ARTICLES 2 + 2

Getting into Small Stakes Online 6-max NLHE (nextgenneo)........................................3 My 5k post (fees)........................................................................................................... 3 !asi" t#eo$y % expe"te& 'al(e (mat$ix).........................................................................)* + ,-+ME.O-/ ,O- 0O/E- S1234 (lea$ne&f$omt')..........................................3 .#at matte$s5 .#at &oesn6t ("7loom)............................................................................36 6 Max f(n&amentals fo$ SSNL playe$s (1ien)...............................................................38 1ien6s +$ti"le on Mentality5 9mage5 an& "#anging gea$s (1ien)....................................: +lmost t#e$e ;it# S(""ess an& ,ail($e (Giga7et)..........................................................:: 1#o(g#ts on -(nning 7a& fo$ 2NL g(ys (ss&ex)..........................................................:* 3o t#ings fo$ a $eason (ofis#stix)...................................................................................:< E'ol'ing (M1G)............................................................................................................5= Opening 2p 4o($ Eyes an& 4o($ Game (+>,enix)......................................................5) Ho; to (se 0oke$ 1$a"ke$ (0okey)................................................................................56 SOME 1HO2GH1S ON G+ME SELE?19ON (fiks&al).............................................5< Ho; to 0(t 9t +ll 1oget#e$ an& 7e a .inning 0laye$ (Mikey0at$iot)...........................6) +&'i"e f$om a MHNL6e$ (;#itelime@s).........................................................................6: 2NL 4O2 +-E .E+/ 19GH1 (0okey).....................................................................* .o$king on yo($ game (kom)........................................................................................*: 1#e !asi"sA session $e'ie; B C 3e"onst$("tionC (mat$ix)............................................** 1HE EDOL219ON O, + 0O/E- 0L+4E- (aeEones)...............................................*< !E119NG 1HE 12-N 's !E119NG 1HE -9DE- (-eg(in)......................................8: ?$(s#ing S#o$t Sta"ks (?$y Me + -i'e$)......................................................................8* My 0oo#-!a# post (?F- 's. 7F37) (3an !itel)..............................................................<* Small 006s - Mo'ing 7eyon& set mining (+Gplaya)......................................................<< .#e$e t#e HIJK is Dal(eto;nLL (pokey)..................................................................... = 0laying OO0 (ep&a;s)................................................................................................. 8 LOOSE +GG-ESS9DE 0L+4 (!al(ga.#ale).......................................................... )) 4o( S#o(l& Open Limp......... (-i"#?.)....................................................................... ): S(ite& ?onne"to$s5 9mplie& O&&s5 an& 4o( (goofy7alle$).......................................... )6 -e$aise& !lin& !attles an& !l(ffing ;it# Ma$ginal Han&s (sam #)............................ 3= 3-7etting lig#t (3an !itel)............................................................................................ 3: 0$eflop :7etting (1#eo$y) (tannenE)............................................................................. 3* !lin& stealing (0okey).................................................................................................. :* 1aking stealing t#e 7lin&s to next le'el (3an !itel).................................................... 5) TILT and PSYCHOLOGY...........................................................................................154 1#e psy"#ology of 19L1 (3ay"a$e9nfe$no)................................................................. 5: 19L1 an& -.+.+. (0Eo336)........................................................................................... 56 My 1ake On 1ilt (7ea'ens).......................................................................................... 5< Da$ian"e5 1ilt5 Ego5 an& SSNL (lm;).......................................................................... 6) EVERYTHING ABOUT CONTINUATION BET.....................................................164 ?ontin(ation 7etting % 0+-1 9 (M4N+ME9GG-EG)............................................... 6: ?-!E119NG (1#e Ma"#ine)........................................................................................ 66 ?ON19N2+19ON !E1 +-19?LE (,$eak3a&&y)..................................................... 6< .H4 +M-9 ?-!E119NG +G+9N L (7i7lio-san)....................................................... *3 Some t#o(g#ts on "ontin(ation 7et siMing (0ant#$o)................................................... ** 3O2!LE !+--EL9NG (o$ange)............................................................................... 8:

GE1 91 9N (poin"a$a(x).............................................................................................. 86 0L+49NG >2N/ ,-OM L+1E 0OS919ON (tannenE)............................................... 8< HAND RANGES, READS AND NOTES....................................................................201 -E+3S (&Eoy"e==3)....................................................................................................)= H+N3 -E+39NG F !E1 S9G9NG ("a$ni'al#o7o)......................................................)=5 +N 2N!EL9ED+!L4 LONG G293E 1O H+N3 -E+39NG (0okey)...................)=< 1aking Notes B Making -ea&s +$ti"le (9) (,$eak3a&&y)...........................................) * 1aking Notes B Making -ea&s +$ti"le (99) (,$eak3a&&y)..........................................))* H+N3 -+NGES (Me$"man5*))................................................................................)3) -+NGES (s(p;it#7ates).............................................................................................)3: 1#e t#o(g#t p$o"ess &($ing a #an& (Nogasti$a) ......................................................................................................................................)36 .....................................................................................................................................)3< 0$ofiling opponents (sing 0+H (s#58)........................................................................):= SOME GOO3 1O /NO. 0+H23 S12,, (Ni"k -oyale).......................................):: BLU ING.....................................................................................................................24! !l(ffing assay (1#e0o$t(g(ee)....................................................................................):8

Getting into Small Stakes Online 6-max NLHE (nextgenneo)

D"#$%a"&'(A 1#is is somet#ing 9 ;$ote fo$ a f$ien& ;#o ;ante& to get into poke$ an& 9@'e &e"i&e& to s#a$e it ;it# t#e gene$al pop(lo(s. 1#is is &esigne& fo$ (NL 6max an& a lot of t#e "on"epts may not apply to #ig#e$ stakes games against opponents t#inking on #ig#e$ le'els. 1#e$e "o(l& 7e plain ;$ong info$mation5 in #e$e so N(estion e'e$yt#ing5 in t($n yo( ;ill gain 7ette$ (n&e$stan&ings of f(n&amentals an& may7e e'en #elp me o'e$look somet#ing 96'e fo$got. 9 am not "laiming t#at p$eflop 6max is C"#a$t 7ase&C o$ a fe; simple $(les ;ill make yo( a ;inning playe$ 7(t fo$ someone sta$ting o(t 9 t#ink t#e "on"epts #e$e a$e goo& sta$ting points. 1ake e'e$yt#ing in t#is fo$ fa"e 'al(e. Some of t#e st(ff mig#t 7e fai$ly t$i'ial #o;e'e$ it ne'e$ #($ts to t#ink a7o(t f(n&amentals. 9 &on6t "laim to 7e t#e 7est in t#e ;o$l& 7(t 9 kno; 9 am a p$o'en ;inne$ at MSNL so t#at "o(nts fo$ somet#ing. 96'e ;o$ke& (p f$om J3== on J)5NL so 96'e p(t my time in on lo;e$ stakes an& no t#e g$in& it is5 #o;e'e$ it@s got to 7e &one. In)(*d+$)"*n .#en it "omes to NLHE5 t#is is t#e f(n&amental t#eo$yA 4o(6$e opponent #as a $ange of #an&s5 some a$e 7ette$ an& some a$e ;o$se. 4o($ goal is to maximiMe yo($ p$ofit f$om t#e ;o$st #an&s ;#ilst minimiMing yo($ losses f$om 7ette$ #an&s an& so5 make t#e most money against t#ei$ $ange. +s t#e #an& goes on an& mo$e 7etting &e"isions #a'e 7een ma&e5 yo($ opponents $ange is na$$o;e& so at no point in t#e #an& &o yo( #a'e to Cfin& o(t ;#e$e yo( a$eC. 1#is is a "ommon mis"on"eption. ?onsi&e$ a #an& ;#e$e yo( #a'e << oop in a 37et pot on an 8 #ig# 7oa$& (;it#o(t t#e lea&). 9f yo( "F$ t#e flop to fin& o(t ;#e$e yo( a$e5 yo($ a'e$age opponent ;ill fol& all t#e $ange yo( 7eat (o'e$ "a$&s5 small pai$s) an& sta"k off against t#e opponents $ange of OO++. 1#e f(n&amental t#eo$em #as 7een 'iolate& 7y t$ying to Cfin& o(t ;#e$e yo( a$eC on t#e flop. 9nstea& if yo( "#e"k "alle& an& "#e"kF$aise& t#e t($n all in t#is ;o(l& allo; an opponent to &o(7le 7a$$el a #an& s("# as +/5 o'e$ "ommit ;it# pai$s o$ "#e"k 7e#in& gi'ing (s f$ee info$mation to na$$o; t#e opponents $ange an& p$ofit mo$e. 1#is is #o; yo( s#o(l& 7e t#inking &($ing yo($ #an&s. 3o not allo; yo($ opponent to make easy an& pe$fe"t &e"isions against yo($ #an& 7y playing it poo$ly. +lso if yo( ;ant to play poke$ fo$ f(n t#en enEoy it5 t$y an& imp$o'eP ;#ate'e$. !(t if yo( ;ant to mo'e (p an& make se$io(s money yo( nee& to app$oa"# it f$om a &iffe$ent angle. .#en yo( #a'e a 7a& session5 instea& of t#inking Qo# "$ap 9 lost 6 7(y ins f$om 7a& 7eatsR5 t#ink Q#o; "o(l& 9 #a'e sa'e& myself 9 7(y in o$ t;oR5 Q#o; "o(l& 9 #a'e ma&e mo$e money t#an 9 &i& on so an& so #an&R et". 2ntil yo( a$e t#e 7est playe$ in t#e ;o$l& an& playing e'e$y #an& pe$fe"tly t#e$e is al;ays $oom fo$ imp$o'ement. 1ake $esponsi7ility fo$ yo($ play5 an& stop (sing 'a$ian"e as a s"ape goat. Stats a$e 'e$y impo$tant 7(t not t#e en& all of 7eing a ;inning playe$. 1+G stats a$e at minim(m 5F 3F3 an& "an $ange all t#e ;ay (p to )5F)=F: ;#e$e its 'pipFpf$Faf. 1$y an& aim fo$ 6F :F:. 1#e sp$ea& is also $eally impo$tant an& it is 'ital to #a'e yo($ pf$ "lose

to yo($ 'pip ;#ilst lea$ning5 so 9 s(ggest yo( play a mainly $aise F fol& st$ategy p$eflop. 1#e 7ette$ yo( get an& t#e mo$e "omfo$ta7le yo( feel postflop5 t#e mo$e yo( "an "ol& "all p$eflop an& t#is sp$ea& "an get ;i&e$. 9ts also 'e$y impo$tant to not play too many ta7les ;#ilst yo( lea$n. 1#is is a mistake a lot of people make an& e'en 9 still &o sometimes. 0laying loa&s of ta7les means yo( nee& to 7e "omfo$ta7le making <5S of &e"isions ;it# little t#o(g#t (a(topilot) so (ntil yo( a$e $eally expe$ien"e& t#is isn@t going to 7e t#e "ase. ,i$st 7it of a&'i"e is to play no mo$e t#an : ta7les (ntil yo( a$e a soli& ;inne$. 0ost flop is going to 7e a lot a7o(t t#inking &($ing #an&s an& ;ill "ome f$om $ea&ing5 t#inking5 ;at"#ing 'i&eos an& mostly expe$ien"e. Lea$ning is key to playing goo& poke$5 its a lot of ;o$k 7(t t#e moneta$y $e;a$& late$ an& satisfa"tion in 7eing t$(ly goo& at somet#ing is a $e;a$& in itself. 9 $eally #ope yo( $ea& t#is an& take somet#ing o(t of it5 9 ;is# someone #an&e& all of t#is to me on a platte$ ;#en 9 ;as "oming (pH

R'$*&&'nd S)a)# ,*( HUD 9 &efinitely $e"ommen& playing ;it# a H23. 1#e stats t#at a$e a M2S1 a$e p$eflop $aise5 'pip5 n(m7e$ of #an&s. +gg$ession f$eN(en"ies F fa"to$s. ,ol& F $aise F "all "ontin(ation 7et. +ttempt to steal 7lin&s an& fol& S!F!! to steal. P(',%*- C.a() ,i$st t#ing to &o ;it# p$eflop is a gene$al #an& "#a$t. 1#is is a style t#at ;as s(""essf(l fo$ me. 4o( nee& to keep in min& p$eflop t#at &iffe$ent ta7le "on&itions an& yo($ image on ea"# ta7le "an 'astly s#ift t#ese $anges. +s yo( gain a "lea$ (n&e$stan&ing of #o; t#ese fa"to$s s#o(l& "#ange yo($ $anges t#en yo( "an mo'e a;ay f$om t#is $igi& fo$m of play. -aises s#o(l& al;ays 7e 4 / ).' 0"1 0%"nd + 1 0"1 0%"nd ,*( '2'(3 %"&-'( e.g 9f t;o g(ys limp an& yo( a$e on t#e 7(tton ;it# +/ in .=5-. =" game yo( s#o(l& make it .6=". Open $aise t#e follo;ing #an&s (open $aise means if no-one #as $aise& o$ limpe&). 1#ese positions a$e &epen&ent on #o; fa$ f$om t#e 7(tton yo( a$e so if its less t#an six #an&e& t#en "#ange a""o$&ingly. Ea(%3 P*#")"*n UTG 45 ,(*& 0+))*n6 )) T +>o T +1s % +/s 1>s5 O>s5 /Os /Oo5 +/o 56s % 1<s ("onsi&e$ $aising f$om time to time5 espe"ially if t#e$e a$e ;eake$ playe$s in t#e 7lin&s) UTG + 1 42 ,(*& 0+))*n6 )) T +1o T +)s T 1>s5 O>s5 /Os5 />s O>o5 />o5 /Oo5 +/o 56s % 1<s ("onsi&e$ $aising f$om time to time5 espe"ially if t#e$e a$e ;eake$ playe$s in t#e 7lin&s) La)' P*#")"*n Somet#ing inte$esting f$om a t#eo$y pe$spe"ti'e5 if yo( look at t#e small 7lin&s fol& S! to steal stat an& t#e 7ig 7lin&s fol& !! to steal stat5 if t#ey m(ltiply to 7e U =.* an& yo( ass(me e'e$y time t#ey &on@t fol& yo( ne'e$ ;in t#e #an& t#en t#eo$eti"ally yo( "an

$aise any t;o p$ofita7ly. 9f yo( "onsi&e$ yo( make money ;it# t#ese #an&s t#en t#is =.* n(m7e$ "an 7e lo;e$e& f($t#e$. CO 41 ,(*& 0+))*n6 )) T +8o T +)s T 18s5 <8s5 1<s5 1>s5 O>s5 /Os5 />s5 /1s5 O1s5 /<s5 O<s5 ><s 1>o5 O1o5 O>o5 /1o5 />o5 /Oo5 +/o 56s % 1<s B+))*n The majority of your money comes from the button. 30-40% of my profits come from the button so you want to abuse it. ))T +ny +x o F +x s /x s(ite& +ny s(ite& "onne"to$ 5:s o$ 7ette$ +ny one gappe$ 68s o$ 7ette$ +ny t;o gappe$ 1*s o$ 7ette$ +ny "onne"to$ 8<o o$ 7ette$ >8s T5 ><oT O8s T5 O<oT /<o T B%"nd# 1#is is t#e a$ea 9 st$(ggle ;it# t#e most an& ;#en yo(@$e sta$ting o(t 9 $e"ommen& playing a 'e$y tig#t $ange in t#e 7lin&s. S&a%% 0%"nd 7.'n ") ,*%d# )* 3*+ 4-('))3 &+$. #a&' a# UTG+16 )) T +8o T +)s T 1>s5 O>s5 /Os5 />s O>o5 />o5 /Oo5 +/o B"1 B%"nd 7.'n ") ,*%d# a(*+nd and #*&'*n' $*&-%')'# 4#a&' a# CO6 )) T +<o T +8s T 18s5 <8s5 1<s5 1>s5 O>s5 /Os5 />s5 /1s5 O1s5 /<s5 O<s5 ><s 1>o5 O1o5 O>o5 /1o5 />o5 /Oo5 +/o

B"1 0%"nd 7.'n ).'(' a(' a ,'7 %"&-'(# <<T (sometimes $aise ;it# lo;e$ po"kets if t#e ta7le is fis#y) +Oo T /Os T +/o S+")'d $*nn'$)*(# S(ite& "onne"to$s a$e gene$ally o'e$-$ate& 7y a lot of playe$s an& a$e 'e$y to(g# #an&s to play. 9 ;o(l&n@t 7e "alling $aises ;it# s(ite& "onne"to$s e'en f$om position 7e"a(se people o'e$-estimate implie& o&&s all t#e time an& t#ey "an get to(g# to play post flop. E'e$y no; it is al$ig#t to "all ;it# *8s if t#e $aise$ is a 7a& playe$ (as in #e #as :=T 'pip an& is spe;y). +lso t#ey a$e goo& to open a""o$&ing to my opening g(i&e a7o'e. 1#ey a$e also goo& to 37et. 9f someone is $aising a lot of #an&s f$om position t#en yo( "an $e$aise t#em o""asionally ;it# s(ite& "onne"to$s 7(t t#is #as a lot to &o ;it# metagame an& ta7le image ;#i"# is a little too a&'an"e fo$ t#is 7(t some foo& fo$ t#o(g#t. S(ite& "onne"to$s a$e goo& to 7e "alling $aises ;it# #o;e'e$ ;#en yo( a$e playing &eep i.e 5=77 T ;it# someone 7(t &on@t get "a$$ie& a;ay. P%a3"n1 ,(*& ).' 0%"nd# .#en yo( a$e sta$ting o(t t#e 7lin&s a$e going to 7e t#e t$i"kiest spot to play f$om. 1#ey a$e fo$ most expe$ien"e& playe$s in"l(&ing myself. ,i$st off &on@t fall into t#e5 its only V 7ig 7lin& to "omplete t$ap. Han&s like <6o a$e ga$7age an& s#o(l& ne'e$ 7e "omplete&H 4o( ;ill #a'e to play t#e $est of t#e #an& o(t of position an& (nless yo( flop t#e a7sol(te stone "ol& n(ts yo($ gonna get in a lot of t$o(7le an& 7e t#$o;ing money a;ay. P%a3 a# )"1.) a# 3*+ -*##"0%3 $an ,(*& ).' #&a%% 0%"nd 7(t ;it# po"ket pai$s yo( p$o7a7ly ;ant to 7e $aising ;#en t#e$e a$e limpe$s. 1#e 7ig 7lin& "an 7e t$i"ky 7(t 9 p$efe$ to "#e"k my option most of t#e time an& see a flop.

