*The Official "Standard, yes?" Checkup Thread* - Page 9 - Micro Stakes Poker Forum

Bulletproof Monk · 09-05-2010, 12:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pid Koker

A spot I'm not sure about:

Live, loose-passive game - a couple guys who are aggro post and like to check-raise, most will peel one or more cards. 3 or 4 limpers, hero limps K5s on BTN, blinds complete/check, ~6 to the flop. J85r, one of Hero's suit. Bet?

sure.

not a big deal either way imo.

Bulletproof Monk · 09-05-2010, 12:59 PM

correlium - i prefer a turn check. i dont mind your plan and wouldnt mind a flop bet, but that turn card is a terrible one to do it on because its a Q which probably hits your opponents ranges more than any other card, and its a heart which puts a backdoor flush out there to which you have no blockers.

ozi - i fold pre. my first thought was to fold the flop but im not sure on that one, probably depends on whether or not UTG+1 double donks. as played turn and river are good imo.

sheekst38 · 09-06-2010, 08:10 AM

Villain is 14/11/AFq 55

Full Tilt Poker $0.25/$0.50 Limit Hold'em - 6 players - View hand 907098
The Official DeucesCracked.com Hand History Converter

Pre Flop: (1.4 SB) Hero is SB with K

5

4 folds, Hero raises, BB calls

Flop: (4 SB) A

2

6

(2 players)
Hero bets, BB calls

Turn: (3 BB) 2

(2 players)
Hero bets, BB calls

River: (5 BB) 8

(2 players)
Hero checks, BB bets, Hero calls

I bet the turn to charge all 1 card FD's , I taught about barrelling the river but then taught i prob had the beast hand as an A would have raised and im getting 3 bet pre by 55+ so i c/c .

**OziBattler** · 09-06-2010, 09:03 AM

i dont hate your logic but if u dont have reads that he blufffs then im not a fan, especially if his W2SD is not low.

(then i realsied this was 6max...what a nit. the fact that he got to the river is telling imo)

sheekst38 · 09-06-2010, 09:08 AM

This was a FR table that went short. I didnt have a read that he bluffed but in the few blind battles we had v's each other he had being pretty aggro so i taught he might bluff here as it look like im giving up in the pot.

**OziBattler** · 09-06-2010, 09:17 AM

well just make sure u get value for money and take a good note ldo

i often find in this spot they have a pair that they are only prepared to bet when we check because as long as we keep betting they is scurred. if its a mistake its not a big one and the info and metagame can be useful. meh, BPM probably snap calls.

Bulletproof Monk · 09-06-2010, 09:34 AM

i think value c/r the turn with some frequency is a great spot to range merge if he is observant

as played nh

Xylocain · 09-06-2010, 09:42 AM

what does it mean to merge ranges and is it different from balancing?

**OziBattler** · 09-06-2010, 09:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bulletproof Monk

i think value c/r the turn with some frequency is a great spot to range merge if he is observant

as played nh

tell me more, is this what all the big winners are doing with some frequency in tough games?

Bulletproof Monk · 09-06-2010, 09:48 AM

hmm to me i use range merging interchangeably with depolarising.

if your relative hand strength can be rated from 1-10 with 10 being the nuts, then i would say:

balancing = making sure you have enough 2s and 3s in a spot to balance out your 10s and 9s over time.

range merging = adding in 6s and 7s in a spot where your opponent expects you to show up with 10s and 2s so it becomes hard to exclude any hands from your range at all.

ie its a spot where your opponent would expect you to generally c/r with a flush, 2x, or total air making a move because he doesnt rep much. so by raising with a decent showdownable hand our turn c/r will be harder to read in the future.

its might be a bad point in this thread tho because its a consideration for me far more than anyone else i know afaik.

Bulletproof Monk · 09-06-2010, 09:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OziBattler

tell me more, is this what all the big winners are doing with some frequency in tough games?

i dont think i know but i would say no.

most big winners like to barrel so they can b/3bet afaik.

Bulletproof Monk · 09-06-2010, 10:11 AM

seriously?

Xylocain · 09-06-2010, 11:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bulletproof Monk

balancing = making sure you have enough 2s and 3s in a spot to balance out your 10s and 9s over time.

its just terminology of course, but just to make sure I'm on the same page as the cool kids -- this sounds like polarizing your range (with polarized == only strong and weak holdings), and adding the 6s and 7s to the 2s and 10s would be depolarizing which would be ~ balancing.

If I assume that merging ranges ~ depolarizing ~ balancing I'm not far off, right?

Bulletproof Monk · 09-06-2010, 01:41 PM

i think balancing is making sure you can have more than exactly one part of your range (eg you dont just have the nuts).

whereas as range merging/depolarizing is making sure you can have more than exactly two parts of your range (ie you dont just have the nuts or nothing).

balancing is especially useful against opponents that arent thinking about combinations and equity; 'i have to call here because he could be bluffing'.

range merging is especially useful against opponents that are thinking about combinations and equity; 'i have to fold here because he is capable of vbetting K-hi here, thus my Q-hi bluffcatcher only beats a very small % of his betting range'.

Bulletproof Monk · 09-06-2010, 01:45 PM

i do think there is another view which says that range merging is just one aspect of balancing tho. not sure which is correct.