I'm having my worst day since returning to poker. I cannot win a hand. I run my premiums into aces. I run my aces into sets.

How do I even respect these raises? From an unknown, this is either the nuts, a draw or a stupid move to steal the pot with air. My run bad is getting to me.

PokerStars - $0.02 NL FAST (6 max) - Holdem - 6 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4

BTN: 100 BB
SB: 190 BB
BB: 116.5 BB
UTG: 103 BB
MP: 230.5 BB
Hero (CO): 100 BB

SB posts SB 0.5 BB, BB posts BB 1 BB

Pre Flop: (pot: 1.5 BB) Hero has A A

fold, fold, Hero raises to 2.5 BB, fold, fold, BB calls 1.5 BB

Flop: (5.5 BB, 2 players) Q 3 5
BB checks, Hero bets 3 BB, BB raises to 9 BB, Hero calls 6 BB

Turn: (23.5 BB, 2 players) 8
BB bets 17 BB, Hero calls 17 BB

River: (57.5 BB, 2 players) 2
BB bets 41.5 BB

call and stop whining

Easy call, if they have it they have it no big deal but this is a call every time

It sure seems like it.

V should be checking their entire range. So not only are their value bets going to be x/r, so will their bluffs and you unblock their most obvious bluff candidates. V shouldn’t have any 33 or 55 (folds)or QQ (3! Pre) You are way in front of Vs range here. But I like calling both to protect your calling range and to let V continue to hang themselves.

By the river you have 3 combos each of QQ, 55, 88, and one or two of 22 and 33. But, considering the flush draw 3s, 5s, and 8s are discounted bc you would have likely raised, and even though 22 is sometimes in your opening range, you arent calling down with it. So what better hand do you have to call with?

You’re hand is so strong that I wouldn’t hate a jam OTR. But, that may be overkill.

Take a break, blow off some steam, come back fresh another day.


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Sorry. You probably don’t have 88 in your bet/call range on this flop, so those can be discounted. (Which doesn’t change that AA is basically the top of your range. Just wanted to fix an error)


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Easy call. V can have some A5 and/or clubs. Even some microstakes players do this with TPGK, or even just air with little equity. Sure 33 and 55 shows up here sometimes, but we can't fold at these stakes. River bet size by V is interesting, discounts A5 but im never folding at micro stakes vs this

This is one of the toughest issues. Everybody struggles with it. "How to NOT lose my entire stack when holding an overpair?"

Look up the concept of SPR. (Stack to Pot Ratio). It has been much discussed on 2+2 and the internet in general. I find it a helpful way to think about these situations. (See Professional NLHE by Flynn, Mehta, Miller).

In your example the pot was 5.5 on the flop, you had 97.5 remaining. The SPR is 17. You don't want to lose your entire stack when the SPR is that high. You should be trying to manage the pot and keep it small-ish. You should also be willing to fold.

The crucial spot in this hand is the Turn bet, imo. That is the time to make the decision to go all the way or fold. If you call the Turn bet, you are pretty much pot committed and you may as well go all the way, imo. Much of this is a judgment call and depends on what we know about this opponent. We don't always make the right decision.

GL, Magnum

Good post.