P(',%*- C*n$'-)# P*#")"*n +s yo( "an see f$om t#is g(i&e position is e'e$yt#ing. 1#ese a$e 'e$y gene$al $(les fo$ #o; 9 7eat mi"$o stakes an& as yo( get 7ette$ ;it# t#ese yo( ;ill gain a feel fo$ #an&s an& sit(ations an& 7e a7le to "#ange t#ese $anges &epen&ing on opponents5 yo($ image on t#e ta7le an& #o; t#e ta7le #as 7een playing. 9 "an@t st$ess eno(g# t#o(g# yo( ;ant to play tig#t f$om all positions ot#e$ t#an ?O an& !(tton an& loosen (p f$om t#ose spots 7(t still play agg$essi'eH L"&-"n1 Limping in 6 #an&e& NLHE "as# games is al;ays going to 7e a mistake. 9t ;ill also a&& anot#e$ le'el of "omplexity to yo($ game t#at is (nne"essa$y. ,o$ instan"e if yo( limp ))-55 21G t#en yo( ;ill #a'e to sta$t limping ot#e$ #an&s5 in"l(&ing st$ong ones5 an& limpF$aising ++ an& limpF$aising 7l(ffs to 7alan"e yo($ $anges. !y al;ays $aising yo(@$e making yo($self #a$&e$ to play against5 keeping yo($ $anges 7alan"e& ;it#o(t t#e 7igge$ #ea&a"#e5 an& al;ays gaining t#e positi'e expe"tation of p(tting yo($self in a position to steal t#e 7lin&s. Limping also lea&s to people playing less t#an optimal #an&s. 9f its not goo& eno(g# fo$ a $aise5 its not goo& eno(g# to play so fol&. L"&-'(# Ha'ing sai& t#at a7o(t limping5 limpers a$e an& ;ill 7e a pa$t of t#e games fo$ t#e fo$eseea7le f(t($e. 1o exploit t#ese playe$s mistake yo( nee& to 7e isolating ($aising) t#e$e limps ;it# a fai$ly ;i&e $ange. 9t is also goo& to ;at"# t#e$e play an& get an i&ea if t#ey limpF"all o$ limpFfol& a lot. + playe$ t#at limpFfol&s a ton means yo( "an isolate #im ;it# any a"e an& e'en #an&s like O*s F *8s. +lso playe$s t#at limpF"all an& t#en fol& lots of flops to "-7ets a$e goo& "an&i&ates to isolate 'e$y ;i&e. Ho;e'e$5 7e ;ea$y of playe$s ;#o limpF"all a lot an& $a$ely fol& to "-7ets. 9t is gene$ally a mistake to isolate t#em ;it# ;eak "onne"to$ type #an&s. !y &oing t#is yo( ;ill 7e p(tting money in ;it# t#e ;o$st #an& a lot of t#e time an& not eno(g# fol& eN(ity p$e o$ post. P*$8')# ", ).'(' a(' %"&-'(# "n ,(*n) 4o( ;ant to $aise any po"ket pai$s as stan&a$& if t#ey a$e f(ll sta"ke&. 1#is is so yo( "anA 0(nis# t#ei$ limp an& pi"k (p t#e f$ee money 4o( 7(il& a pot so if yo( #it yo($ set its going to 7e easie$ to get t#ei$ sta"k in. 3e"eption. 9f yo( a$e al;ays limping 7e#in& ;it# po"kets its going to 7e o7'io(s against t#inking opponents

-easons to E(st limp 7e#in& ;it# po"kets a$e if t#ei$ sta"k is not a f(ll ==77. Gene$ally if yo($ $aise is going to 7e &*(' ).an 109 *, ).'"( #)a$8 ).'n d*n:) &a8' ).' (a"#'. Ho;e'e$ if one pe$son ;#o limps #as a la$ge sta"k an& anot#e$ is s#o$t5 still make t#e $aise. ,o$ instan"eA 9n a .=5"-. =" game someone open limps 21G ;it# a J). = sta"k. 9t is onto yo( in t#e ?O ;it# ::5 yo( p$o7 &on@t ;ant to $aise to =.:" 7e"a(se t#e implie& o&&s a$e "(t s#o$t &(e to #is

small sta"k an& #e is going to 7e m("# mo$e ;illing to E(st sti"k it in ;it# any &$a; F pai$ on t#e flop ;#i"# ;ill lea& yo( to some to(g# &e"isions an& often fol&ing t#e 7est #an&. Ho;e'e$5 in a .=5"-. =" game someone open limps 21G ;it# an J sta"k (yo( "o'e$). 9t is onto yo( in t#e ?O ;it# ::5 yo( &o ;ant to make it 5=" to go al;ays ;it# any po"ket. Ca%%"n1 (a"#'# and (';(a"#'# 7"). -*$8') -a"(# 1#is is a 'e$y gene$al $(le ;#i"# applies to all of small stakes 7(t ;on@t ;o$k in mi& stakes an& 7eyon&. 1#e$e@s lots of lite$at($e on t#is in t#e sti"ky se"tion of )p). I, #*&'*n' (a"#'# and 3*+ .a2' a -*$8') -a"(, $a%% ", ") "# 5;109 *, 3*+( #)a$8. -easons fo$ t#is a$e yo( ;ill flop a set a7o(t in = times an& if yo( ass(me yo( ;ill ;in t#ei$ sta"k yo( #a'e t#e implie& o&&s. 4o( ;ant to look at poke$ a"e #(& stats t#o(g# in making t#e &e"ision. 1#e #ig#e$ t#e 'pip t#e mo$e yo( "an "all p$ofita7ly p$e looking to #it a set 7e"a(se gene$ally t#is means t#ey a$e poo$ playe$s ;#o ;ill sta"k of lig#tly. 9f someone ;it# a )= 'pip $aises 9 ;o(l&n@t ;ant to "all mo$e t#an 5S of my sta"k off 7e"a(se t#ey a$e goo& eno(g# to not pay yo( off all t#e time. .#e$eas if someone ;it# 55'pip $aises 9 ;o(l& #a'e no p$o7lems "alling =S off ;it# )) 7e"a(se yo( ;ill often ;in (nimp$o'e& an& gene$ally t#ey ;ill "ontin(e ;it# any pie"e of t#e 7oa$& so its going to 7e 'e$y easy to play a 7ig pot ;it# t#em. +lso5 if yo( a$e fa"ing a la$ge $aise o$ $e$aise yo( ;ant to "all off less of yo($ sta"k o(t of position t#an in position. E.1 1 9n a .=5-. =" game yo( make it =.:=" f$om 21GT ;it# 335 a soli& playe$ ;it# )='pip $aises to J .)= f$om t#e 7(tton5 its onto yo(. 4o( a$e J = &eep #e$e 9@& 7e in"line& to fol& 7e"a(se t#ey a$e p$o7a7ly $e-$aising yo( ;i&e eno(g# t#at yo( ;o(l& nee& a set(p flop to sta"k t#em an& t#is ;ill #appen too inf$eN(ently. 4o( a$e also o(t of position. E.1 2 9n a .=5-. =" game yo( make it =.:=" f$om 21GT ;it# 335 a soli& playe$ ;it# )='pip $aises to J .)= f$om t#e 7ig 7lin&5 its onto yo(. 4o( a$e J : &eep #e$e 9@& 7e in"line& to "all 7e"a(se yo( a$e in position so it ;ill 7e easie$ to p(t money in5 an& yo( a$e also slig#tly &eepe$ so yo( #a'e 7ette$ implie& o&&s. E.1 5 9n a .=5-. =" game yo( make it =.:=" f$om 21G ;it# 335 a 'e$y tig#t playe$ ;it# 5'pip $aises to J .== f$om t#e 7(tton5 its onto yo(. 4o( a$e J5 &eep #e$e 9@& 7e in"line& to fol& 7e"a(se yo( &on@t #a'e t#e p$ope$ implie& o&&s. E.1 4 9n a .=5-. =" game yo( make it =.:=" f$om 21G ;it# 335 a 'e$y tig#t playe$ ;it# 5'pip $aises to J .== f$om t#e 7(tton5 its onto yo(. 4o( a$e J = &eep #e$e 9@& 7e in"line& to "all 7e"a(se e'en t#o(g#t it is tig#t #is $ange is a 7ig po"ket pai$ eno(g# of t#e time t#at yo( "an 7e "onfi&ent t#e maEo$ity of t#e time yo( #it a set yo( ;ill 7e goo&. Hope yo( see t#e point of "alling $aises fo$ set 'al(e. 1#is "#anges &$asti"ally in mi& limits 7e"a(se people@s 37etting $anges a$e m("# ;i&e$ 7(t 9 feel t#is "an 7e (se& almost pe$fe"tly against mi"$o F small stakes playe$s. 1#is is all 2'(3 "&-*()an) as po"ket pai$s a$e ;#e$e most of yo($ money "omes f$om ;#en yo( play tig#t agg$essi'e 6max.

<

I&-*()an) $*n$'-)< Somet#ing else to "onsi&e$ is t#ei$ $aise an& agg$ession statisti". 9f someone #as a la$ge $aise S o$ is 'e$y agg$essi'e t#en if it@s a tig#t "all f$om implie& o&&s pe$spe"ti'e t#en yo( mig#t ;ant to &(mp it 7e"a(se t#ey "o(l& 7e $e$aising yo( lig#t ;it# +OF+> type #an&s an& yo( ;o(l& nee& t#e pe$fe"t flop to sta"k t#em (+3x if ( #ol& 33) ;#e$eas if t#ey #a$&ly $aise t#ei$ $ange is &$asti"ally "(t &o;n an& "ontains 7ig po"kets a lot of t#e time so yo( &on@t nee& t#at Qpe$fe"t flopR. 9 ;o(l& "onsi&e$ a la$ge $aise S to 7e anyt#ing U * an& a #ig# agg$ession fa"to$ anyt#ing U 3.5. !a$e in min& t#at poke$ a"e statisti"s like ag$o fa"to$s a$e only (sef(l ;#en ( #a'e ==T #an&s 7(t 'pip is gene$ally a goo& in&i"ato$ f$om 3=-:= #an&s on. A 0("', n*)' *n 50'))"n1 .#en 9 playe& mi"$o stakes ente$ing a $aise& pot 9 p$etty m("# ne'e$ flat "all a $aise o(t of position e'e$H So if 9 #a'e /O in t#e 7lin&s o$ +> in t#e 7lin&s an& some $aises 9 am eit#e$ fol&ing o$ $aising. 9f t#ey #a'e a f(ll ==77 t#en 9 ;ill $aise 3-:times t#ei$ $aise. O(t of position 9 $e"ommen& ;#en yo($ $e$aise s#o(l& 7e : times an& in position yo( "an get a;ay ;it# $aising 3 times 7e"a(se its going to 7e easie$ to play t#e #an&. .#en yo( a$e "onsi&e$ing ente$ing a $aise& pot yo( s#o(l& look at t#ei$ p$eflop $aise stat. 1#e #ig#e$ it is5 t#e ;i&e$ t#e $ange of #an&s yo( "an $e$aise ;it# is. 9f some $aises )S of flops yo( p$o7 E(st ;ant to "all ;it# 11 an& play fo$ set 'al(e an& fol& /O 7e"a(se t#ei$ $ange is so st$ong 7(t if someone $aises 8S of #an&s yo( s#o(l& 7e $e$aising /O an& 11 often against t#em 7e"a(se yo( a$e a#ea& of t#ei$ $ange. 3-7etting Qlig#tR is a 'e$y #a$& style to play against an& most people on mi"$ostakes t#ink t#at ;#en some $e$aises t#ey #a'e ++F// so yo($ "-7ets &on@t #a'e to 7e as 7ig 7e"a(se t#ey a$e going to get + LO1 of $espe"t. Ho;e'e$ 9 &on@t $e"ommen& 3-7etting too lig#t at t#ese stakes 7e"a(se t#e$e is no $eal nee& an& ;#en yo( a$e sta$ting yo($ poke$ "a$ee$ its 7est to keep it simple. I, 3*+ ,''% ).' .and "#n:) 1**d 'n*+1. ,*( a ('(a"#' ).'n d+&- ")= Somet#ing 'e$y impo$tant ;#i"# 9 fo$got to mention is ;#en someone $aises look at ;#at position t#ey a$e $aising f$om an& if t#e$e a$e limpe$s in f$ont. 1#is "an gi'e yo( a lot of info$mation on t#ei$ #an& 7(t only take into t#is a""o(nt if t#ey seem to 7e a goo& playe$ (7e"a(se only goo& playe$s ;i&en t#ei$ $ange in position). 9f yo( t#ink t#ey "o(l& #a'e a ;i&e $ange t#en 3-7et mo$e li7e$ally. C*n)"n+a)"*n 0')# Hea&s (p ;#en yo(@'e $aise& p$eflop yo( ;ant to 7e "-7etting 6=-*=S of flops. 1#is is to &o ;it# t#e o'e$all "on"ept t#at yo($ opponent ;ill only #it t#e flop in 3 times5 t#(s 66S of t#e time yo($ opponent ;ill #a'e misse& an& 7e (na7le to "ontin(e. 1#e fis#ie$ t#e opponent t#e less yo( ;ant to "-7et "ompletely misse& #an&s. !oa$& text($e "omes a lot into t#is 7(t t#e$e a$e lots of g$eat t#$ea&s a7o(t t#is ;#i"# 9 ;ill t$y to link to some ot#e$ time. 9 gene$ally t$y to keep my "ontin(ation 7ets t#e same siMe5 7et;een )F3$& an& W pot &epen&ing on sta"k siMes. 1#e smalle$ t#ei$ sta"k siMe t#e less yo( "an 7et is ;#at 9 fin&. +nyt#ing less t#an )F3 $& pot most of t#e time gets no $espe"t. 9nto m(ltiple opponents yo( "an get a;ay ;it# 7etting V pot o""asionally 7(t 9 &on@t $eally $e"ommen& it.

.#en 9@'e misse& a flop o$ #it a flop 9 al;ays like to "ontin(ation 7et to &isg(ise my #an&s ;ell an& 7(il& a pot (;#en 9 #a'e somet#ing). 1#e 7est ;ay to get money in t#e pot ;#en yo( #a'e a st$ong #an& is to 7et it o(t. Espe"ially on lo;e$ stakes games yo($ e&ge "omes f$om people playing &ominate& F 7a& #an&s an& not 7eing a7le to fol& t#em ;#en t#ey #it o$ paying too m("# fo$ t#ei$ &$a;s so 'al(e 7et yo($ #an&s to #ellH !(t fo$ a N(i"k example on 7oa$& text($eA !oa$&s likeA /)6 $ain7o; a$e G-E+1 to "-7et any #an& 7e"a(se its $eally #a$& fo$ t#e opponent to #a'e #it t#is 7oa$& ;it# a lot of #is #an&s. !oa$&s likeA />1 ;it# t;o &iamon&s a$e not goo& to 7e "ontin(ation 7etting )) 7e"a(se so m("# of t#e $ange #as #it t#is 7oa$& yo( p$o7 E(st spe;ing money a;ay. !oa$&s likeA /O* ;it# t;o spa&es #a'e #it a lot of t#e $ange 7(t a$e still goo& to "-7et against tig#te$ opponents 7e"a(se if ( 7et )F3$& pot as a "-7et yo( nee& to ;in it a little less t#an 5=S of t#e time fo$ it to 7e p$ofita7le ;#i"# it s#o(l& 7e. !oa$&s like O88 ;it# a pai$ a$e (s(ally goo& to 7e "-7etting too. 9nto m(ltiple opponents yo( ;ant to 7e "-7etting less on 7oa$&s like t#e /O* 7(t its still goo& to "-7et g$eat text($e& 7oa$&s like /)6. +lso ;#en yo( 7et into m(ltiple opponents yo( get mo$e $espe"t (gene$ally). O7' 7y m(ltiple opponents 9 mean )is#5 not t#e ;#ole ta7leH

S+&&a(3 1#ings t#at 9 #a'e E(st to("#e& on an& nee& + LO1 mo$e &ept# a$e "-7ets5 37etting5 metagame5 ta7le image an& all t#at EaMM. 9 s(ggest tig#t an& agg$essi'e. 3on@t get o(t of line an& a'oi& ma$ginal sit(ations. .iel& position like a #amme$ 7e"a(se it $eally is t#e most impo$tant "on"ept in NLHE. 1$y not to o'e$-estimate implie& o&&s o$ s(ite& "onne"to$s as it ;ill "ost yo( in t#e long $(nH 9n f(t($e 9 ;ill ;$ite a$ti"les onA 37etting an& playing against 37etting 3o(7le 7a$$eling ?#e"k $aising "ontin(ation 7ets (7ot# fo$ 'al(e an& as 7l(ffs) /eep in min& t#is is all ;$itten N(i"kly an& off t#e top of my #ea&. 1#e$e may 7e mistakes in #e$e 7(t (sing a system like t#is an& lots of expe$ien"e 9 ;as a7le to "$(ise t#$o(g# mi"$o stakes. 0$a"ti"e an& t#inking a7o(t t#is game F posting #an&s F asking N(estions is t#e $eal f(n an& lea$ning p$o"ess. 1#is is E(st a sta$t. Goo& l("k.

My 5k post (fees)
Hey guys, I started out here at 2p2 sometime last Feb at uNL as a pretty terrible strategy poster. Since then not much has changed (=P still pretty la!y and rarely get around to ma"ing truly great strat posts, but this post #ill be an e$ception. I tried to #rite an eboo" a little more than a month ago but about hal% #ay through I reali!ed ho# much I hate #riting and ho# la!y I #as so I %inished about hal% o% it. &aybe i% this thread gets positi'e %eedbac" I(ll %inish it, but here(s #hat I ha'e thus %ar #ritten o% an eboo" on the topic o% beating uNL)&SNL online *ma$. +n,oy=(sry i% it doesn(t read #ell I ha'en(t had anyone proo%read it .able o% /ontents0 (this is #hat the boo" #ould loo" li"e i% I #rote the #hole thing, I got up to %loating=1 2. Pre%ace 2. Pre%lop0 3. 4.5 6. &P /. /7 -. 6.N +. S6 F. 66 8. Flop 3. /betting 6. c1ring /. Floating -. 9aising F. 4nraised pots :. .urn 3. -ouble 6arreling 6. c1ring /. Floating -. 9aising F. 4nraised pots ;. 9i'er 3. .riple barreling 6. c1ring /. Floating -. 9aising F. 4nraised pots *. Psychology 3. betsi!ing 6. .iming /. History <. &entality 3. Health 6. 5ame analysis /. -o#ns#ings -. 4ps#ings +. Session Length F. &ultitabling Preface

.his boo" #ill co'er small sta"es online * ma$ ring games. 3ll hands #ill be assumed to be * handed, though other situations #ill be discussed. .he %ocus o% this boo" #ill be the progression o% a hand or= pre%lop, %lop, turn, ri'er. >our hand ranges in general should ad,ust and be contrary to the #ay the game is playing. .his means that i% the game is loose (meaning there are a lot o% bad players, generally players #ith ?PIP@s higher than 2A, %or e$ample a player that plays 821;12 is a #ea" bad player you should be playing a tighter more solid game, blu%%ing less o%ten (including semiblu%%s and 'alue betting thinly #ith 2 pair type hands. >ou should also play less starting hands. 7n the %lip side i% the game is tighter you should loosen up your starting range (incorporating hands such as *;s 4.5 as discussed pre'iously to e$ploit the your opponents tendency to %old. In these instances you should semiblu%% and blu%% more , as you #ill %ind more %old eBuity. Loose players #ill search %or an e$cuse to call, #hereas a tight player #ill loo" %or an e$cuse to %old. Table selection Chen .able selecting you #ant to loo" %or the %ollo#ing things0 D Players that play too many hands, anything abo'e :E ?PIP is gra'y, but 8E is too many hands as #ell. 3lso players that play something li"e 2;12E (meaning they are limping1calling C3> too much pre%lop #ill do as #ell D Stac" si!es. 5enerally you #ant players #ith %ull stac"s to the right o% you. >ou #ant to ha'e position on players that you co'er, as it is F+?. 3t the same time you #ant players #ith short stac"s to your le%t, as short stac"ers that ha'e position on you are F+? %or you. In a per%ect #orld you #ould play #ith 8 %ull stac"s #ith ?PIPs o'er :E to your right, and too tight short stac"ers to your le%t, but this #ill rarely e'er happen, its ,ust something to thin" about. D Position and hands played. 3s described in the second %eature %or good game selection you #ant loose players to your right and tight players to your le%t. 3gain this isn@t essential but its something to thin" about #hen s#itching1selecting seats, as #ell as changing games. D Losing1brea"e'en regulars. >our strategy should in'ol'e you playing : tables or less and really %ocusing on your opponents and de'eloping 'ery strong reads. Feel %ree to play #ith a regular that you ha'e as a loser or marginal #inner in your database. 3'oid #inners. >our superior strategy #ill ma"e it pro%itable to sit in a game #ith these players and e$ploit them, so %eel %ree to sit, ,ust don@t search them out or ma"e a habit o% it unless they are really bad. D 3s a general guideline it is better to play at a table #ith a bunch o% loose passi'e1#ea" tight type players than a table #ith someone #ho players AEG o% their hands and : other solid .35s. For e$ample I pre%er a table #ith a0 :E12E, 8E12E, 2;12:, 2E122, 2<122 than a table #ith a <E18E, 2812E, 2E12A, 2E12A, 2A12;. Its going to be easier to play against se'eral bad1mediocre opponents that 2 'ery bad opponent and : good ones. Po"er is simple, as your opponents ma"e mista"es, you pro%it. 3gaisnt Loose1bad players you generally #ant to play straight %or#ard tight solid po"er. 3gaisnt .ight1good players you generally #ant to mi$ up your play and play a tric"ier or decepti'e style. -o not ma"e the mista"e that e'ery 2E12< multitabling tag is tight 3Ngood. 3giasnt these types o% players you #ant to lean to#ards a looser pre)%lop strategy and a solid post%lop strategy, as they #ill ma"e mista"es %or you, %orcing them is not necessary.

