I have been away for a while but still playing. recently recorded some hands that I am not sure if I played correctly. My image at my local casino is that of a winner. All the dealers that see me at the bar or hanging around will ask how I did the night before. all the other players will ask "hey you made out pretty well the other day right?". I also have some enemies because I have disagreed with some of the older guys.

HAND 1 – Taking advantage of 1-2 dynamics to make big plays.

V1 – $280 mid 40s have not seen him in a while. From what I remember he likes to consider himself a good player. Knows me, last time I saw him he asked me about what tournaments I will be playing next. Flies to south Florida to play SHRPO every year.

V2 - $350 mid twenties. I have seen him make some big laydowns this session. Seems like a normal loose low stakes player.

Hero - $350 has played a few hands and won a nice pot.

Hero opens 8c9c UTG $8. 6 players call including V1(UTG+2) V2(button). Definitely should not be any large pairs. I almost never limp in 1-2. I do not like to give up suited connectors in 1-2 because the nature of this game is small ball so I elect to raise $8 because I expect to build a pot and these players are usually so passive I expect to have a lot of options to outplay them.

Flop($55) – 4d 6c Tc
6 callers was not expected, because of the nature of the table at the time, but it is not unheard of and I was not scared. I have a combo draw, but the straight draw is only a gutshot and I do not have overs. I normally like to make a weak lead, to try and induce a raise from a large hand (for example if another player opened and I called or someone made a small 3 bet preflop). Since everyone just called, I did not expect anyone to have a huge hand. So if I bet I would expect a T and flush draws to just call. If a flush draw calls I could find myself in a big RIO situation. Since I was the original raiser I thought I could rep a big pair. For all the reasons above I elected to bet $50 hoping to take it down but planning on continuing to fire the turn. $50 is a pot size bet but for 1-2 its just a 'large' bet so the only hands that should continue are just pairs like a T or nut flush draw. I expect both of these hands to fold when I bomb the turn.
Hero bets $50. V1 calls. V2 calls.

Turn ($205) – 2h
This cards helps nobody. I expect all better flush draws to fold to a large bet here. I also expect AT to make a big laydown, but if I get a crying call, I have 12 outs to complete my hand so I think a large bet here is the correct move when I factor in Fold Equity. Tc is on the board so I will not get calls from top pair/flush draw.
Hero bets $150.
V1 tanks hard and finally shoves for $225. I think if he has nut flush draw I should be good with pairs so now I still have 10 outs for straight, pair 8 or 9.
V2 tanks and shoves over top for 300. Now I feel like I am behind but I am not sure I can ever fold. Given possible ranges for shoving money in here instead of just calling, I feel like I should still have outs.
Hero ? Did I overplay this hand? Its easy to say I should be check calling but I think that's a big RIO spot with 6 other players in the hand.
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HAND 2 – What to do on the river?

V1 $200 older guy. Solid player. Does not play many hands.
Hero $300 losing session so far. Added on once already.

2 limpers, SB calls, Hero opens to $12 with AA from BB. V1 calls (mid).

Flop ($27) 6 6h 3h. Hero bets $20. V1 calls.

Turn ($65) 3d. Hero bets $45. V1 calls

River ($155) 3c. Hero?
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HAND 3 – Is max value really max?

V1 – $500+ definite Nit and aggressive with his big hands. Only seen him play a few hands and my impression was that he played a tight range and understood betting his big hands to charge draws and get value.

Hero - $300 second time back at the table. Pretty sure V1 had seen me before. Went out to lunch and came back hours later. Losing image.

Couple limpers. V1 opens for $12. Hero calls with 3c3s

Flop ($27) 2d 3d 4s. V1 bets $24. Hero raise to $50. V1 calls. trying to get an overpair to come back over the top. Thought if I raise too big he would not re raise with TT-AA.

Turn ($125) Ks. V1 checks. Hero bets $50. V1 calls. What size should I be betting here? I tend to bomb my big hands but I find that 1-2 players are folding way too often. I once check raised J72 flop and then bet pot on the turn to have the preflop raiser fold AJ face up. Should I be betting pot here hoping to cooler AA or get max from AK? Or bet $50 hoping TT-QQ still calls?

River ($225) 8d. V1 checks. Hero ($180 behind) ?
Trying not to insert any bias into this hand but I am mostly curious if this is a sticky river spot or is it an easy value bet spot? Is this a way ahead, way behind spot?
Recently I have been hitting my hands like finding an A on river with AK or making my flush only to have players fold to my half pot bets. I think its very stupid when 1-2 players make the “same bet” on each street, betting $25 flop, $25 turn, and then $25 into a $125 pot. But it looks more and more like that is the correct play to milk that last $25 instead of getting folds with $50 bets.

HAND 4 - kind of a bad beat just curious if anyone would play it differently.

V1 ($250) mid 20 asian. no read on him.

Hero ($300) new to table

few limpers. Hero opens $12 with AA hijack. V1 calls from SB. 1 other call.

