OP: Find leaks and Move up

[mixchange]

OK, the goal of this op will be to get me to be a regular 400NL player instead of 100/200NL. I play 6max on stars.

I'll be posting hands and getting some coaching and advice from Rav. I'll be posting a lot of "mundane" hands as I am looking to really play small and medium pots well, as I multi table and tend to make mistakes in them or mis opportunities.

My red line is awwwwful and I probably don't 3bet enough. Lately its 22/17 with 5% 3bet. I think I end up flatting a lot with hands like JJ, QQ, AK where others don't. I'm definitely 3betting a lot of junky SC's along with QQ+ AK just not always QQ and AK, and of course sometimes I feel its right to ship JJ or 1010.


Any advice is appreciated!

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HAND #1

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $1.00 BB (5 handed) - Poker-Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

Hero (BB) ($228.55)
UTG ($100)
MP ($100)
Button ($185.05)
SB ($205.40)

Preflop: Hero is BB with 8, 6
1 fold, MP bets $4, Button calls $4, 1 fold, Hero calls $3

Flop: ($12.50) 7, 3, 9 (3 players)
Hero checks, MP bets $8, Button raises to $28, Hero folds, 1 fold

Total pot: $28.50 | Rake: $1.35


Villain is a nitty player, 15/12 with 2.2% 3bet. Opener is a std TAG.

I just feel like if I shove here, I'm getting it in vs a set or the nut draw... so I folded, shockingly?
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HAND 2


PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $1.00 BB (6 handed) - Poker-Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

Hero (UTG) ($161.50)
MP ($122.50)
CO ($50)
Button ($129)
SB ($36.20)
BB ($235.85)

Preflop: Hero is UTG with 10, 10
Hero bets $3, 2 folds, Button raises to $9, 2 folds, Hero calls $6

Flop: ($19.50) A, 10, 5 (2 players)
Hero checks, Button bets $13, Hero calls $13

Turn: ($45.50) 6 (2 players)
Hero checks, Button checks

River: ($45.50) 2 (2 players)
Hero ??


This is vs a "reg" (he is decent but i dont see him around a lot) who I just oversetted on another table. Anyone doing anything out of the ordinary because of the hand he just played, ala leading turn? anyone check river? lol, not really sure how to play this spot
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HAND 3


PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $2.00 BB (6 handed) - Poker-Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

MP ($200)
CO ($160.70)
Hero (Button) ($200)
SB ($201)
BB ($213.75)
UTG ($220.45)

Preflop: Hero is Button with 10, A
1 fold, MP bets $6, CO calls $6, Hero raises to $28, 3 folds, CO calls $22

Flop: ($65) 8, 8, 2 (2 players)
CO checks, Hero bets $34,


Flop sizing good? Player had $132 left. Shove any turns? I mean if he flats he has to have like 66 or some prayer flush draw he for some reason didn't ship... i feel like i might be able to profitablly ship a blank turn as crazy as it sounds, with $120 in pot and 98 behind for him on turn. We'd have 12% equity most likely if called.
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Hand 4


PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $1.00 BB (6 handed) - Poker-Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

Hero (MP) ($108.95)
CO ($20)
Button ($100)
SB ($21.95)
BB ($113.50)
UTG ($86.75)

Preflop: Hero is MP with Q, A
1 fold, Hero bets $3, 3 folds, BB calls $2

Flop: ($6.50) 3, 7, A (2 players)
BB bets $2.50, Hero raises to $8, BB calls $5.50

Turn: ($22.50) 8 (2 players)
BB bets $12.50, Hero calls $12.50

River: ($47.50) 6 (2 players)
BB bets $10, Hero raises to $42


On the turn I felt like he either improved his hand or really likes his hand when he leads again. I feel like its possible the flush hit him, or that he has 2p or a good ace. Either way, he does not want this card checked behind.

