What do you do with your bluffs here on the river sizing-wise? And what bluffs do you have here that take this line? Maybe KJ / J9 one as flush/ TJ-T9 blockers? Maybe turn A3 into a bluff very occasionally?

Really insightful question - and I think the answer is that I go pretty big with my bluffs, so I guess it's ok that I went big for value. So possibly inching that sizing on both down some is a good compromise, like 80%-ish pot?

And yeah, I think you have the bluffs right too. AJdx, KJdx J9dx are very good candidates. (Probably not A3dx, since I don't think I find a check-raise with that hand on the turn)

Just had a complete trainwreck session, my worst since starting online in April. Lost just under $1100 in a really good game, a fine mix of me playing bad and me running really bad.

Too frustrated to post the hands; all they would be is a couple bad bluffs and several sick suckouts, nothing much to be learned from it anyway.

Poker definitely has its way of humbling you.

This week ^ was a real tough pill to swallow. Was up nearly $1.3k going into the weekend and ended up -$90 for the week overall. Right in the middle of what was shaping up to be a strong week and a key to a strong month, and then it all just went off the rails. Very tough scene.

Rebounded this past week for a solid ~$1k profit. Gonna post two hands and then a bit later will put together the month-end wrap up.

HAND 1: Painful fold

PREFLOP: 1/2 6-max
CO ($1.3k) opens to $5, BTN ($279) calls $5, HERO 3-bets to $20 from the SB with AA, both CO and BTN call

I should have sized up a little more, but I was in action on another table and got lazy and just clicked the 4x button

FLOP ($61): J54
HERO c-bets $34.66, CO raises to $96, BTN raises all-in for $259, HERO and CO fold

Woof. I block both the nut flush draw and AJ, so really all the BTN can have here is 45s/55/44 and flush draws, most of which are combo draws like 67dd, 68dd, and 78dd.

If I give him that range plus KQdd (loose but let's do it anyway), I have 31.4% equity.

If I give him a tighter range of just 45s/44/55 and 67dd and 78dd, I'm at 25.2% equity.

With a preflop raiser+3! defender+flop raiser behind me who could have a good hand also, I make the fold and never find out what the guy had.

----------------------------------

HAND 2: Lucky lucky

This hand is at like 2am, and it's my last orbit - I've already clicked the "sit out next BB" button

PREFLOP: 1/2 6-max
UTG ($320) opens for $5, fish in CO ($190) calls $5, HERO ($427) flats $5 in the SB with AK

I decide to just flat even though I know it's suboptimal. It's late and I'm tired, and the table is really aggressive. And I just don't feel like playing a big hand out of position, so I decide to just flat. Then,

LAG BB ($825) squeezes to $24, UTG calls $24, CO calls $24, HERO back-raises to $250

So the BB squeezes and both the other guys call. And I can't just call here, in the worst position in a big pot. There's $77 in the pot now, and I'm just like, F it.

I decide to make a ridiculous raise to hopefully just fold everyone out, but also force them to play for stacks if they want the smoke. Tbh even in retrospect, I like this better than back-raising to like $150, where I can get called and be in a shite spot post when I whiff 2/3rds of the time, or get jammed on and not love calling it off. Anyhow,

BB tanks, then jams for $427 effective, UTG folds, CO calls all-in for $190, HERO calls all in

BB shows TT
CO shows AJ



Whew ... v lucky. Really nice to run good in a big pot; I have just over 34% equity here, so to win 100% of it is very nice.

AUGUST WRAP-UP

Overall, a pretty good month. Like I alluded to in the past couple posts, it could have been REAL good, but I got merked in a -$1k session (in a great game, no less) and a -$1.3k overall weekend, which thew me off the rails a bit.

However, I responded with a solid +$1k week to finish off the month, which was big. One thing I've gotten a lot better at over the years is being able to shake off tough stretches and continue to play well. Was able to do that this month and finish it off on a positive note.

AUGUST PROFIT: +$3,977

YEAR-TO-DATE GIRAFFE:



2/3rds of the year down and 1/3rd to go, would love to make it to $50k if possible, but with holidays and a move coming up, plus the slow drying up of online poker (it's def not as action-filled as it was when Covid started), it'll honestly be pretty tough to get there. But that doesn't mean we won't try

Haven't posted in a minute; fantasy draft season has kept me really busy. But I have been playing, and I've been getting waxed ...

