KJo @ 2NL

This table was originally tight when I sat down and through a change of players loosened up a ton throughout the session, I believe the player on the button to be a player who could have just about anything. Honestly I've been running into a lot of LAG players lately at the 2NL tables and I guess haven't quite figure out how to deal with them. Anyway so here's the hand I have questions about

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.02 BB (9 handed)

Hero (MP3) ($2.06)
CO ($1.84)
Button ($1.97)
SB ($2)
BB ($1.71)
UTG ($1.85)
UTG+1 ($6.08)
MP1 ($4.42)
MP2 ($2.02)

Preflop: Hero is MP3 with :jd:, :ks:
UTG calls $0.02, UTG+1 calls $0.02, 2 folds, Hero bets $0.08, 1 fold, Button calls $0.08, 3 folds, UTG+1 calls $0.06

Flop: ($0.29) :td:, :ts:, :kc: (3 players)
UTG+1 checks, Hero checks, Button bets $0.10, UTG+1 calls $0.10, Hero raises to $0.40, Button raises to $1, 1 fold, Hero?...



When playing this hand, I re-raised since I had my pair of kings and it seemed like a weak bet into the pot at only 10 cents from the button, so that's my only rationale for the re-raise.

pre is ok but I would make it larger lik $0.12 at least if I decided to play. Checking this flop multiway is pretty bad since you are giving loads of gutters a free chance to catch up + you rate to have the best hand a good % of the time. Check/raising this hand is very bad. When villains min-bet, their range is usually polarized to extremely weak hands and extremely strong hands. By check/raising here, you get all the super weak hands which you crush to fold and all the hands that have you crushed will continue.

When he comes back over the top which part of that range do you think he has?

It seems you did not consider his range at all. Practice putting him on a range, it's the only way you will learn.

Caddie,

You're absolutely right I didn't consider his range, maybe you'll be able to point me in the right direction because although I understand putting people on ranges is paramount to being successful in the long run I have had some trouble getting the concept started in my head.

More specifically I am not sure where to start even thinking about what someone's range might be. My question now (although I'm severely off-topic) is can we make some general assumptions about the ranges of players at 2NL?

Supposing they are a player that tends to limp in a bunch of hands with the rest of everyone can we make the assumption that they are going to have some sort of hand that at least makes sense, i.e. pocket pairs, connectors, some sort of paint, broadways, etc.? But a PF raise will probably indicate some sort of better hand, bigger PP's, large suited connectors, suited broadways, and so forth (assuming they aren't overly aggressive on every hand)?

I am under the impression that ranges are a very player specific item, but I feel like there should be some sort of larger range set you can assume as the general case before you pick a subset for that particular player after seeing them play at least a couple orbits.

I hope that makes sense, I'm just trying to figure out where to start on this.

Thanks for your patience,
L

Hey dude, go download PokerStove. Spoon has some videos on how to use it here.

It's fine to make general assumptions about a player's range, you have to start somewhere. When you install a HUD (heads-up display) and start gathering stats and notes on players, then it will come a little easier since you'll be able to distinguish the nits from the taggs, the laggs from the maniacs, etc.

Pre raise sucks imo. You've bet 2bb +1 per limper, it's just weak. My standard raise is 4xbb + 1 per limper, 12c in this spot, but I guess 10c is ok too. I only ever raise this weak with crappy pairs that are extremely likely to win a multi-way pot if it hits set.

I agree c/r is bad at flop, I much prefer to take a b/f line on this flop. Our kicker isn't great, there's a pair on the board, there's two others in the pot, it just sucks.

As played, this is a fold.

"My question now (although I'm severely off-topic) is can we make some general assumptions about the ranges of players at 2NL? "

As suggested, get PokerTracker or a similar tool. You can see at a glance who is playing a lot of hands and who is playing tight, you can see a player's tendancies to limp or raise, you can see how often they fold to a 3bet. It's an essential tool for me.

caddie pretty much nailed it, i agree with his PF raising, def .1- .12 too

as for discussion on flop check, if they had not limp/called preflop (basically if someone had opened and the other cold called) i would not mind a check here on the flop because a lot of their continuing range has you dominated (KQ, AK, Tx)...but as they did limp call they are going to have so many gutters/oesds/and still some worse Kx that i think you have to cbet this flop for value.