50NL - Let's play big pots

The following will be a compilation of big pot hand histories from my adventures this past week at 50NL ring. One of my main poker goals for this year is to increase my winrate, and I would definitely like to know if I'm missing value, when I should fold to aggression, when I should bet more, when I should try to take pots away... you get the gist of it.

Some of these hands are wins, some are losses. All reads and thoughts on villains (and hero) will be supplanted.
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Hand 1.)
Villain is absolutely crazy, 64/11 over 30something hands. Hero hasn't shown down much to this point.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.50 BB (7 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: FlopTurnRiver)

saw flop|saw showdown

Button ($84.65)
SB ($25.10)
BB ($49.50)
UTG ($31)
MP1 ($58.40)
MP2 ($110.10)
Hero ($48.50)

Preflop: Hero is CO with Ahttp://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/...iles/heart.gif, Khttp://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/...iles/heart.gif.
2 folds, MP2 raises to $2, Hero raises to $6.25, 3 folds, MP2 calls $4.25.

Flop: ($13.25) Ahttp://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/...iles/spade.gif, Thttp://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/...iles/spade.gif, 7http://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/...iles/heart.gif (2 players)
MP2 bets $42.25 ...
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Hand 2.)
At the time of the hand, Villain was unknown and Hero had no outstanding image.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.50 BB (7 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: FlopTurnRiver)

saw flop|saw showdown

BB ($48.65)
UTG ($49.95)
MP1 ($58.10)
MP2 ($54.70)
Hero ($61.25)
Button ($50.20)
SB ($35)

Preflop: Hero is CO with Jhttp://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/...iles/spade.gif, Ahttp://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/...es/diamond.gif.
3 folds, Hero raises to $2, 2 folds, BB calls $1.50.

Flop: ($4.25) 4http://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/...miles/club.gif, 5http://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/...iles/heart.gif, 3http://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/...iles/heart.gif (2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets $2.75, BB calls $2.75.

Turn: ($9.75) 2http://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/...iles/spade.gif (2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets $5.75, BB calls $5.75.

River: ($21.25) Ahttp://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/...iles/spade.gif (2 players)
BB bets $38.15 (All-In)...

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Hand 3.) Villain is a nitty multitabler, running 13/6 over almost 400 hands. Hero gained his stack from stacking two half stacks in one hand with an overpair an orbit or two earlier. Usually I raise this, but with the limpers ahead I didn't want to bloat the pot.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.50 BB (9 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: FlopTurnRiver)

saw flop|saw showdown

BB ($52.65)
UTG ($48.25)
UTG+1 ($49.05)
Hero ($111.35)
MP2 ($41.15)
MP3 ($40.20)
CO ($19.60)
Button ($71.10)
SB ($24.75)

Preflop: Hero is MP1 with 6http://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/...iles/spade.gif, 7http://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/...iles/spade.gif.
1 fold, UTG+1 calls $0.50, Hero calls $0.50, 4 folds, SB completes, BB raises to $2, UTG+1 calls $1.50, Hero calls $1.50, SB calls $1.50.

Flop: ($8) 7http://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/...iles/heart.gif, 7http://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/...miles/club.gif, Jhttp://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/...es/diamond.gif (4 players)
SB checks, BB bets $2.5, UTG+1 folds, Hero calls $2.50, SB folds.

Turn: ($13) Khttp://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/...iles/heart.gif (2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets $7.5, BB raises to $15 ...

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Hand 4.)
Villain is 19/7 over 150+ hands. Hero has not been out of line.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.50 BB (8 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: FlopTurnRiver)

saw flop|saw showdown

SB ($40.65)
Hero ($50)
UTG ($73.75)
UTG+1 ($28.20)
MP1 ($55.20)
MP2 ($91)
CO ($29.75)
Button ($79)

Preflop: Hero is BB with 2http://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/...miles/club.gif, 7http://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/...es/diamond.gif.
1 fold, UTG+1 calls $0.50, 3 folds, Button calls $0.50, SB completes, Hero checks.

Flop: ($2) Jhttp://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/...es/diamond.gif, 2http://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/...iles/heart.gif, 7http://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/...iles/heart.gif (4 players)
SB bets $1, Hero raises to $4, UTG+1 raises to $10, Button folds, SB folds, ...