On the river I am almost sure he doesn't have a strong heart seeing his bet sizing, which looks like a blocking bet... so I raised it as I can't call here.
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[Ravageur]

hand 1 - He can have overpairs here as well as sets and nfd so raise since you have some fold equity plus you're not even in that bad shape vs the nfd.

hand 2- I think u played it fine, i'd just lead river and hope to get a call from kk or qq. Something like 3/4 pot. Sure he is probably going to value bet the river with AK/AQ if you check, letting you c/raise bu ti don't think he's calling the check raise enough for it to be a better line than betting and getting a call from hands he might check back.

hand 3 - I don't like PF at all. I guess we should put him in on any card 10+ on the turn and give up on the others.

hand 4 - The turn is tough...I can see folding here. Raise the river bigger, to something like 60 imo but i like it.

[mixchange]

Yeah a month later Hand 1 is a shove despite what is scary sizing to me from a nit.

In regards to Hand 3, I know I need to be squeezing lighter but I'm not always sure what spots and with what hands. I figured 3betting the button would be OK and that If I call here I'm almost always folding flop, plus not really liking A10 vs. MP range. I'd tread lightly on an A high board with A10, going into bluffcatcher mode if I hit either pair.

Hand 4 he rivered two pair (aces and sixes) and called with no heart. Sigh Just wanted to check my logic there.

Anyway I'll be replying to replies much faster now

[mixchange]

HAND 1

Pre I meant $11 which is my std. OOP 3bet. I know this is "normally a bad hand to 3bet oop" but I have such trouble playing back in the blinds when you whiff 2/3 of the time. Villain is not a reg, but not bad either. Not many hands yet 25/17 type

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $1.00 BB (6 handed) - Poker-Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

MP ($21.40)
CO ($82.35)
Button ($95.80)
Hero (SB) ($100)
BB ($20)
UTG ($198.50)

Preflop: Hero is SB with Q, 10
3 folds, Button bets $3, Hero raises to $10, 1 fold, Button calls $7

Flop: ($21) 3, A, A (2 players)
Hero bets $13, Button calls $13

Turn: ($47) 8 (2 players)
Hero bets $25, Button calls $25

River: ($97) J (2 players)
Hero checks, Button bets $16, Hero folds

Total pot: $97 | Rake: $3

Turn looks like a c/f to anyone? He could just have 99/1010 type hand but I guess there is just too much JJ+ and Ax that doesn't want to fold just yet.



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HAND 2

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $1.00 BB (5 handed) - Poker-Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

Hero (MP) ($100)
Button ($104.55)
SB ($35.50)
BB ($59.65)
UTG ($102.90)

Preflop: Hero is MP with 8, 8
1 fold, Hero bets $3, Button raises to $9, 2 folds, Hero calls $6

Flop: ($19.50) 3, 6, 4 (2 players)
Hero checks, Button bets $13, Hero calls $13

Turn: ($45.50) 10 (2 players)
Hero checks, Button checks

River: ($45.50) 2 (2 players)
Hero checks, Button bets $27, Hero folds

Total pot: $45.50 | Rake: $2


Alright I know this hand is a fold pre (oop mid pairs = self ownage) but I'm kinda curious about this spot when its reversed... the spots where the flop goes cbet, call, and the turn checks through and then OR fires river.

I've seen some people check behind overpairs or like 99-1010 (but obvi not 1010 on this board) to induce on the river (as the 2nd barrell is like the classic spot for mid pairs to fold in 3bet pots). Whenever I call villain in this spot they are good 95% of the time (actually I can't remember ever calling a reg and being right in this spot).... so the question is then, is this a viable bluffing line? And with any marginal hands would you use this for value?


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HAND 3

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $2.00 BB (6 handed) - Poker-Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

MP ($200)
CO ($208.65)
Button ($125.60)
SB ($119.95)
Hero (BB) ($424.55)
UTG ($200)

Preflop: Hero is BB with A, K
1 fold, MP bets $6, 2 folds, SB calls $5, Hero raises to $24, MP calls $18, 1 fold

Flop: ($54) 2, 8, J (2 players)
Hero checks, MP bets $26, Hero folds

Total pot: $54 | Rake: $2.70



reg opener, fish in blinds.
OK, a mundane and boring hand but I'm wondering if there is any other way to play it. I'm 3betting to iso the fish but not really happy if OR calls as I give him credit for a pair here most of the time, or at least the ability to float me on non A/K flops.


