Hello Everyone!

I have been playing poker for about 6 months now, mostly play chips and small tournaments/SnGs. I have built up a pretty decent payroll and have decided to start playing micro/small stakes cash games for experience. I have received coaching and advice from DeucesCracked, but have come over to join the TwoPlusTwo family!

I need some assistance with how I am playing. In order to avoid variance, I know that I play much more passively than I should be. But at least I am regularly winning at micro because I only bet/call when i believe I am best, avoid situations where the pot can get big when I have marginal hands, and that has at least helped me to avoid some variance.

To the question at hand...on the hand!

Winning Poker Network (Yatahay) - $0.25 NL (6 max) - Holdem - 6 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4

BB: 104.76 BB (VPIP: 18.87, PFR: 15.09, 3Bet Preflop: 4.76, Hands: 56)
UTG: 101.4 BB (VPIP: 9.09, PFR: 9.09, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 11)
MP: 121.6 BB (VPIP: 20.31, PFR: 14.06, 3Bet Preflop: 9.09, Hands: 134)
Hero (CO): 237.2 BB
BTN: 176.04 BB (VPIP: 27.63, PFR: 21.05, 3Bet Preflop: 3.13, Hands: 77)
SB: 104.16 BB (VPIP: 41.18, PFR: 35.29, 3Bet Preflop: 16.67, Hands: 18)

SB posts SB 0.4 BB, BB posts BB 1 BB

Pre Flop: (pot: 1.4 BB) Hero has A 3

fold, fold, Hero raises to 3 BB, BTN calls 3 BB, fold, fold

Flop: (7.4 BB, 2 players) Q A 4
Hero checks, BTN bets 4.68 BB, Hero calls 4.68 BB

Turn: (16.76 BB, 2 players) 5
Hero checks, BTN bets 12.56 BB, Hero calls 12.56 BB

River: (41.88 BB, 2 players) 6
Hero checks, BTN bets 36.16 BB, fold

BTN wins 39.8 BB

0.64 BB was deducted from the pot for the jackpot.


(I copied this in forum format hopefully it shows up right)

Anyways, villain is a 28/21 over 127 hands, we are both deep and the only notes I have is that he calls marginal hands such as J8s to 3bets in positions, but his range is tighter OOP like only calling with KQo or 44 (so I presume he also calls raises with these hands IP too)

I won't argue that my pre-flop raise is marginal at best, but in a 6 max in the CO i will usually win the pot right here, if I get 3bet I fold, and most of the time if I do get called I'll be in position (except by the button)

What I a wondering here is should I have played more aggressively to help define my opponents hand. I called two streets because I put him on some kind of flush draw. However, when he bets the river, and bets that large, I don't think he is on a complete bluff. But suppose he is on a flush draw with a higher A than me (A7o, A8o, A9o, ATo he probably 3bets AJ, AQ, AK). Perhaps I can raise here and show profit? Or I suppose he could have a made flush. It's difficult for him to do this with two-pair (45, 56) since there is a possible flush but he might bet that on the river.

Sorry I can get on a rant of my own thoughts here. I am asking is this a position where I can raise either the turn and fire the river or plan to raise the river and get him off hands that beat me, or that in this position villain only ever does this with a hand that he never folds? Should I have folded to the flop bet with my top pair, weak kicker on such a wet flop?

Thank you everyone for any help and I'm glad to be a part of this family!

This is a fold pre for me. I don't even open A3o on the button (nit!), although most players do. In CO, I think A7o is probably the worst offsuit ace that is profitable/breakeven.

As played, check-calling twice looks good. (C-betting OOP on this board will be problematic with any ace, let alone a weak one). If you didn't gain additional gutshot outs on the turn, you can fold there. Folding river for sure. Villain won't be triple-barrel bluffing very often, and he's repping a much stronger hand than 1 pair.

Mr. Back to the Future himself! Thank you ArtyMcFly for your response. I agree with you pre; this judgement was based on both my image at the table and the table image itself. The blinds were tight and have folded 100% of the time and had like a 3% 3bet range, so I think that by raising pre-flop with a much wider range of hands here I can show immediate profit. Usually I wouldn't open this hand either until I get adjusted to the table and know that I will see folds here often enough for it to be a +EV decision.

Definitely fold pre.

'Image' is irrelevant, nobody pays enough attention and by the stage it becomes slightly relevant you'll have more reliable data anyway.

Postflop looks good. Turn is close.