Sorry, last one. 1/2, 9 handed, $500 effective with UTG, $200 effective with HJ, and $500 effective with BB.

OTTH

Whale limps UTG, tight passive limps HJ, we limp 7 6 OTB, and hyper-agressive LAG raises BB $12 and everyone calls.

Flop ($49): 8 6 2. Everyone checks to us and we bet $25.

HH1: I just call. This is a similar concept to yesterday's hands -- the turn card drastically changes your equity, so wait for it to fall off before getting out the shovel. TBH, even on a turned deuce I'm just check/calling. Your hand just isn't that good in a vacuum, and even whales will occasionally show up with an overpair when TT-AA all have overpairs.

HH2: I fold but am fine/happy with every play to this point.

HH3: I personally would make it $15 to start with pretty much everything I'm playing OTB here. Having played it this way pre I have no issue with flop. This is part of the point of playing in position, and you have a ton of beautiful and well-disguised turn cards.

Thank you again.

I felt like HH1 is just a call, but wasn't sure if we should be semi bluffing and should just try and take it down.

For HH2 what do you think of checking, with no on the board?


In regards to HH3 I didn't raise pre because I feel llike I have zero fold equity and both BB and UTG get sticky post.

For HH2 I personally c-bet more or less 100% in this situation (HU, IP, and we're checked to as the PFR). Most populations at 1/2 don't react correctly to this (too many calls and not enough raises and the raises are generally reliably strong, so you're not giving up too much equity when they do).

Going to play 2/5 Friday night. What is drastically different from 1/2 in general in 2/5 games?

1/2, $180 effective. 10-handed.

AJo in LJ. A loose passive UTG+1 makes it $10, UTG+2 and MP flat. UTG+1 is LP. UTG+2 is a big station and spews on big streets. UTG+2 seems abc. CO, button, and small blind are tight but BB has got the gamble and loves seeing flops with 50%+.

I think this is raise or fold and I'm not sure I raise.

Easy fold. I muck this without even thinking twice about it really. Loads of reverse implied odds against a likely strong early position range, and AJo plays pretty terrible multiway so flatting as you say goes out the window.

Nothing is drastically different but the games are calibrated differently.

You will see more raises over limpers and more 3-Bets pre.

The 3 bets won't always be Queens plus.

You will see more bluffs.

The crux of all low limit games is that people have crappy pre-flop games where they call too much, often out of position with crappy hands.

The lower the limit, the more you can get away with doing this.

Try to come in for a raise as much as possible, with pairs and suited hands. Discard all of your unsuited connectors except when you can raise from the Hijack or Cuttoff/Button where you feel you will become the effective button.

When starting a new level, I feel you are better off getting rid of hands pre that you might play when you are adjusted to the level eg broadways such as QJ,KT,KJ,A10 do not play well OOP to a raise so just fold pre until you feel more confident at the level.

Low suited connectors like 56 67 78 also don't play well from up front so just fold pre. Unsuited connectors play MUCH worse so if you are playing them now, just fold pre. This is a huge leak in the 2-5 game.

Look to open your range as you hit the LoJack and beyond but remember, to try to raise 70+ percent of hands you are in. Eg, A10o is OK for a raise from LoJack+ in an un-opened pot but a fold from EP and SB and a call from BB. Play a tight range from the SB - generally only play hands you can raise with or are comfortable calling a raise with. Also have a very tight range of calling raises in the BB knowing that you are going to be 1st or 2nd to act eg, even though 9d10d looks sexy, it plays sooo much better when you are raising it from late vs calling a raise in the BB so dump it.

Study pre-flop ranges as much as possible and play straight forward to start.

C-Betting missed flops. C-Bet less when there are more people in the hand, more when there are less people in the hand (duh, right?).

C-Bet when you have equity eg, back door flush or straight draw eg, raise with AQhh - Flop, Jh, 10s 6d - this is a perfect flop to C-Bet because you have a Gutshot to the Nuts and a backdoor Hearts draw. If you are OOP, you could even C/R Flop if you have a LAG that you feel will bet if you check on a board like this.

