hands from my first 6 Handed 2NL session

[sven00100]

This was my first session at 6 handed, probably in 3 years.. My stats in full ring have been 15/13 pretty consistently, while my stats at these 6 handed tables were 20/16 over this first session, I was 2 tabling 2NL, for a total of 333 hands between the 2 tables.

--------------------------------Hand1::--------------------------------------


Villain is 21/20 over about 100 hands, he has shown some good decision making/plays when he went to showdown, haven't seen him bluff OFTEN, but he does make some positional plays; however I think most of his range to the 3 bet here includes an ace, and I think the wider part of his range (based on previous hands) that he raises are mostly lower suited aces. So the flop sort of pushed me away, any changes here?

Absolute/UB Cereus No-Limit Hold'em, $0.02 BB (6 handed) - Absolute/UB Cereus Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

Button ($3.54)
SB ($2.26)
Hero (BB) ($5.85)
UTG ($2.01)
MP ($0.57)
CO ($0.61)

Preflop: Hero is BB with K, K
2 folds, CO calls $0.02, Button bets $0.10, 1 fold, Hero raises to $0.35, 1 fold, Button calls $0.25

Flop: ($0.73) 6, A, 4 (2 players)
Hero checks, Button bets $0.36, Hero folds

Total pot: $0.73 | Rake: $0.03

--------------------------------Hand2::--------------------------------------


Well.. I don't fully know what I was thinking in this hand on the flop, but we'll see what you think of it. I saw the small bet, and wanted to see how he responded to a min-raise, rather than dumping it, as he was a loose player, not likely to have hit this flop hard. 40/0 over 25 hands, but he bet 4/6 flops. He also showed up with Ace high twice on the river; no huge bets in the hands.

Absolute/UB Cereus No-Limit Hold'em, $0.02 BB (6 handed) - Absolute/UB Cereus Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

Hero (Button) ($2.92)
SB ($0.43)
BB ($0.91)
UTG ($3.79)
MP ($2.36)
CO ($1.79)

Preflop: Hero is Button with J, A
3 folds, Hero bets $0.06, 1 fold, BB calls $0.04

Flop: ($0.13) Q, 10, 8 (2 players)
BB bets $0.06, Hero raises to $0.12, BB calls $0.06

Turn: ($0.37) K (2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets $0.20, BB raises to $0.73 (All-In), Hero calls $0.53

River: ($1.83) 3 (2 players, 1 all-in)

Total pot: $1.83 | Rake: $0.09

--------------------------------Hand3::--------------------------------------


The villain was pretty new to the table, seemed like a typical short stack, but he was much looser, 40/13 over 15 hands..

Absolute/UB Cereus No-Limit Hold'em, $0.02 BB (6 handed) - Absolute/UB Cereus Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

Button ($0.63)
SB ($0.34)
BB ($0.72)
UTG ($1.92)
Hero (MP) ($5.20)
CO ($3.04)

Preflop: Hero is MP with K, K
1 fold, Hero bets $0.08, 2 folds, SB calls $0.07, 1 fold

Flop: ($0.18) 7, A, 6 (2 players)
SB bets $0.02, Hero raises to $0.08, SB calls $0.06

Turn: ($0.34) 3 (2 players)
SB raises to $0.18 (All-In), Hero ?

--------------------------------Hand4::--------------------------------------


Alright, so I feel in general I might have misplayed this hand, but the villain likes to protect hands, including ace high on the flop, and will make 1 bet, and has folded to mid-sized turn bets OOP. I think I should have bet the turn, but I'm not sure. Also, will placing a bet on the river look too much like a missed draw (which is exactly what this hand is)?

