Hand 1 (Full Ring 1/2) :

Situation: Table had broke, new players sat down, seat 7 on my right is some late 40s islander type with $100 behind, lots of early limpers and a standard raise is something in 6-9$ range.

I am in cutoff when I ($70 behind) pick up: AA

Two shortstacked early limpers and seat 7 casually raises it to $6

I immediately plop down a RR of $18 - (my image had been aggressive so far)

Button folds, blinds fold, limpers fold, Seat 7 folds...I show my aces

My question is: Was my 3bet size appropriate?



Hand 2:

I am sitting in CO-1 (75$) when I pick up 77
there are no limpers and I raise it a comfortable 7 dollars ($80 behind)
The button is another islander type whose lost $100 in less than an hour raising hands like 79o in the SB when he's tilting, but he's recently won a hand with TP (Q6o) vs an AJo 3 barreller, also bets any hand he has.
anyway,

this button ($65) guy calls, everyone else folds

the flop: Q63r ($17)

I bet $7. Button calls.

Turn: 2d ($31)

I check. He bets $15. I quickly shove all in for $61 more.

He insta calls - shows the Q6o again.

My Question: Was my shove incorrect?

Your reraise is fine in hand 1, some may argue to make it bigger but with those stacks your SPR is real small so your going to have no trouble getting it in regardless.

Hand 2 is a disaster. What hand is he calling your shove with that you beat? Also, his check call the flop then donk the turn is pretty strong, so you can maybe call and reevaluate the river. Yet, i probably just fold as the only realistic draw (4-5) got there and the rest of his range here is qx and pocket pairs higher than 77.

Hand 1 is played fine, and in a live game, you can actually 3bet even higher to $24 or so...surprised you got folded around lol

Hand 2 is how NOT to play 77. You're also OOP here let's not forget. Your bet on the flop is fine....your check-raise on the turn is a very strong play with a very weak hand. You're basically bluffing here in the worst spot. I'd opt more for a fold here, but a call would be much better than shoving. In a live game, you're getting called here by Qx, 2 pairs, overpairs, and even gutshots.

Why are you playing so short stacked? I suspect that's why the fold in hand one. He figure you didn't have enough of a stack to give him the implied odds if he hit.

Hand 2 is a train wreck. Just because someone is bad doesn't mean you're entitled to his stack. You just saw him play a huge pot with TPWK, what do you think he has that he's folding there? or did shove for value on his K6 that you thought he'd call with?

Stacks are crazy short? With less than 50 BB why are we raising 77?

Also, in the hands described... so much folding for such small bets, this seems like no 1/2 NL game I've ever seen.

raise is to $21-$27 people tend to call with anything in 1/2. The 77 is just awful with you stack size Id probably just limp and see a flop and dump them if I didnt flop a set

It's Commerce. 1/2 $40-$80 buy in....

That's insane. Why would anyone play that?

Hand 1: The re-raise is good, but I would change tables after this hand because based on the average raise size and folds to the 3-bet, it seems like people are paying too much attention to make your night profitable.

Hand 2:

Flop bet seems a little weak: ~$10 seems a little better
Turn, imo is a check/fold.

Next time before you shove, just ask yourself "Will he fold 88,99, TT, or JJ, or a pair of Queens regardless of kicker?" If the answer was yes, then it was an ok shove and obviously you ran into two pair (unlucky) BUT this is live at Commerce at the $40 table and the answer is usually no which makes this a check/fold OTT. (If the answer was yes, you are changing tables soon, DUCY?)

just my thoughts

3-bet size is fine. You can still smooth call (or minraise) here with $70 stacks and plan to get the money in with flop and turn bets. Usually your opponents will call you with top pair or maybe less. But in general 3-betting is standard.

Raising preflop is OK, you would like to play this hand either limped multiway or raised HU. Realize that it's tough to play anything out of position, but you do have a solid hand and short enough stacks where two postsized bets will get the money in on favorable flops.
Postflop: I wonder why you decided to checkraise the turn? Part of the problem is the psychology of small bets. You made a small flop bet and you wonder if he's just calling because you look weak. Then you check and he makes a small bet (1/2 pot) and you wonder if it's because HE is weak. A more likely explanation is he knows you are weak and is betting to extract value from that range (which includes AK and underpairs). See above for my read on shortstack 1/2 players: they are willing to stack off with top pair, maybe less. Your checkraise is bad.

If one is the type to make common errors, playing an $80 buy-in game against terrible players is a good way to save money. Practice makes perfect.

Thank you all for the advice, I look forward to implementing it and posting new threads.

As for my explaining the turn checkraise:

I did put him on a weak queen after his flop call and turn bet

I like all your advice. Just to be clear: I have to consider the table dynamics as early possible to decide whether to stay or leave? If so, where do I draw the line?

I started a new thread so this one stays on the topic

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/17.../#post22584378

^^ THIS

Unfortunately, NLHE doesn't work that way. What you have done is select a "tournament" style NLHE game. Because the stacks are so small, the game comes down to having good cards pf and hitting the flop with TP so you can get your stack in. Position is of relatively little importance.

Mastering this game won't hurt, but you'll need to make a lot of adjustments if you ever decide to play a deeper stack game.

This reminds me of the $100 2-5 game we'd play on vacation in Florida. They've since changed the limits by state law.

In Florida, I'd just stay tight and find good tables, and flop TPTK and get it in. I expected to lose 2-3 buy-in before a real stack got built.

What do you mean, "islander" type?

Is there another game around that doesn't have a 80max buyin?

40BB max is an awful game.

What's the rake?

The number one rule of 1-2 short stack is

no fancy play syndrome

Just TAG it up. Your table mates will complain that you never play a hand and always raise PF but they will still call your raise with the Q3(it's suited) even when they know you have AQ or better.