don't know it!
If you know me in real life, you'd know that how I physically project myself (i.e. clothes, appearance, etc.) is really not a concern of mine.  I keep to a strict workout regiment, I eat [what I consider] well, and wear clothes that I consider comfortable and feel good.  I do it all for myself, not anyone else - because it all feels good to me.  As a happy side effect, I look good (as I imagine) for my wife - even though she and my kids make fun of my man "tiddies."  Whatevs... like I said, I do it for no one else but myself, and objectively, I think I look good for a close-to-50-year-old!


That said, image does matter at the poker table.  Everything said and every action completed leads your opponents to complete a story about you.  As evidenced, may I present to you today's hand analysis:

First, if you sign up for ClubsPoker, you can view the hand rather than relying on my mediocre retelling.  Use the referral link provided if you're able to do so.

The hand in question is linked here.


A bit of background- I've been ramming & jamming at the table.  As I see it, I have a very aggro image, and I've taken down more than my fair share of pots by opening and cbetting, while not really showing down (I think I may have shown a nutty / close to nuts hand in probably about 30-40 hands).

This hand comes from the $0.50 / $0.25 tables.

Effective stacks are $70.39 (prior to my posting the BB).

Folds around to BTN who limps and I check the option with 5c7h.  You can probably already anticipate where this is going...

$1.25 pot.  Flops come magic for me: Qc7d7c - trips for me... and personally, I'd prefer to lead here.  Combined with my image, I think I'd get action - or at minimum suspicion - but there's not a whole ton my opponent hits here in their limping range.  I think my best approach is to check the flop to put it on my opponent and feel them out.  Therefore, I check the flop - they surprisingly lead full pot $1.25.

To me, these guys at this stake are fairly passive - so a full pot bet says my opponent has something almost guaranteed.  I'm near certain they're going to commit a ton of money - and I want to get lots of money into the middle.  Perfect time for a "small" check / raise, no?  I raise to $5.00 and they immediately snap call.

$11.25 pot.  Turn is a lovely 5h, and despite the completed boat, I *DO NOT* want to slow down when I have a fish on the hook.  Mindful not to blow my opponent out of the water (I think pot or more than pot would really have them questioning, but 2/3 pot seems to be about appropriate), I lead for $7.50 and again, my opponent snaps.  My target ranges are Qx and 2 clubs - perhaps an over to the board + 2 clubs (i.e. AcXc or KcXc) but more likely Qx given the lead.  Again, passive play at these stakes - I think the population of players checks through a flush draw.  So, $7.50 - and I get a snap.

$26.25 pot.  Now here's where I have to think.  I want to get value from all the Qx that has called thus far.  I'm pretty certain that since the flush didn't get there, this is an opponent who will check through all missed draws, and likely get to a free showdown (i.e. not bet riv) with a Qx.  I want neither scenario to occur - therefore I want to bet rather than try for the check / raise river.  My risk analysis is as follows: I can get stacks in the middle ($57.39 behind at this point) at a 5-10% chance my opponent leads riv and calls the stack off (not a bluff), giving me $57 * 10% = $5.7 + 5% chance of lead / fold (bluff) $~20 * 5% = $0.40 --> $5.7 + $.4 = $6.1 cumulative factored earnings, vs. [call it] 70% chance of calling a % pot bet + 0% chance of calling a flush draw and shutting down the possibility of the bluff riv: the maths are $~20 bet * 70% = $14 but I need to subtract for the bluff ($20 * 5% above) $.4 --> $13.6 in earnings.  Therefore, to me, betting / leading is my most profitable solution.  Looking back, I think I should have clicked $20 instead of what I actually bet - but I have the benefit of 20/20 hindsight in the above calculations.

In real life, I lead for a near full pot - wow - and I guess that's the point of this title: "image matters."  I lead for $25 and get snapped immediately - which makes me think in retrospect that I could've gotten away with an open shove of $57!  Perhaps I need to revisit my calculations?

I'm shown AdQs - wowowowowowowow How the heck do you limp that on the BTN?!?!?!??!?  I take down a pot of $73.25.  Again... image matters!

Wednesday, March 5, 2025

When is a bluff not a bluff?

When it's the winner, of course!  Silly goose!

I'm going to cease the caveat / apology that I have no way of reconstructing the hand in a standardized way.  I'll share the hand history with you, of course, but you need to sign up for an account in order to view it.  Use my link at the side if you're able to give me a referral :-).

Now for the good times!

Some background: I have no idea what this player is doing.  He's relatively new to the table.