Absolute/UB Cereus No-Limit Hold'em, $0.02 BB (6 handed) - Absolute/UB Cereus Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

Button ($1.97)
Hero (SB) ($3.49)
BB ($0.81)
UTG ($0.68)
MP ($4.21)
CO ($1.56)

Preflop: Hero is SB with K, Q
UTG bets $0.06, 3 folds, Hero calls $0.05, 1 fold

Flop: ($0.14) 9, 6, J (2 players)
Hero checks, UTG bets $0.06, Hero calls $0.06

Turn: ($0.26) 2 (2 players)
Hero checks, UTG checks

River: ($0.26) 6 (2 players)
Hero ?

--------------------------------Hand5::--------------------------------------


I don't remember what his stats were at the time, but after the session he was 48/24. I'm not so concerned with that as the flop texture. This flop just seems like breeding grounds for a bluff, so I.. well - rebluffed him - overbetting I need to be ahead quite often to make this profitable.. So.. I'm wondering if this is a good line or if I'm quite crazy?

Absolute/UB Cereus No-Limit Hold'em, $0.02 BB (6 handed) - Absolute/UB Cereus Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

Hero (Button) ($3.01)
SB ($0.78)
BB ($0.32)
UTG ($4.17)
MP ($2.70)
CO ($2)

Preflop: Hero is Button with 8, A
3 folds, Hero bets $0.08, 1 fold, BB calls $0.06

Flop: ($0.17) 2, 5, 2 (2 players)
BB bets $0.06, Hero raises to $0.24

[HarleyGuy13]

First off sven let me start by saying I am responding more for my own benefit as I'm learning myself and want to see how my comments add up to the others.

(#1) bet flop more like $.5 and fold to any raise. With the A and flush draw out there it is very likely you are beat and you wouldn't have that much invested.

(#2) Good job!

(#3) Against a short stack I think the main thing here is you should have had a plan going into it. Am I going to be willing to go all in, which for that amount I would, so if you had a plan and stuck with it then GJ.

(#4) FOLD PRE-FLOP Your position sucks! As played Fold the flop and move on. You don't even have the A high beat and you have to remember even retarded fishes get cards. Fold and move on!

(#5) Fold the flop. You missed now save your money and move on. You'll loose a lot of money chasing flushes!

Remember at 2nl you are really best to play tight and in position. Don't waste your moniez chasing and playing second best hands. You will get paid off so good when you do hit there is no reason to fuck around with other shit!

Good luck

[Imthenewfish]

#1 - b/f flop, pretty much give up if called
#2 - 4x preflop, I don't get the flop min raise AT ALL. If you really think your implied odds are good enough to draw to a gutshot opening up the betting round again just gives him another chance to give you shitty pot odds. Him donking 0.06 does usually represent a weak made hand/ draw though just call and play the turn IP.
#3 - PLAN YOUR HAND! If he's that short on the flop then it shouldn't be that hard to get the rest of his chips in on later streets. I feel that raising only commits you more and folding is too weak. I'd flat and reevaluate the turn.
#4 - I think calling preflop was fine. When he bets $0.06 I'm inclined to think he's weak. Either c/r to $0.15 on the flop or flat with the intention of leading "good" turn cards (yes the 2 was a good card). Why the hell are you drawing to a gutshot against a shortstack without the intention of stealing the pot the majority of the time?
#5 - FLAT IT AND REEVALUATE IP ON THE TURN

[sven00100]

First off sven let me start by saying I am responding more for my own benefit as I'm learning myself and want to see how my comments add up to the others.

(#1) bet flop more like $.5 and fold to any raise. With the A and flush draw out there it is very likely you are beat and you wouldn't have that much invested.

(#2) Good job!

(#3) Against a short stack I think the main thing here is you should have had a plan going into it. Am I going to be willing to go all in, which for that amount I would, so if you had a plan and stuck with it then GJ.

(#4) FOLD PRE-FLOP Your position sucks! As played Fold the flop and move on. You don't even have the A high beat and you have to remember even retarded fishes get cards. Fold and move on!

(#5) Fold the flop. You missed now save your money and move on. You'll loose a lot of money chasing flushes!