Flop ($40) Ks 8s 4s V1 checks. Hero bets $25. V1 raises to $85. Hero calls. other folds.
think he can check raise with set to try and rep flush and has boat outs. or has As. likely AsKd. (these players just call preflop so often with AK. he is in SB tho)

Turn ($210) Js. check check. He would still call a bet with a set right? and I am dead if I bet into As.

River ($210) Kh. check. Now if he had a set he would bet for value correct? But if he has As I think it would be hard for him to lay down. The only way I could win is if he is willing to lay down a K and that would have to be such a large bet that I should never be showing a profit right? I am just destined to lose this hand correct?

Hand 1:
I think I x/bomb get it in on that flop, to avoid the situation where you lead huge get called and then faced with an awkward turn spot when you don't hit.

Hand 3:
Definitely should be raising a lot bigger, I think I make it like 85$ otf. As played on the turn I lead way bigger as they're are now 2 draws on deck, and there is so much protection needed. As played river I would usually nit check back but I think you're meant to value bet small, as long as you're folding to a x/shove, as I don't see many 1/2 players being sick enough to bluff in that spot..



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Hand 1: Fold pre.

This is why suited connectors play better in LP. You opened small, got a ton of callers and now are forced to try to win the pot by muscling people out while you have an unmade hand. If you are going to play 98s from UTG you have to go bigger. Would you open AA for $8 from UTG? You say you thought you could rep a big pair but your PF action doesn't indicate that, assuming you tailor your raises to the strength of your hand which it looks like you do.

As played, OOP in a 6 way pot, I am checking the flop hoping it checks through (unlikely). Best case, someone makes a small bet after you that gives you odds to call but I think leading the flop is just spew.

Turn was spew^2. But at that point you have put in 2/3 of your stack so you are committed. Whatever, call it off and say you're a lucky fish when you bink the river and they berate your play.

My mistake, sorry this is definitely a fold pre 9 handed, for some reason I thought it was 6 max.

After the flop though, when you bink such a monster draw, you are losing so much value by playing it passively..
x/c flop and get 0 value if you do manage to hit? I sincerely doubt this is the correct play.. And I don't see why you have to be so arrogant with your reply, I mean it's a help forum right?

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Hand 1 isn't tough - fold pre. As played, blech, $150 into $880? Tough to fold with 3 clean outs to a nut straight that doesn't make a flush. They can have enough sets, random stuff, whatever.

From a hand planning standpoint, if you're willing to get it in here anyway, I'd just shove the turn to make it even harder for a flush draw to call you.

hand 2 feels like a bet fold hoping he has 77-KK. You could really help us and yourself by giving some sort of read on his range pre. If he's raising a decent amount, you can probably thin down the # of pairs in his range.

Hand 3 - You seem too focused on not losing the V and not focused enough on getting value from the V. Especially when the king comes. Why are you betting only 40% on the turn with the top of your range? What would you bet here with 76dd (assuming you were betting to try to get a fold?)

Hand 4 - Flop is close, readless.

Given these V call too light, absent a read, it's tough for me to bluff that turn or river.

It is a help forum and I am offering what I consider to be helpful advice. You get enough SC's that you should never have to open it UTG unless playing in the reggiest of reg games where V's know your tendencies and you are doing it to mix up your play.

But opening 98s UTG should never be a standard part of your game. If the three pillars of successful poker are 1) a stronger hand range than your V's, 2) position on your V's and 3) the ability to outplay V's postflop, well you are already giving up advantage #1 and #2, and I wouldn't exactly call blindly shoveling excessively sized bets into a pot as outplaying opponents.

Imagine how much easier the hand would have been to play if you simply waited 3 hands and pick up 98s on the button and have gotten to observe all of the action before you on each street. The way you played the hand comes across as subtle form of tilt from boredom or lack of patience/discipline.

Hand 1: You can't really represent a big pair after your weak preflop bet. You have a good draw on flop but the pot is too big to try and bet people out. Further betting is committing too much of your stack. Check and hope it checks around or you only face a small bet. On turn you have to give up once you get two calls on the flop, you won't be able to get both to fold often enough.

This sort of flop is exactly why price setting OOP with suited connectors isn't generally profitable. Too many multiway flops where you have some equity but it's too expensive to bet. Most fold this in EP, sometimes raise enough to get heads up.

Hand 2: Really depends on villain's limp/call range. Against most bet/fold because they will have more pairs in their range then anything. If villain will limp/call suited connectors and can give up weak hands then check/evaluate river might be better.

Hand 3: Too much FPS. Check/raise more on flop, bet more on turn. The king isn't a good card for you though. $70 keeps weaker hands around most of the time. River is a bet. Remember that betting $25 and betting $100 are equally profitable in the long run if they call $25 all the time and $100 only 1 time in 4. Plus, the bigger bet size lets you bluff occasionally against the right targets. Given stack sizes, shove is probably the best bet. It will get folds a lot, but should be more profitable in the long run.