On a Flop like 5,8,9 r against 2 or more players, you will be burning money if you C-Bet it because that Flop hits their range and there are not many Turns that can help you.

In my game (generally, loose passive, fit or fold), I can quite easily manipulate my C-Bet sizing depending on how many players are in the pot and my position. This means I can C-Bet more pots with less risk.

Eg, 4 limpers to me on the Button with 1010. I raise to $25 and get 4 callers including BB ($107). Flop K62r. Checked to me, I bet $30 and take the pot with a small sizing on the C-Bet (risking less).

Study player tendencies especially the players to your immediate left and right. You can loosen up in late position if players to your right will call your raises and fold to your C-Bets and if the players on your left will fold to your raises, you can raise more to get the effective button.

Look also at what size bets weak players are calling and charge them the max when you have a value hand eg, a player calls a near pot sized bet with Top pair, bad kicker.

Most of all, as stated above, work on your pre-flop ranges - this will have the biggest impact on how well you do AND how confident you feel when playing hands.

The above recommendations aren't advanced at the level and aren't sexy but are a solid way to begin playing at a new level.

Good luck:-)

I'm comfortable with either. Nothing wrong with making it 45 here, but it's fine if you just want to fold.

Thank you for typing all of this out, that was super thoughtful

Is this too passive? 2/5, BB has $300, BTN has $200, and hero covers both. Hero has just sat down, but early reads are that BB is tight passive and BTN is loose passive.

OTTH

BTN open limps, hero raises A J to $25, and both BB and BTN call.

Flop ($75): Q 9 7. X around.

Turn ($75): J. Should we be betting here? Hero checks, BB bets $20, BTN folds, and hero calls.

River ($115): 8. X-x.

This seems fine, I have no real issue with any street. You can go 30-35 preflop if you want but I mean, all you're doing is bloating a pot you've only got A-high in.

2/5, $1.1k effective with UTG and HJ, $600 effective with BB. Hero most likely has a loose end of TAG image.

OTTH

TAG reg opens $20 UTG, hero looks down at K♦️ J♦️, briefly considers putting in a 3 bet, but calls. Are you 3 betting here? TAG reg calls HJ, and tight player who is in between TAG and passive, probably leaning slightly more towards TAG, but is almost certainly the worst player in this game calls BB.

Flop ($82): K♥️ T♣️ 9♠️. BB leads for $80, UTG calls, and we squeeze to $350. Is this fine? HU I like to just call these hands for the reason of calling keeps bluffs in and we have solid equity vs value hands, but this multiway I did it as a semi bluff because I feel like BB and UTG should usually have top pair type hands, maybe AA for UTG? Either way, a raise puts them in a super tough spot, and we block the nuts. I'm really curious about BB's leading range here.

2/5, $1k effective, 9 handed. Hero has been at the table for an hour and a half and villain has played literally one hand where hero raised JTs OTB $25 over a limp, called villain's $100 3 bet, then folded to a $65 flop bet on a K83r board. Villain is clearly a reg.

OTTH

We open T♣️ T♥️ UTG +1 $20 and villain in LJ 3 bets to $65 (lovely, he probably views me as a fish) and only hero calls.

Flop ($137): Q♠️ 9♣️ 8♦️. Hero checks, villain bets $95 and hero calls. Should we throw in a x-r since this board isn't the greatest for his 3 betting range and we block the nuts? Idk, I wasn't trying to do anything fancy vs what seemed like a nitty pro OOP.

Turn ($327): 5♣️. Hero checks, villain bets $400, and hero folds. What does this turn overbet mean?

2/5, $850 effective, 9 handed. Villain is the same exact villain as previous TT hand (3 bet me 3.25x IP, c bet Q98r board, then overbet brick turn), 3 bet me for his first hand when I had JTs OTB 4x when he was in BB and took pot down with 3 bet on bone dry board. Last BTN hero opened J9o and villain played his third hand of the session by 3 betting hero 4x. This guy either keeps waking up with monsters when I raise pre or sees me as the meat, and I'm gonna go with the latter considering this is a tough game.