Preflop: .his chapter is going to demonstrate pre%lop strategy and #ill %ocus on raising ranges, calling ranges and 8betting pre%lop (86 a"a pre%lop reraise. Under the Gun (UTG) 6eing under the gun means that you ha'e three players to act that hold position on you= middle position (&P , cut o%% (/7 and the button (6.N . It also means you ha'e t#o players to act that are out o% position relati'e to you, the small blind (S6 and big blind (66 . >our 4.5 raising range should be the tightest o% the %our non)blind positions. Lets ta"e a loo" at a standard pre%lop 4.5 range, assuming %ull stac"s and a mi$ o% tags1lag %ish (players that play too many hands #ithout purpose 1and loose passi'e (%ish that chec" call and are easy to e$tract 'alue %rom 0 9ange0 22F (all pairs 32EsF (meaning 32Es, 3Hs, 3Is, 3Js (s meaning suited 3HoF (meaning 3Ho, 3Io, 3Jo (o meaning o%%suit KAsF (meaning KAs, 2EKs, H2Es, IHs, etc JIo JIs JHsF (JHs and 3IsL#hich #as already co'eredM (meaning suited 2 gappers N .his #ill account %or 28G o% hands and is a conser'ati'e but 'ery solid and pro%itable pre%lop raising range. >our 4.5 range can ad,ust based on the game Buality you are in. Adjusting: Loose games: 3dd hands li"e JHo or 32Eo, because you can ma"e 2 pair type hands and e$tract 'alue %rom players calling #ith #ea"er top pair hands or second pair hands. .he reason #e typically a'oid these type o% hands in tight games is because #e #ill %reBuently sho# up #ith second best 2 pair hands out o% position (77P and #ill put us in tough spots and to lots o% decisions. 3l#ays try to ma"e po"er easy to play. Tight Games: Include hands such as *;sF or 3;s. .hese hands ha'e a lot o% potential and #ill less o%ten put you into situations #here you ha'e #ea" 2 pair hands out o% position. .hese hands #iden you range against li"ely better players and ma"e you a more di%%icult and tric"y opponent. Stack Si es: >ou should also ad,ust your raising range based on stac" si!es. For instance say you are 4.5 and there are t#o or three players #ith say :E66 stac" si!es (or less . In this scenario you should a'oid hands li"e 22)** and KAs, and instead substitute in hands li"e JHo, IHo, 3Ks, 32Eo, because against these players you again are simply loo"ing %or a top pair type hand to get it in against (.hese :Ebb stac" players #ill generally be 'ery bad and play poorly post%lop getting it in #ith a #ide range that doesn@t include many top pair type hands .hough it should be made clear in the higher &SNL and HSNL (medium and high sta"es games there are players #ho play a 'ery tight and solid short stac" game that are more di%%icult to play against, ho#e'er it is uncommon to encounter one o% these players any#here belo# 81*NL. !iddle Position (!P)

6eing in &iddle Position means that you #ill ha'e one player to act in %ront o% you (4.5 #hom you ha'e position on, t#o players to act behind you (/7 and 6.N #ho ha'e position on you, and t#o players to act behind you (S6 and 66 that you ha'e position on. &iddle position is 'ery similar to 4.5, you #ill incorporate a %e# more hands, ho#e'er all the same principals apply. 3gain lets e$am a standard pre%lop &P range, assuming %ull stac"s and a mi$ o% tags1lag %ish (players that play too many hands #ithout purpose 1and loose passi'e (%ish that chec" call and are easy to e$tract 'alue %rom 0 22F (all pairs 3KsF 32EoF KAsF JIo1JHo1JIs1 JHs1J2Es .his accounts %or about 2;G o% total hands. Hust li"e 4.5 this range can be manipulated based on the game Buality. Adjusting: Loose games0 >ou generally #ant to a'oid things li"e 3Ko, as its potential is 'ery small. Hust li"e 4.5 you can still pro%itably raise KAs and 2EKs, ,ust do it less %reBuently. For e$ample maybe you only raise these hands roughly hal% the time you are dealt them. 4se your image1table history to determine the optimal raising opportunity. For the most part in a looser game you #ant to "eep things closer to the 'est, so ,ust simply raise less hands in this position. .ight 5ames0 .hese games you can open up more %rom this position, include= *;sF 3As, 3;s I2Es "solating: Pending a 'ery #ea" player, playing :EG or more o% his hands, you need to "eep in mind that peoples limping range 4.5 is as tight as it #ill get %or them (e'en though it could be #ide . >ou ha'e to be care%ul about isolating in this position because there are t#o players #ith position on you that understand you can isolate these players #ith a #ide range. It is o" to try and add a hand li"e HKs to your range here %or the purpose o% isolating a #ea" player (by #ea" I mean %olding too much, #hether it be limp %olding, or to cbets1double barrels ho#e'er i% you ha'e one or t#o tight aggressi'e opponents behind you that #ill e$ploit your e$tended range you should err on the side o% %olding to a'oid marginal situations. In the e'ent that these players are in the blinds or you game selected #ell and you aren@t at a table #ith opponents that go a%ter you, sure go %or it, isolate that limper. #betting: In general you should be 8betting %ar more in position that 77P. .he only person you can 8bet in &P is 4.5. >ou need to be 'ery cautious #hen 8betting an 4.5 opener, because this is #here their raising range is li"ely the tightest (ignoring #hen they are in the blinds . Light 8bets are certainly pro%itable, ho#e'er the ratio o% light 8bet to 'alue 8bet should be #eighted hea'ily to#ards 'alue. Lets say %or numbers sa"e #e 'alue 8bet an 4.5 opener AEG o% the time, and light 8bet 2EG. First lets assign our 8bet range0 ?alue0 3Jo1s 3Io1s(situational

3Hs(situational JIs (situational 33 JJ II HH(situational 2E2E(situational Chen I say situational I mean that it is possible that 8betting #ith these hands is marginal to the point #here you are not clearly ahead o% their range. .hat doesn@t mean you shouldn@t 8bet them, it ,ust means you shouldn@t do it e'ery time and that you should be more inclined to do it in position. 3 player that plays 2:122 and raises 4.5 probably raises the top AG o% hands. .he top AG o% hands loo"s li"e the %ollo#ing0 AAF,3HsF,JIs,3HoF,JIo .he eBuity o% these hands against this range are0 3I (all combinations :AG 3Hs :2G HH ;:G 2E2E ;EG JIs 8AG Chereas0 33 A;G JJ <2G II *8G 3J ;*G Light 8bet hands0 ;*s)IHs 3$s ($ should = ; most o%ten, as you #ill be able to %lop gutshotFF-Fo'er type hands,but :)2E are all %ine as #ell 22)<< JIo 3Ho It #ill generally be more pro%itable to call #ith small pairs pre%lop (as I #ill outline in post %lop chapters ho#e'er they can certainly ma"e their #ay into a light 8bet category e'ery once and a #hile. >ou generally #ant to 8bet an 4.5 opener #ith ;*)2EKs or 3$s because #ith the S/@s you #ill generally a'oid second best hands and ha'e tremendous %lop potential, and the 3$s hands #ill bloc" combinations o% 33 and 3J (#hich #ill help a'oid him :betting you and also ha'e tremendous %lop potential. 3'oid all other hands as they #ill %orm second Nbest hands o%ten and get you in marginal spots. 3ny#ay bac" to e$amining #hen to 8bet. Ce said #e #anted to use an AE12E ratio, AE 'alue, 2E blu%%s. .his means %or e'ery : times you 8bet an 4.5 opener #ith something li"e 3J or 33, you #ant to 8bet him once #ith ;*s. Stack Si es: Hust li"e 4.5 you should also ad,ust your raising range based on stac" si!es. 3s stac"s get shorter this scenario you should a'oid hands li"e 22)** and KAs, and instead substitute in hands li"e JHo, IHo, 3Ks, 32Eo, because against these players you again are simply loo"ing %or a top pair type hand to get it in against (.hese :Ebb stac" players #ill generally be 'ery bad and play poorly post%lop getting it in #ith a #ide range that doesn@t include many top pair type hands .hough it should be made clear in the higher &SNL and HSNL (medium and high sta"es games there are players #ho play a 'ery tight and solid short stac" game that are more di%%icult to play against, ho#e'er it is uncommon to

encounter one o% these players any#here belo# 81*NL. $ut %ff .his is #here po"er #ill become more interesting. .he cut o%% is the %irst position considered late position and is a spot #here you #ill more o%ten than not, be in position. .here is a much bigger transition in our range %rom &P to /7, as #ill be sho#n in our hand selection. .he cut o%% is one o% your most pro%itable positions, second only to the button. .his position is #here you #ill start isolating #ea" players that limp, and 8betting players to "eep the pressure on. Lets get to our range0 22F (all pairs 3;sF 3KoF *;sF H2EoF I2EoF J2Eo1JKs 2EAsF (suited one gapers IKsF (suited t#o gapers 9oughly 28G o% total hands. .he idea here is to steal blinds and isolate limpers. I% you success%ully steal someone@s blind you ha'e earned 2.;66@s (big blinds . I% you beat a game %or ; P.66 (po"er trac"er big bets, or t#o big blinds you #ill notice that you earn .266 per hand. .hat means that stealing blinds earns you 2; times the a'erage pro%it per hand. 6eginning to understand #hy it@s so important and pro%itableO Lets %ocus on ad,usting. Loose games: 6elie'e it or not but playing %rom the /7 in loose games is more tric"y than tight #hen it comes to isolating. In a tight game you can raise anything and most decisions #ill be easy. In a loose game you run the ris" o% playing a lot o% pots #ith marginal hands and (despite being IP losing money. 3s you become better post %lop you #ill ha'e the capacity to raise more and more hands %rom position to isolate limpers, but %irst #e ha'e to e$amine situations #here #e should and should not isolate a player. Lets imagine the %ollo#ing scenario0 >ou are in the /7 #ith JKs, 4.5 #ho plays 8A12E limps (you@'e seen this player limp 4.5 #ith JIo, and #ith J:s in LP , .his player is on the passi'e side and %olds to cbets ;EG o% the time. .he button is a mediocre .35 playing 2A12; and doesn@t ha'e a penchant %or 8betting light IP, though you ha'e seen him do it. .he blinds are t#o hal% stac"s playing 8E)8;G o% their hands. Chat@s your playO &old )PL3lthough the player 4.5 is bad and limps a #ide range #e can be sure he@s at the top o% his limping range 4.5 and is a#are o% the signi%icance o% position. Ce also "no# that he %olds to ;EG o% cbets, and li"ely less #hen his range is strong (#hich it is due to him being 4.5 . .he button is o% 'ery little concern, but #e "no# he@ll reraise us #ith 3IF and 2E2EF and on rare occasion #ith a blu%%, so this is something to consider. .he second biggest concern o% the hand is the shorties in the blinds. .hey play #ay too many hands and don@t care about position. Cithout %lopping sometime strong it #ill be hard to play against these players as they #ill regularly be out o% line. >ou ha'e a hand #ith some potential, as it is suited, ho#e'er implied odds come %rom deep stac"s, not short ones. .his compounded #ith dealing #ith a player limp)calling 4.5 is problematic because it is 'ery possible you #ill be three #ay to the %lop.M Let@s e$amine another situation0

>ou are in the /7 #ith *;s, &P limps, he has a %ull stac" and plays 2;122, #ith a %old to cbet o% **G. .he button is a 2E12E #ea"tight player. .he blinds ha'e one good #inning .35 #ho 8bets too much 77P and one don" #ho plays big pots #ith marginal hands too o%ten, and has bet#een 2:E and 2AE66@s, and you co'er. 'aise )PL >ou de%initely #ant to raise to isolate the player in &P #ho is de%initely #ea" tight. His %old to cbet is on the lo# end as %ar as #ea" tight goes, but you ha'e %ull stac"s and position, combined #ith a hand #ith ma,or potential is a 'ery pro%itable situation. Ce don@t #ant the button to come along, but i% he does #e still can represent something cbetting the %lop, and #e also ha'e ma,or %lop potential i% the %lop comes our #ay. .he .35 #ho 8bets too much is "ind o% problematic, but this is a situation #here once and a #hile #e can call and blu%% some %lops, i% need be. .he other great %eature o% this hand is the #ea" player in the blinds #ho #e co'er. Ce #ill ha'e position on this guy #ith ama!ing implied odds, so #e de%initely don@t mind i% he comes in.M I% a player calls too much a%ter the %lop you #ant to lean to#ards raising something li"e JKs, instead o% *;s, unless you are 2EEbbF #ith that player. 5eneral against these guys you can mil" them #ith strong pairs1dra#s, so it supports raising a J$ hand that can ma"e strong pairs. In the %irst scenario #e didn@t raise JKs due to short stac"s, but that #as only because #e #e@re a%raid that 4.5 #ould also come along #ith a hand that might dominate us, also #e@d rather ha'e *;s in a multi#ay pot, as opposed to "Ks #ith much less potential post%lop. It may seem some#hat counter intuiti'e and as i% I #as contradicting mysel%, but %ocus on each %acet o% the hand and ho# one hand can be a more pro%itable raise than the other, i% they are in %act pro%itable at all. FCIC I@d rather raise *;s in the %irst scenario, though its close bet#een raising and %olding. Lets %ocus on a scenario #here it #ould be pre%erable to isolate #ith JKs1J2Eo13Ko, etc. >ou are in the /7 #ith 3Ko, &P limps, he has bet#een <; and 2EE66@s and plays :E) ;E1;)2;. .he button is a tight player, and the blinds are also on the some#hat tight side, maybe playing as many as 8;G o% hands, but less 77P. .his player %olds to cbet <EGF o% the time. L3s his %old to cbet increase, so should your isolating range, and 'isca 'ersaM (utton: 6utton is the most %un and interesting position to be in. .here are more opertunities to raise, 8bet, isolate and cold call than any other position. >ou #ill play loosest on the button. >our button raising range can be 'ery #ide or 'ery tight, it really is all about the game you are in. It is 'ery possible to raise ;EG o% your hands on the button, pro%itably. Lets get into the range0 22F 3AoF JKo IKoF (o%%suit 2 gapper HKoF(o%%suit 2 gapper KAoF ;:sF *:sF K*sF 2E*sF JAs 32sF .his entire boo" is going to try to teach you ho# to ma"e decisions by yoursel%, through detailed e$planation and e$amples. .his range is 'ery tentati'e, it can be #idened and

<

tightened by as much as 2;G based on your table. Looser games: .he button is so complicated that I #ant to gi'e you some 'ery straight%or#ard guidelines and let you come to your o#n conclusions as to #hether or not a button raise is pro%itable. 3nything you #ould raise %rom &P you can open or e'en isolate 7.6. .he other hands #ill put you to decisions in loose games. In loose games #here there are a lot o% limp)calls you #ant to a'oid things li"e *:s or KAo. I% %or the most part you can isolate the one don" #ho is limp)calling lean to#ards a JKs or a HKo. In the e'ent that people are loose by #ill limp)%old #ith a decent %reBuency you can use almost the entire range, maybe cut out 2G o% hands or so, ,ust the bottom o% the range (*:s)A*s, 3A3Ko, 2E*s)IKs, ;:s)<*s, 32):s, etc I% you pre%er some hands and disli"e others that@s %ine, earlier analysis should pro'ide e$amples o% ho# certain hands are easier to play1more pro%itable than others in certain situations. In the e'ent people are limp)calling or there are %reBuently multi)#ay %lops (8 or more players you need to really cut it do#n, raise maybe a tight /7 range and raise it bigger, it@s o"ay to ma"e it ;bbsF2 %or each limper, in these games people #ill tend not to notice or care. Tighter Games: .hese are %ar more interesting. 3s the game gets tighter and there@s less limping or people limp)%old or play #ea"ly you can really open up. .he most important %actor #hen opening the button is the blinds tightness. &ost .35s (tight)aggressi'e player #ill be 'ery tight 77P, this means that on the button you can pro%itably raise ,ust about any t#o suited cards, any ace, and medium o%%suit cards (though, these less than anything . .he idea here is that players #ill ,ust #illingly gi'e up KEG o% their hands, and e'en i% they do ma"e it to the %lop #e #ill ha'e position. I thin" %or the most part tight players are going to limp strictly small pairs, suited connectors, and JI type hands %rom early position. .a"e this into account, these types o% hands are hit or miss, they #ill c1% the %lop or try and play a big hand #ith these, #hich ma"es it easy on us b1c i% #e are #ea" #e can gi'e up our hand #ith ease, it lets us select #hen #e #ant to play big pots #ith opponents. I am %ar more inclined to isolate a #ea" tight player #ith a marginal hand, than a loose1passi'e player. Stack si es: Li"e most things as stac" si!es gro# so does opening range and your strategy. I ,ust said Q. I am %ar more inclined to isolate a #ea" tight player #ith a marginal hand, than a loose1passi'e player.R In the e'ent I am deep (2EE66F this eBuation changes and I #ould Instead rather play #ith a loose1passi'e type because I "no# that all my t#o) pairF type hands can really get paid o%% by these guys, and I can also cbet1e$tract #ith 2 or no pair type hands. Same thing i% you #ant to open into Looser blinds, you can raise the entire range plus more #ith marginal hands because you #ill ha'e position and an unli"ely holding that has tremendous potential and #ill o%ten be a disguised hand. 3s stac" si!es shrin", a'oid *:s type hands, and embrace JAs or 3Ko, as they are the bread and butter o% the bottom o% your range. >ou should %ocus on trying to raise #hen a loose player limps and there are tight players to act behind you (all o% these situations are tal"ing about marginal hands, your core range should al#ays be raised . So lets say a :E12E12 limps in &P, you are 7.6 #ith ;<s, he has about 22E66@s and you co'er. .he blinds are a nit and a 2K12: that %olds 66 to steal o%ten (this is a statistic you should be using >ou can %or sure pro%itably raise your <;s, probably KE66F in this situation (e%%ecti'e stac"s . In the e'ent that the 66 plays :EG o% his hands and the S6

)=

is a 2E12A tag, you should raise this hand less o%ten. 4nderstand that these situations are %ictional, real po"er at a table online is completely di%%erent %rom table to table, each one uniBue, ,ust %ocus on e'ery %actor, %or e$ample the loose player in the 66. He ma"es you #ant to raise this hand less o%ten, but let@s say the limp %olds to KEG o% cbets, that ma"es you more inclined to raise. /onsider all these things #hen ma"ing your decision, and then come up #ith a solution (to raise or %old . FCIC i% someone %olds KEG o% cbets I@ll isolate them ?+9> loose, almost regardless o% other players in the hand, unless the blinds are t#o loose shorties or something o% this nature. #betting: Here your range is also the #idest. >ou #ant to 8bet on the button %ar more than any position (go a%ter people in position, not 77P . Here you probably #ant your ratio to be 802, so %or e'ery 8 'alue 8bets, you thro# in t#o blu%%s. .his eBuation changes against more adept opponents that #ill really play bac" at you and go a%ter you pre%lop or a%ter the %lop, but until an opponent sho#s a #illingness to combat our strategy, continue to e$ploit his #ea" play and "eep the pressure on. Chen 8betting you must %irst consider position, the /7 is #hen our opponents range is the #idest, and the position #e 8bet this player the most. .he second thing (but most important thing is the G o% hands this player raises. .his #as discussed in an earlier street, but the general idea is that the more raises this player ma"es the more #e can 8bet, ho#e'er players that raise #ay too much, say a 8A12*, a'oid *;s and lean to#ards 3Ho, these players #ill %reBuently see the %lop #ith you and you #ant to sho# up #ith a strong pair type hand. .he third part o% the eBuation is history. I% a player "eeps %olding to 8bets or c1%@s e'ery missed %lop continue to pound on him. I% a player is good and #illing to :b blu%% or c1r a %lop #ith a dra# or complete air, a'oid blu%%ing so much and lean to#ards more 'alue 8bets. 3lmost any range, ratio, principal, idea or strategy in this boo" can be manipulated to e$ploit your opponent, you ,ust ha'e to analy!e his play and come to conclusions about ho# he plays, then %igure out ho# to e$ploit it (a simple e$ample o% this is someone #ho 8bets AEGF o% hands, here you c1r this player #ith air to e$ploit him cbetting so o%ten #ith marginal holdings, thus e$ploiting him and ma"ing you money. It also ma"es you harder to play against and helps your made hands get paid o%% by #ea" holdings Flop Play 3. $betting /ontinuation betting is one o% the most important elements o% your strategy, it allo#s you to #in a #ealth o% small pots and ma"es you di%%icult to play against i% e$ecuted correctly. Let@s %ocus on situations to pro%itably cbet0 )* .he %irst scenario is the easiest to understand and grasp, any opponent #ith a high %old to cbet (<EG or higher , you can cbet basically your entire range pro%itably. Chen cbetting you #ant to ha'e some hope %or your hand, i.e. cbetting KAs on ;;2 is generally something you #ant to a'oid doing, e$cept against these players. .here are three instances #here I do not cbet against these players0 A* .hey are short and my hand has 'ery little potential, #hich #orries me, (i.e. KAs on ;;2, or 22 on 2EKA (* I ha'e a note that says #hen I do not cbet they go blu%% cra!y, in these spots I@ll chec" 'ery strong hands li"e KK on K22 %lop or something o% this nature. (FCIC ne'er chec" KK on something li"e K<:cc, anything #ith te$ture li"e this, e'en i% they do go blu%% cra!y #hen you chec" %lops . 3nother situation I #ould chec" #ould be something li"e 3J or 33

on J;2, J22, JK: (rainbo#, bet all %lops #ith any F- . $* I ha'e II on J;2r (7r any second pair type hand #here you are in a C3 (#ay ahead 1C6 (#ay behind situation, #here by chec"ing you can get 'alue %rom li"e << (on this board on later streets. 7ther C31C6 situations include li"e 2E2E on I<<, or 32 on 3J*. +* No# lets %ocus on loose1bad players that are calling #ay too many cbets (calling #ay too much in general . Lets assume they %old to cbet ;EG or less o% the time. 3gainst these players you ha'e to be more cautious and gi'e things up more easily, 6e%ore I go %or#ard I #ant to inter,ect and mention that0 >ou generally #ant to be cbetting almost e'ery single 3ce or Jing high board, as players #ill 'ie# your range #eighted to#ards these types o% hands (and coincidently they #ill not ha'e these types o% hands 'ery o%ten and #ill gi'e you e$traordinary amount o% credit. +'en against t#o opponents I #ould cbet the 'ast ma,or o% 3ce and Jing high boards (pending stac" si!es and notes , ho#e'er anything more than t#o I #ouldn@t get %ancy, but that doesn@t mean I chec" #hen I do hit. .his is some#hat contrary to #hat I@'e been describing about ho# to play against these types o% players (being 'ery close to the 'est , but on occasion you are missing 'alue by not double or triple barreling these types o% players. For the most part I@m not going to indulge in any complicated triple barrel spots, so %or instance say #e raise in +P (early position and cbet a 3I: (t#o %lush or rainbo# and get instantly called by a player playing some#here bet#een 8E):;G o% his hands and %olds to 'ery %e# cbets (as described earlier . 7ne o% my %a'orite indicators %or a good double1triple barrel spots is the SN3P %lop call. .his can ne'er be a big hand (or 'ery rarely because i% he does ha'e 3I or :: (and in some instances 3: , he #ould at least ha'e to thin" momentarily about his action, #hether to raise or ,ust smooth call. 6y instantly calling (bt# this is something you should %ocus on a'oiding, a lot o% in%ormation can be dra#n on timing he@s basically telling you Q&y range here is some 3< type hand, or a dra#R. Pending some read that this player #ill ne'er e'er %old .P (#hich is uncommon %or the games you@ll play in, %or the most part these loose1bad players #ill not be stac"ing o%% #ith marginal 2pair in this particularly type o% situation you #ill be able to pro%itably double or triple barrel. In this situation I #ould most lo'e to ha'e a gutshot or F- mysel% (against these players I@ll put a lot o% pressure on #ith F-@s, F-=%lush dra# so you ha'e some eBuity. 3ny#ay the point is put the pressure on, i% they are going to snap call your %lop bet and ha'e a range that is %or the most part on the #ea" side (in this instance the strong hands he could ha'e are 3I, ::, and 3:, ho#e'er is calling range is &4/H #ider put the pressure on. -on@t be surprised i% he ta"es a #hile to call the turn, i% hes a particularly #ea" player this #ill rarely be him trying to disguise his 'ery strong hand inducing a triple, it #ill be him genuinely #ea" trying to %igure out #hether to call or %old, I% this is the case I probably %ire a ri'er barrel. 3lso i% you ha'e the opportunity to bet something li"e SKK or S2KK on the ri'er or something I suggest it, this bet si!e #ill terri%y them. 3ny#ay #hen thin"ing about theory1strategy o% approaching these call)too)many cbet type players, the simple ans#er is to tighten your range (#hich #idens1tightens based on stac"si!es, don@t %orget and simply c1% the %lop. .here are situations I don@t mind a c1c or a 'bet #ith li"e 32EF or something, so say the board is li"e 2EKK, some loose guy calls 77P, I don@t mind cbetting 3H here because him ha'ing a better hand is rarely, and i% he has some under pair his eBuity suc"s. 3lso say I@m li"e 6'6 #ith 3J on 882 (I@m S6 against one o% these guys, I #ill probably c1c this board, and pending a read c1c or c1% turn (your de%ault is %old until he pro'es that he #ill put you on 3J in this types o% situations and try to ta"e you o%% o% it