.05/.10 poker - moderately deep-stacked with $19.61 effective.

Folds around to me in the cutoff and I look down at 9d9h.  I open a standard 3x ($0.30).  SB 3bets to $1.20...  now, given that he's a new-ish player, I'm not going to give a 3bet automatic respect.  He's seen me play a bit, so he realizes I'm pretty aggro - so this could be a possible play at shutting me down.  He has $30.91 behind.  BB folds & I flat, opting to avoid getting it in for 200BB.  Take a flop; why not?

$2.50 in the pot - flop comes JhAsJd and he immediately leads for $0.60(????)  I call - and I'm probably in call down mode if he's giving me a cheap check/down.

$3.70 in the pot - turn is 5h putting out a 2 heart flush draw potential, but otherwise should be inconsequential.  He checks and I happily check through.

$3.70 in the pot - river is a 3d, again a blank.  He checks for the 2nd time.  By this point, he can have Ax (not real likely because he effectively shut down on the flop (6x into 25x is not a very solid bet) and checked down...  The concern is that he has an Ax that's afraid of trip Jacks, or an Ax that's afraid of a better Ax.  There's always the lingering Jx concern, but I'm giving that a very small possibility given how the hand is going down.  Finally, I think there's a lot of 88-KK in his PF 3bet range.

Perhaps I'm over-thinking it...  However, that's what I'm targeting - the 88-KK (obviously not JJ) hands.  I want a bet sizing that feels value-ish and by no means screams "fold fold fold," because I want him believing my Ax (more likely that I have an Ace from his perspective) is going for value.  I select around 1/2 - 2/3 at $2.45 and get snapped off - surely a goner!  But no, he shows Kc9c(?!?!?!?!?!)  Nice $8.17 scoop!

Again, when is a bluff not a bluff?

Hand history (must be logged in)

Create a new account at ClubsPoker with my rerfe
ral!

Monday, February 24, 2025

When deep-stacked, you need to nut the hell up!

I'd argue at normal stacks (~100BB), it's a cooler to get set over set.  However, when you're deep-stacked, you need to be super careful with non-nuts, and be sure you have the correct read before stacking off 300BB!

Sitting at a deep-stacked $0.05/0.10 table.  I have 500BB / $50.  UTG+1 limps, HJ opens to 4x with a $10 stack, and I flat my 7h7c.  BTN ($12.81) comes along, as does SB ($28.06) and BB ($28.01).  Pot size: $2.10

Flop comes pretty decent 6hJd7s -- no real scare draws other than the open enders on top and bottom.  This was a raised pot, so I'm not hugely worried about 89/T9 or 54, but I am mildly concerned about the HJ holding JJ...  He has 100BB effective; if I'm set over set, so be it...

Original raiser leads for $1.05; I flat as does the SB and BB.  Pot size: $6.30

Turn is a 2s, putting 6hJd7s2s out there, and now I need to pump money into the pot given SB & BB flatted the open - they could be drawing, and I want to charge them for their pairs if they have them.  2s turn is a very blank card, though it does put out an unlikely flush draw to a JsXs or 6sXs hand.  Again, more reason to inflate the pot.  However, SB leads out for half pot, $3.15 ($23.86 behind), folding out BB.  Original raiser flats and I raise to $14.75 in a now ballooning pot of  $12.60.  I want the money in and I don't believe either of them have me beat with my mid set.  Pretty sure SB would have 3bet PF, and original raiser would have shipped with $5.40 behind after his flat.

To my surprise... well can't say I'm entirely surprised... the SB ships $27.01 which folds out the HJ and I snap it off to see a turned set of 2d2h...  Poor choices led to worse results, as in he should have folded out on the flop instead of lingering with essentially 2 cards better than Ace high, and he ships it with one out and one card to go.

River is a Jh if it's of any consequence, and I scoop a $63.47 pot.




If you want to see the replay, sign up at ClubsPoker with my referral link (they give you a free $0.50 / day)and view the following:

https://play.clubspoker.com/d/external-table.html?tableId=756002&entryId=0&secondary=true&gameId=13631961&appMode=replay&useLobbyHands=false

Friday, February 21, 2025

Some of the time you have a horseshoe up your ass, some of the time you are the horseshoe

Today's miracle is a "fairly standard" hand ending in a straight flush.  I wish I could have a written hand history instead of the viewer.