First week of the month, I started off -$850 but worked back to -$300 to close the week. Ok, no prob. Then yesterday, I dropped $600 on the first day of the new week. Here's two hands from an awful session:



HAND 1: Good bluff, sketchy spot

PREFLOP: 1/2 6-max
UTG ($170) opens to $6, HERO ($430) flats on the BTN with AQ, SB ($350) calls $6, BB ($400) calls $6

Considered 3-betting this hand, which I'll do at some frequency. But I like calling with it too; I keep in dominated hands and I have position. Of course, I like it less when both blinds come in, too.

FLOP ($24): Q93
SB donks for $12, BB and UTG fold, HERO calls $12

The SB has been a solid player; so when he donks multi-way, he almost always has either Qx or a set, although sometimes he has like JT or KJ. However I think he usually check-raises those, so I'm leaning toward ranging him on KQ/QJ and 999/333.

TURN ($48): T
SB bets $32, HERO calls $32

Don't love a big bet after this card, but can see the range I put him on barreling at it at a high frequency. I call, since I still beat KQ and QJ and even JT, and I may be able to bluff diamonds with my nut blocker.

RIVER ($112): 4
SB bets $112, HERO raises all in for $301 effective

So, this is definitely an iffy play. SB is repping a really strong hand; two-pair (QTs/Q9s) seems like the minimum he has here. However, I have the nut blocker and I've played this hand exactly like I've been drawing to the flush the whole time.

So I could fold, but there's $224 in the pot and I know he doesn't have the nuts. So, I stuff and ...







Welp. I managed to do everything wrong here, and I also run into a turned set which is pretty tilting - that this guy who's been playing otherwise solidly just donks into 3 people (including the pf raiser) with an underpair and gets there.

Still, it was kind of a wild play by me, which tbh I don't mind but with the stack sizes and his bet, it was only $189 more to call for him after he bet $112. So I think it's way better if he leads for like $70 into $112 and I jam for $230 more.

Also tilting he pots the river even when the flush hits, he played this hand so crazy and yet I still managed to give him all my money. Bravo, me.

--------------------------------

HAND 2: That's what you get

PREFLOP: 1/2 6-max
FISH ($250) limps for $2 UTG, HERO ($400) limps on BTN with 54, SB completes, BB raises to $9, everyone calls

So I should just be folding 54o to this raise. I was just trying to get into pots with the weak-ass fish who was quickly giving away his stack, but this is way too overzealous, even on the button.

FLOP ($36): 876
SB, BB, UTG check
HERO bets $18, SB and BB fold, the UTG fish check-calls

Ok, so I flop the bottom end of the straight (with an out to a straight flush), and when everyone checks to me, it's time to get people to fold their equity shares since my hand is super vulnerable.

When two other players fold and the fish check-calls, this is the situation I want.

TURN ($72): 2
FISH checks, HERO bets $59, FISH check-calls $59

The blankiest of blanks, and I bet big for value and get another call.

RIVER ($190): 6
FISH checks, HERO ...

So my first thought is that I've kind of run out of value. If he had a naked A, he's just folding. But the more I think about it, the more I think that this fishy dude might hero me with 8x or 87 or something like that.

Mostly, I feel confident he doesn't have a flush or a boat. I think he has to lead all-in on the river (or check-jam the turn) because he can't risk me checking back the river.

So I decide to jam for his $164 into the $190 pot, and he thinks for several ticks before calling. That's a good sign, I think.



Weeeeeelp. Value-owned myself hard, and I can complain about a cold-deck or whatever, but the reality is that I played 54o for a 4.5x raise ...



Gonna need to stop sucking at poker soon.

About 54o hand I get it you might extract value from the hand IP even though fish UTG range may be too strong still, what do you think he limps there?

I think you just expose yourself too much for exploitation but if you limp 54o isn't should be in the limp/fold part of your range at 100% of the times? How do you plan to continue on missed flops?

To me it seems 555, 444, 554, 445, 876r, A23, 54X just aren't enough flops to make this profitable play (not to mention you won't be paid all the times on these), so what other flops you're expecting yourself have a shot at taking down with bluffs, or can drawing to nuts by the river without bet/folding too much money into?