))

#* 7", so #e@'e tal"ed about #ea")tight and loose)passi'e type o% players and #hat our cbet tendencies should be, no# lets get to the %un stu%%, .35s. .hese #ill generally be your toughest opponents (e'en i% they are bad .35s , these are the types o% players #here #e li"e to mi$ up our play and thro# in cur'e balls %rom time to time. 3gaisnt these guys I@ll cbet ,ust about e'ery ace and "ing high %lop, because their pre%lop calling range is rarely going to contain .P, unless its li"e they %latted 3H or JI or something, but instead their range is #eighted to small pairs and suited connectors (FCIC a pair has a 2 in K chance o% %lopping a set . .here is danger here, against your better1more thin"ing opponents simply cbetting #ill not be enough. I remember playing against a player at F.P 2EE #ho played something li"e 2212A and played me tough1tric"y. He de%initely lo'e to go a%ter me and my cbets. 3ny#ay I raised KAs %rom the S6 and he called in the 66. .he %lop came JA;r. I cbet SA (: 66@s , he raised to S82. .his is a 'ery suspicious line %rom him, i% he had any "ing it doesn@t really ma"e sense because #e didn@t ha'e enough history %or me to get it in #ith anything #orse than a strong "ing, so this isn@t really a possibility. .he %lop #as rainbo# so he can@t be semi)blu%%ing anything but a <*, and the only made hand he reps is ;; and %ar less o%ten AA. 3ny#ay In this situation my opponent is li"ely blu%%ing because his range contains 'ery %e# made hands, no# I did li"e the %act that I had KA because i% he does ha'e *< I ha'e the best hand and a bloc"er, or i% he has something really #eird li"e JI or << I ha'e the eBuity1the best hand (ho#e'er this is a small %actor in my thought process . 3ny#ay I discourage calling because then you are in a 'ery marginal 77P spot and you don@t ha'e the initiati'e in the hand, #hich ma"es your hand ha'e less 'alue intrinsically (Initiati'e simply means that you #ere the last person to bet1raise . So the simple ans#er Is that it is pro%itable to 8b1%old in this situation gi'en the in%ormation (this is the yeti)theorem , #hich states that a 8bet on a dry board is al#ays a blu%%, and in this situations it "ind o% is, ho#e'er #e thin" #e@re blu%%ing #ith the best hand I 8bet to S<* and he %olded Buic"ly, so our analysis #as 'ery li"ely correct as #e ran into the ma,ority o% his range in this spot (blu%%s . >ou probably #on@t ha'e a ton o% history #ith .35s (#hen it comes to cbetting and stu%% because your game selection should %or the most part allo# you to a'oid these guys (you aren@t trying to a'oid them, #e #ould rather e$ploit them, but #e #ant to e$ploit e'eryone #e play, and %ish are simply more e$ploitable and more pro%itable . 7ut o% position you generally #ant to ,ust bet your entire range (made hands, semiblu%%s, second pairs and blu%%s , I remember recently #atching a hand #ith Jrant! and Peachy"een #here peachy raised 4.5 and Jrant! called in &P. .he %lop came J<:r, peachy c1r@d the %lop, and "rant! sho'ed. Peachy had 3J and Jrant! had JI. .here is clearly a lot more here than meets the eye and a ton o% history, but nothing about this ma"es sense or is any sort o% standard, you #ill ne'er run into a situation at any#here belo# S2EEE #here this is e'en remotely necessary, so out o% position ,ust cbet your range. (FCIC its o" to c1% li"e 3J on <*; or something, against these guys you #ant to be more cautious about cbetting marginally, ,ust loo" at their %old to cbet, i% its lo# gi'e up more and i% its high go a%ter them more, simple right=- . 3lso "eep diligent notes about ho# they react to cbets so that you can ad,ust accordingly. In position it becomes more interesting, IP I mi$ it up a lot and chec" tons o% %lops bac", particularly #hen I@m marginal (this is called polari!ing your range, #hich %or the purpose o% most &SNL games and lo#er is 7J, but %undamentally against tough opponents is bad because its e$ploitable i% they %igure out #hat your doing. For the most part your opponents here #ill not . Chat I mean #hen I say I #ant to polari!e my range is that say I raise 32cc 7.6 and the 66 (.35 calls. .he %lop is 3J;r and he chec"s, this is a great situation to chec" it bac". It@s going to be 'ery unli"ely that he #ill e'er call #ill a #orse hand, and #e #ill occasionally be c1r@d o%% the best hand and #e #ill miss 'alue %rom something li"e JI or AA(i% its suited I #ill on occasion still chec" it bac", ,ust less %reBuently . 3ny#ay this is a great spot to chec" it bac" and maybe %ire the turn. I% the turn is something li"e a Jing or ; I #ill probably chec" it again because nothing about this board has really changed and it #ill still be di%%icult to e$tract, I@ll probably ,ust 'bet the ri'er. I #ould probably play II the same #ay, or I might ,ust chec" it do#n depending i% my opponent does or does not ha'e the capacity to call #ith #orse, %#i# i% something li"e a J or 3 peels on the

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turn or ri'er you should be more inclined to bet because its unli"ely he@s chec"ing trips and its 'ery li"ely he thin"s you don@t ha'e trips either, so he might ma"e a marginal call do#n. 3gainst 'ery tough player you #ill occasionally be ri'er c1r@d #ith a range o% trips1blu%%s, but this is 'ery uncommon amongst e'en good players at these sta"es. $heck,'aising: Let@s no# %ocus on the %lop chec")raise. For the most part you ha'e probably already culti'ated an aggressi'e image by 8)betting your opponents, so no# lets suppose you slo# it do#n and coldcall pre%lop. For the most part #hen #e chec" raise it #ill mean that #e ha'e de%ended our blinds. Lets loo" at c1r situations0 (For these situations lets assume #e@re up against a LP .35 opener #ho plays some#here bet#een 2812A and 2E12;. )* Say #e %latcall #ith something li"e 88 %rom a /7 open. .he %lop comes 2E;8r. .his is not a good spot to chec" raise unless one o% the %ollo#ing t#o conditions are met0 A* >ou ha'e a reason to belie'e that the 'illain is bad and spe#y and #ill al#ays put in #ay too much money #ith a .P or o'erpair type hand, especially i% you play your hand %ast. (* >ou ha'e a history o% chec")raising dry boards against a decent)good opponent and he has reason to belie'e you are doing it #ith air %reBuently, so #e c1r #ith a monster to balance our range. 6oth o% this scenario@s reBuire us to ha'e some sort o% read or note on an opponent, so lets assume #e are ,ust 'aguely %amiliar #ith ho# he plays and #e ha'e his stats. >ou #ant to a'oid chec")raising these spots, #ith strong hands because you are polari!ing your range bet#een air1sets and it #ill be di%%icult to get paid. Since #e probably #ill peel (chec"1call a hand li"e 32E or AA (pending history, as you build history you could c1r something li"e .P on this board %or 'alue #e #ant to simply c1c our entire range (o% course not blu%%s, it@s probably a good idea to %ire a#ay a c1r #ith something li"e IHss on this board because you ha'e bac"door straight dra#s, potentially a bac"door %lush dra#, and t#o o'ercards, it is a good idea to go a%ter your opponents #ithout history in these spots because they #ill ha'e to be 'ery spe#y to continue #ith most o% their cbetting range and #orst case scenario you de'elop an image that you li"e to c1r blu%% #hich #e can later e$ploit by c1ring #ith big hands . 3ny#ay the point is #hen you %lop a monster on a dry board start by chec")calling, and go %rom there. +* .his #as mentioned in e$ample one but no# lets say #e ha'e IHss or <*ss on 2E;8r (one spade . 3ssume same type o% 'illain, this is a great chec")raise spot because #e ha'e bac"door dra#s or a gutshot, and because our opponent #ill also ha'e a tough time ha'ing a hand strong enough to continue #ith on this %lop. 6e more and more inclined to ma"e these sort o% blu%% c1r@s against players that cbet a lot, really anything greater than <EG and you can %or sure do it %airly o%ten, as their cbet G decreases so should your c1r %reBuency. History also plays a roll, i% he ga'e up the %irst time, do it again, put him to the test and ma"e him ad,ust or ,ust get run o'er. I% he has seen you do it and is inclined to not gi'e credit then change gears and ,ust c1% and let him ha'e it. 3lso you should see an increase in success o% these types o% plays in multi#ay pots. So say %or e$ample you ha'e been really going a%ter a guy pre%lop and decide not to sBuee!e so you o'ercall something li"e 3;s. .he %lop comes <82r, you chec", the PF9 cbet, #hoe'er called pre%lop comes along, you should c1r this spot, you ha'e assumably bac"door %lush outs, an o'ercard, and a gutshot. Not to mention a ton o% F+, and it appears as though you ha'e to ha'e a huge hand because you ,ust c1r@d a particularly dry board into t#o players. .he ris" you run is the o'ercaller ha'ing a set on this board, ho#e'er this #ill generally be unli"ely and in the e'ent that he does #e should ha'e a little bit o% eBuity. (FCIC it@s a c1r, %old to 8bet, #e ob'iously don@t #ant to put our money in #ith ace high

):

and a gutshot 3s %ar as bet si!es go, %or the %irst scenario lets assume your opponent cbets *bb@s into Abb@s, you should c1r to 2Abb@s #ith e'erything. In the second scenario, lets say your opponent cbets Abb@s into 2Ebb@s, someone calls, you should c1r to 8Ebb@s #ith your entire range (this is to "eep it consistent and a'oid gi'ing a#ay something on bet si!ing . .hese are rough numbers, ,ust "eep it some#here #ithin this range and you should be %ine. #* No# lets imagine #e %lop a made hand on a dra#y board, say #e ha'e A< or ;; on K*;dd. In this situation #e instead #ant to play our hand Buic"ly and c1r (as discussed pre'iously, big hands should be slo#played on dry boards , but on boards #ith dra#s and te$ture #e should opt to play our hands Buic"ly, our opponents #ill be %ar more incline to play their 2 pair1big dra# type hands %ast to ma$imi!e %old eBuity, and since they ha'e none and #e are #ay ahead #e #ant to get the money in no#. .hese boards should on occasion also be c1r@d #ith dra#s, but "eep in mind that depending upon the opponent you should li"ely #eight your range to#ards made hand, rather than dra#s, as you #ill li"ely be getting money in behind1%lipping most o% the time, and there is li"ely a more optimal #ay to play your dra# (FCIC big dra#s should li"ely be played %or a c1r, %or e$ample KAdd on <*2dd, #hereas 2EKdd should be played %or a c1c on <:2dd Lunless your opponent %olds to c1rs more than most, in #hich case e$ploit this by c1ring dra#s and stone blu%%s, and probably c1c most big hands, unless you@'e really been going a%ter him and you suspect he is sic" o% youM . &loat: )* Lets %irst %ocus on %loating #ith o'er cards. First o% all #e #ill ne'er %loat 77P, it@s #ay too tric"y and complicated, its ,ust Te'. .his means all o% our %loats #ill be done in position. Chat #e do by %loating is calling #ith a marginal type o% hands #ith the intention o% #inning the hand on later streets. I% #e ne'er %loated people could ,ust simply cbet e'ery %lop and gi'e up because he "ne# he #asn@t good on the turn and #ould ma"e us 'ery easy to play against. Chen someone cbets and you are in position you can raise, call or %old. Ce #ant to balance each range and raising certain situations simply isn@t a good idea because our opponents #ill reali!e #e raise blu%% too o%ten and #e are basically gi'ing him a %ree pass to 8bet blu%% us, or do so #ith a marginal hand. 3lso by raising certain situations #e gi'e a#ay the opportunity o% a %ree card to ma"e our hand. 3ny#ay lets suppose &P or /7 opens and #e call IP #ith IHss. .he %lop comes 2EA:r (#ith or #ithout a spade . 7ur opponent is a normal .35 and cbets, #hich he #ill li"ely do #ith a big part o% his range. Lets say on a'erage he opens 2EG o% hands %rom these positions (combined, more %rom /7 and less %rom &P . Lets see #hat his range loo"s li"e at best in relation to this board0 22F,3AsF,J.sF,IKsF,HKsF,.AsF,KAs,A<s,3.oF,J.oF,I.o F,H.o .here are a lot o% 2pair or no pair hands in there. .his is also a %airly conser'ati'e estimate, so i% this is the top o% his range #e can certainly peel. So lets say #e call his cbet and the turn is a bric", a deuce or * or :, #hate'er, he chec"s. No# #e e$ecute our %loat and bet *E)<;G o% pot. He #ill generally be c1ring or c1%ing this spot, leaning to#ards %olding, i% he chec"1calls #ho "no#s, he probably has li"e 2EK or KK or something, but I #ould probably ,ust gi'e up unless you are sure he has some under pair, in #hich case bet the turn and ri'er (FCIC you should do this #ith made hands li"e 32E as #ell to 'alueto#n him . 7" no# lets suppose #e hit our gin card, K. 3gain i% he chec"s #e ha'e no option but to bet and hope he c1r@s %or us to sho'e o'er. I% he bets again it is probably because he has a strong hand, and at this point I #ould probably ,ust put in a medium si!ed raise, so say he cbets 2;bb@s into 22 or so on the turn, I #ould li"ely ma"e it :Ebb@s to entice him to come along #ith something li"e HH or II, or to hope%ully resho'e a #orse made h and. In

)5

the e'ent that I "no# my opponent is spe#y or #ill ma"e loose triple barrels calling is best, but raising is probably a good de%ault. Lets no# suppose #e hit something li"e the 3 or J o% spades. In this spot i% he bets again you should ,ust call, in the e'ent that he is doubling representing this card #e still can ta"e the pot a#ay on the ri'er i% he chec"s, and i% he has this one pair hand its probable that he #ill #ant to go #ith it a%ter ma"ing .P.J. FCIC raising isn@t a bad play, ho#e'er it is high 'ariance, and #ithout a read as to his double barreling tendencies calling is li"ely best because i% god %orbid #e do hit #e can de%initely get paid o%% on the ri'er. I% he@s super aggressi'e, de%initely raise this situation. No# lets suppose #e hit a I or H, and he bets, ,ust call again and %igure out #hat to on the ri'er 4I, you #ill li"ely ha'e to %old unless the player is unusually out o% line (to a triple barrel, though i% he gi'es you a pass li"e betting hal% pot on the ri'er, loo" it up and %igure out #hat he@s doing . Let@s no# suppose he chec"s, ,ust li"e #hen #e #ere going to bet the turn i% #e missed #e bet #ith made hands, some players #ill chec" call something li"e 2E$ or KK on this board (#hich is bad and #e should certainly be loo"ing to 'alue to#n these guys. Fold i% c1r@d pending a phenomenal read. I should mention that despite this board is rainbo# you can also %loat something #ith li"e a %lush dra#, so let@s say %or e$ample the %lop comes 2EdAc8d, you can still %loat this board, and ho#e'er reali!e that on later streets you need to blu%%)represent the %lush to ma"e this pro%itable. It is more tric"y and should be played around #ith a little, try not to get cra!y #ith this because it is a bit higher 'ariance but it@s certainly a good play i% you can become com%ortable representing the %lush on later streets. +* No# lets say #e ha'e 2EKs in this situation and the board is 3<2r or JA;r, since #e "no# our opponents #ill cbet a ton o% 3 and J high boards #e should certainly thro# in %loats, in these situations #e ha'e at least a bac" door straight dra#, i% not %lush dra# as #ell, either #ay i% chec"ed to on the turn bet it 2EEG o% the time (that@s #hy you %loated rightO , and i% he bets into you again ,ust call i% you pic"up a dra#. I% you ma"e middle pair and he bets again it depends on him, i% he thin"s you are peeling the %lop light (this reBuires a read, don@t do this blindly then you can peel another street, but ne'er 8 4I #ithout a read. FCIC this hand #ith these %lops is another good spot to blu%%raise IP, I don@t thin" either is pre%erential, you generally #ant to mi$ it up, i% I had to assign a %reBuency I #ould say raise 2;G, %loat 8;G, %old ;EG.

)6

!asi" t#eo$y % expe"te& 'al(e (mat$ix)

edited to fix glaring typo in 2nd example and to clear up AA v KK example - edits are in italics (matrix128) +$pected ?alue ) is commonly re%errred to as +?. %rom here on in positi'e +$pected ?alue is F+? and negati'e +$pected ?alue is )+?. Po"er is a game in #hich s"ill #ill beat luc" e-er. time assuming that you play %or long enough. Chile it(s true that any t#o cards pre%lop can #in any gi'en indi'idual hand and that luc" is a large part o% this game i% you hold any aspirations #hatsoe'er to beat Po"er o'erany signi%icant amount o% time1hands you must learn to ma"e F+? plays and not ma"e )+? plays. +? is simply #hat you e$pect to ma"e on a-erage #ith any particular play. here is a simple e$ample Hero(2EE66 has 3 3 and raises pre%lop to :$66 %rom the /7. ?illain(2EE66 calls %rom the 66 and both see a H4 %lop o% K 8 * Villain tells us he has blac Kings (he!s not lying) and then raises all-in and "ero calls# ?illain tables J J

(disregarding ho$ good the play is in this hand) $hat is the %V of calling no$ing $e are against specifically K K &) I% #e punch those numbers into Po"ersto'e #e get this output.. 6oard0 Kc 8d *h -ead0 eBuity (G #in (G tie (G Hand 20 EA.8A8A G EA.8AG EE.EEG U JcJs V Hand 20 K2.*2*2 G K2.*2G EE.EEG U 3c3s V #e can see here that i% this hand goes to sho#do#n (as it is going to that Hero #ill #in on a'erage WK2G o% the time. so i% #e run this hand 2EE times Hero ought to e$pect #in K2 times and lose A times. there are W2EE66 at sta"e so Hero #ins 2A:EE66 the K2 times his 33 holds up ) and loses 2*EE66 the A times he loses the hand. .otal net #in o% 2*A661hand. .his play is F+? and has an +? o% 2*A66 Xe'eryX time you ma"e it. It(s important to note that +? and actual results can 'ary massi'ley o'er any short term period. e.g. i% #e actually ran the hand abo'e 2EE times you might #in all 2EE times )

)*

does this mean the +? has changedO or you might be unluc"y and lose 2; times in 2EE ) does this mean the play is no# less +?O ) no +? remains 2*A66 per hand. /-er.time you ma"e this play you YearnY 2*A66 and the more times you repeat this the closer your actual real results #ill get to the Yper%ect a'erageY o% #inning K2G o% the time. 7nce you ha'e played enough hands (an in%inite amount your total actual results #ill eBual the sum o% all o% the total +? o% the plays you ha'e made. .he closer your total number o% hands gets to in%inity the closer your actual results #ill get to this theoretical %igure. So in theory e'ery time you ma"e a )+? play and get chips in #hen you are an underdog you a Ylosing moneyY regardless of the actual results of the hand ) and con'ersely e'erytime you get chips in #hen you are a %a'ourite in a hand you are #inning money. I% you added up all the YS"lans"y 6uc"sY (theoretical +? money you made in the long run and compared this amount to your actual #inrate ) a%ter playing an in%inite amount o% hands these t#o numers #ill be identical ) and the more hands you play the closer these t#o numbers #ill get to each other. 'ets loo at a more complicated example( in our simple example above $e ne$ villains exact hand before calling so $e don!t have to put him on a range ($hich affects the %V of our play) in practice $e never no$ $hat particular hand $e are against $hen $e ma e our decisions# )his is a real hand from my database# Po"er Stars No Limit Holdem 9ing game 6linds0 SE.2E1SE.2; * players Stack si es: 4.50 S2<.A; 4.5F20 S2:.*; /70 S2A.K; 6utton0 S28.K; Hero0 S2;.2; 660 S2<.AE Pre,flop: (* players Hero is S6 #ith 2 2 4.5 calls, 2 folds, 6utton calls, Hero calls, 66 chec"s. &lop: H 2 ; (+1( , players Hero bets S2, 66 raises to S8, 4.5 %olds, 6utton calls, Hero raises to SA, 66 raises all)in S2:.K,6utton %olds, Hero calls. Turn: K (+-.#8( 1 player / 1 all-in - 0ain pot1 +-.#8