I'm in the SB at .05/.1 on a deepstack table with $117.92.  Folds around to middle position with $23.04 who opens to $0.3 (3x) and gets called by the HJ.  BTN who previously posted, folds.  I opt to call the mighty Js9s and BB folds.

Goes 3 way to a bingo flop of 2sTsKs and I opt to check.  Without fail, original raiser leads for $0.83 (75% pot?) into the $1.1 pot.

I feel as though this is a reasonably strong bet - He's either got a naked As, AsKx, AsQx, AsJx, AsTx, etc.. or QsJx (I have the Js, don't forget).  There's a TON of combos that he has here that can withstand a check/raise, and given how deep we are, I'm going to juice the pot if I'm going to get the 230BBs into the middle.

I go for a smallish c/r to $2.55 and he snaps.  At this point, I'm almost 100% certain he has the As and some combo rather than a naked As.  I guess I'm forgetting that he can also show up with AsAx, and I guess sets of KK, TT, so there's another several combos.  Pot size: $6.20

Turn card hits him even more perfectly for his range - Qc.  Given my c/r flop, I press for $4 into the $6.20 pot, setting up a close to pot sized all in effective.  He snaps off the $4, leaving him with $16.49 and the pot with $14.20.

The river is a beautiful Qs, which gives him the nut flush and/or a boat and/or an unlikely quads (there's a bad beat on the site, so this would be really great!).  I'm worried if I lead, he'll simply call behind given the strength I've shown, PLUS I want him to commit himself with whatever hand he may have... even if he has AxJx without the As, though I'm extremely confident he's far stronger than a straight.

As planned, he leads into the 2sTsKsQcQs pot with $5.30 - lighter than I hoped, but still enough to commit.  I c/r to $17 and he snaps it off with AsJd.

Like I said, sometimes the you have the horseshoe, other times you are the horseshoe!



If you want to see the replay, sign up at ClubsPoker with my referral link (they give you a free $0.50 / day)and view the following:

https://play.clubspoker.com/d/external-table.html?tableId=756003&entryId=0&secondary=true&gameId=13989201&appMode=replay&useLobbyHands=false

Monday, February 3, 2025

Wow, this blog has gotten stale!

 Checking in for my once-every-two years post!  I don't even know if I'm writing to anyone, so if you're out there, leave a comment!

I've been playing significantly on Global Poker, but lately moving my play over to ClubsPoker, as well as some remaining play with SwC (Seals with Clubs).  Nice thing about both Clubs and SwC are the players are woefully bad -- not that Global doesn't have its share of terrible players.  However, it seems as though Clubs and SwC have true mouth breathers.

Problem with Clubs and Seals is they lack the traffic to really multi-table.  So what I've been doing is spreading my play between multiple sites to compensate for the traffic on a particular site; it's painful with Seals, but Clubs and Global are similar enough that I can size the windows and get around 8-10 tables going at a time.

I've been all but non-existent on BetOnline; I use them primarily as a sports book when my teams are in season, but my bets are sized between $1 - 10... not very much!

Summary of play: tight is right.  I can open loosely from all positions, but click fold to a 3bet or pound away when I have the hand or my opponent is 3betting wide.  Standard stuff.  It seems like the players are far looser on the sites above - playing ATC - so you need to be aware that every once in awhile, they'll surprise you with 42o when you've 3bet the pot with AK and the flop comes 44 K or 44 A.  Again, pretty standard.  I think the biggest key for all the play across those sites is, "be willing to fold any hand at any time!"

'nuf said.  I'll try to start posting more regularly.

Tuesday, January 3, 2023

The 'ole Zeebo trick

 File this one under "they never fold a full house," boys...

Admittedly, I shouldn't be arrogant about it, but this guy was just to big of a fish to not shove my quads on him.  However, the story goes as follows:

6-max $10NL, folds around to the fish BTN who decides to limp.  SB folds to me and I raise to $0.65, which the fish, as fish are known to do, calls.

Flop comes a beautiful AA9 rainbow.  Now, it's unlikely the fish is trapping, but it's even more unlikely he connected with this flop.  Therefore I opt to check, and it checks through.

Turn is a Kh putting a 2flush on the board.  I have to start getting some value for the hand, and he's not likely to pay off any hands unless he has a worse Ace (unlikely given that it'll be the case Ace, or the flop check will get him to pay off his Kx hands).  I delay cbet $0.95 into $1.55 and he snap calls.

River is the most beautiful Ac, giving me quads - the only better card would have been a random Kx or 9x in retrospect.  However, with quads, against this guy, I'm not just potting it and calling it a day...  no... this guy has a boat and he'll pay off.  Therefore I ship $8.30 into $3.45 and he pauses for a good 20 seconds before making the call and doubling me up.