Cheers

with AdQ I suspect you need to be more confident that your opponent is a competent player capable of folding strong hands. IMO if he ever shows up with TT there he's pretty bad.

+55X, 44X

Agree with this. This was the first session I'd played with him and just because he'd played solidly for 30 or 45 mins or whatever so far, doesn't mean I should be confident that's who he is. And obv the way he played this hand is a big clue that he's not the kind of player I thought he was going into the hand.

Haha absolutely, this hand should definitely be folded 100% in this spot. I was playing far too wide trying to get into hands with the fish, and then I compounded the preflop issue by overplaying my hand on the river. V bad play by me.

Yeah I learned this the hard way too but sometimes just gotta leave some of the fish money to the other guys at least it's still better than loading the fish up or transferring through the fish to other regs

I just read back this years thread (got a lot to catch up with your blog since last year) - Congratulations on your daughter!

Appreciate it brother! She just turned 8 months old, it's crazy. When they say it goes fast, they ain't kiddin.

From the other night, two frustrating hands vs the same fish:



HAND 1: When you just feel like you're F'd

PREFLOP: 1/2 (6-max)
Fish ($155) opens to $5 from HJ, fold to HERO (covers) who defends in BB with 33

FLOP ($11): A63
HERO checks, HJ checks

TURN ($11): 5
HERO bets $8, HJ raises to $24, HERO calls $24

This is weird; Villain declines to c-bet a very advantageous flop and then raises me on the turn. I have a sick sense I'm beat here - this is how someone would play hands like AA, 66, or 55 ... and not how they play AK/AQ/AJ or middle pairs like JJ/TT. Of course, I'm not folding, but not feeling real great.

RIVER ($59): 5
HERO checks, HJ over-bet jams for $126, HERO ...

WOOF. Now he over-bet jams, and I hate my life - this is super consistent with a bigger boat that is now trying to get the max from a rivered flush. Of course, maybe he had AK/AQ and decided to trap those with a crushed flop.

Also theoretically, if I'm not defending an over-bet jam with this hand, I'm just folding way too much. So in the end, I close my eyes and call.



--------------------------------------

HAND 2: My aces aren't as good as his were

PREFLOP: 1/2 (6-max)
Same fish ($300) opens for $5 UTG, HERO ($300) 3-bets to $20 on the BTN with AA, fish calls $20

FLOP ($43): K42
UTG checks, HERO c-bets $16, UTG check-calls $16

TURN ($75): 7
UTG checks, HERO bets $60, UTG check-calls $60

RIVER ($195): 9
UTG leads for $101, HERO calls $101

I hate when he leads here, because usually KQ/KJ type hands are just check-calling. But I'm not folding, because he really shouldn't have me beat much here. Sometimes he has one of the two K9s combos left, or one of the three 99 combos (though I'd think he'd fold that sometimes facing that big turn bet.

Also, I'd have usually seen a check-raise from flopped sets. So I feel like I have to call here.



Weeelp.

---------------------------------

Did win one nice pot last night in a short-handed game:

HAND 3: Finally catching a fish

PREFLOP: 1/2 (3-handed)
HERO ($400) opens to $8 on the BTN with AA, SB folds, Insane Fish in the BB ($352) 3-bets to $32, HERO 4-bets to $133, BB calls $133

I make a larger-than-usual open on the button, since these BB is wild and quite inelastic here. And when he 3-bets, he's the kind of guy that folds like none of his range to a 4!, so I make a big one and he calls.

FLOP ($268): K82
BB checks, HERO checks

With less than a pot-sized bet behind (fish has $219 back), I decide to check back. I think he's much more inclined to blast off than he is to call off with missed broadways, although if he's got a middle pair, having an overcard hit the turn could kill some of my action.

Either way, I think trapping here in position is the best play against this player type.

TURN ($268): J
BB shoves for $219, HERO snaps

Exactly the result I was looking for ...

Wouldn't have made any difference in this case but I think h2 is a great candidate for a turn overbet

Yes - agreed. I think I tend to be a little too imbalanced when I overbet the turn after downbetting the flop (on dry boards specifically); I'm think I'm weighted a little too much to bluffs when I take that line.

