too much microstakes

[oskar]

Another hand that clearly shows I've been playing microstakes for too long.

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em, $0.04 BB (6 handed) Party-Poker Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: FlopTurnRiver)

MP ($0.84)
Hero ($8.40)
Button ($5.57)
SB ($4.84)
BB ($2)
UTG ($0)

Preflop: Hero is CO with 8, 9.
1 fold, Hero raises to $0.12, Button calls $0.12, 1 fold, BB calls $0.08.

I raise it up, so I can steal on the flop. Very weak-tight table.

Flop: ($0.38) 7, 6, K (4 players)
BB checks, Hero bets $0.24, Button calls $0.24, BB folds,

Here you see me in me in my natural habitat trying to steal the pot... probably would bet a little less if I didn't have an open-ender

Turn: ($1.26) A (3 players)
Hero bets $0.2, Button calls $0.20.

I bet so he doesn't bet and move me off my precious straight draw. I feel like such a donk everytime I do that, but it works.


River: ($1.26) 5 (3 players)
Hero bets $1, Button calls $1.

Final Pot: $3.26

Results in white below:
UTG doesn't show.
Hero has 8c 9s (straight, nine high).
Button has Kh Js (one pair, kings).
Outcome: Hero wins $3.26.

That guy played so weak-tight, I had to give him a king. I guess I should have bet bigger there.

[spoonitnow]

Move up to 100nl where they respect your raises.

[Erpel]

You end up OOP so I'm finding both pre-flop and flop slightly uncomfortable, but the main thing I want to comment on is that you seem to think your flop bet is big and that a smaller bet could do the job.

The flop has a flush draw and a straight draw possible (including combo draws) and the K high nature of it makes representing the K with a PSB designed to price out draws perfectly plausible.

Betting 1/4 pot on this turn as a blocking bet to make sure that you're getting the right price on your draw is a great play when it works - where against many good opponents it probably doesn't. At the stakes you play it can work and when it can work there's no shame in it.

You're getting pretty decent value out of the hand - I don't see how it could have gone that much better. Maybe a slightly bigger flop bet ($0.40 making a $1.26 turn pot - $0.30 turn bet making a $1.86 river pot - $1.5-$2 river bet). Or maybe just exact PSB the river or overbetting it slightly could have worked. But it's easy to be results oriented - in the hands where you wouldn't have rivered your straight you'd have lost correspondingly higher amounts.

[a500lbgorilla]

Here you see me in me in my natural habitat trying to steal the pot... probably would bet a little less if I didn't have an open-ender

When you bet, what does your opponent fold? What does he call with? (pretend raising hands are in the calling range)

That's what you should think. In this case, he can fold better hands (high card unpaired hands and low pocket pairs) but he will call with flush draws, kings and probably face-paired hands.

Your turn bet is hilarious. If he only flats that bet, he's afraid of the ace. Which means he may fold to a bigger bet, and may check behind for nothing.

when I see that turn bet and I hit the ace you're going to be moved off the draw really quick
not sure if you opponents realize what blocking bets are

[oskar]

Move up to 100nl where they respect your raises.

I think I'm getting too much respect usually. When that's the case I try to keep pounding until someone opens up and plays back at me.

The flop has a flush draw and a straight draw possible (including combo draws) and the K high nature of it makes representing the K with a PSB designed to price out draws perfectly plausible.

That makes sense. I was too preoccupied thinking how cheaply I could steal this right there that it didn't occur to me to actually try and represent a hand.

When you bet, what does your opponent fold? What does he call with? (pretend raising hands are in the calling range)

From what I've seen so far - probably everything but top pair, QQ, JJ, or maybe a flushdraw.

That's what you should think. In this case, he can fold better hands (high card unpaired hands and low pocket pairs) but he will call with flush draws, kings and probably face-paired hands.

Yes... so I should rather do what exactly?

Your turn bet is hilarious. If he only flats that bet, he's afraid of the ace. Which means he may fold to a bigger bet, and may check behind for nothing.

Unfortunately I can't read minds. I already said, I raise around 1/3 of the hands I get dealt pre-flop on that particular table, and I usually follow up. If I just check here he might seize the opportunity. Maybe he just decided to call me with A high - which usually happens at some point. It's pretty cheap to try, and he didn't strike me as the smart type from previous hands. I definitely did not consider making a big bet here... not with my table image.

when I see that turn bet and I hit the ace you're going to be moved off the draw really quick
not sure if you opponents realize what blocking bets are

I don't think they do.
We know for a fact that he does not know what value bets are. This was the kind of guy that checks down TPTK to the river, and then shoves 2$ into 24c

[sarbox68]

Dude... you already got some good advice on the hand. My 2 cents.... microstakes is absolutely beatable. I suck and I'm running 3ptbb/100 over 80K hands at $10NL. You just gotta find the right way to adjust and discern the suckouts from the leaks... fix the latter, f- the former...

Moving up if you can't beat a lower limit just never seems to turn out goot. Bad players get lucky -- so adapt. Remember Sklansky's theorem of poker... if they shouldn't have played it the way the did if they could see your cards, then you win.... if not this hand, in the long term.

Oh... and that's a very loose paraphrase 'cause my long-term memory is for sh!t...

[oskar]

I'm not posting these hands because I'm loosing. I haven't kept track of my results, but I don't loose at these stakes, I loose once I get higher. I have played myself up from 5NL to 25NL a couple of times. I post these because I'm sure I have leaks in my game but whatever I do at 5NL it seems to be profitable.
And I still don't know how you guys would play this differently.
Bet the flop bigger? - that makes sense now.
Check the turn?
Was the value bet on the river ok, or could I bet bigger if I think he has a king there 80% of the time.