'i-er: K

(+-.#8( 1 player / 1 all-in - 0ain pot1 +-.#8

'esults: Final pot0 S;8.A ) it(s the %lop action I am interested in here. In real li%e #e don(t "no# #hat sepci%ic hand #e are %acing at the point in time #here #e ma"e a decision. Chat hand does 66 ha'e hereO is my hand strong enough to call his all) inO and ho# do #e #or" out the +? o% this playOO

)8

.he ans#er is to put 66 on a range o% hands ) i% #e re)run this hand 2EEE times say sometimes he has 33 and #e are a huge %a'ourite, sometimes he has ;; and #e are a huge underdog, he might also ha'e HH)JJ, 3H,JH,H2,;2,H;, 3$ , or he might be blu%%ing. In this particular case his range is #ide because there #as no pre%lop raise. 3lso #e are not saying htat he #ill al#ays play e'ery hand in this range e$actly this #ay ) but that he isn(t playing any other hand apart %rom the ones in this range in this %ashion. 3gainst most o% these hands I am a %a'ourite, and against some o% them I am an underdog. I ha'e no #ay o% "no#ing #hat hand he has and certainly don(t ha'e time at the table to put the numbers into Po"ersto'e so #e ,ust ma"e an educated guess. I play using the general rule that I should ne'er %old a %lopped set %or W2EE66. .he reason being that no matter the %lop i% #e can get all the money in on the %lop #e are almost al$ays a %a'ourite to #in the hand at the sho#do#n 's our opponents range o% hands. So I happily call his all)in. 6ut ha'e I made a F+? play and #ill this earn me money in the long runOOO Lets put his range and my hand into po"ersto'e and see... 2oard1 3c 2h -h 4ead1 e5uity (6) $in (6) tie (6) "and 11 78#71-- 6 78#726 88#886 9 2d2s : "and 21 21#28,- 6 21#286 88#886 9 33/( --( AhKh( A3s( 3-s( 32s( )s7s( -2s( A3o( 3-o( 32o( -2o : ()7ss is included in this range to represent a bluff) and the numbers say that on this $ide range of hands my play is /%V and that calling his all-in here means that vs that range ; expect to $in <7=6 of the time# )he actual results don!t matter( as long as my range is accurate( and $hat cards come on the )urn or on the >iver don!t matter either (as the decision is already made by then) if ; ma e this play everytime it is /%V and in the long run ; expect to $in <17822 everytime ; ma e this play# As this play costs me 18822 to ma e ; ma e a profit everytime here of 7822( $hether 22 sho$s me 33 for top set or A 8 for a busted flush dra$ ; still ?gain? <7822 everytime ; ma e the play# Chene'er you determine at the table that a play is F+? you should ma"e it +?+9> time. I% you don(t you are losing money in the long run. -o >ou See ChyO 4ltimately it is +? that #ill decide #hat your true #inrate is, you can(t beat it, or get around it in the long run e'entually your total real results #ill match your e$pected results. /losely tied in #ith +? is 'ariance ) a lot o% people misunderstand #hat 'ariance is and try to a'oid it. 6ut you shouldn(t. .he 'ery 'ery best players at po"er don(t care about 'ariance and try to ma"e e'ery single F+? play that they can (this is the main reason #hy they are such big #inners ?ariance is simply ho# much your actual results can 'ary %rom the statistical +? results in the short term. It(s the reason that a 2E$ buyin roll is recommended. So that you don(t go bro"e in the short term ma"ing F+? plays that you lose in the short term because the real results 'ary %rom the +$pected results. ?ariance is neither good or bad ) and the bigger ban"roll you ha'e to absorb 'ariance the more you ought to be #illing to ris" on a marginal F+? play.

)<

Lets say you determine that a play is F+? and you(ll #in ;2G o% the time, the more money you sta"e on this play the more you stand to #in in the long run. ;2G o% 2EE66 is more than ;2G o% 2E66 ) though in the short term real results #ill 'ary lots and you stand a great chance o% losing this particular bet i% you can a%%ord it (ha'e a large enough ban"roll you should bet as much as you can on this ;2G shot. 3s a %inal thought here is an e$ercise you can try #hen you ne$t get a big losing session. 9e'ie# all the hands in the session and %or each hand you play #or" out a range o% hands %or each 'illain, run the numbers into po"ersto'e and see ho# much you made in +?. I do this sometimes and o%ten %ind out that I had a F+? session that in real results lost me lots o% real money. I% most o% the losiung sessions you ha'e are F+? you are paying #ell and e'entually real results #ill catch up #ith your +? results and you #ill be a long term #inner, so despite losing no# in the short term you can be happy that in the long run you(re still #inning

3=

) F*)ME+O*, FO* PO,E* S-./0 (lea$ne&f$omt')

6elo# is an essay I('e #ritten %or my /arpal .unnel post. It(s long (P 2;EE #ords %or a 2;EEth post, I guess . I(m posting it in &.., #here I spent most o% my time since ,oining 2p2, and in &SNL, #here I ha'e spent more time lately. "ntroduction 9ecently I ha'e put some thought into strategies %or studying po"er, in particular NLH+. It is %reBuently said that there are too many 'ariables in'ol'ed in the play o% a hand %or anything resembling a %ormulaic, component)by)component analysis to be practical. I agree #ith this, and agree that in e'en the simplest cases (short)stac" push1%old calculations, %or e$ample , there is a signi%icant margin %or error in the %inal result #hich is due to necessarily imprecise assumptions about an opponent@s ranges. So e'en i% a po"er hand is one giant math problem, complete #ith game theoretic opponents #ho do a, b, and c $G, yG, and !G o% the time, it@s an unsol'able problem. .hat said, I thin" a lot can be learned %rom thin"ing about po"er hands in terms o% their component 'ariables, %rom thin"ing about the structure o% that giant math problem and ho# it could be sol'ed i% it #ere sol'able. .his essay is my attempt to categori!e and analy!e those components. I call it a %rame#or" %or po"er study, because I thin" that one good approach to getting better is to spend time a#ay %rom the table %ocused on these component 'ariables one at a time, in order to be better prepared to thin" through all o% the rele'ant in%ormation #hen %aced #ith decisions at the table. $ore "deas .here are three core ideas #ith #hich I assume e'eryone is %amiliar T the concepts o% pot eBuity and +$pected ?alue (+? , S"lans"y@s Fundamental .heorem o% Po"er, and #hat I #ill call Qhand range calculus.R Pot eBuity and +? are %unctions o% basic probability and go'ern e'ery action in a po"er game. >our hand has some G chance o% #inning the pot, the pot contains some amount o% money, so you ha'e a claim o% some part o% the pot. +'ery bet you ma"e is an in'estment= you should bet #hen your e$pected return %rom the bet is larger than the cost o% the bet. .he F.7P %ormali!es ho# to ma$imi!e your return in the special case o% complete in%ormation= e'ery time you ma"e a bet that ma$imi!es e$pectation 'ersus your opponent@s actual hand, you #in, e'ery time your opponent %ails to ma$imi!e his e$pectation gi'en your actual hand, you #in. QHand range calculusR, #hich is the %orm most analyses ta"e on these %orums, ac"no#ledges that po"er is actually a game o% incomplete in%ormation, and attempts to de%ine best actions in terms o% ma$imi!ing e$pectation 'ersus the range o% possible hands your opponent could ha'e, in light o% the range o% hands it is li"ely he thin"s you ha'e. 6ecause in e'ery case, both you and your opponent ha'e a speci%ic hand, the F.7P is still the %inal theoretical measure o% #hat is pro%itable or unpro%itable action. In practice, ho#e'er, #e #or" #ith incomplete in%ormation= thus po"er s"ill is a combination o% the ability to ma"e best decisions #ithin the conte$t o% Qhand range calculusR and the ability to read your opponents@ ranges better than they read yours. Situational &actors Ce all "no# that the proper play o% a hand and the correct read on an opponent@s range depends on a lot o% situational %actors. I thin" #e are accustomed to thin"ing about these %actors in the conte$t o% #hate'er particular hand #e are playing or analy!ing, #here

many relati'ely small %actors accumulate to a read and a decision. .he %rame#or" %or study that I suggest in this essay (and #hich I am %ollo#ing mysel% is to separate the most important situational %actors and analy!e them indi'idually. .he %actors I #ant to tal" about are position, board te$ture, betting patterns, betting %reBuencies, pot si!e in relation to stac" si!e (there are t#o others I@m not going to co'er but that I #ant to mention T table image, and bet si!ing, table image because it is ob'iously so important, and bet si!ing because I %ind it interesting. &aybe another time, this #ill be long enough as is . 3ll o% these %actors are interrelated, but by isolating them I hope to get a better sense o% the role each plays in the core goal #e(re all see"ing ) to ma$imi!e +? 'ersus an opponent@s range and "no# his range better than he "no#s yours. Position .he most %amiliar, most analy!ed, and easiest to understand situational %actor is position. Hand ranges automatically #iden #ith better position. Not only does someone in position ha'e %e#er people le%t to act and more in%ormation on that particular round, they and their out)o%)position opponents ha'e the "no#ledge that the player #ith position on this round #ill ha'e position on %uture rounds. So /7 and 6utton pre%lop raising ranges are much #ider, and in)position bettors on the post%lop streets usually ha'e #ider ranges. 3 2E122 is <1; 4.5 and :E12; on the button, or #hate'er= i% you chec" the %lop %irst to act in a three #ay pot, independent o% any other "no#ledge, the 6utton is more li"ely to bet than the guy in the middle= etc. I don@t thin" much more needs to be said about this, as it is already built into e'ery thought any o% us has about the game. I% position #as all I had to tal" about, this essay #ouldn@t be 'ery use%ul. 7n#ard. (oard Te0ture .his one is more interesting, and might ma"e clearer #hat I@m getting at #ith the Qisolating situational %actorsR idea. Imagine a heads up raised pot #ith a dry ace)high %lop, 3$y rainbo#. >ou@'e probably played hundreds o% hands that %it this description, thousands, maybe. Chat percentage o% the time does one o% the t#o players ha'e an aceO Ho# o%ten can one o% them beat 3JO Ho# o%ten does someone bet this %lop #ith less than an aceO I% you are called the raise and are in position, #hat percentage o% the time should you e$pect an honest opponent to bet into youO Ho# much more %reBuently than honest does he ha'e to bet be%ore you can e$ploit him by representing the aceO .here@s a #hole game theory problem right here, on this simple board #here the only hands people QshouldR ha'e to continue are .P.J).P5J, sets, poc"et pairs, and the rare t#o pair. Chat about a medium t#o)tone %lop, the "ind #ith straight dra#s (.A; or K<: . No# there are lots o% dra#s, combo dra#s, still sets, there are al#ays sets, but no# i% you get action that loo"s li"e a set, it might be a dra# instead. Chat does a bet mean on this %lopO Ho# di%%erent is that %rom #hat a bet means on an 3)high %lopO Ho# o%ten does someone betting this %lop ha'e no pairO /ompare a raiser betting this %lop to the 3)high %lop T ho# o%ten should he bet, ho# o%ten should he get called, raisedO 9aised pot again, no# J)high. 9aiser is going to rep the J a lot, but ha'e it less o%ten than he has the 3 on the 3)high %lop. Ho# o%ten should an QhonestR raiser bet the %lop, allo#ing %or blu%%ing as long as it isn@t done too %reBuentlyO Ho# %reBuently is thatO Paired board, li"e HAA, or HHA. No# there are only ; cards that could ha'e hit the board, instead o% K. Poc"et pairs are stronger, the monsters are in plain sight. Same Buestions ) ho# o%ten should this %lop be bet, by #hat hands, ho# easy or hard is it to push someone o%% a mediocre handO +tc. etc. Ho# many %lop te$tures are thereO -o!ens, hundreds e'en, and they all blend into each other, but Buestions li"e Qho# o%ten should the pre%lop raiser bet the aceR, and Qho# %ast should HH play on a .A; t#o tone boardR are things that are partly determined simply by

3)

the "inds and number o% hands that can li"e a gi'en %lop. (etting Patterns 6ecause NLH+ is a game #here you can bet any amount at any time, it could %eel li"e there are a ton o% #ays to build a pot. In %act, especially among decent players, the same patterns repeat themsel'es o'er and o'er. .hin" about ho# o%ten a hand plays out li"e this0 pre%lop raise, call. 9aiser bets, call. 9aiser chec"s, caller bets, raiser %olds. 7r, raiser in position, chec"ed to the raiser, bet1call, turn goes chec"1chec", 77P bets, raiser %olds. 7r, raiser 77P, bet1call, chec"1chec", bet1%old. 7r bet1call, chec"1chec", bet1call. 7r bet1raise1call, chec"1bet1%old. 7r, chec"ed to raiser, raiser bets, chec")raise, raiser %olds. It@s easiest to categori!e headsup pots this #ay, but patterns repeat themsel'es in multi#ay pots also. Some patterns are more common than others. Chat I suggest is that thin"ing about these patterns and the %reBuency #ith #hich they occur is instructi'e, %or t#o reasons. 7ne, the patterns that occur most %reBuently are also the patterns that match the most %reBuently occurring situations (#ea" to moderately strong hands building and contesting a small to medium)si!ed pot . .#o, the ma,ority o% pro%it comes %rom creating large pots #ith big hands, #hich is easiest to get a#ay #ith i% done Buietly. +specially against good players, this can be 'ery di%%icult. (etting &re1uencies 4nder Qbetting patternsR I #as tal"ing about an obser'er@s 'ie# o% all participants in a hand, here I@m re%erring to the %reBuency #ith #hich indi'iduals bet, call, %old, and raise. .here are big meta)theory Buestions here, li"e #hat G o% the time should a pre%lop raiser bet the %lop (or optimal %reBuencies %or any action seBuence , but I am more tal"ing about things li"e Q#hat G o% the time do I (or this opponent, or that opponent bet the turn a%ter ha'ing bet the %lop and being calledO Chat G do I bet three streets in a ro#O Chat G do I bet t#o streets then chec"1%oldO Chat G o% the time do I chec")raise the %lop, then bet the turnO -o I e'er chec")raise the %lop, then chec" the turnO Ho# o%ten do I call three barrelsO Ho# o%ten do I %ollo# up my turn bet #ith a ri'er betO /learly, the board o%ten changes %rom %lop to turn and turn to ri'er. I% the dra# hits, and you "no# 2EEG that your opponent #as dra#ing, you should chec"1%old, and no %reBuency mumbo),umbo changes that. 6ut since some o% the time you should bet the %lop #ith that ob'ious dra# and some o% the time your opponent is calling #ithout it, then some o% the time, you should %ollo# up #hen it hits on the turn (#hether you ha'e it or not . +tc. .hese are the things you start thin"ing about #hen you thin" about action %reBuencies. 3re there optimal %reBuencies %or all o% theseO &aybe, sort o%, in a game)theoretic, per%ectly)playing opponent sense. Pots gro# e$ponentially, so maybe in theory #e should bet the %lop <;G o% the time #e raise, bet the turn 2;G o% the times #e@re called and ;EG o% the time the %lop chec"s through, and bet the ri'er 2EG o% the time the turn is called and 2EG o% the time the turn chec"s through, all #ith appropriate blu%%s mi$ed in. In practice, #e set these %reBuencies to e$ploit speci%ic opponents, but I thin" analy!ing these Buestions in general can help us understand ho# to do that. Pot Si e2Stack Si e 3.namic 2EE$66 stac"s. Limpy &cLimper limps in %ront o% you. He does this #ith 2EG o% his hands and he ne'er raises. >ou ha'e t#o cards and raise. He calls and you see a %lop #ith K 66 in the pot. Ho# strong a hand do you need to play %or 2EE66O For ;EO For 2;O .oo broad a BuestionO -ependent on too many other %actorsO >es, o% course. 6ut contrast0 Same 2EE$66 stac"s. 9aisy &c9aiser raises in %ront o% you. He does this #ith 2EG o% his hands and he ne'er limps. >ou reraise #ith the same t#o cards, he calls (he calls raises as

33

o%ten as Limpy . 2< 66 in the pot. No# ho# strong do you ha'e to be to play %or it allO Chat si!e pot should you play, on a'erage, #ith one pairO Cith a big dra#O .he only di%%erence is that the pot is a bigger percentage o% the stac". Cith more to %ight %or, people@s ranges %or post%lop actions necessarily should change to#ard being more aggressi'e. I% your opponents don@t ma"e this ad,ustment, e$ploit them T reraise a lot, then play aggressi'ely, let them %old too much. I% they do ma"e this ad,ustment, you ha'e to ad,ust #ith them in reraised pots. 5o bro"e #ith 33 against Limpy, you@re usually a %ish, against 9aisy, probably not. .he point is not that there is a %ormula %or proper si!e pot #ith $$ on %lop abc in terms o% pre%lop pot si!e Q33 is #orth 8$ pre%lop pot si!eR. /learly there isn@t. .here may be times to %old a set in a reraised pot and times to %elt middle pair in a limped pot. 6ut on e'ery %lop, you should be able to loo" at the pot si!e, loo" at the stac" si!es, and ha'e some general idea o% #hat "ind o% hands should be #illing to play %or ho# much. Sure, that general idea has to be ad,usted based on all o% the other situational %actors, but it plays its role too. 7b'iously, in &..@s, pot1stac" dynamic is al#ays present because o% increasing blinds and 'ariance in the si!e o% opponent@s stac"s. I %ind the 8E):E$66 range particularly interesting, because it is a time #hen raisers #ith one pair ha'e a hard time %olding, but callers #ith speculati'e hands still ha'e odds to call and try to out%lop (also because allin reraises are too o'eraggressi'e in this stage and easily e$ploitable . .his generates a cat)and)mouse game #here you ha'e to accompany the raising hands you do plan to go bro"e #ith hands you don@t plan to go bro"e #ith in order to deny implied odds to speculati'e hands. 6ut do too much o% this, and you become 'ulnerable to pre%lop reraises. 3lso, in &..(s, a signi%icant shi%t in pot si!e1stac" si!e ratio happens #hen antes are introduced. .here is more to %ight %or, so ranges change and more aggressi'e play is re#arded. In cash games, #here stac"s are usually 2EE$ and there aren(t antes, this dynamic sho#s up more in the di%%erences bet#een limped pots, raised pots, and reraised pots. All this theor. in practice 3 short, simple e$ample. Someone raises 4.5F2, 6utton calls, you call in the 66 #ith ;;. .he %lop contains a ;. 6e%ore you say QleadR or Qchec",R you ha'e to consider )the range the raiser raises %rom that position )ho# li"ely the particular %lop is to ha'e hit that range (3I;O .A;O ;22O )#hat betting pattern is most li"ely to create a large pot #ithout tipping anyone o%% that you #ant a large pot )ho# li"ely the raiser is bet the %lop i% chec"ed to, raise i% bet into, ho# li"ely the other caller is to be trapped #ith a marginal hand, ho# o%ten the raiser #ill %ollo# up on the turn #ith a marginal hand, ho# o%ten he@ll gi'e up the lead i% you sho# %lop aggression, etc., etc. )#hat the stac" si!es are and ho# li"ely your opponents are to ha'e a hand that is #illing to play a large pot. 3ll I am arguing in this essay is you #ill be better prepared to ma"e the best decisions i% you ha'e thought independently about ho# di%%erent board te$tures play, about the amount o% strength di%%erent betting patterns represent, about ho# to play 'ersus di%%erent betting %reBuencies, about ho# ranges and betting %reBuencies change in 's out o% position, and so on. /learly, there are plenty o% other %actors that I didn@t discuss, li"e table image, #hat 'arious bet si!es mean, ho# sure you are that you(re ahead (or behind , ho# easily you can impro'e, ho# 'ulnerable your hand is to the type o% hands that are #illing to play

3:

#ith you, ho# li"ely you are to end up paying o%% a second best hand i% someone catches you. I don@t pretend this co'ers e'erything it could co'er, or e'en close, but this is #hat I@m thin"ing about right no#. I hope this is use%ul1thought)pro'o"ing to some o% you, and that some o% the many o% you #ho are better than me #ill ta"e the time to comment.