Remember at 2nl you are really best to play tight and in position. Don't waste your moniez chasing and playing second best hands. You will get paid off so good when you do hit there is no reason to fuck around with other shit!

Good luck

Thanks for the feedback, yes, I agree following through others' reasoning is very helpful, especially when you get to look at how it compares to your previous thinking.

Hand 1: Here; my thoughts pre-flop were that if he called, based on other showdowns, that he would have an ace in his hand maybe ~70% of the time here, high pp being a reasonable second.. Based on this, I pretty much was willing to muck any Ace flop should he call. I feel fine doing this, as he had a low aggression frequency post flop (didn't seem to bluff much), and most flops won't have an ace (~85%) where I can bet them with some confidence. In my thinking that 70% have an ace, of these, maybe half are a strong ace, willing to raise me here, and weaker aces might just call down. I am guessing, but I think if I bet and he flat calls, I might be tempted to value town myself, on the off chance he's on a flush draw, but against an ace. and end up down $2 with 2nd pair.

Hand 2: What do you think of my raise on the flop? This seems spewy to me.. :\

Hand 3: I think my intention was to fold to a decent raise on an ace flop, but the 2c wasn't a decent raise... And it confused me more than anything. I don't know what he can show up with on the turn that he is all in (without bluffing) that I beat. But I am priced in to call if he bluffs maybe ~20% of the time

Hand 4: I forgot to mention:: This player is the same player from hand 5:: 48/24 in the session, but yes, otherwise to a pfr, i'm probably folding this if he's more regular stats.

Hand 5: This seems like a semi-spewy bluff to me.. I don't have much into the hand, so you're right, I need to expect he'll fold near 1/2 the time for my raise (to this amount) profitable.. I wasn't chasing the flush, but maybe this is a bad move anyways? It was a "please fold bet" that screamed either "please fold", "i know you're bluffing, so I will value bet my Ace high" or "woo I'm a tard that played my 2 strangely, and I want my 23 cents now, please let me play more -EV hands" - at least that's how I'd see it if I were him :P.

#1 - b/f flop, pretty much give up if called
#2 - 4x preflop, I don't get the flop min raise AT ALL. If you really think your implied odds are good enough to draw to a gutshot opening up the betting round again just gives him another chance to give you shitty pot odds. Him donking 0.06 does usually represent a weak made hand/ draw though just call and play the turn IP.
#3 - PLAN YOUR HAND! If he's that short on the flop then it shouldn't be that hard to get the rest of his chips in on later streets. I feel that raising only commits you more and folding is too weak. I'd flat and reevaluate the turn.
#4 - I think calling preflop was fine. When he bets $0.06 I'm inclined to think he's weak. Either c/r to $0.15 on the flop or flat with the intention of leading "good" turn cards (yes the 2 was a good card). Why the hell are you drawing to a gutshot against a shortstack without the intention of stealing the pot the majority of the time?
#5 - FLAT IT AND REEVALUATE IP ON THE TURN

#1 - Already addressed why i checked here, is my reasoning wrong?
#2 - I agree. tardish flop action on my part
#3 - Thanks! Wow, I can't believe flatting didn't cross my mind, esp if I am folding to a large bet here, why am I getting a little money in for him, and giving him no fold equity.. my line is icky.
#4 - oooh c/r flop would put me in position for the turn. agreed.
#5 - This will narrow villains betting range to more made hands and fewer bluffs, thus increasing the EV of my rebluff? I think I agree.