I think it's bc I don't want people making hero folds of top pair in a spot like this, and I need to get over that imo; having a well-balanced overbet strategy can be really hard to deal with for your opponents, and this would have been a great spot to incorporate, for sure.

Another bad week, -$500ish, bringing us to -$800ish on the month so far. My My family is moving this week and I'm unlikely to be able to play my usual volume for the back half of the month, so gonna need to turn things around quickly if I wanna get in the black for Sept.

A couple fun hands from the last couple days:


HAND 1: Weird spot OOP

PREFLOP: 1/2, .20 ante
Villain ($600) - who is usually solid and controlled but is wild tonight, I think he might be drinking - open-limps the BTN, HERO completes in SB with KJ, BB checks

FLOP ($6.80): AT6
HERO checks, BB checks, BTN bets $6.80, HERO check-raises to $22.40, BB folds and the BTN calls $22.40

Here, it's weird that homie limped the button and then pots the flop; I'd imagine he's raising his Ax hands at an extremely high frequency, although he is playing strangely tonight.

Anyway, I think he's likely FOS and with a gutter (with blockers to strong Ax hands) and a backdoor flush draw, I put in the x/r. He calls though, so I'm gonna need a good card on the turn to continue.

TURN ($51.60): J
HERO checks, BTN bets $30.66, HERO check-calls $30.66

I make some showdown value to go with my gutter, and I think this is now a clear check-call.

RIVER ($112.94): A
HERO checks, BTN bets $61.48, HERO check-calls $61.48

Clearly a good card for me, he's got a very narrow value range, esp considering his preflop button limp. If I got trapped, I got trapped.



Bizarre play by him all around, pounding the turn and river with Tx. What better hand was he gonna get me to fold?

---------------------------

HAND 2: I bruff

PREFLOP: 1/2
UTG ($153) limps for $2, HERO ($400) raises to $10 with 99, SB ($260) calls $10, UTG calls $10

FLOP ($32): JT8
SB and UTG check, HERO checks

I think this is a pretty clear check, since this flop is great for their two calling ranges. And with a pretty high equity hand, trying to realize that equity in position is the jam.

TURN ($32): 8
SB leads for $21.33, UTG folds, HERO calls $21.33

I'm certainly behind a lot of the time here, but I'm still open-ended and now a river 9 gives me a potential cold-deck opportunity against a straight or a flush.

RIVER ($74.66): A
SB checks, HERO bets $55.77, SB tank-folds

When he checks river, a lot of his common hands are Jx and Tx. I'm pretty far down in my range that arrives this way on the river, so I go for it and take the pot.

----------------------------

HAND 3: Sometimes you just gotta close your eyes and jam

PREFLOP: 1/2, .20 ante, game is 4-handed
BTN ($280) opens for $5, HERO ($380) 3-bets to $18 from the SB with 99, BTN calls $18

The button is a looser regular who regularly makes plays against me, and it feels like he does it more against me than against others players (tho that might not actually be the case).

FLOP ($40.80): J84
HERO c-bets $20.40, BTN raises to $55.20, HERO calls $55.20

Hate to see a raise here; playing 2nd pair out of position in a 3! pot is not a comfortable place to be. Still, I can't fold here with the draws available and villain proclivity to make plays against me.

TURN ($151.20): 2
HERO checks, Villain bets $100.80, HERO check-raises all-in for $206, Villain tanks ...

I check, and villain now bets half his stack. And ... I'm sick. He has plenty of Jx in his range, and I block the T9 straight draw. But, I also unblock hearts and villain loves to make plays against me. So in the end, I just decide to jam it and pray.

And he tanks ... uses a timebank ... what could this guy have?? ... happy I didn't get snapped off immediately but feeling this is gonna end with him making a crying call with like QJ ... tanks some more ... and then he ...

Family moved this weekend and with all the things that come with it - packing, moving, still unpacking and setting settled - I haven't played much at all over the past week.

Still ended last week around +$300 which I'll take, but still stuck on the month and would like to get my grind on to try to get my head above water.

What would you do if SB bets small on the river? This got me thinking, obv we can cash in on the spot when he checks... Solid post as always!

Thanks dood - I think if he bets the river, even small, I'd fold since I don't block any of the value hands he can have, like backdoored spades, the KQ straight, or Aces up. And I do block missed 9x hands, so when he bets it's really hard for him to have any bluffs.