35

+#at matte$s1 +#at &oesn2t ("3loom)

Cell, I ne'er made a YPoobY and I(m coming up on my /arpal .unnel so I %igured I better get this in %irst. I thought I(d drop some thoughts on #hat really matters in being a #inning player. I('e almost reached 2EE" hands at about A P.6612EE. I('e struggled #ith Buestioning my game, do#ns#ings, ta"ing brea"s= my #in rate #ould be a lot better i% not %or some stretches #here I #as #ay o%% my Y3Y game, so I "no# #hat it(s li"e to be a brea") e'en1losing player and #here #in rate really comes %rom. .he %irst thing is to remember that the goal 0 being a pro%itable player, not ma"ing %ancy mo'es, not doing #hat you(re Ysupposed toY, not being super)aggressi'e li"e you thin" you should be. Chate'er it ta"es %or you to be a #inner, do that. Secondly, most o% the things you need to be a #inner are N7. strategy. >es, read the %orum, play hands, get practice, #or" on your game, but assuming you('e got the basics (and trust me, any mon"ey can get the basics , strategy is probably not your problem. 4hat !atters : 2. 6eing on your Y3Y game. Po"er is not easy. 7ne o% the traps I thin" #e all %all into is thin"ing that the %ish are so bad, #e can be on our 6 or / game and still be pro%itable. &aybe #e can tilt a bit and try to play through it. .he %act is, that(s not true. 6eating the ra"e is hard and you probably can(t do it on your / game. Furthermore, being on your Y3Y game is li"e a habit ) you get in the groo'e and can "eep it up. 7nce you start playing your / game, you get used to that and be%ore long you %ind you(re playing your / game all the time. It(s better to ,ust ta"e a brea" #hen you(re not on your 3 game and try to only play in that state. 2. Not Yspe#ingY ) ,ust thro#ing a#ay money. .his isn(t ,ust blu%%ing, it(s %olding decent hands to tiny bets, %olding monster hands because you imagine he has the nuts, etc. 3nybody #ho(s struggling #ith their game ) I gaurantee that Yspe#ingY in one #ay or another is a big part o% it. I% you really re'ie# your sessions you(ll %ind hands #here you ,ust thre# a#ay a lot o% money. Playing 'anilla good po"er and eliminating ma,or Yspe#Y #ill ma"e a huge impact on your #in rate. Note that Yspe#Y can be subtle ) not 'alue betting top pair on the ri'er against a calling station is a %orm o% spe#= you had an almost gauranteed big bet you could('e made and you didn(t. 8. -on(t ma"e the %ish(s mista"es correct. >ou should be playing most o% your hands against terrible players i% you(re using good game Z seat selection. .hese terrible players #ill do odd things, and you need to ad,ust properly. I% you don(t, you can ma"e their mista"es into good plays. Chen you blu%% a calling station, you('e turned the %ish into a better player than you. &ost %ishies ha'e 'ery high ?PIP(s, trying to get luc"y on the %lop. >ou punish them by usually ha'ing better hands and charging them to see %lops. >ou turn them into e$perts i% you pay them o%% #hen they hit. For e$ample 0 Fish 4.5 raises 3 * to 2 66 >ou reraise J J to 22 66 %olds to Fish #ho calls Flop * * < Fish chec"s >ou bet pot Fish pushes all in >ou call[[[[

36

7h no[ you made the %ishes )+? style o% chasing %lops into a pro%itable style. 4hat 3oesn5t : 2. Y.oughY -ecisions. I% you(re playing a hand and you hit a really really tough spot and you ,ust can(t %igure out #hat(s the best mo'e ) it doesn(t matter[ I% it(s truly a tough decision, that means the +? o% the choices is nearly the same[ >es, you might lose a huge pot because you made the #rong decision in this particular case, but i% you(re thin"ing about the range o% hands it #as actually +? neutral. .hese sort o% YtoughY decisions are %un to analy!e because they(re 'ery close and complicated, but the %act is they ha'e almost !ero e%%ect on your #in rate. >ou(ll see these some times #hen you post a hand and good1respected posters disagree about the best mo'e. &aybe there is in %act one mo'e that(s better than others, but it(s a 'ery small +? di%%erence. 2. Little details about your play. &aybe you(re 2;G 'pip, maybe you(re 8EG 'pip. &aybe you complete .<o in the S6, maybe you don(t. &aybe you reraise a lot pre%lop, maybe you don(t. 3gain, these could be slightly F+? or slightly )+?, but the %act is, they ha'e almost !ero e%%ect on #hether you(re a big #inner. Chat you should not do is play in a #ay you(re not com%ortable #ith. -on(t complete hands in the S6 because you thin" you should i% you(re not com%ortable playing them post%lop. >es, maybe %olding .Ko in the S6 is a small lea", but it(s a tiny tiny lea" and not #orth #orrying about. 8. &arginal situations. >ou #ill run into lots and lots o% marginal situations. >ou could %old almost e'ery one o% them and it #ouldn(t hurt your #in rate that much. 7n the other hand, it(s 'ery easy to ma"e a big mista"e in a marginal situation, and that #ill hurt your #in rate a lot[[ .his is sort o% li"e a re'erse implied odds situation. It(s almost ne'er bad to ,ust be a #uss in these spots unless you do that too much. 3 lot o% people are scared o% being Y#ea"Y or Yeasy to run o'erY, but that(s not really a problem unless someone starts trying to do it, in #hich case you can try to trap them. (synopsis %or the tl=dr cro#d 0 stop #orrying about tri'ial details that don(t a%%ect your #in rate much= %i$ your big lea"s and play solid

3*

6 Max f(n&amentals fo$ SSNL playe$s (-ien)

Some *ma$ Fundamentals No# that I ha'e decided to #al" a#ay %rom po"er and pursue other ambitions, I ha'e decided to gi'e something bac" to community that I ha'e recei'ed so much %rom. .his comes %rom a player that played primarily (only *ma$ 2EENL, :EENL, and *EENL (#hen the games #ere %ishy . 7ne o% the hardest things I had to learn #as the %undamentals o% * ma$ and ho# to play li"e a proper .35 %or medium sta"es. .here is Buite a lac" o% in%ormation on ho# to properly play * ma$ .35 and I am mostly appalled at ho# the lo#er sta"es players are completely missing out on the %undamentals. .his post #ill merely co'er the basics o% * ma$, positional pre%lop play and image, and not Buite on ad'anced play. First thing I #ant to mention is position and the button. It is a no brainer to #hy position is so important in NL. 6eing last to act simply gi'es you a #orld o% ad'antage o'er your opponents. .hat is #hy i% you open up po"ertrac"er and a large enough sample si!e, you #ill see that the button and /7 is the most pro%itable position to play in. I #ould also li"e to ma"e a note here that you should almost ne'er open limp. 7pen limping is ,ust gross. -on(t do it #ith suited connectors or #hatnot. 9aise rather than limp. .a"e do#n the blinds and mo'e on to ne$t hand. 7pen limping in * ma$ is a 'ery 'ery big sin. -7 N7. 7P+N LI&P. 7pen raise. For all you po"er trac"er statiticians out there, I play 2212A and consider mysel% .35. Chen you are on the button and /7, consider yoursel% the gate"eeper. It is up to >74 to decide #hether or not people get to enter a pot cheaply or not. 3nd hell, #hy let them play out o% position hands %or cheapO 3buse the LcensoredM out o% the button and /7. .rue tags understand this concept and abuse the LcensoredM out o% the button. Hands that a true .35 #ill raise #ith i% %olded to them on the button 1 /7 is0 22 )P 33, meaning e'ery single poc"et pair, e'ery single 3$s, e'ery single suited connector, and a H45+ 'ariety o% high cards, 32Eo and better. .hat includes JHo, IHo. Hell, e'en any 3$o i% %olded to them. .he reason you &4S. do this is because0 2 you steal the blinds i% they all %old 2 i% they call you, they are playing a raised pot out o% position and you ha'e the ad'antage. /ontinuation betting #ith nothing o%ten ta"es the pot do#n. 8 Flopping sets 1 monsters in unraised pots is basically a crap pot. : People are more li"ely to go bro"e on raised pots than unraised pots, they #ill blu%% you more and ship more money your #ay. http011###.po"erhand.org1O;<A**A 7ne e$ample o% #hy you need to raise. Could I ha'e stac"ed him in an unraised potO &ost li"ely not. http011###.po"erhand.org1O;<A**K 3nother positional hand. I% he doesn@t ha'e an 3, or dra#, he %olds to my raise. I% he calls my raise, I can chec" behind %or a %ree card. .his play is better than calling his %lop bet.

38

+$ample0 4.5 limps, %olds to you on the /7, you ha'e 22. Chat do you doO 3ns#er0 93IS+. Ho# much to raise, :);$ 66 is good. +$ample 20 4.5 limps, &P limps, you hold 22 on the button. Chat do you doO 3ns#er0 93IS+ .H3. LcensoredM 4P I% they call, you #ill ta"e it do#n o%ten enough #ith a continuation bet to ma"e it pro%itable. 3nd 6.C, continuation bet <;)KEG o% the time. .hey #ill most li"ely %old a hand that didn@t hit. So no# that you understand basic %undamental button and /7 play. It is time to %igure out ho# to play 4.5 and &P. 4.50 >ou #ant to play real damn tight, %old suited connectors, %old high cards, %old 3$s hands. 6ut continue to raise poc"et pairs in 3N> P7SI.I7N. Poc"et pairs ha'e the ability to %lop such po#er%ul monsters that you ,ust can@t %old them in any position. 9aising poc"et pairs is so mandatory. 3ssume 2EE66 stac"s. >ou raise :: in &P and get reraised. >ou call and %lop comes 8:*, 2:2E, :2EH, 8:;. >ou are stac"ing JJ 33 2EEG o% the time. -on@t limp either. It is so transparent #hen a #ea"tight (#ho thin"s he is a .35 limps 4.5, and calls you raise. He has small poc"et pair or suited connector KKG o% the time. /ontinue to raise 3Ho and better. Folding IJo and JHo, as #ell as IHo is not bad play at all. .hese hands are pretty garbage out o% position. &P0 >ou can still %old the IJo, JHo, or IHo, but start loosening up your standards. Start mi$ing up raising or %olding those 3$s hands, suited connectors. 6linds0 >ou #ant to play real tight in the blinds. /alling too many raises out o% position is ,ust a death trap. >ou don@t #ant to build big pots #ith marginal holdings in the blinds. Fold suited connectors, 3$s, call #ith poc"et pairs ob'iously. 6ut ,ust because you are playing tight in the blinds doesn@t mean you are a big sissy either. Facing a button raise or an &P raise, i% you hold hands li"e 3J, 3I, HH, 2E2E, 9+93IS+. It@s much much better to reraise these hands in the blinds that many SSNL players normally ,ust call #ith. 9eraising these hands start to become ad'anced play so be care%ul. Ne# players trying these things out o%ten lose stac"s because they are out o% position and are bad post %lop players. +$ample0 >ou are in 66 or S6 #ith 3J, 3I, HH. 4.5 limps, &P limp, button limps. Chat do you doO 3ns#er0 93IS+ .H3. LcensoredM 4P. 9aise it up to *)< e'en A$ bb depending on players. .a"e do#n the pot #ithout e'en seeing a %lop is better than chec"ing and playing a multi#ay un raised pot. http011###.po"erhand.org1O;<A<22

3<

9aising all these hands allo#s you to play raised pots against players that ha'e no idea o% positional or image. >ou #ill stac" them more o%ten than not. 3nd don@t sissy up on continuation bets. 6et <;)KEG o% the time no matter board te$ture. 7nly i% 2 people call you and u completely missed the %lop can you decide to chec" and gi'e up on the pot. +$ample0 >ou ha'e 3As on the button, 4.5 limps, you raise ;$ 66 and get called by 66 and 4.5. Flop comes :AI rainbo#. 6+. 2EEG o% the time i% chec"ed to you. .hat co'ers the 63SI/S o% positional pre%lop play. /ombo -ra#s 3nother thing #hich I thin" is standard to most people but may not, is combo dra#s. Hands #here you ha'e say 28)2; outs on the %lop should be ta"en to the %elt. http011###.po"erhand.org1O;<A*A* Here is an e$ample o% properly playing a combo dra#. Same goes #ith open ended straight and %lush dra#s. Play these hands strong and 'ery %ast. .here is a ton o% %old eBuity as #ell as getting money in being a ;E1;E i% they do decide to ta"e their hand to the %elt #ith you. 6est case scenario %or the hand I played abo'e is that e'eryone %olds. &a"ing them %old in spots li"e this is #hat ma"es playing combo dra#s this #ay pro%itable. >ou don@t pro%it by them calling a ;E1;E shot. >ou pro%it ma"ing them %old. I #anted to tal" more about 2nd barrels, increasing range o% reraising hands pre%lop, and pot control, but that is a bit more ad'anced than the basics and maybe I@ll #rite something later on. In conclusion. -on@t ma"e dramatically changes to your game. Start implementing one concept at a time. -on@t start raising *)<G more hands ,ust because I told you. Start one di%%erent hand at a time and slo#ly ma"e changes. I hope this helps the struggling lo# sta"es player out there. I% you "eep these strategies and tactics in mind, it #ill de%initely impro'e your play.

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-ien2s )$ti"le on Mentality1 4mage1 an& "#anging gea$s (-ien)

7", .his is a %ollo# up article to the last one I #rote0 http011%orumser'er.t#oplust#o.com1sho#%l...part=2Z'c=2 I %inally got around to #riting this and #ill probably be the last one I #rite be%ore I disappear %rom the online po"er #orld altogether. 3lthough I thin" this article should ha'e been #ritten be%ore the %irst one, since I #ill tal" a lot about mentality #hich I %eel is the most important thing a player needs to de'elop %irst. I #ill mi$ up image in here some#here too. First though I #ould li"e to rant about a couple o% things %irst be%ore I really start. Starting players hoping that they #ill ma"e something out o% this game really need to as" themsel'es a Buestion. Ho# badly do you really #ant itO Chat it ta"es to continuously go %rom le'el to le'el in po"er is an insane desire to continuously challenge yoursel% and impro'e. >ou #on@t go any#here thin"ing ho# you play right no# is su%%icient %or #hate'er sta"es. I&P97?+ >749S+LF. .here is a huge gro#ing army o% 22 tabling hudbots continuously grinding a#ay. Some o% them are impro'ing, some o% them are not. I% you belong in the category o% players #ho don@t impro'e than you #ill be le%t in the dust. .he games 39+ getting tougher %or those #ho are N7. continuously impro'ing. 2.; years ago, I don@t thin" I e'en heard o% multitabling .35s playing at 2;122 at &id sta"es #ith insane relentless post %lop aggression. No#, i% you 'isit the mid sta"es %orums, it@s the norm. 7", so the %irst thing you need to change is your mentality. 3nd by sur%ing these %orums, I can guess there are thousands o% #inning players #ho need a total mentality re)haul. >ou may as", but .ien, they are #inning, #hat@s #rong #ith themO &y 3ns#er0 .hey still complain, #hine and bitch about irrele'ant things. .hey still get angry and emotional #hen a doo%us %ish suc"s them out #hen they are a A;G %a'ourite. .hey get %rustrated and cry out to people #ho don@t e'en care saying ho# badly they are ta"ing it. It doesn@t ma"e any LcensoredM sense #hatsoe'er to complain about getting suc"ed out. 3nd i% you are running bad, guess #hat, I -7N@. LcensoredM /39+. Po"er player #ho needs a total mentality re)haul0 Q7&5 &> 33 H4S. L7S. .7 :: 3LLIN P9+FL7P 28:KK8E2: .I&+S .7-3>, I& -7CN 2; 64>INS, 7&5 I /3N. .3J+ I. 3N>&79+R &y ans#er0 QI don@t careR Po"er player #ho doesn@t need mentality re)haul, this time he is thin"ing to himsel% #hene'er the %ollo#ing happens0 Loses 33 's JJ allin pre 8:28:82 times. QChate'er I don@t gi'e a LcensoredMR Loses a bunch o% coin%lips on monster dra#s. QChate'er I don@t gi'e a LcensoredMR Loses a #hole bunch o% buyins. QIt@s about time these #ea"sauce LcensoredM #in something %rom meR

>ou need to be cool and remain calm. >our reaction to #inning a 2EE 66 pot should be the same as the reaction to losing a 2EE66 pot. Ne$t time you complain to someone. 9emember that deep do#n #hat they are really thin"ing is QI don@t careR. /omplaining ser'es no purpose #hatsoe'er and should be completely and 2EEG erased %rom your character. 5etting suc"ed out and going on do#ns#ings is the nature o% the beast. It can@t happen any other #ay. Ho# does complaining or #hining help you impro'eO It doesn@t. It ma"es you a #orse player. >ou can@t #in i% you don@t get suc"ed out. >ou can@t impro'e i% you ne'er go on do#ns#ings. >ou can@t succeed i% you ne'er %ail. &entality change goes beyond complaining 1 #hining 1 bitching. I% you #ant to change yoursel% %rom a #ea" tight player to an aggressi'e player (Notice .35 and L35 both ha'e the #ords aggressi'e in it you need to change your mentality %irst. No matter ho# hard you try to change something, i% you don@t program it into your head, >74 CILL N7. /H3N5+. >ou need to start to thin" aggressi'e e'ery time you sit do#n in your sessions. .hin" about opportunities to raise and re)raise and #in pots. >ou need to ha'e that image o% a player #ho is constantly raising and re)raising and instilling F+39 into the other players. -on@t ma"e sissy as hell bets and raises either. +'ery time you bet or raise, bet and raise li"e you mean it. 218, to \ pot si!e bets to build big pots to stac" people or ma"e them %old. 3gain, %or the mid sta"es players no#adays, this is the N79&. For a lot o% you starting players out there, there is an entirely ne# concept that you N++- .7 L+39N 3NI&PL+&+N.. I don@t #ant to get so much into post %lop because that sub,ect is really comple$, but I@ll gi'e a couple o% e$amples. 2 >ou raise 2EHs on the button and some #ea"tight %ish #ho limps be%ore calls. 6oard comes :AJ rainbo# and he don" bets into you mea"ly. 9aise the LcensoredM out o% him[ 2 >ou raise 3;s in middle position and %lop comes 8s:sI$. >ou lead out and bet and get miniraised or raised. 9+93IS+. >ou ha'e 22 outs here and plenty o% %old eBuity, 3LLLIN. 8 >ou ha'e KAs and raise in the button and some guy calls. Flop comes <A2E rainbo#. He leads into you. 93IS+ .H3. LcensoredM 4P. 9esults in these hands don@t matter nor should you care i% you lose being :EG dog or #hate'er. >ou played these using concepts o% %old eBuity properly. .hese are ,ust a couple o% e$amples o% #hat "ind o% an aggressi'e mentality you need to ha'e. -on@t ta"e these e$amples in stone e'ery single time, but the mentality behind these e$amples is #hat you need. 7nce you change your mentality into the one proper %or po"er, many many post%lop decisions #ill become easy to you. I guarantee that. 7n to#ards Image. So #hat image do you really needO 3s mentioned be%ore you need an image o% a player that the table is a%raid to play against. 3nd at small sta"es NL, there are a bunch o% #ea" tight players #aiting to be a%raid o% you. So go out there and instill %ear into them[ Play

:)

solid positional aggressi'e po"er. Loo" %or spots to raise and re)raise in position holding dra#s, marginal hands, etc etc. 3chie'ing that image cannot be done unless you yoursel% belie'e inside you possess that image. Chat you thin" about yoursel% inside re%lects a lot on ho# people thin" about you. 3gain, this goes bac" to your mentality. .his type o% image #ill also get you a lot o% action too. >ou are in there building pots and people #ill gi'e you action in return. >ou don@t care about that because i% you play solid positional po"er, you #ill ha'e the ad'antage. People #ill also gi'e you their respect and %old to your blu%%s or semi)blu%%s. -on@t sho# do#n a losing hand. 6ut once your image has been shot to LcensoredM. >ou@'e been caught blu%%ing or people see you ha'e been playing a lot o% big pots lately and are starting to play bac" at you. It is time to tighten up a bit. >ou can slo# do#n on the cont bets i% you %eel these guys #ill loo" you up #ith any 2 cards. >ou can also raise less in &P and 4.5 #ith marginal hands. 7nce you %eel you ha'e been playing tight enough and sho#ing a lot o% aggression but also sho#ing do#n big hands, you can then again loosen up and become more aggressi'e #ith marginal hands 1 blu%%s. .hat is changing gears. 9eacting to your table dynamics and ho# you thin" people are obser'ing you. In conclusion, this article again co'ers the 63SI/S o% #hat I ha'e been tal"ing about. /ontinue to go out there, post hands, discuss hands, obser'e hands. .hat@s #hat it ta"es to impro'e. 3nd #hen you are done a session or #hate'er. 9e'ie# your hands, post them, analy!e, obser'e etc etc etc. Lots o% players are doing that right no#, and they are impro'ing. 6ah, I can re'ie# this a couple o% times and ma"e a better article but I@m really too la!y. .he most important point in this article is your mentality. I can@t stress that enough. 3n aggressi'e mentality to#ards po"er #ill continue to open countless opportunities, doors and SS in the #orld o% po"er. Some important reads0 http011%orumser'er.t#oplust#o.com1sho#%lat.phpO /at=EZNumber=;*2;A2EZan=EZpage=EZ'c=2 http011%orumser'er.t#oplust#o.com1sho#%l...amp=o=Z'c=2

:3

)lmost t#e$e 5it# S(""ess an& Fail($e (Giga3et)

.his post is in response to Irieguys Post Y.he -i%%erence 6et#een Success and Failure.Y Here is the lin" http011%orumser'er.t#oplust#o.com1sho#threaded.phpO /at=ZNumber=2A22:A:Zpage=2Z'ie#=collapsedZsb=;Zo=2:Z%part=2 Chen I read Irieguys post I #asn(t planning on responding, I rarely respond to posts, because most o% the time I am the dissenter, and %ran"ly, it isn(t good %or my long term %inancial situation. 3s I started reading the responses I soon %elt obligated to respond. He is so close, but tra'elling in the #rong direction. .he #ording he uses in the te$t lets me "no# #here he is at on the Ypath,Y so to spea"(the 'ery beginning . Let me start #ith the #ords success and %ailure. .hese are #ords that mean such di%%erent things to each indi'idual that to use them to label your accomplishments, or lac"thereo%, is setting yoursel% up %or a long ardurous ,ourney, that most #on(t %inish. Success and %ailure are ,ust ideas created by society to improperly ,udge others against oursel'es. .here are no success%ul people, or rather, using these #ords, I should say that there are no %ailures and e'eryone is a success.
Iuote0

+'erybody #ill e'entually run #orse than they thought #as possible. .he di%%erence bet#een a #inner and a loser is that the latter thin"s they do not deser'e it.