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Hand 4

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $2.00 BB (6 handed) - Poker-Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

Hero (CO) ($195.80)
Button ($264.40)
SB ($65.75)
BB ($200)
UTG ($217)
MP ($262.90)

Preflop: Hero is CO with Q, K
2 folds, Hero bets $6, Button calls $6, 2 folds

Flop: ($15) 4, 2, 6 (2 players)
Hero bets $8, 1 fold

Total pot: $15 | Rake: $0.75


These mid and small pots seem more and more important to me as I'm finding many of the big pots play themselves. Anyway, here I know Button pretty well (a winning reg, AJFennewald). I know he's flatting fairly wide, but I don't see him bluff raising as many flops as villains like Pobolero who have really high raise cbet %s.

Should we be c/fing flop here because of how dirty the flop is and how easily we are bluff raised? If we cbet and we're called, are we ever firing turns?

After I made the cbet I said "damn it, bad cbet". I'd think bad cbet vs. a reg, but a must cbet vs. a fishier player who would flat with Ax and a ton of unpaired hands.

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HAND 5

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $2.00 BB (5 handed) - Poker-Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

MP ($328.55)
Hero (Button) ($200)
SB ($352)
BB ($202.55)
UTG ($173.55)

Preflop: Hero is Button with K, K
1 fold, MP bets $6, Hero raises to $20, 2 folds, MP calls $14

Flop: ($43) 8, A, 5 (2 players)
MP checks, Hero bets $24, MP calls $24

Turn: ($91) 4 (2 players)
MP checks, Hero checks

River: ($91) 7 (2 players)
MP bets $50


21/15 pre but the guy played kinda fishy (folded to 33% of 3bets over 200 hands)
Ugh. If flop had gone check check and turn check call i'd be more inclined to call here. Has to be a fold, right? All his small pairs hit and idk if he's turning many pairs into bluffs.

[Micro2Macro]

just quickly looked as I'm about to run and noticed the QTs hand.

probably just c/f the turn given your description of the player. he won't be able to fold if he has a pocket pair I'm sure, and there's a good chance he'll check back those 1 pair hands that have you beat and give you a free shot at binking the river.

[Ravageur]

ok, so me and Genitruc are reading your OP, and HOLY shit we are still losing our minds over the straight flush draw. In Genitruc's words. "Just go all-in, who cares?", he said that 3 times and is still laughing (we're reviewing your other hands with a more intelligible response).

[Ravageur]

hand 1 : I don't get why this is a bad hand to 3-bet, this is a good hand to 3-bet oop because you can play q and 10 high boards for value lots + all the times you flop draws etc..
I think the turn is good, he's now folding stuff like jj-99 lots. The river is probalby a c/fold but against
better players at higher stakes the river is probably a shove.


Hand 2 : To the hand in question, c/shoving this river is so much better than c/calling because it's hard for ppl to pick this off with JJish which is a big portion of villain's range. As for your question of whether this is a good bluff spot....i think worse players in your position are calling with 88 so i don't
think this is necessarily a great bluff line. I'd rather just pump the turn and shove river.

Hand 3: Standard

Hand 4 : I think this flop is so much better to c-bet than if it was 8, 9, or 10 high because I feel that hits regs harder than this flop. Not having a club sucks but it also means we can bet/fold club turn easily. We're also barreling probalby any card 10+ here as well.

Hand 5 : Our consensus is shove > fold > call. His betsize is screaming AJ and he's never bet/calling that on the river when we can have all sorts of shiite on this river since we're IP PF.

[mixchange]

ok, so me and Genitruc are reading your OP, and HOLY shit we are still losing our minds over the straight flush draw. In Genitruc's words. "Just go all-in, who cares?", he said that 3 times and is still laughing (we're reviewing your other hands with a more intelligible response).