OTTH

Hero opens $20 CO with A♣️ 5♣️ and villain 3 bets SB $80 (wtf). Hero 4 bets $200. Mandatory 4 bet at this point, right? Sizing ok?

I think some of these maybe deserve their own thread(s)...

With the KJ this is fine but your blocker is only somewhat effective -- everyone says blockers on here a bunch but you're only blocking 4 combos leaving 12. This is probably a decent semibluff. If you run into a set or an AA/AK willing to saddle up and hero you you've got a problem obviously. So I'd say if they both folded this was good and if you got called down by a better one pair this is bad!

With TT the overbet says the same thing you're saying in the KJ -- "you have a one pair hand and can't stand up to pressure." Who knows whether he's got QQ-AA or whiffed whatever, but I think I just fold, and maybe x/f flop since this will happen so frequently.

With A5s sure, if you think this person is 3-betting you light then this is a fine combo to crack V back with, but what's your plan for post against a flat? $200 and ship turns, or evaluate?

Overall this is the main difference between 1/2 and 2/5 -- I don't think you'd ever imagine 4-betting light at 1/2 whereas against this V it feels imperative.

Pretty sure a strong majority of posters don't look at this thread, so I'll make threads.

For HH3 - I plan to c bet almost every flop. Should we be checking ANY flop after 4 betting? At that point I would you'll I have to evaluate turn, and likely give up if we don't have at least some sort of draw. We can't just blindly c bet, then shove, can we?

I was honestly pretty surprised/ disappointed in how tough the game was after the must move table. I actually have 4 bet light a few times in 1/2 games but vs aware players that normally play 2/5 that I was sure were trying to exploit me.

Seat/table selection question

Live 1/3. The approximate vpip/pfr/cold call % from your left around the table goes. 60/10/30, 60/10/30, unknown, 40/15/15, rock, tagfish, 40/20/20, nittag.

I feel like I'm at the worst seat at the best table. No other seats open but I'm out of position all day with the fish and it's killing me. Raising AQ or AK and whiffing flop 3-4 ways first to act

Better not to play or just switch up to nittag so my range crushes them when they cold call IP? I have a seat change button after the rock (if she ever leaves her Jesus seat).

@sixsevenoff - The object is to make money right?

Sometimes, if there is a crap (hard) lineup at a particular table, you will be able to make more money at a different table or at a lower stake.

So if the object is to make as much $$$ as you can, what is your move?

H1 - Bet the Turn, Barrel Riv with 10 Jack. With AJ, as played is fine - you have the winning hand or he has a crappy Q sometimes.

H2 3B decision is situational depending on your position (not mentioned) and player tendencies (players ahead of you and behind you) but if the opener is a TAG and raises UTG, your KJ is likely not ahead so you would be 3Betting as a Bluff right? (TAG's have a strong range UTG).

Think about their Range given their position, how you perceive them, how they perceive you, their likelihood of folding or folding to C-Bets etc and think about, Ask yourself, "What is my aim?"

The BB lead for $80 is normally pretty nutted AQ/KQ, or 2pr+ A lot of players are scared about getting drawn out on here (hence big sizing) but it is pretty suicidal to raise normally without the best hand. Against some players, I might call if I think my call will give me two free cards and I can turn my hand into a Bluff if a card comes that completes a straight or flush but I am mostly folding. A lot of money is made (saved) in these games when players just turn their hands face up and we can make easy exploitative folds.

H2 - He is really polarised here to a nutted hand or air - the problem with your hand here is part of his air has you beat ie, JJ - so it would suck to call it off and find out that you are beat anyway. IMO, would be way better to C/R flop than call the Turn bet and C/R Flop would be far better when I know player tendencies or when initial raiser becomes sandwiched in a multi-way pot eg, Folds to raiser who bets. Bet is overcalled (by a loose passive) and we raise. Now initial raiser is not last to act which puts him in a really tough spot. ETA, for the reasons above, I think it is better to C/R and consider calling with JJ than 1010 in this spot even though both block the nuts and thinking about it, if this player regularly overbets certain spots, C/R Flop is much better.

