1/2

Table has become short handed, 5 players, seems like decent player at this point.

Folds to hero(~300) in CO with T8

Button is short stacked and tight player
SB covers table, older white guy seems wealthy, tight passive but likes to defend from blinds
BB (~250)
is a younger white guy with shades early 30’s wearing a Mario T-shirt. He seems to think he is a pro. Hand history vs. BB ...
We open to 7 from CO with QJs blinds defend, T high flop with back door checks through, we pick up the flush draw BB leads, we call and hit a jack. He bets again and we call, he shows T3 off suit we take it down. So he clearly likes to defend wide.

Hero opens to 7$ and the blinds defend

Flop (21) T73
SB checks
BB leads for 17$
Hero calls
SB folds

Turn (55) 7T73
Villain bets 35$

Hero? I felt like villain either has me crushed at this point or has specifically 89 ( and we do block that hand), but I also felt like folding here is exploitable in case he is more creative than I’m aware of, so I put in a call..

River (125) A7T73

Villain bets 75$

Hero?

I really felt like I was beat here..
What do you guys think.

I’d be curious what GTO strategy says about this hand. Does anyone have pio solver? If he is defending as wide as T3 offsuit and takes this line against our cutoff range can we find a fold here, an easy fold? And what about a fold on the turn even? I would appreciate any analysis thanks for the help!!

How much did villain bet on the river in the first hand? Is he making a blocking bet with his hand? Or is he turning his hand into a bluff? I think matching the sizing with what you think he perceived his bet type was will help you with your river decision in the second hand.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

In the previous hand he bet 17$ on the turn and then 20$ on the river which was about 1/3 pot and blocker-esque with his second pair no kicker. I wish I had found a raise that hand. This bet is distinctly different being about 2/3 pot and either for clear value or a bluff imo. Having led the flop, I’d say his line polarizes his range as well. After reviewing the hand, I think having an 8 in our hand may be relevant and weighs him more towards value.

Please read or re- read this about GTO.

https://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/1...?highlight=gto

Fold turn not close

With this in mind, i think it may be a fold on the turn and a pretty clear fold on the river. His bet sizing is more polarizing in the later hand. With the river hitting your perceive range along with the strong bet sizing, folding seems correct. I agree that holding the eight blocker makes it an easier fold since you are blocking the 89. Keep in mind that if he is paying attention to his sizing and knows that you are too, he may be leveling you into folding. However, this will depend on your dynamic with him. Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

I realize that GTO strategy is usually not the most profitable one, especially in llsnl games. I already deviate heavily from GTO strategy by first of all, not knowing what it is in mostly all of the spots I face, but also by over folding spots I assume to be GTO calls and under bluffing spots that would better balance out my over all strategy. I do this because your average 1/2 villain isn't nearly as capable as a perfect villain and likes to showdown more often. However, I know that there is software that can tell me the un-exploitble response to a BB range that extends to at least T3 off suit and takes this line against my CO range. I was merely wondering if someone had that sort of solver and wouldn't mind running a tree with these bets and ranges. Even though we aren't going to be facing a perfect villain, I think that knowing what percentage of the time GTO strategy says to call fold or raise is good is a good reference for any spot before we factor in reads or llsnl strategy. Please feel free to share your thoughts on the hand as well. thanks

I think I agree with matzah that we should fold the turn here, especially given the way our villain played his top pair weak kicker in the previous hand, and our relevant blocker. But, I doubt GTO strategy would agree, I would assume it would want us to call most of the time. I'd be curious to know..

I think I want to fold turn but having called there, definitely calling river. The river excludes good tens aside from AT as value bets, so BB's value range is now AT, 33, and 7s that he led 17 into 21 with OTF then spiked one OTT. I feel like there are enough bluffs to counterbalance that value range.

I raise this flop on the smallish side...should help define ranges and allow Hero to play the rest of the hand more profitably.

AP I muck the turn for sure...awful card for us.

I agree with the red bolded above. I really don't have a firm grasp of exactly what GTO strategy is either. I read a lot about it years ago, but since it is of really of no use in LLSNL games I put aside trying to figure it out or employ it in my play.

From what i recall it is about a balanced calling range/folding range/bluffing range a certain percentage of the time with similar holdings against similar bets/aggression from opponents. Problem is, in live poker when that similar situation comes up again, it may have be 3 weeks since it did, and I have no idea what i did in that similar situation, so balance is out the window per se. I rely much more on reads by paying attention to everything at the table and go from there. Although not always correct obviously, it is much better than trying to look at your watch and deciding whether to call or not. (Harrington)

Not sure exactly how relevant this is but there is an ancient Asian game called "GO." It is a board game with more possible positions (moves) than there are atoms in the universe. In South Korea, masters of this game are treated like rock stars. Google's DeepMind project came up with an AI program to take on the best player on the planet. It is a great documentary called "ALPHAGO" on Netflix.

Don't read the spoiler if you want to watch the documentary first. This doc has a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and I highly recommend it.



How I think it is relevant to GTO is that the Masters of this game tend to punish their lesser skilled opponents and will and can end the game relatively quickly with a very large point advantage. (Think points = $$$ in Poker terms) Alpahgo on the other hand learned the game and since the programmers ultimate goal was to "win" the game, Alphago didn't care whether it won by 1 point or a 1000 points, it just wanted to win.

Therefore, Alphago would make very unorthodox moves (balance?) that cost itself points, but ultimately were better moves for trying to win the game according to it's algorithms. Did it work? Watch it or read the spoiler. As for GTO, it seems like if you play enough hands with a balances or even unorthodox strategy at times, you will profit (win) in the long run, not be exploited, but by no means be a crusher (by accumulating the most points/$$$) in the games.

That obviously a very long winded way of saying that every time I see someone ask what the GTO play would be, my answer is I don't care because it is irrelevant.

As for the hand in question, I would have folded on the turn. You had just called him down with 1 pair earlier and he is making polarizing bets hoping you will call him down with 1 pair again. Even when the A hits on the river he fires again. I'm not putting any more money in the pot.

TL;DR This is why I don't post much because most people won't read it anyway.