Ya I know. I almost didn't post it originally for this reason, but since it brings ya'll humor I'm happy Sometimes I have the problem of getting it in in spots where I feel like I have a REALLY good read on a nitty player but get it in anyway... e.g. I played FR last week and flop was J55 two tone with 5 players in the hand, I had 99. OR was a huge nit and checked flop... we all checked it around. Turn 9, he leads, I raise and he shoves for another 100BB. Obviously he has quads or JJJ here but I tank and call it off. I guess in the SF hand I'm really only worried about drawing to like 25% so it's pretty different.

maybe I just need to let go and embrace variance more, idk. Thing is my non-showdown line is so embarrassing that making huge folds is a really important part of my winrate (Sadly).

[mixchange]

hand 1 : I don't get why this is a bad hand to 3-bet, this is a good hand to 3-bet oop because you can play q and 10 high boards for value lots + all the times you flop draws etc..
I think the turn is good, he's now folding stuff like jj-99 lots. The river is probalby a c/fold but against
better players at higher stakes the river is probably a shove.

I guess I am still working on the 3bet hand catagorization. I was thinking this might be strong enough to call, but I would be pretty bad at actually making that a profitable call with my current postflop skills. Some of the more common 3bet flatting ranges, especially by button include stronger Queens (AQ/KQ/QJs) and sometimes A10/K10s. Perhaps I am a little too worried about domination. I thought it was better not to 3bet big middling cards... do you think this is an OK hand to 3bet vs. button who may be very wide, but bad say when we're OTB vs. MP?

I felt at the time the turn was a must bet, good to see that backed up I may have been feeling results oriented (he probably just had the ace)

Hand 2 : To the hand in question, c/shoving this river is so much better than c/calling because it's hard for ppl to pick this off with JJish which is a big portion of villain's range. As for your question of whether this is a good bluff spot....i think worse players in your position are calling with 88 so i don't
think this is necessarily a great bluff line. I'd rather just pump the turn and shove river.

Interesting. I guess it is pretty hard for him to call here, and we very easily can rep a 5 and he never has it... at least force him to hero call. I remember thinking at the time he wasn't very strong and I could possibly bluff him out. I guess I just have to start pulling some of these triggers.

Hand 4 : I think this flop is so much better to c-bet than if it was 8, 9, or 10 high because I feel that hits regs harder than this flop. Not having a club sucks but it also means we can bet/fold club turn easily. We're also barreling probalby any card 10+ here as well.

Gotcha. I think that's a good point because on these really low boards it doesn't hit much of their range except sets (obviously higher pairs will call at least 1 st) and they aren't usually flatting really small suited connectors.


How wide would a reg call with SC's from the button? Shouldn't they be 3betting me a fair amount with them?I guess regs button flatting range is the most confusing to me, because I suppose 50% of the time they'll flat 67 and 50% 3bet, or whatever ratio

Hand 5 : Our consensus is shove > fold > call. His betsize is screaming AJ and he's never bet/calling that on the river when we can have all sorts of shiite on this river since we're IP PF.

Wow, I didn't expect this at all. I'd expect a fishier player may not fold here, I have trouble bluffing fishier players in general because I expect them to call me (that's how as a huge nit I profit)

[kmind]

Hand 3: Standard

Really? What range do you put MP on. Given a range of QQ-TT,AKo,AQs,AKs it doesn't really hit their range too often. Throw in like AQo and 99 and it's even worse for MP's range. I think we can cbet halfpotish and pick it up a lot.

[Ravageur]

I mean I don't think c-betting is terrible there or anything, but this is definitely one of the better boards to c/fold with AK when we wiff just because he is going to float a ton of worse hands q10hh, 910 etc along with the mid pairs he is probably calling at least one street with and we have to be willing to fire a high variance 2nd barrel towards.

[kmind]

I can only assume his 3bet calling range is really narrow here but I guess I am wrong. If he's calling with those hands then yeah I hear ya.