EDIT:: Haha with the hands I posted it looks like I just want to bluff every hand.. no, these made sense to me in some fashion, where I find myself bluffing, where I expected positive value from a bluff. :P

[Imthenewfish]

Your response to my #1: Him being IP i think his range has a few different hands than just an ace. Value bet against FD, SC 1 pair hands. Betting keeps him from bluffing you out of that flop with 9's.
Your response to my #4: I prefer calling and leading out over c/r IN GENERAL because they'll have worse odds to draw, you'll get another card that may help define where your at in the hand, and if it fails you only have one more street to get to SD.
Your response to my #5: Only hands that really make sense here are 43s,53s,54s,65s,75s, PP's from about 33 to 77 (usually not 55), and sometimes a random A10/AJ. If you notice his bet sizing makes it seem like he has a pair of 5's with a weak kicker, or an open ender. If he isn't a calling station (you tell me?); it should be really easy to take the pot away from him because pretty much any turn will look scary to him.

[sven00100]

Your response to my #1: Him being IP i think his range has a few different hands than just an ace. Value bet against FD, SC 1 pair hands. Betting keeps him from bluffing you out of that flop with 9's.
Your response to my #4: I prefer calling and leading out over c/r IN GENERAL because they'll have worse odds to draw, you'll get another card that may help define where your at in the hand, and if it fails you only have one more street to get to SD.
Your response to my #5: Only hands that really make sense here are 43s,53s,54s,65s,75s, PP's from about 33 to 77 (usually not 55), and sometimes a random A10/AJ. If you notice his bet sizing makes it seem like he has a pair of 5's with a weak kicker, or an open ender. If he isn't a calling station (you tell me?); it should be really easy to take the pot away from him because pretty much any turn will look scary to him.

Okay, so I'm not as worried about 4 or 5 anymore, your input has definitely helped I'm not sure (given my opponent) how I play the flop on 4 exactly, but a c/c; c/f as played screams "I WANNA DRAW" at my opponent.. so my river is dead + they get to see my cards then. on 5, I think his range (48/24) is wider than just these hands that make sense, but again, I like the call on a flop, then bet in position better than my raise on the flop, but i think his flop action is really weak, especially since he's been betting low flops weak like this frequently. Back to 1!

#1) Is the prevention of being stolen against; ie. betting and he folds ( I don't think he's calling this if he doesn't have an ace, since my 3 bet range will seem really narrow too, many aces ) versus betting and him calling.. i guess if he calls or raises, I'm making no more action pretty much no matter what. If I do, I think it's a mistake on my part. Do you anticipate he folds this flop over x% needed to make a profitable semi-bluff into this hand, such that my EV is higher in the hand by betting early on this flop than check/folding it? if I'm c/f obviously he will bet most flops, so i'm probably 0EV for the flop if i c/f.

do you think I can get a better EV on the flop by betting into it? If so what would you say I should make the bet size on the flop? What kind of range are you thinking the villain is calling my 3-bet here; is it ever less than an ace? In which case does he fold to a certain bet size will make my EV best on the flop assuming I bet?

I'd like to run some odds to see where I stand against what you would think a 21/20 would call in preflop, assuming he's at least a mediocre player. so I can try to figure out the percent of hands he's likely folding to this flop!

[Imthenewfish]

Okay, so I'm not as worried about 4 or 5 anymore, your input has definitely helped I'm not sure (given my opponent) how I play the flop on 4 exactly, but a c/c; c/f as played screams "I WANNA DRAW" at my opponent.. so my river is dead + they get to see my cards then. on 5, I think his range (48/24) is wider than just these hands that make sense, but again, I like the call on a flop, then bet in position better than my raise on the flop, but i think his flop action is really weak, especially since he's been betting low flops weak like this frequently. Back to 1!

#1) Is the prevention of being stolen against; ie. betting and he folds ( I don't think he's calling this if he doesn't have an ace, since my 3 bet range will seem really narrow too, many aces ) versus betting and him calling.. i guess if he calls or raises, I'm making no more action pretty much no matter what. If I do, I think it's a mistake on my part. Do you anticipate he folds this flop over x% needed to make a profitable semi-bluff into this hand, such that my EV is higher in the hand by betting early on this flop than check/folding it? if I'm c/f obviously he will bet most flops, so i'm probably 0EV for the flop if i c/f.

do you think I can get a better EV on the flop by betting into it? If so what would you say I should make the bet size on the flop? What kind of range are you thinking the villain is calling my 3-bet here; is it ever less than an ace? In which case does he fold to a certain bet size will make my EV best on the flop assuming I bet?