Hand 4: Yep, it is going to be hard to get better to fold unless you shove and villain will still call enough that has to be bad. Worse is never calling a significant bet. Check and expect to lose.

Hand 1 definitely spew. Never heard the term price setting with SC. At best it's a break even strategy anyway.
This is leveling myself, but I would only open to $8 with QQ-AA UTG at this table because a huge raise is so transparent, and these players were folding to $12/16 bets pre. Getting a big call preflop and then a fold on the flop is better than AA 5 ways OOP for sure. HAND 1 was actually the first time for a few orbits that more than 3 people called. Thanks for not calling me an idiot, it does seem like boredom tilt hand.

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That is a remarkably tight 1/2 table, but I have run into tables like that on occasion. At tables that are tight it's better to still open fairly large, but mix a few bluffs with hands like SC into your range.

Sub.

no, you just got yourself in a horrible spot. Probably drawing to one out. Fold Pre.


Value bet $100ish. V shouldn't have a 6 here too often. Most likely 77-1010 or an Ace in his hand.


Raise flop to $60ish board is too connected not to get value in when you have the chance.

Turn--Bet $80ish for value.

River--I'm taking the chicken **** way out when the diamond hits and checking behind.



B/F $125ish on the turn. Checking any river.

I definitely don't disagree with you, and I don't have a problem with your advice, but there's no need to call the flop and turn spew when it's clearly not, he has 12 clean outs...

He's not a 'lucky fish' if he hits a flopped 12 out draw, so I don't see why you have to be so demeaning..

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hand1 : I see most players over valuing small pocket pairs & small sc from early position. they are **** hands and difficult to extract value when played oop. fold pre or just go on a x/c mode on flop. This is 1/2, you will get value once you make your hand and people are not driving to casino to keep folding there pairs..

hand2 : bet fold

flush outs aren't "clean" when you have the 5th best possible flush.

We have 3 clean outs. 9s, 9d, 9h

Hand 1: You really can fold 98s from UTG @ full ring.

Hand 2: 14-16 pre. River is a trivial value shove against 77-JJ, etc. Maybe even ATC calls? Would be an awesome Zeebo play to get V to station down playing the board, and I really think it'd work with a decent frequency.

Hand 3: You are literally way ahead or way behind on every river, but it is not a WA/WB spot. If 90% of people in this forum never used "WA/WB" again, it'd probably help your game. For the rest of the hand, raise flop to 80-90, shove turn. The raise to 50 is really just FPS, loses value, and makes stacks incredibly suboptimal the rest of the hand.

Hand 4: Again, more pre. The rest is fine, just check and lose.

I didn't *CALL* him a lucky fish, I said that is what OP should say (in jest) if he binks the river and is forced to show his cards.

And I don't know about you, but if I end up in a 3-way all-in pot (calling the all-in bet rather than making the all-in bet, which is an important distinction) having put in 150 BB's with a 9 high at the moment and only 3 clean outs to the nuts, I can say with confidence that I spewed somewhere in that hand.

Not sure people realize in hand 2, we have 123 left in stacks with 155 in the middle.

I misread that, yeah, I'd probably just bet $123

You say he has 3 clean outs to the flush, but there are very few better flushes that get to the river.. That's why he's betting the turn, so he fold s out flush draws and if he gets called there is only 1 or 2 better flush draw combos, ones that have hit this board in other ways aswell,and thus his flush outs are almost always clean.


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I understood what you meant.
And yea my "logic" was fold out better flush draws and likely Tens, but if I got a stubborn call I was drawing pretty good against any hand that might stick around.
And to the comment about it being a tight table because players were folding to $16 preflop.... Yea that a why I thought I could get away with it. But hand 1 was for sure boredom. Definitely no need to play this hand UTG. And if I wanted to, way better to limp and small ball after I hit it.

I like to be aggressive with combo draws but this was barely a good one. Gut shot and no overs. It's not nearly as strong as JcQc on 9 T J/Q or 2c9cT. And much harder to leverage FE OOP. As opposed to being on the button where I can put in some big raises after I'm comfortable with everyone checking

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I'll post hand results when I can get home.

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Hand 1
River 6. V1 turned over 67 for trips. Nice surprise that I had even more outs with 89 as overs than I initially thought. His logic was that I went from $8 to 50 so I must have AK. So his answer to my bluff is to go all in for 75 more in, at the time, a $400+ pot. Button went all in with QT and a soul read. All my outs were live except the one 7.

Hand 2
I shoved river and got a call from 69 for 6 full 3. The one time he decided to get frisky. His logic was actually that he was heads up and not 4 ways so he called preflop. it was suited though. He even thought about it to make sure I didn't have quad 3.

Hand 3
V had AKdd. Yes I should bet more for value but hand is a cooler in the end

Hand 4
V check raised flop with AK no spade. He wins with 3 outer king on river.

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