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Hand 5.) Villain is 33/3 over 170 hands, pretty aggressive numbers of 4/2.1/8. I have been pretty tight, and try to represent an 8...but now what? It is unknown how he acquired his stack.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.50 BB (9 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: FlopTurnRiver)

saw flop|saw showdown

MP1 ($47.75)
MP2 ($54.85)
MP3 ($81.70)
Hero ($49.25)
Button ($63.75)
SB ($80.40)
BB ($34.35)
UTG ($12.15)
UTG+1 ($99.55)

Preflop: Hero is CO with 7http://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/...iles/spade.gif, 6http://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/...iles/spade.gif.
1 fold, UTG+1 raises to $2, 3 folds, Hero calls $2, 3 folds.

Flop: ($4.75) 2http://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/...iles/spade.gif, 8http://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/...iles/spade.gif, 8http://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/...iles/heart.gif (2 players)
UTG+1 bets $3.5, Hero raises to $9.75, UTG+1 raises to $16, ...

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Hand 6.)

Villain has splashed around a lot, and we have tangled and smallballed some. Here's another smallball... he is running 48/28, and I have loosened up to probably 22/15 or so. He's gained most of his money before I sat down, but seems to be pretty much just chipping away at the passivity at the rest of the table.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.50 BB (8 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: FlopTurnRiver)

saw flop|saw showdown

UTG ($23.85)
UTG+1 ($22.75)
MP1 ($48)
MP2 ($50.50)
CO ($28.05)
Button ($45.50)
SB ($187.50)
Hero ($56.90)

Preflop: Hero is BB with 5http://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/...es/diamond.gif, 9http://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/...iles/spade.gif.
UTG calls $0.50, 5 folds, SB completes, Hero checks.

Flop: ($1.50) 5http://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/...miles/club.gif, 9http://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/...miles/club.gif, 3http://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/...iles/heart.gif (3 players)
SB bets $1.75, Hero raises to $4.75, UTG folds, SB calls $3.

Turn: ($11) 3http://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/...es/diamond.gif (2 players)
SB bets $4, Hero calls $4. (???)

River: ($19) 8http://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/...miles/club.gif (2 players)
SB bets $5, Hero ... ?

Final Pot: $29

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Hand 7.)
Villain is tight (14/9), and Hero has been as well (although I am aggressive preflop). I take the check on the river as weakness, is it time to fire, and what?

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.50 BB (8 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: FlopTurnRiver)

saw flop|saw showdown

SB ($56.70)
BB ($53.20)
UTG ($41.60)
UTG+1 ($51.10)
MP1 ($45.45)
MP2 ($27.10)
Hero ($54.80)
Button ($28.25)

Preflop: Hero is CO with 5http://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/...es/diamond.gif, 3http://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/...es/diamond.gif.
2 folds, MP1 calls $0.50, 1 fold, Hero raises to $2.5, 1 fold, SB calls $2.25, 1 fold, MP1 calls $2.

Flop: ($8) Qhttp://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/...iles/heart.gif, 2http://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/...iles/heart.gif, Jhttp://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/...es/diamond.gif (3 players)
SB checks, MP1 checks, Hero checks.

Turn: ($8) 4http://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/...iles/spade.gif (3 players)
SB bets $5, MP1 folds, Hero calls $5.

River: ($18) 9http://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/...iles/spade.gif (2 players)
SB checks, Hero ...

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Hand 8.) Villain is 30/4. Hero has been tight. We have smallballed a little, nothing over 10-15BB.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.50 BB (8 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: FlopTurnRiver)

CO ($50)
Button ($92.25)
SB ($139.60)
BB ($74.60)
UTG ($35.40)
UTG+1 ($34.35)
MP1 ($14.95)
Hero ($57.45)

Preflop: Hero is MP2 with Khttp://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/...miles/club.gif, Ahttp://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/...iles/heart.gif.
UTG calls $0.50, 2 folds, Hero raises to $2.5, 3 folds, BB calls $2, UTG folds.

Flop: ($5.75) Ahttp://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/...miles/club.gif, 8http://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/...iles/spade.gif, 3http://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/...miles/club.gif (2 players)
BB bets $3.5, Hero calls $3.50. (I called for pot control)

Turn: ($12.75) Thttp://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/...iles/spade.gif (2 players)
BB bets $8, Hero calls $8. (???)

River: ($28.75) 3http://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/...es/diamond.gif (2 players)
BB bets $14, Hero calls $14. (???)

Final Pot: $56.75

hand 1 -30 hands isn't a ton. Was he playing big pots, and going to showdown, or just pushing people off of flops?