I'd like to run some odds to see where I stand against what you would think a 21/20 would call in preflop, assuming he's at least a mediocre player. so I can try to figure out the percent of hands he's likely folding to this flop!

A mediocre player would usually fold ATLEAST A10- to a 3 bet
*edit* I think that he is more likely to call with a pocket pair than a weak ace

[sven00100]

A mediocre player would usually fold ATLEAST A10- to a 3 bet
*edit* I think that he is more likely to call with a pocket pair than a weak ace

So would you say his range is probably AJs+, AQo+, 99+, KQs or something similar to this? I tried to be fairly loose in my approximation, hence the KQs being in there.

[Imthenewfish]

So would you say his range is probably AJs+, AQo+, 99+, KQs or something similar to this? I tried to be fairly loose in my approximation, hence the KQs being in there.

It's possible he has a bit larger range than this. Players at 2nl tend to overvalue broadway cards, and he may think he has proper odds to set mine so I wouldn't be surprised if he shows up with 22+

[sven00100]

It's possible he has a bit larger range than this. Players at 2nl tend to overvalue broadway cards, and he may think he has proper odds to set mine so I wouldn't be surprised if he shows up with 22+

I was at the table with him for ~100 hands before this, hadn't seemed to be doing this, I could maybe be edged into thinking he would play 77+, but if he is playing weaker hands to my 3bet, my read on him is off to start with. I'll assume he's playing 77+ and look at the stats.

Possible combinations of hands given this range, we expect him to hold:
3*2/2 = 3 AA
2*1/2 = 1 KK
4*3/2*6 = 36 (QQ-77; 6 each)
3*2 = 6 AKs/o
3*4 = 12 AQs/o
3*1 = 3 AJs

His ace containing hands:: AA, AK, AQ, AJs = 24 hands
Non ace containing hands:: 77-KK = 37 hands

Assuming any non-ace folds to a pot sized bet here.. damn.. I have a huge leak here.

the threshold for my making a pot sized bet profitable assuming anything sub pair of aces folds is 99. If villain folds 99 here, my post flop bet would be bad, if he calls 99 and anything below, my bet becomes better and better... Wowza... x.x WP sir

[Imthenewfish]

Don't bet full pot though
*edit* stats might be skewed because just because you check the flop doesn't mean you lose the hand, and you're trying to find the play with the highest expectation. Just because betting is profitable doesn't mean it has the largest expectation (I think it does in this scenario though)

[sven00100]

Don't bet full pot though
*edit* stats might be skewed because just because you check the flop doesn't mean you lose the hand, and you're trying to find the play with the highest expectation. Just because betting is profitable doesn't mean it has the largest expectation (I think it does in this scenario though)

I know, I mean, I was making it very simplified, I think non-aces fold to less than a pot bet, much like I did. If I led there for 2/3 pot, and he had KK i'd expect a fold... I also don't think he's often putting in a lot if i check with the 77-99, but I think here the stats (simplified) point to b/f rather than c/f.. then c/f a non king turn, re-evaluate river.

But thank you for sticking with your post .

[Imthenewfish]

I know, I mean, I was making it very simplified, I think non-aces fold to less than a pot bet, much like I did. If I led there for 2/3 pot, and he had KK i'd expect a fold... I also don't think he's often putting in a lot if i check with the 77-99, but I think here the stats (simplified) point to b/f rather than c/f.. then c/f a non king turn, re-evaluate river.

But thank you for sticking with your post .

If he never bets with non-ace hands I think stats show c/f as more profitable as long as you don't pay draws when they hit.