.his statement is truer than anyone can "no#(e'en though I thin" most o% you do "no#, it ,ust seems impossible %or me to belie'e that someone else can understand . Chat he says about #inners and losers though, #ill "eep you %rom attaining a more complete game. .here are no #inners or losers, to thin" that, is to let yoursel% be a%%ected by negati'e 'ariance. I% you are not in the positi'e %or the day, then you there%ore must be a loser, and so the do#n#ard spiral begins. 3ll o% those negati'e ideas must be eliminated %rom your mind, or you #ill not per%orm to your potential. .he tric" is recogni!ing these negati'e ideas, since there are so many and so commonplace in our society, it is a large tas" indeed to sort them out as real, or ,ust ideas created by the masses. 7ur labels %or #inners and losers simply identi%y indi'iduals #ho play the same game a di%%erent #ay. Hust because one person doesn(t achie'e the same goal that I stri'e %or, doesn(t ma"e that person a Yloser.Y +'eryone is the same, and e'eryone has the same potential, some ,ust direct their energies in di%%erent directions. .he sooner you can get that into your head and really belie'e it, the sooner you #ill start to ha'e a real understanding o% the game.
Iuote0

I am beginning to reali!e that most people don(t ha'e the psychological %ortitude or spiritual perspecti'e to manage the 'icissitudes o% this game. I also belie'e that o% the 'ery small number o% pro%essional po"er players #ho ha'e been success%ul %or more than a %e# years, most o% them are actually Buite luc"y. I belie'e that there are many pros #ho #ill %ail once they begin to e$perience a'erage luc".

I really belie'e that e'eryone has the Ypsychological %ortitudeY to manage the 'icissitudes o% the game. It is simply a choice. 3 choice to change the #ay you thin" about results. Stop thin"ing in terms o% #inning as good and losing as bad. .he t#o concepts should be

::

grouped in your mind e$actly the same. Chen 5od YblessedY man #ith shame, %ailure became a real entity #e had to deal #ith. .hat is #hat #e are trying to achie'e #hen #e label a person as a %ailure, #e are attaching shame to 3 meaningless act. .hroughout my li%e I ha'e been around alot o% people that most #ould classi%y as Y%ailuresY and not one o% them seemed any di%%erent than mysel%. .he problem comes to li%e #hen a person starts their do#ns#ing, #hich #e classi%y as Ylosing,Y they begin to suspect that they may Y%ailY and rather than become susceptible to the shame that comes #ith Y%ailureY they decide to Buit. .hey stop because they %ear things that aren(t e'en real. .he people #ho come to reali!e these negati'e labels aren(t real, either concretely or intuiti'ely, are the same people that do not gi'e up, no matter ho# bad things seem to be running. +'entually they become the Ypro%essionalsY in #hate'er #al" o% li%e they choose. >ou ha'e to %ind your o#n #ay to deal #ith these thoughts that ha'e been brain#ashed into your mind %or your #hole li%e. Identi%ying e'ery negati'e thought as it creeps into your mind is a start, it ta"es practice to monitor your thoughts, but you cannot eliminate #hat you do not recogni!e. I try 'ery hard not to allo# any negati'ity in my li%e, as" my brother(ship]it]tome ho# upset I get #hen he is at my house, playing, struggling, %or hours on end, and %inally says YI can(t #in.Y Ce get along 'ery #ell, but I get 'ery irate #ith him #hen he utters those deadly #ords, as I am sure you all ha'e muttered them at one time or another.
Iuote0

I thin" you can learn ho# to a'oid this trap o% psychological betrayal. I thin" I(m beginning to learn it mysel%. It in'ol'es turning your noise %ilter all the #ay up.

.urning your noise %ilter up #ill #or" %or a time, but e'entually it builds and seeps through at one time or another, and e'erything that has been bloc"ed comes pouring out at once, #hich creates the 'ery #orst tilt imaginable. 6elie'e me, I ha'e been there many times. I ha'e come to reali!e that it is much better to ac"no#ledge the negati'e or angry thoughts as they arri'e, that doesn(t mean ,ust noticing their presence, #hen they approach, actually tal" to your mind and announce their arri'al, and then identi%y the reasons behind them. 3s your mind comes to reali!e ho# tri'ial and meaningless these thoughts are, it #ill e'entually stop creating them in the %irst place. It ta"es alot o% time and e%%ort to do this, but the long term results #ill be #ell #orth it.

7J....S7 H7C -7+S 3LL .HIS 9+3LL> 9+L3.+ .7 P7J+9O .he game that most o% us play is really 'ery simple. >ou get 2 cards, ; cards come up, and you do a little betting here and there. 6est ; card hand #ins. Cith a game this simple, #hy do so many people ha'e so much trouble ending up ahead o% #here they startedO .he real game is about people, not the cards in your hand. I% you "no# a person #ell enough, you can read their hand, and once you "no# #hat they ha'e in their hand, the game becomes a ca"e#al". .he problem is, #e ha'e all o% these predisposed ideas o% #ho a person is based on ideas that ha'e been placed in our heads by our society. >ou ha'e to be able to eliminate all o% these ideas. 7nce you train yoursel% to be completely ,udgement %ree, you #ill become a more complete player. 3nyone can read a persons

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hand based on his actions and seeing common tendencies, ie., a beginning player #ill commonly bet small #hen on a dra#, and bet big #hen he has a made hand. Chat about more e$perienced playersO Chat does it mean #hen they bet 218s o% the pot one time, and than bet pot the ne$tO .hey are certainly e$perienced enough to "no# not to bet the same pattern %or the same types o% hands. So ho# can you %igure out #hat they ha'eO Cell, get to "no# him, #atch him play. .ry and %igure out #hat he is thin"ing, he has to be thin"ing something. Put yoursel% in his spot, #hat "ind o% hand #ould you ha'e i% you #ere betting li"e thatO No# do this %or e'ery hand %or e'ery player that is in the hand, %or e'ery player at the table, %or e'ery table that you are playing at. .ry and eight table #hile doing this e$ercise. Put e%%ort into e'ery single hand that is played out at your table, not ,ust the ones you are in'ol'ed in, e'ery single hand. +'ery time there is a sho#do#n, and the losing hand is muc"ed, open up the hand history %ile, and see #hat he had. 5o through the hand again and see i% you can %igure out #hy he #illingly sho#ed do#n a losing hand(something that should rarely be done. I call this an e$ercise, but this should be done on e'ery single hand that is played out at any o% your tables %or the rest o% your po"er career. .his is ho# you become a real player, then you can ignore the YsngY %ormula and really start to play. Post %lop is #here the real game is at, and it is %un to play. 4se your bets to pull in%ormation %rom your opponent, and then #hen you "no# #hat he has, trust your ,udgement 2EEG. I% you thin" he is on second pair, but #ill not %old unless you bet your #hole stac", then bet your #hole stac"(unless o% course you ha'e a better hand than second pair, #hich is unli"ely since players li"e us can rarely beat bottom pair , e'en i% it means your tournament is o'er i% you are #rong. Practice trusting yoursel%, you #ill be #rong enough in the beginning to doubt yoursel%, but don(t let that stop you. .here is a strong possibility that I am the most acti'e player in the #orld, and I can honestly say that this is something that I do on nearly e'ery hand. Imagine, *EEE hands a day on a'erage, ,ust #atching and learning, #ith no predisposed ,udgements o% the other players. .his is #hat it ta"es. 6ad beats are no longer bad beats, they are ,ust the cards coming out randomly, e'ening themsel'es out o'er time. Chat is really important is learning the thousands o% languages that di%%erent people spea" through their actions at the table. 6elie'e me, it isn(t some spiritual science, it is listening and learning #ithout pre,udice. 5igabet

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-#o(g#ts on *(nning 3a& fo$ .NL g(ys (ss&ex)

I bro#se through posts really o%ten in the bre# and in general #here I see people #ho ha'e 2E buyin do#ns#ings and are ready to Buit po"er, or are ,ust on li%e)tilt in general. It is really hard #hen you %irst begin po"er to understand the concept o% Y'arianceY. I ha'e #ritten be%ore on my uber nitty strategy o% ban"roll management. I am pretty sure there is no other ;Enl reg that plays as o'errolled as I do, e'en i% I mo'ed up to 2EEnl, I #ould still probably be the most o'errolled reg there. The reason " prefer to pla. lo6er and o-errolled has a lot to do 6ith the emotional side of poker* 'unning bad at higher limits7 the do6ns6ings emotionall. effect me too much and prone me to tilt7 much more so than " alread. am* .he point o% this post is to understand that you should be emotionally YnumbY to the limits you choose to play. I% you don(t ha'e a li%estyle that relies on po"er %or S then I thin" you can emotionally mo'e up much %aster. I "no# at the beginning o% my po"er career #hen I #as in school I could care less about the money at %irst. 6ut it is hard to deal #ith #hen you thin" you ha'e1ta"e o#nership to S2;" sitting in a po"er account and then 8 #ee"s later there isn(t anything there because your busto. I(m to la!y to lin" ama(s pooh bah post, but i% you ha'ent read it, you should. He calls it YconnectingY, I ,ust say you should be numb. So, here is my 2 cents. 2E buyin do#ns#ing happen people. I ha'e a lot o% Yunnecessary 'arianceY in my game. So I #ill al#ays ha'e multiple ; buyin do#ns#ings per month and a really good month #on(t include a 2E do#ner. 3 really bad month #ill probably ha'e a do#ns#ing much larger than this. 7'er 2EE" hands you can e$pect 2 or 8 o% these type o% do#ns#ings. 6ut i% you are playing #here you belong (this in my opinion has nothing to do #ith your ban"roll , then you #ill be emotionally numb to these s#ings. >ou #ill understand your mo'es are F+? and you ha'e been playing good ,ust running poorly. >ou #ill sho'e b1c you "no# you ha'e the right eBuity, and not be scared to pull the trigger ,ust because you('e missed K o% your last 2E combo dra#s. It #on(t matter i% your on a 2; buyin do#ns#ing or you('e played 2E" hands at brea"e'en. Hust because you ha'e 8E):E buyins %or a le'el doesn(t mean you should %eel obligated to play it. >ou should play at le'els you can emotionally beat, not ,ust beat F+?. .a"ing shots is ob' o", but ta"e small shots, not big ones. Lots o% players can beat le'els #ay abo'e the one they are playing, but they are emotionally )e' at those le'els because they can(t become YnumbY to the instant results. 6eing emotionally )e' can o%ten o'ercome e'en the greatest edge in cards %or the shorterm. 7%ten bad enough to bring us close to busto and crush our con%idence in po"er. .ilt during this time becomes #ay #orse then normal, and they %ind themsel'es in the utter state o% busto. &ost o% us ha'e been there. I play nl2EE nl2EE and e'en nl:EE %rom time to time, #hen I am ha'ing good months or I %eel li"e I am really "een on my game, but #hen I %ind mysel% 'enting o'er beats and not being YnumbY to#ards the results I come bac" to my ha'en #hich is nl;E at stars. .here ha'e been times during my po"er career during my #orse do#ners #here I considered the %act that I had ,ust run good o'er hundreds o% thousands o% hands and #as not indeed a #inner, times #here I #asn(t sure i% I could beat nl2E, much less nl2EE. I% you are playing at le'els #here you are YnumbY, I thin" it is possible to a'oid these moments in your po"er career. Learn %rom others mista"es[ .his post #as inspired by my last 2EE" hands #hich #ere my #orse e'er at nl;E. I ran :bb12EE, #hich is "ind o% cancerous and had se'eral 'ery bad do#ns#ings (2 2E and 2 2; buyin do#nsing . I'e also been running at 2bb12EE at nl2EE o'er the last 2E", #hich is also a poor result, but a%ter re'ie#, I %eel better about it. .he ne$t 2EE" #ill go better,

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maybe li"e the :EE" be%ore that. I am in no hurry to mo'e up permanently, and i(m o" #ith that no#. I(ll mo'e up #hen i(m YnumbY at those le'els again, i(m ,ust not there yet. Happy reading and good luc" at the tables, hope this post is help%ul..... great pooh bah post ama.... in his #ords... connect[

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/o t#ings fo$ a $eason (ofis#stix)

It has been a little o'er %our years since I started playing po"er and about three years since I@'e done so online. In this time, I@'e learned and %orgotten a bunch o% ideas and concepts. Some things my %riends and I learned1reasoned out #ere right, others #ere terrible #rong. In terms o% ad'ice, though, there is one piece that is so important I@ll ne'er %orget it^ I got to durrrr@s house around midnight #hen he #as playing some 2EE1:EE PL7. He #as already up *EE" on the day and #as about to cal it a night. 3%ter he %inished up his sesh, #e #ent out to ta"e care o% some things. In the car he #as telling me ho# so%t the heads up games on Prima #ere. Q.hey@re all sports betters #ho li"e gambling. Sit at ;12E, %ind a %ish, and they ne'er stop reloading. I@ll ta"e hal% your action.R I three tabled 81* * ma$, ;12E %ull ring, and ;12E H4. He #as helping me out #ith the H4 match as I had ne'er played H4 NL outside o% SN5s. .his is #hen I learned that limping the button is %ine. I% you@re going to get called any#ay, #hy #ould you #ant to bloat the pot #ith marginal hands li"e :;sO Limp and outplay your opponent post%lop. 5ood ad'ice, but not e$actly epiphany)type stu%%. .hough I don@t remember the e$act hand, I remember the lesson it prompted. I hadn@t 8bet pre%lop in a #hile so I decided to do it #ith something marginal li"e HKo. durrrr as"ed me #hy I did that and I told him that I hadn@t 8bet in a #hile so I thought it #ould be a good time. He told me0 Al6a.s ha-e a good reason for e-er.thing .ou do -on@t 8bet %or the sole reason you ha'en@t done so in a #hile. -on@t blu%% raise the %lop ,ust because you ha'en@t done that lately. >ou must reason out e'ery mo'e you ma"e. -oing so #ill ma"e you play more acti'ely1not in autopilot mode. >ou #ill constantly be analy!ing your play and impro'ing. It #ill help pre'ent you %rom ma"ing terrible, tilty, and spe#y plays because you@re not ,ust acting on a #him, you@re consciously reasoning through your options. -espite the great ad'ice, I still ended up being do#n :" because I lost one 2EEbb and t#o :EEbb coin %lips. No# o#ing him 2", I decided to ta"e a nap and .;G o% his session. I #o"e up a %e# hours later and durrrr #as up :EE" #hich co'ered my debt. .hat day, in %act, turned out to be his %amous million)dollar)day. .hough I bro"e e'en that day, the lesson helped me ma"e plenty o'er the last 2E months. In addition to po"er, this lesson can be applied to e'erything. It@s much harder to ma"e a poor decision #hen you thin" through it %irst. 5ood luc", o%ishsti$

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E'ol'ing (M-G)
.he Buality o% posts in this %orum has been incredibly bad recenty. So, inspired by this I thought I(d e$amine the stages a poster goes through, and e$amine the #ays #e can all get better. Step ): The 8e6b .he ne#b has ,ust stumbled onto this site. .hye "no# po"er basics li"e simple pre%lop hand selection and basic pot odds. .he rest o% po"er is still a mystery, ho#e'er. 5enerally they enter into the %orum as"ing a pretty simple Buestion li"e Y4.5 #ith *66s and 3Jo, raise, push, or ,ust %old it,Y or, YI(m in the /7 #ith 2;66s and an &P player raises, should I ,ust call so I can get a#ay i% an 3 %lops.Y .he ne#b comes in 8 distinct brands. .here is the passi'e ne#b, the angry ne#b, and the interested ne#b. .he passi'e ne#b posts a hand to be told #hat to do. He (or in much rarer cases she posts a situation so that the better posters on the %orum can tell him #hat to do in the gi'en situation. .he angry ne#b posts so that he can cro# about ho# his decision is right and berate those #ho disagree #ith him (e'en though it is clear to most that the angry ne#b is clearly a #orse player than the ones he berates . .hen there is the interested ne#b #ho is much rarer than the other 2. .he interested ne#b posts the same type o% threads, but becomes in'ol'ed in debate in an attempt to understand the ad'ice he recei'es. 4nli"e the angry ne#b he doesnt assume he is right, and unli"e the passi'e ne#b he is see"ing to understand ho# to ma"e decisions, not ho# to play only the hand he posted. In order to progress %urther, both the angry ne#b and the passi'e ne#b must %irst trans%orm themsel'es into the interested ne#b. Step +: The $onfu lleds 5enerally spea"ing this stage occurs #hen a ne#b stic"s #ith it. .hey begin reading and posting and get bombarded #ith concepts they are not prepared to deal #ith. .hus they end up ma"ing posts li"e YJJ and A 66s, should I stop n go,Y or Y9estealing #ith II.Y .he con%u!!led understand basic strategy but get con%used and pu!!led by anything but the most simple o% situations. >ou o%ten see phrases li"e, Yi% you #ant to gamble then callY or, Yi% you #ant to play %or %irst call, i% you #ant to ma"e the money then %olding is o".Y &ost con%u!!led players games consist o% trying to apply rules they read about to situations they are con%ronted #ith, o%ten #ithout rhyme or reason. .he ma,ority o% players stall here because again they do not ma"e the e%%ort to understand the thin"ing and reasoning that dictates these rules, (%or e$ample open pushing #ith roughly 2E66s , instead they ,ust try to use them, and o%ten incorrectly. Players games ha'e impro'ed %rom #hen they #ere ne#bs, but generally they remain brea" e'en players at best. Ho#e'er, a small number o% con%u!!leds stri'e to understand the YrulesY (they understand that YrulesY should be in Buotes and the leads them to progress. Step #: Leapers I% a poster progresses this %ar they are on their #ay. .hey ha'e made the %irst leap, that is, they ha'e %ound math. .hey ha'e grasped that the YrulesY are ,ust a shorthand #ay to deal #ith %reBuent situations, and that they stem %rom the math. Speci%ically they begin assigning hand ranges, and %iguring out ho# their hand %ares against those ranges. .his stage usually %inds posters responding to many many posts (usually authoratati'ely and usually correctly because #hile they are helping ans#er the Buestion the poster is as"ing they are also helping themsel'es become more com%ortable assigning ranges and doing complicated +? calculations. I% a poster ma"es it to this point they are more than li"ely a #inning player #hich ma"es it oh so tempting to stall and not continue on to.....

5=

Step 9: Poker Pla.ers I% you ma"e it here, the math has become 2nd nature (e'en the most complicated o% it . >ou main %ocus is no longer indi'idual decisions but rather lines (the series o% decisions you ma"e in a hand loo"ed at collecti'ely . 7%ten #hen responding to basic Buestions these posters lea'e out e$plicit calculations because it has become so second nature that they can intuit the correct action #ithout ha'ing to do the math out (this can occasionally ma"e them a little hard to distinguish %rom the cun%u!!led . 6y %ocusing on ho# to play the hand as a #hole these posters learn ho# to ma"e better post%lop decisions and o%ten it leads to them lea'ing the %orum in %a'or o% cash games as %or the %irst time they may be eBuipped %or it. 3 poster #ho reaches this le'el is clearly a 'ery good tournament player (although might still be a 'ery middle o% the road cash game player and its easy %or them to thin" they ha'e nothing le%t to learn. Step :: !eta .he elite. .hey are %ocused on playing po"er instead o% ,ust an indi'idual hand, or decision. .hey thin" about ho# to play their hand in relation to all the other hands they play. 7%ten they ha'e no time %or the simple decisions, #hich suc"s %or the rest o% the %orum. Still, more than anything else this category stands as a reminder to us all that there is a le'el to #hich #e can impro'e. No matter ho# good #e are there(s al#ays a #ay to get better.

So, my ad'ice to e'erybody is stop being la!y, Buit being com%ortable #ith #here you are and start trying to impro'e your game. .here are al#ays #ays to get better, and persuing those a'enues is interesting and re#arding. Its a shame that so many posters here ha'e their games stuc" in neutral because its brought the %orum to a grinding halt.

