I am writing this post more to document my bad play and hopefully help others than to seek help, but feel free to comment on my bad play or how you would play it differently. Because of the reasoning, this post contains results - if you don't want results, stop reading now.

I am primarily a $1-3 player and have played over 350 hours of $2-5, but the casino I play at doesn't run $2-5 a lot but does run a $1-3-6 (mandatory $6 UTG straddle that has an optional $12 UTG1 straddle that occurs frequently). This game is $1K minimum uncapped maximum (it may be $2500 maximum, I will have to check when I head back).

This was my first time sitting this game and I bought in the $1K. On the hand in question I am dealt AQ in the UTG straddle. I don't have any significant reads on the players in question but they all seem to be playing too loose and not a lot of hands are going to showdown (which I would expect in a higher stakes game.)

OTTH and my bad decisions:

Preflop ($10) (all players have me covered, I am sitting on $700 currently)
Button raised $35 and is called by both the SB and the BB before action is on me. My default would usually be to three bet given the positions and play styles that are in play but I justify a lower variance route and elect to flat.

Flop ($140) A73. Probably my only justifiable play, I check in flow and button elects to check behind. (although 4 way, there is an argument to just play my hand straightforward and bet with the assumption that the button will not bluff into three other players)

Turn ($140) 9 (board - A739) After the flop checks through, I think I should be leading here, but elect to check after the SB and BB check. The Button bets $150 . Being that this is a little over pot sized bet I figure he is only repping a set (or i guess a monster combo draw). With the A in my hand and being under repped, I call. (The SB and BB folded)

River ($440) 2 (board - A7392) I check after a slight pause and the button goes all in, which is another slight overbet to me. I justify his bet as a nuts or nothing and due to me having A, call it off.

He of course shows QJ and I get stacked.

For those looking to move up, my learning / advice is don't change your game. I got way too passive and too showdown bound (the reason I was sitting on the $700 was also due to paying off a flush, that time with an overpair.) Assume all players are playing straightforward until you have reason to believe they are getting out of line. Play your game!

Thanks for reading!

You shouldn't post results..


but flop check is fine, turn was your biggest mistake in the hand. You need to bet yourself because the turn will give your opponents more drawing equity. If you do check, you should be check raising. If you check and let them bet and river is a blank, and they never bluff and you never have to make a hero call then calling would be ok. Your soooo under repped right now, you have to remember that big fish want to play big pots so your going to have to go with your reads and take chances.

First time I moved to 5/5/10 uncapped I naturally became passive until I saw some showdowns and some big bluffs from the whales, then I realized if I want to win big vs them i have to play big and go with my gut. Sure they get the nuts too but for the most part their ranges are weaker the bigger they bet so I used that and studied it and now I have a gameplan. You should do the same, get crev and run some hands after a session so you can be better prepared for your next session. Crev is only $75 and it can be used on any pc. Worth 10x that once you learn how to use it for live poker.

Pre is such an obvious 3-bet.

As played just bet for value on the turn.

I recommend not playing this game if you're making decisions based on wanting to take the "lower variance route".

Taking a delicate hand multiway is not the lower variance route. If you want lower variance, isolate hands with a strong range and control the aggression. If you control the aggression, you control the pot size. If you control the pot size with a range advantage, you will lower your variance. Playing aggressive = lower variance sounds counter intuitive but it's the reality of the game.

It isn't a question of "if you want to move up in stakes you have to rely on winning without showdown." I play a style that relies heavily on winning hands at showdown. I pull this off by not playing multiway pots often and by not making postflop mistakes, and by playing with a lot of aggression with a range advantage. I usually only start making big turn or river bluffs when I've already shown down a lot of winners at the table so that I have the image of "every time this guy gets called down he shows the winner, I'm going to fold."

PF is an easy 3bet to $200 and then an easy shove on the flop if we get called. This is far less variance than playing the hand the way that you did.

Yeah this is scared money. Need to be 3 betting. Our hand stands to be best most of the time, and it benefits from thinning the field down.

This hand highlights why. We don’t get to get value on the flop. We end up in a dicey situation.

The low variance route is just making it 200 here preflop.


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If you are scared of the money why not just jam pre? There's 105 in the pot and it's only 70bb. Where's gobbledygeek when you need him?

OP is far from scared money. It is not less than 100 BBs. It's a $6 straddle so about 117 BBs.

I agree with OP that he should have stuck to his normal playing style and 3-bet pre.

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You are right, my mistake. That makes shoving a lot less appealing. A normal 3b is best

1k minimum? Woah, I can't remember the last time I've been at a 2/5 table where everyone had at least 1k in front of them. I'm assuming this is like the 5/10 equivalent at your casino and all the best regs play this game.

100% needs to be 3b pre, you are absolutely crushing BTN open/blinds completing ranges

There are some bad regs who play this game

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