Monday, February 22, 2010

good handreading can kill the fear

My two biggest wins of the night - one hand I played well, the other not so much. First the not-so-much.

Full Tilt, $0.10/$0.25 NL Hold'em Cash Game, 6 Players
LeggoPoker.com - Hand History Converter

CO: $62.57
BTN: $25.25
SB: $34.45
Hero (BB): $36.78
UTG: $43.46
MP: $4.25

Pre-Flop: 9 8 dealt to Hero (BB)
UTG raises to $0.75, 2 folds, BTN calls $0.75, SB folds, Hero calls $0.50

I call with suited connectors from the blind. I usually fold this, but UTG was very tight and I thought I could stack an overpair if I hit trips or two pair. I also had a third player in the hand, improving my pot odds.

Flop: ($2.35) 3 9 8 (3 Players)
Hero checks, UTG checks, BTN checks

Two pair, no flushes, nice. A checkraise is in order, but nobody obliges me.

Turn: ($2.35) T (3 Players)

Hero bets $1.50, UTG raises to $4.10, BTN folds, Hero calls $2.60

ok, so I come out swinging, and get immediately raised. I make a half-hearted attempt at putting him on a range now, but all I get is that little "zzt zzt" noise in my head. All I can think of are all the hands that just took the lead on me - T9, TT, JQ, or the sets that were ahead the whole time. I vaguely think there are probably some other hands in here that I might still be beating, and that causes me to call the checkraise.

River: ($10.55) 8 (2 Players)

Hero bets $6.25, UTG raises to $16.50, Hero calls $10.25

A full house for me, and another raise on the river. I'm still looking at the hands that beat me. I'm not going to fold a full house, but I'm not sure I'm supposed to stack off with the underboat either, so I call.

Results: $43.55 Pot ($2.17 Rake)

Hero showed 9 8 and WON $41.38 (+$20.28 NET)
UTG showed J Q and LOST (-$21.35 NET)

I caught up to the nut straight, woohoo. Didn't feel that good about it, though.

This hand (also a probably suckout) went a bit better...

Full Tilt, $0.10/$0.25 NL Hold'em Cash Game, 6 Players
LeggoPoker.com - Hand History Converter

BB: $76.93
UTG: $25
MP: $25
Hero (CO): $58.86
BTN: $25
SB: $24.22

Pre-Flop: J J dealt to Hero (CO)
UTG folds, MP raises to $0.75, Hero raises to $2, 2 folds, BB calls $1.75, MP calls $1.25

No correct way to play pocket jacks of course. My opponent was 21/16 - not overly loose. This three bet was more to make sure the button didn't come in behind me - I wanted position on the hand. If someone shoved over me, I'm not usually inclined to stack off with JJ unless I know the villian is bad, or his stack isn't big enough to worry about. I got a caller in the blind, and the original raiser just called.

Flop: ($6.10) A K 3 (3 Players)
BB checks, MP checks, Hero checks

Crappy flop for pocket jacks. I choose to not c-bet into 2 players, I don't think I'm folding out anything that I'm beating, and nothing worse than me is calling.

Turn: ($6.10) J (3 Players)

The miracle card.

BB checks, MP checks, Hero bets $3.75,
BB folds, MP raises to $10,

I bet it out, and get checkraised. Uh-oh. For some reason, my handreader static clears up and I can put this guy on a range much better than before. What's he have that beats me?

AA or KK. Means he slowplayed when he hit his set. But it also means that he played oddly preflop - after I three bet, AND a blind called, he just smooth called as well. A good player wouldn't smooth call with AA/KK and dead money in the pot - he would 4 bet to get heads up.

QT - this player didn't call a 3 bet with QT. He probably didn't even open-raise with QT from MP. If he has QT, then my read is off, and he's getting my stack.

I'm ahead of everything else. Plus there are many hands I'm beating that might play for stacks now: AK (much more likely to call a three bet, and likely to check the flop and hope to checkraise). Pocket threes. AJ and KJ. AQ? Maybe. Combo pair/spade draw (KsQs)? Sure. It looks like I'm ahead, and there are several hands that will play for their stack. Time to get it in.

Hero raises to $56.86 and is All-In, MP folds

Results: $26.10 Pot ($1.30 Rake)
Hero WON $24.80 (+$12.80 NET)

3 comments:

bastinptc said...

On the second hand, do you recall how long it took him to fold? Interesting hand, and nice analysis.

Memphis MOJO said...

With the 9d8d, you flopped two pair -- did you consider leading out (instead of going for the check-raise)?

matt tag said...

1) fold was pretty quick in first hand.

2) yes, I considered leading out, but both players had high cbet percentage, so I figured one would bet.