If so I call, maybe AQ, flush draw, could be KK

hand 2 - fold, at best you're splitting

hand 3 - call and hope

hand 4 - push because he's shorty

hand 5 - you have the odds to chase the flush, so call

hand 6 - call down cuz it's cheap

hand 7 - can he fold? a lot of players will call with a Q here. If I bet, I would bet $12

hand 8 - Ugh,

most of these hands post-flop reads would help, 30/15 doesn't mean much by the river, like what does his donk bet mean? Flush draw, bluff, set?

I raise flop, adjust play from there

1. Call given read.
2. Blech. I might check behind turn... only hands that beat or tie you call imo. Fold river I think... not worth risking $38 to win $10.
3. Raise weak flop bet, mainly b/c I'd do it with a J or air here too. Turn c/r is scary from a nit, but I probably call and re-evaluate river.
4. Fold, looks like a set of 2's or 7's. Even if it's TP, you're not that far ahead.
5. I think this is a fold. Could consider a push, but there's not that much dead money in the pot and I doubt you have much fold equity after his 3-bet.
6. Raise turn, fold to push. As played flat call river.
7. Sure, take a stab here.
8. Looks good.

1. insta-call.
2. fold. Im not sure why i bet the turn, what worse hand does villain actually call with here? You can bet the river, keep the pot small and hope a worse hand is poor enough to call. Not sure. River is a fold.
3. Call, we want to show this down. Opp may have a weaker 7 or thinks KJ is good versus your (percieved) draw. Im not folding here, maybe thats a leak.
4. fold.
5. Opp likes his hand so ither overs and a flush draw or a big pp he doesnt want to fold. At 100nl if you 3barrel all in opp is spewing but here he isnt folding, so i think its an outright fold even though you have odds, but that maybe weak/tight versus opps line.
6. I like this line. Call, probably good, maybe a river minraise for value?
7. fold the turn, dont spew the river just give it up.
8. Fine as played. Raise the flop, fold to a bet/3bet all in line probably although given the board opp could be betting a set and/or a pair+fd.

1) call. what else do you want w/ AK?
2) fold. you lose by calling...at best you lose rake (split), at worst he has a 6 and your toast.
3) "bloat the pot?" if you know you will get callers, dont you want to raise this? why else play a multi-way hand? if you have to limp to avoid "thinning the field," then limp. otherwise, RAISE IT UP!! with this flop, you wish you'd raised out A7s...but make the "crying call."
4) push and hope you dont find J7 ;)
5)shouldnt be in this hand to begin with. NEVER play SC's HU in a raised pot...much less against a 3% pfr. as it were, go get the stack...nice flop.
6)maybe call, but look to fold here. any overpair has you beat.
7)bad move pf. and why bluff air on the river in the face of an "interested party?" not a good move for a 50 NL table, imo.
8)why control the pot in a NL game? imo, here you need to take the pot down on the flop here, and if villain chases the flush, so be it. if you get RRed back, peel and fold to aggression on the turn.

my .o2

1- call
2- fold
3- big laydown
4-honestly think a push or a fold is neutral
5-call flop and take away on turn if he checks, now call and fold without a turned flush
6-looks all right
7-all in (seriously)
8-good, but not as a standard line (raise flop often)

I appreciate the feedback thus far. Just as an aside, are these good hands to post?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Chopper

8)why control the pot in a NL game?

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:?:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Setzy

I appreciate the feedback thus far. Just as an aside, are these good hands to post?

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I think they're good, but please post fewer hands. Normally when I come across more than 3 in a post, I skip it. For some reason I felt like going through all of these though :)

like dumb questions...theres no such thing, imo.
EDIT: ...as a BAD HH to post.

you can generally tell how "good" of a post it was by the number of replies. If you only get one or two it's probably because others thought it was "standard" and agreed with the initial response.

So far..here's what you guys think. Gonna post results tomorrow, if anyone else is going to answer. 5 responses so far.

1.) Pretty much all 5 say call.
2.) All 5 say fold.
3.) 4 calls, 1 fold.
4.) 2 say push, 2 say fold, 1 says either.
5.) 1 fold PF, 2 calls, 2 folds.
6.) 2 calls, 1 raise turn, 1 raise river (maybe), 1 maybe call
7.) $12, (bet something), fold turn, fold PF, allin (damn what a variety)
8.) 2 good, 3 raise flop

4-7 have very varied and interesting answers....