The A5 hand - I like the open and will sometimes go for the 4-Bet, specifically if my image is really good and I am playing with a player that has a 3-bet bluffing range (many do not) but I would size up to $240-$260 and down bet when continuing on a Flop I like. Against most of the pool I play against, they are really straightforward when playing from the SB so I fold. Betting most Flops is good but C-Bet Shove is really spewy in lots of situations.

In terms of exploiting you, the most likely scenario is that they were waking up with good hands at the wrong time for you rather than picking on you. I have noticed in your hands that you tend to play big pots in marginal spots - maybe they are picking up on that.... but in all likelihood, they are just picking up some good hands against you.

Hopefully you just played the toughest table there is in your Casino and you will find much easier spots in upcoming sessions but again, if game conditions aren't good, look for a table change or play at a lower level.

@reaper6788 - Any option is fine including picking up and getting back on the list after a meal.

You can't help whiffed flops at the best of times but you could LAG it up a little in your spot and get some more Call pre/fold to Cbets to juice it up a little.

Seems like the best response is to do exact opposite of what you recommend. They are not folding to the cbets, so why do more?

1/3

V1 is a taggy player, plays 2-5 now mostly and has been called for the 2-5 game in the middle of the hand.

V2 is a loose passive player, plays his hands straight forward. Aggression from him means business

H has a taggy image, v1 knows me mnkw 2-5 and 1-3 game, knows I can semi bluff etc

V2 limp utg, 4 others including v1 limps from co h 30 from bu with Q◇Q♤ v1 n v2 calls

F7♡4♡3♤ x to h, 40 (not happy with this sizing) both calls

T2♡ x, co 90 with 100 behind and has been called for 2-5 game in the middle of the hand, h covers, v2 has 60ish left. Fold, raise call?

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Sorry, I read your OP wrong.

Sounds like you need some practice hitting Top/Top, 2pair plus, straights, sets and flushes then :-).

Sometimes, it just happens that over multiple hands, their exact hands hit the board and yours do not.

I remember a specific time when I ill-advisably showed a Bluff to a player that subsequently targeted me and he called my next 4 raises with worse hands. All of the boards came with a single card over a 10 which I c-bet with my backdoors and overs and he hit every single Top Pair.

Generally, these would be good boards for me but that sequence of hands sucked and the whole table thought I was bluffing every hand so my whole game plan was shot and it was a great time for me to leave.

If your situation leads to a bad image for you, it can be good just to pick up and re-join a different game.

It could be worth reviewing what boards you are C-betting on, especially if you have little equity and/or are C-betting into boards that favour their range vs yours.

Being card dead or having good cards pre then not hitting Flops is something you need to get used to though.

In game, it is just a case of asking yourself, "What is my best option now?", at any point in the game.

@Balerion1 - stack sizes make this a hard spot. Because V2 has only $60 left and V1 has already bet $90, you don't have to be worried about V2 even though you have to beat 2 players if V2 calls.

It really comes down to V1's tendencies eg, do the check a made obvious Flush or bet it and will they make this bet with just the Ace of Hearts?

The two is an interesting card because it makes it much more likely that V1 has a bluff - you have no Heart which is good and no Aces which is good - because now V1 has a a straight and flush draw with only the Ace of Hearts.

The other bad news is A5 has now made a straight so it is a very close decision for me. If the Turn was a heart that didn't complete a straight and I had a non heart Queen I would call against a player that would use the A of Hearts to bluff with and fold against people that never would bluff there but with the 2 of Hearts specifically on the Turn, I lean towards a fold.

There are 2 hyper LAG's I play against that look for any scare card opportunities to put pressure on and will bluff with air in this spot.

I would snap shove against both of them and would expect to be good 70+% of the time.

I haven't played against v much to know his turn tendencies. I figured he wasnt bluffing in this spot with too high ig a frequency with v2 have 60ish left. HU I can see a bluff more often.


What's a good flop sizing? 60-70?

Also, wouldnt having a Qh be better here. It takes away alot of V flush combos containing a Qh he limp calls with (QJhh, QThh, Q9hh)

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