Zeebo.  It's good.






Sunday, November 13, 2022

The worst hand history replayer!

 Hello all [or whomever peruses this site after several years of absence]!  Been a long time - been playing on Global and BetOnline.  Moreso BetOnline of late because it allows HUDs and I was running in place with the HUD-less Global.  Not to say that there's no money to be made at that site; there definitely is!  It just takes far more concentration.

Hand of the day is nothing really of consequence but more of a brag post of the villain spazzing out:


Not sure if you can see it, but I steal from the HJ with the powerful 52s.  My opponent, who's been very verbal in the chat box, decides to 3bet me to 10BB.  Mind you we're around 200BB to start the hand so we're pretty deep...  SB & BB fold and I decide to flat and take a flop.  Pretty easy hand to get away from if I miss.  If I hit, I'm looking at knocking it out of the park given how big he talks in chat and his prior hands - he's complaining particularly about my lack of hand quality that shows down and wins (i.e. QT vs. his T8s, or his witnessed turned set of mine vs. my opponent's overpair...)  He's seeing what he perceives as generally fishy play and in his mind he confirms it as he dumps his stack to me...

Anyway, back to the hand: I of course flop magic (would I be posting a folded 3bet pot on the flop otherwise :-) ???).  I lead given his strong-ish 3bet and he decides to jack me to all in (WTF????  Couldn't you accomplish the same thing by just raising a normal amount and deciding from there???).  Needless to say, by the end of the hand, all he's left with is and empty stack while muttering to himself...  At least he'll have a good story!

Monday, February 21, 2022

Continued adjustments

I'm playing a lot of volume online once again.  I'm continuing to play 6max, and playing between 6-7 tables.  The timer on Global Poker is so short that I can't think and move my mouse fast enough to keep up without timing out...  At any rate, I've made quite a few adjustments lately in lieu of seeing the garbage that I get called by.  My thought process is that I've been allowing my fish opponents too much leeway and they can correctly call a lot more the longer their stacks are.

  1. My open sizes when I have limps in the pot has been amped up.  I'm opening .65 for one limper + .1 for each additional limper.  This shortens stack depths significantly and forces my opponents who are looking to limp call into making very large mistakes.  Getting the stack depth down to a 10:1 call instead of 15: or 20:1 is a big change and makes the flopped pots much much larger.  It also makes my mistakes (i.e. shoving AK high into a 7 high board) much more palatable.  To my opponents, in those instances, I look like a huge fish even though they're the ones calling off after limp calling 73o for example.
  2. My 3bet sizing is MUCH larger - with very short stacks afterwards.  A typical open to .3 from my opponent will be met with a response of 1.35 or even 1.45.  An open plus a cold call will get an even bigger 3bet.  I realized my opponents are calling very large 3bets PF, and my 3bet range is usually WAY ahead of their open range.  It's such strange behavior; I've seen some players play a short stack of $4, open and call $1.25 only to fold a fairly innocuous flop.  Seriously?  FWIW, 4bets will go half stacks.
  3. Keep my opens smaller.  It makes me look like I'm in a TON of pots when I'm constantly opening for .3 - which is pretty true.  My opening range is roughly 50/50 their limping range.  If I open, I can usually pick up the pot with a cbet when they miss, frequently when I'm up against a hand that dominates me because we'll both have missed.  As an aside, I believe that I get so many callers when I've opened a pot because they think that I'm over the top aggro and playing too many hands.  Ironically, they're play 74s or 92s or 76o...
  4. Fold out my opens when getting 3bet.  Obviously this is hand dependent, but .3 is sorta a "suck me" bet as an open.  If I'm getting 3bet, the vast majority of the time I'm beat because this player pool is so weak passive.  They're generally not 3betting air though I've caught quite a few who ship it with T9s, etc.
  5. Stealing for .5 when I have a very loose caller in the blinds.  The more likely my opponent is to defend at any cost and c/f flops, I'm upping my open sizing to .5.  Simple cbets will get them to c/f flops.
  6. Out of position opens are always .75 for one limper and +.1 for each additional limper.  If I'm opening out of position (e.g. the blinds) then they're going to pay for it.
It's just such a wild wild west rodeo out there...  One of my poker buddies put it succinctly: they're playing "street poker" where it doesn't matter the cards they're holding...

Second post of the year!  Don't call it a comeback!

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