1 I say call too, if villain has donkish numbers
2 I would check turn and call a reasonable bet on river. As played I fold.
3 I say call. He could more easily have AK (12 ways) as KK or JJ (6 ways).
4 Push becoz villain is short.
5 His 3-bet size doesn't look like he's confident at all. I push.
6 Raise turn to deny drawing odds. He could easily have A9. As played easy call.
7 I say give up. Villain could be checking a medium-strength hand like KQ trying to induce a bluff.
8 I'd raise flop but overall it isn't bad.

1. Allin
2. Fold
3. 3-bet flop, push turn
4. Fold
5. Call flop (I don't think he's going to believe u have the trips), u have a primary draw, and his flop bet seems to be an obvious c-bet.
6. Call turn, call river, no reason getting crazy here
7. Check behind on the river, (but I think I would have folded the turn)
8. I'd play this the same way

Quote:

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Originally Posted by zook

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Setzy

I appreciate the feedback thus far. Just as an aside, are these good hands to post?

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I think they're good, but please post fewer hands. Normally when I come across more than 3 in a post, I skip it. For some reason I felt like going through all of these though :)

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i see this often and hate it. Take the time to read the whole post or dont read at all, but most often one HH on its own is not enough if you are running bad/think you have leaks.
HHs seem to come in one 'did i play this right' type posts or 'im sucking at the mo check my various lines' posts.
Often, assuming that the post is crap because poster hasnt taken the time to split up HHs is part of not even understanding the point for the OP's post in the first place. <rant over> :(

I did spend a lot of time picking these hands, out of a group of 14,000. It's not meant to be just one "hey I suck what is wrong", it's more of a general overview of how I'm playing larger type pots. Some are a little less "standard" than usual, at least I thought so.

fwiw i think hand 2 is a pretty bad spot to cbet.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Miffed22001

Quote:

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Originally Posted by zook

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Setzy

I appreciate the feedback thus far. Just as an aside, are these good hands to post?

---

I think they're good, but please post fewer hands. Normally when I come across more than 3 in a post, I skip it. For some reason I felt like going through all of these though :)

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i see this often and hate it. Take the time to read the whole post or dont read at all, but most often one HH on its own is not enough if you are running bad/think you have leaks.
HHs seem to come in one 'did i play this right' type posts or 'im sucking at the mo check my various lines' posts.
Often, assuming that the post is crap because poster hasnt taken the time to split up HHs is part of not even understanding the point for the OP's post in the first place. <rant over> :(

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Huh? Who assumes a post is crap because there's more than one hand in it? <rant never should have started>

results?

Here's the results:

1.) I called, villain had AJ, I hold and scoop.
2.) I tanked, called. Villain showed 69s, lol.
3.) I laid this down. He didn't show.
4.) I pushed, villain had 77. Good to see most people think it's pretty good either way...I did seriously think I was beat, but I figured he may have AJ enough to call.
5.) I folded this one.
6.) I called, villain showed a 3. Bummer.
7.) I bet 9.50, villain called with a weak Q. So either give up or bet more, I guess...
8.) I called each street, Villain showed AJ. I liked this one because I didn't blow up the pot too badly.

So my play doesn't seem too off...except the Hero call in hand 2, that was pretty dumb. Holla!

hand 6 - fold or push. he is either drawing to a flush or has a 3.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Setzy

7.) I bet 9.50, villain called with a weak Q. So either give up or bet more, I guess...

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or fold pre-flop. Trying to push unknowns off TP hands at 50NL is -eV.

Hand #7) I don't hate the PF raise.. I highly enjoy raising a SC in MP 2-3 times per session. I typically do this in situations were I notice my VP$P/PFR is particularly low at a particular table.

However, you need to consider what you are trying to represent here... I'm not saying that the villian is trying to put you on a hand.. (obviously calling 5xbb w/ Q rag from the SB can tell us that), but you need the Ace or at least a K to fall on the river or a thinking player of sometype, in order to justify a bluff attempt here. Even non-thinking players get scared of the ace many times.. especially when faced with a large bet.

Reading the hand history I would've put he player on a weak J or weak Q... and it's likely he's calling done most any bet. This is actually a leak in my game as well, so I'm taking the time to type this out for my own benefit as much as anyone else's.

Great HH's Setzy.. I need to do something similar for myself... I know there are many instances where I feel like I'm missing value.