Been trying hard to get my head above water for the month; it's stupid bc months are just arbitrary endpoints, but I'm at 10 consecutive winning months and getting to 12 would be extraordinarily cool to me.

One hand from the last week that I thought was interesting:

PREFLOP: .5/1 NL
Weak player in the CU ($200) open-limps for $1, HERO (covers) raises to $4 on the BUTTON with 76, TAG in SB ($140) 3-bets to $12, CU flats $12 and HERO calls $12

Kind of a weird spot - I iso the weak player on the button and then face a very small (3x) 3! from the SB. I'd call regardless, but the SB's flat makes it a mandatory call for me.

FLOP ($38): 876
SB leads for $24.66, CU folds, HERO calls $24.66

This flop shouldn't interact with the SB's 3! range very often, so I'm a little surprised to see him lead for 2/3rds pot here. When he does bet, I think he has a lot of overpairs and AKcx/AQcx type hands.

With bottom two pair, my plan here is to call and get it in on safe turns. He'll have just over a pot-sized bet left, and on safe turns the equity of the range I perceive him to have will be quite a bit lower than it is if we get it in on the flop.

TURN ($87.32): K
SB bets $87.32, HERO raises all-in to $103.34 total, SB calls all-in

SB leads for pot, committing himself. My opinion of his range hasn't changed; AA/QQ/JJ or AK with a club is exceedingly likely now. I don't think he has many flushes; he's betting more like he's looking for protection, and the his most likely flush would be the nut flush which doesn't need it. Obviously KK just got there, but I think he's got so many other hands that I beat that I just have to get it in here.



Well, I def wasn't expecting that. Of course I should be; he's using a merged 3! sizing preflop and so I shouldn't be surprised to see him turn up with a merged hand.

I think I'd still be getting it in if I included more flushes in his range, but it illustrates something I need to work on more in-game, which is narrowing villains's perceived ranges to much too top-end hands when they 3!.

SEPTEMBER WRAP-UP


This was a trying month. I started it in a -$1k+ hole, and it was really tough to dig out of it because I moved in the middle of the month, so I wasn't able to play nearly my normal volume. With a week left in the month, I was still stuck and facing the specter of my first losing month this year.

But in the past week I went on a +$1.3k run, and secured a small win for the month. Like I've said before, arbitrary endpoint are generally not worth concerning yourself with, but this winning-month streak is important to me, for better or for worse.

One thing you always have to be aware of is that you don't alter your play to try to "manufacture" wins for your streak. And this month, I was proud that I didn't: I got my head above water with 3 days left, but decided I wasn't going to "book the win". I kept playing - putting the month profit on the line - and got rewarded for it, winning a few hundred more.

All in all, TOTAL PROFIT for the month came to: +$826

Overall nothing to write home about, but the way things went this month, I'm very happy with it.



UPDATED 2018 GIRAFFE:

Interesting hand I found myself a little lost in:

PREFLOP: 1/2 NL
HERO ($300) opens to $6 in MP with AQ, MP2 (no reads, $120) calls $6

FLOP ($15): 963
HERO checks, MP2 bets $7.50, HERO check-raises to $27.50, MP2 calls $27.50

Instead of c-betting, I decide to put this hand into a check-raising range. I'm not sure how good of an idea that is; I think it would be much better if I had the A instead.

TURN ($70): T
HERO checks, MP2 checks

I like a check here better than a bet; a bet here leverages his stack, and when he gets his stack in, he has me beat way more often than he doesn't.

When he bet/calls the flop, him having the A or K is a high possibility (hence why check-raising with my exact hand is problematic).

RIVER ($70): J
HERO bets $30, MP2 snap-jams for $88.50, HERO ...

I was planning on checking the river, but when a 5th diamond hits, I think I have to go for value since I'll get called a lot.

Then I'm sick when MP2 snap-jams; in this situation, I feel like this is value a lot. Often times a villain will think longer than 1 second to bluff-jam in this unique of a spot, especially when I can easily have him smoked.

Also, I feel like his line is very credible if he has the A - betting the flop, calling a check-raise, hitting the flush on the turn, and checking after I check as a trap in position, then raise-jamming the river and expecting to get called all day.

Even though I'm getting a great price ...



I don't think I played this hand very well and put myself in a very awkward spot.