1/2 Hero's table just broke and combined with a new table.

I've seen this villain playing here frequently. Definitely a losing reg but I'm not really sure where all his leaks are.

3 limpers
HJ: ($600) Hero 2s2d, limps
SB ($250): Raise to 16
MP: call
Hero: call

Pot: $50
Flop 5s6hJs
SB bet $20, MP fold, Hero call

I decided to float here planning to bet all turns if checked to.

Pot $90
Turn 8s
SB check, Hero bet $65, SB call

Pot $220
River 5d
SB check, Hero ??

I felt like this was a shove since it's hard for him to full houses or flushes as those would likely bet the river.

I have a couple issues with bluffing:
1) I'm not sure large bluffs are ever going to be hugely profitable in 1/2 games since players tend to be so sticky.
2) Since a lot of players aren't thinking deeply about the game I worry I can be called with top pair, which is exactly the type of hand I'm targeting.
3)If I am going to bluff, do I need to look for the best hands to bluff in each scenario, or should I be looking for the best scenarios to bluff any hand?

Fold the flop wtf

I don't get it. Are you short on time? You only had 16 dollars invested in the pot, you whiffed with no redraws or blockers, and now you are trying to bluff a losing player off of Jx? So, if you are short on time, MAYBE you convince yourself that this might be a bluffable spot. But otherwise, just get to the next hand.

As played, V is obviously scared of the flush. If you are going to try to bluff him off of his hand, and he only has 150, it is most likely not going to work to bluff. Just check it behind and save the 150.

If you want to play this hand post flop, instead of calling $20 on the flop and betting $65 on the turn...just raise to $85 on the flop and surrender if called. You will fold out the best hand quite often and obviously you will win when he has overcards.

Doing it your way, he can easily double barrel with AK on the turn assuming you have the FD (when flush misses) or something like your exact hand which will fold to a double barrel.

What is going on here...? I think preflop is fine but then as played pre I think this is a clear fold on the flop - let’s say we make the case that his bet sizing is indiciative of unfilled draws, and let’s say we peel one time. The turn fills a ton of draws and you are basically losing to everything accept AK and AQ non spade combos. It’s def not a bet on the turn - you need to check back and give up on all rivers

As you played, if you wanted to bluff - checking the turn would be more believable that you yourself filled your draw as you are mostly betting with air here or a hand with not much showdown value that you floated the flop with. To me it’s way too optimistic

I feel as if you are trying to outplay the table for no reason - you want to peel one in position fine - but then after the villain shows that kind of weakness you might actually have the best hand on the river - just try to get to showdown for free without after calling the flop.

Thanks for the feedback.

From the comments it looks like this is just a fold on the flop.

I've been trying to work on adding floats to my game. I thought this would be a good situation since the only Js he has are AJ and JJ. Also I didn't think he would double barrel with air.

Is this just a situation where we never float or is this just not the best hand to do it with?

Floating the flop is a fine tool, but usually works best multi-way or against a V we are targeting.

Either way you need to have the discipline to fold the turn unimproved.

How does floating the flop work better multiway? Id say quite the opposite. Assuming we are defining "floating the flop" as calling with a hand that is very likely not the best hand with the intention of taking the pot away on the turn.

With this read, you shouldn't float this flop.

+1

The "wtf" made me laugh so hard XD

I think its cool you are trying to mix in some floats with the plan to steal the pot.But not against this type of player.

There is merit to this play, but learn where his leaks are first. With weak reads like this I just fold flop and move on.

As for your issues:

1. There are players at 1/2 who play very predictably and can be bluffed like this, as they tend to play their hands face up. The bluffs won't be hugely profitable because there aren't many players this will work against, and it takes a lot of history to learn who you can pull this off against. While I'm pretty sure I could still win at LLSNL by not running larger multi-street bluffs like this, I have definitely padded my winrate by making some well calculated bluffs. I've also tanked it by making some less well calculated bluffs too.

2. Again, yes. LLSNL is full of calling stations. It's generally best to assume a player has the traditional leaks (calls too much, doesn't bluff much, plays hands face up) until proven otherwise.

3. I would say it's 90% scenario, 10% hands at these stakes. I target my bluffs against people who I know can be bluffed, in a spot where their range is weak and face up, and I can credibly rep a hand that beats them. Having good blockers to their value hands can tip the scales in a close spot, but is otherwise not super critical. It's more important when you are trying to construct a GTO bluff/value range, which is usually not necessary at LLSNL. In fact, it can be counterproductive.

More people in the pot offers you better odds, assuming calls and no raises OTF (in which case easy fold).

Yes for the first part of your floating definition, but it isn't a requirement that we take down the pot OTT.

More people in the pot offers you better odds at what? OP had 22. Are you trying to hit a 2 outter or trying to take the pot away on a later street? The more people in the pot the harder it will be to take the pot away on any street.

hand is ok as long as you checked back the river. but this is as long as you had a reason to float such as a read on the player and/or sizing. don't expect to get randoms off of anything better otr as played.

You need to be more selective with your bluffs unless you had a specific read on this opponent indicating you can float with atc (22 is hardly better than atc). Bluff with hands that have relevant blockers and/or equity against the stronger parts of his range. A hand like Ah7h would be a massively better candidate for a float with an overcard and backdoor straight and flush draws, although that specific hand might to better as a bluff-raise.

P,


I see people saying that a lot in this forum. It’s a really bad way to think about decisions. Think about how much is in the pot, not how much you put into it.

Nah, I say this all the time, it is a good way to think about it, especially when people get into dicey situations in imped pots. You don't need to be losing money in big muti-way pots with mediocre hands. This hand is flop a set or gtfo, but personally I usually fold 22 pre.

Call,

Then you’re thinking about it incorrectly. Whether a decision is good or bad has nothing to do with how much you personally have already put into the pot.

I would not be floating a dude who raised to $16 from the sb. His range is going to be extremely strong with that size from that position. You're better off floating a HJ or CO open OTB vs a semi competent player.

Float when you have some equity like a gutshot or overs not 22. You do need a folding range and 22 belongs in it.

We called 16 pre OOP, hero is already playing for a 2-outer.

If we wanted control to later take it down we would've raised or 3bet pre.