Opening .p 0o($ Eyes an& 0o($ Game ()6Fenix)

9ecently I ha'e had some interesting discussions #ith a %e# regulars, and some interesting points #ere brought up %rom #hich I learned Buite a bit, and I %igured it might bene%it players on here i% I shared a little o% #hat I learned and obser'ed. 3 lot o% players seem to be stuc" in a mode, #hate'er that mode may be. .hey ha'e gotten to midsta"es playing a particular #ay, and e'en though they may ha'e some#hat ad,usted to the di%%erent dynamic o% this game, they are still un#illing to open their game up #hether they recogni!e it or not, and1or its simply hard %or them to do certain things di%%erently as it has all become routine. .his generali!ation encompasses a lot o% solid midsta"es players, and it is #hom I am directing this post to#ards. .hese players may ha'e pretty big lea"s in their game (that may 'ery #ell be un"no#n to them, and really not that big o% a deal to them at this point in time as %ar as the games they are playing in go and still be #inning players or e'en be doing 'ery #ell, simply because the 'ast ma,ority o% their opponents are not e$ploiting their lea"s, and also ha'e much bigger lea"s themsel'es. 3s these solid players mo'e up, they encounter more players that are capable o% e$ploiting their lea"s and that also possess %e#er themsel'es. Hust as the solid grinder is preying on the %ish to pay o%% his big hand, the 8E12E in the 2E12E Party game is preying on the solid grinder(s lea"s. I don(t thin" people reali!e ho# cra!y the dynamic at a game li"e the 2E12E *ma$ on party can be, and a%ter all, midsta"es are (hope%ully only a gate#ay %or you, getting you ready %or the ne$t le'el. I #ill touch on this game dynamic #ithin the ne$t %e# parts. )) 'eraising Preflop &any midsta"es players ha'e a 'ery tight reraising range. .hey #ill reraise their big hands, and e'en though their range is so slim, they still ma"e %ar more money on these hands than they should be ma"ing, gi'en ho# #ell de%ined their hands tend to be in certain spots. .hese same players are content to ,ust call pre%lop #ith certain hands, and e'en though their decision to call may be F+?, they don(t e'en consider their third option, #hich is to reraise. In certain spots calling may e'en be your #orst option. Chen you are on the S6 %acing a button raise or e'en button %acing a /7 raise, #hat do you accomplish cold calling a raise #ith the ma,ority o% your handsO Sure, calling may be F+? in some o% those situations but many don(t e'en consider the F+? situation a reraise #ould set up %or them and ho# much greater that +? #ould be than that o% calling (the same thing o%ten applies in many spots as %ar as raising 's o'erlimping, #here both may be F+? but raising may be a much better option . >ou li"ely ha'e a F+? situation right there pre%lop, and i% you get called you #ill o%ten ha'e another F+? situation post%lop, e'en disregarding your actual hand. 6y reraising you gain momentum, you o'errepresent your hand and %orce them to ma"e a hand, and your reraising range ob'iously increases, both decreasing the implied odds o% your opponents calling and trying to crac" your big hand, and increasing your action on your big hands as obser'ant players #ill reali!e that you are capable o% reraising light. .he higher up in sta"es you go, the more obser'ant players you encounter. 3s %ar as calling, #ith clun"ier hands li"e JI13H you #ill o%ten be %olding the best hand #hen you miss (#hich #ill be most o% the time , and e'en #hen you do get a %a'orable top pair %lop, you #ill o%ten be unsure o% your hand i% you are %acing a lot o% pressure in certain spots. >our hand carries re'erse implied odds. Cith more decepti'e hands your actual implied odds to call the LP pre%lop raise are generally 'ery poor, as LP(s raising ranges tend to be 'ery #ide. >ou are also going to be missing the ma,ority o% the time, or getting %orced o%% o% your more marginal hands (#hich #ill o%ten be the best hand by

5)

aggressi'e players. In both cases you also lac" initiati'e. >ou ha'e to as" yoursel% #hat you are really accomplishing by calling #ith some these hands. Hust about all o% the biggest #inners in the 2E12E game on Party ha'e a 'ery Yopened upY game. .o be e'en more speci%ic, I belie'e : o% the top ; ha'e close to 8E12E stats, and one is an ama!ing :<12K. .hey are a#esome post)%lop players, and their analysis o% situations is dead)on the ma,ority o% the time. 7ne other thing that they are 'ery good at doing is spotting and setting up pro%itable situations pre%lop. 7'er and o'er and o'er and o'er. .he reraising ranges o% some o% these top players are astounding. .hese players are sBuee!ing each other le%t and right, and ha'e absolutely no problem reraising1rereraising light. >ou #ill see %ull stac"s go in #ith relati'e garbage. I% you didn(t "no# any better, you may choc" it up as don")on)don" 'iolence, #hen the hand may ha'e ,ust #ent do#n bet#een the 2 biggest #inners in that game. 3nd belie'e me, %ire#or"s do %ly #hen they are at the table together. 3nd they aren(t the only ones you #ill see this "ind o% action %rom, either. .heir pre%lop game is so much di%%erent than #hat the a'erage midsta"es player is used to that it can really be ama!ing. .heir 'ariance shoots up, but the number o% F+? situations they are in'ol'ed in does too, and o% course their pro%its do as #ell. +) &iring the Second (arrel +'eryone "no#s and lo'es the continuation bet. Far %e#er people %ully appreciate the 'alue o% his big brother, the second barrel. .hey ma"e use o% him %rom time to time, but %ar less than they should. .he continuation bet is a transparent play that tends to #or" o%ten enough on its o#n merit, e'en though e'eryone is %ully e$pecting you to bet at almost any %lop #ith any hand you came in raising #ith. I% you are raising a %airly #ide range o% hands, and betting at a lot o% %lops, someone might actually put 2 and 2 together ([[[ and reali!e11e$ploit the %act that you don(t ha'e anything on the %lop a good amount o% the time you are betting. I% you run into a player that is playing bac" at you light, and you simply gi'e up on the turn the ma,ority o% the time #hen you get called on the %lop and you don(t ha'e anything, you are begging him to "eep running you o'er and you are thro#ing money a#ay i% you yoursel% are coming in light and then playing bad post%lop. I% you #ould be gi'ing up the pot by chec"ing, but you reali!e that %iring the turn #ill probably get him to %old o%ten enough to be F+? disregarding any outs you may or may not ha'e, there really isn(t a decision to be made as %ar as #hat your play should be. Not only is the situation itsel% F+?, but %uture implications are there as #ell. Chen your opponent reali!es that he has to e$pect a turn bet %rom you a high percent o% the time and you aren(t ,ust gi'ing up #hene'er he calls you and you don(t ha'e a 'ery good hand, he is going to be much less inclined to contest pots against you #ith #ea" holdings. No# your continuation bets are going to be getting more respect %rom this player, and you are %urther bettering your o'erall situation. .his also leads to %orcing your opponents into ma"ing mista"es, and also leads to you getting more o'erall in%ormation in 'arious subseBuent situations and reading hands better. +'erything leads to you ma"ing more money, though. .hat being said, I am not ad'ocating players to %ire the second barrel #ithout considering all o% the important %actors, and %iring again #ill be lightning money on %ire in many spots (as their hand #ill already be #ell de%ined as un%a'orable %or you a%ter their %lop call in a particular spot and1or the situation is not a pro%itable one %or other reasons . I am simply pointing out that this is a 'ery common spot in #hich players are passing up on clearly pro%itable situations and are really hurting themsel'es in the long run. .hey can become much stronger players by utili!ing these situations. 5oing bac" to the discussion o% higher sta"es games, the top high sta"es players are generally %iring that second barrel at a drastically higher rate than the solid regulars at

53

mid sta"es, and there isn(t any hesitation. .hat isn(t to say they are ,ust brainlessly %iring a#ay, although some spots are so clear that it really doesn(t reBuire much thought. .hey simply play 'ery #ell post%lop, and playing 'ery #ell post%lop indicates that they are good at spotting F+? situations, #hich the turn brings 'ery o%ten. .he second barrel is really ,ust the tip o% the iceberg, though. #) Gi-ing ;ourself a (igger $ushion I ha'e obser'ed the ban"roll discussions on this %orum and ha'e a %e# comments on the sub,ect. I% you as"ed me a couple months ago #hether I could ha'e a 2E buyin do#ns#ing playing my normal game #ithout any real tilt in there, I really doubt I could %oresee it happening. No# 2E buyin do#ns#ings are not only a possibility, but they are e$pected1ine'itable, as are long brea"e'en stretches. Po"er is 'ery good at painting an illusion because o% ho# decepti'e and subtle 'ariance in po"er can be, and ho# many small things go into running bad and running good that you do not pay attention to. S#ings are ine'itable o'er the long run. .his is ob'ious and e'eryone thin"s they reali!e this, but people don(t %ully grasp it. S#ings become e$ponentially more 'iolent as you mo'e up and your #inrate drops. Some people are per%ectly %ine #ith gi'ing themsel'es a small cushion, and ha'e no problem hopping up and do#n in limits at a cra!y pace on the #him o% their latest ups#ing or do#ns#ing. 7thers gi'e themsel'es a small cushion #ithout "no#ing #hat can possibly happen. 3 2p2 regular #ho is a consistent #inner at ;12ENL mo'es up to 2E12E #ith 8E):E buyins, and gets crunched %or 2E buyins. .hat can seriously be de'astating to that person. .o gi'e a point o% re%erence, the biggest #inner in one particular game #as apparently recorded as to ha'ing .C7 2; buyin do#ns#ings last month alone. &ore than one 'ery good player has been "no#n to run at almost brea"e'en %or 2EE" hands. Some posters ha'e said that your Ymo'e upY shouldn(t be a big e'ent. >ou should gradually mo'e up, and be #illing to play multiple le'els as your ban"roll allo#s #hene'er you spot a good game. >ou can(t really argue #ith that, but most people do ha'e a YregularY limit %or them #here they put in the bul" o% their hands. Chen they ma"e the ne$t le'el their YregularY game, some people do not gi'e themsel'es enough cushion because they do not reali!e that a big do#ns#ing near the beginning o% their mo'e up is 'ery #ell #ithin the realm o% possibility. .he players #ho #ere mo'ing up %rom 2EENL to 2EENL and %rom 2EENL to :EENL 'ery Buic"ly as soon as they attained 2; buyins %or the ne$t le'el probably ha'e ne'er e$perienced a decent si!ed do#ns#ing, and they thin" that i% they drop ; buyins at ;12ENL it #ill pro'e to them that they are not ready %or that le'el. 3s I ha'e been pointing out, they can lose %ar more than that and still ha'e e'idence o% absolutely nothing i% they do not analy!e their situation properly. Chat it comes do#n to is reali!ing #hat goes into 'ariance and #hat it is capable o%, and ad,usting according to #hat you are #illing to accept. I% you li"e the rollercoaster thats up to you and its your choice. 6ut i% your goal is a nice steady ride up the money hill #ith a %e# bumps that aren(t going to #rec" your ride in more #ays than one, then you may #ant to consider gi'ing yoursel% a bigger cushion. 9) $onclusion Hope%ully this post helps people reali!e #hats in store %or them at the higher limits, helps some people become more #illing to open their game up and attempt changing their thin"ing a little and getting better, as its really going to be necessary i% they #ant to continue mo'ing up in sta"es and doing #ell in the higher games, and hope%ully those players that aren(t trying to ride a rollercoaster both emotionally and ban"roll)#ise ha'e a slightly better grasp o% the capabilities o% 'ariance. I also #ant to add that " am

5:

no6here near the skill2e0perience le-el of some of the pla.ers discussed here at this point in time* I am simply relaying my thoughts and obser'ations.

55

Ho5 to (se Poke$ -$a"ke$ (Pokey)

.his is a ho#)to post, but it doesn(t belong in the so%t#are %orum= it(s to teach people ho# they can use the Po"er .rac"er data to %ind %la#s in their game. Not a #ee" goes by that someone doesn(t as" i% they are playing the game right. In that post, they include a do!en numbers %rom Po"er .rac"er and hope that the old)timers on SSNL can %i$ all their holes. Chile it(s true that Po"er .rac"er can help %ind problems, this is not the #ay to approach it. I(m going to try to gi'e you a rough guide %or the things you can do to chec" on your game. .hese are all ,ust my opinion= they(re all sub,ect to interpretation, and other people may disagree #ith me strongly. .he best #ay to play is usually player)speci%ic, but these stri"e me as some things you can chec" on that are %reBuent %la#s in the small)sta"es player(s game. )* 3o .ou ha-e sufficient preflop aggression< .o ans#er this Buestion, open up your ring game statistics and go to the Yposition statsY page. For each position other than the small blind, di'ide the YPF 9aise GY by the Y?ol. Put S In Pot.Y I% you get a number smaller than E.;, you(re not aggressi'e enough out o% that position. See, aggression is a relati'e term= it should be a %unction o% your le'el o% looseness. >ou can be a consistently #inning player at SSNL #ith a ?PIP o% 22G, and you can be a consistently #inning player at SSNL #ith a ?PIP o% 8EG, but only i% you are su%%iciently aggressi'e. &y general guideline is that you should raise at least hal% the hands you play, %rom e'ery position on the table. +* Are .ou positionall. a6are< Positional a#areness means that you understand +d &iller(s comment #hen he said0
Iuote0

.otal all the dollars you('e e'er bet playing po"er. .he large ma,ority o% those dollars should ha'e been bet %rom late position. 7nly a small percentage o% your total handle should ha'e been bet %rom up %ront.

.o test this, go to the Position Stats and loo" do#n the list o% ?PIP %rom 6utton to 4.5. >ou should see that ?PIP steadily dropping the %arther you get %rom the button. I(d lo'e to see my button ?PIP at double my 4.5 ?PIP, but i% my 6utton ?PIP is at least ;EG larger than my 4.5 ?PIP, I(m happy #ith the situation. #* =o65s m. stealing< .o chec" on your per%ormance #hen trying a blind steal, go to the 5eneral In%o. tab. Chere it says Y3tt. .o Steal 6lindsY I(d li"e to see that number at L+3S. 2EG. (Personally, I li"e mine to be o'er 8EG, but I(m 'ery aggressi'e in these situations. I% you(re trying to steal the blinds less than 2EG o% the time, you(re lea'ing lots o% money on the table. No# clic" on YFilters...Y and under Y/hance to Steal 6lindsY clic" Y/hance to Steal Z 9aised.Y Select 7J and loo" at the numbers. .his sho#s e'ery time you('e tried to steal the blinds, and ho# the attempt turned out %or you. 4nder Y.otalsY see the Y661HandY statistic. .hat sho#s your per)hand #inrate on blind steals. I% you multiply this number by 2EE, it should be at least double your YP.6612EEY a'erage #inrate. I% it(s much less than that and you ha'e a decent sample si!e, you ha'e a hole in your game #hen it comes to blind stealing. .his should be an e$ceedingly pro%itable thing to do #hen you try it= i% it(s not, you need to #or" on your strategy. 9* 3efending the blinds* /lic" on Y.urn Filter 7%%,Y and then clic" on YFilters...Y again. 4nder Y6lind StatusY clic" on Y+ither 6lind.Y No# under Y?ol. Put S In PotY clic" on YPut

56

&oney In.Y .his sho#s you i% you(re bleeding money out o% the blinds. 3 Y661HandY o% about )E.8<; #ould indicate that you #ere no better o%% putting money into the pot than i% you had %olded. I% your Y661HandY is larger than that, then you typically #in bac" some o% your blind money #hen you put money into the pot %rom the blinds. .hat(s all you can really hope %or. I% you clic" on YFilters...Y again and go under YSteal 3ttempted 3gainst >our 6lindY and clic" on YSteal 3ttempted.Y 3%ter you clic" Y7JY you(ll no# see ho# you did #hen you chose to de%end against a blind steal. 3gain, the magic number is %or your Y661HandY to be bigger than )E.8<;= that means you(re ma"ing bac" some o% your blinds #hen you try to de%end against a steal. I% either o% these numbers is lo#er than )E.8<;, you(d lose less money by al#ays %olding rather than doing #hat you(re doing. :* =eads,up pla.* /lic" on Q.urn Filter 7%%,R then clic" on QFilters^R again. 4nder QHands Cith 6et#een^Players Seeing .he FlopR change the range %rom QE to 2E playersR to Q2 to 2 players.R Hit Q7JR and see #hat comes up. .his sho#s you ho# you@'e done #hen you #ere heads)up pre%lop, but a %lop #as dealt. See ho# you@'e done in these situations. I% things loo" 7J, go bac" to QFilters^R and under QPre)%lop 9aiseR select QNo 9aise.R .his #ill sho# you ho# you@'e done #hen you didn@t raise pre%lop, but the hand #as heads)up on the %lop (this includes pure limping and #hen someone +LS+ raised pre%lop, but not #hen you #ere the pre%lop raiser . Is this number positi'eO I% not, it could be an indicator that you ha'e trouble #hen you are not the aggressor pre%lop, especially #ithout padding in the pot. >* !ulti6a. pots* /lear the %ilter and go bac" under %ilters. /hange QHands Cith 6et#een^Players Seeing .he FlopR to Q8 to 2E players.R .his sho#s you ho# you do in multi#ay pots. I% things loo" good, go bac" and select QNo 9aiseR under QPre)%lop 9aise.R Is it still positi'eO I% so, you@re selecting good times to play1limp multi#ay pots, and you@re playing them #ell post%lop. ?* Pocket pairs* 4nder QFilters^R change the Q.ype o% Hole /ardsR to QPairs.R .his #ill sho# you ho# you generally play and per%orm #ith poc"et pairs. >our .otal ?PIP #ith these should be +_.9+&+L> high= unless you play at highly unusual tables, I@d be surprised to see this number belo# A;G. Poc"et pairs ma"e e$tremely po#er%ul hands that are e$tremely #ell)hidden= i% you@re not playing them almost all the time, you@re lea'ing money on the table. 3lso, your .otal PF9G #ith these hands should be rather high )) at least 218 o% your ?PIP, i% not 212. Some people ha'e this number higher still, and I don@t ha'e a problem #ith that, especially at short)handed tables. I% you ha'e enough hands, I@d e$pect e'ery one o% these lines to be positi'e, and reasonably signi%icantly so. I% you ha'e any glaringly negati'e numbers, especially 33)AA, it may indicate bad play. Loo" o'er indi'idual hands #here you lose lots o% money and see i% you played too timidly early in the hand, or i% you #ent too %ar unimpro'ed in the %ace o% resistance. 3lso, loo" at the hands #here you #on to see i% you played too timidly, or i% you routinely %orced #ea"er hands out #hen you should ha'e been mil"ing them %or pro%its. @* Suited connectors* 4nder QFilters^R change Q.ype o% Hole /ardsR to QSuited /onnectors.R I@m much less li"ely to play suited connectors than poc"et pairs, but some people play them religiously. 3s a result, I don@t really ha'e a good suggestion as to ho# high your ?PIP or PF9 should be. Ho#e'er, your 661hand should be positi'e= i% it@s not, you@re probably not playing your suited connectors #ell. 9emember0 these hands play best in a multi#ay, unraised pot, or as a steal mo'e. In the QFilters^R change Q?ol. Put S In PotR to Q/old)/alled.R Chen you hit 7J, you should ha'e almost no entries to 'ie#. 7% the times you cold)called, you should be able to come up #ith a speci%ic e$planation %or #hy you did so in each and e'ery one o% them. 9e'ie# the hand histories= i% you can@t come up #ith a really good reason #hy you thought it better to cold)call, rather than raise or %old, you need to rethin" your suited connector strategy. 5ood e$planations0 the raise #as 'ery small, 'illain is passi'e post)%lop, I had position on 'illain, 'illain and I are both e$tremely deep)stac"ed, 'illain is incredibly aggressi'e pre%lop, my suited

5*

connectors are particularly strong, there are se'eral cold)callers in %ront o% me, etc. I@m not saying you shouldn@t e'er cold)call #ith suited connectors= rather, I@m saying you shouldn@t 34.7&3.I/3LL> do so. >our de%ault play here should be to %old #ea" suited connectors and reraise strong ones. A* Unsuited connectors* /lear the %ilter and then go bac" into it. /hange Q.ype o% Hole /ardsR to Q7%%)Suited /onnectors.R >our ?PIP %or these hands should be noticeably smaller than your ?PIP %or suited connectors. /hec" your #inrate and ma"e sure it@s positi'e. Filter %or cold)calling and see i% you had good reasons %or doing so, "eeping in mind that the reasons need to be e'en stronger than %or suited connectors. )B* Postflop aggression* /lear the %ilter. Select the Q&ore -etail^R button abo'e the QFilters^R button. Scroll do#n. .here is a section mar"ed QFirst 3ction on Flop 3%ter 3 Pre)%lop 9aise.R .his sho#s your li"elihood o% continuation betting. I% you add 6et and 9aise, the total should be at least :EG. I% it@s not, you@re probably gi'ing up too soon on your good hands, and that #ill cost you money in the long run. 9emember0 people #ho cold)call a pre%lop bet are o%ten in %it)or)%old mode. I% you don@t bet, you don@t gi'e them a chance to %old. .he pot is already decent)si!ed, and there@s no reason to gi'e some don" a %ree loo" at a turn card that could sin" you. I% you raised pre%lop, you need a good reason N7. to raise the %lop. /ontinuation betting should be your de%ault play. Scroll do#n a bit %arther to Q3ggression Factor.R >our total aggression %actor should be at L+3S. 2. No)limit is not a game #here you can call %reBuently and turn a pro%it. >ou should al#ays be loo"ing to see i% you can raise or %old= only i% you ha'e a good reason #hy you /3NN7. raise or %old should you call. 3s a result, calling should be an in%reBuent occurrence in your play, #hich gi'es you a large aggression %actor. ))* $heck,raising* Some people ne'er chec")raise= others chec")raise in%reBuently. I personally li"e to chec")raise at least once in a#hile= 2G #ould be %ine, E.;G #ould be acceptable. .he goal o% the chec")raise is to remind your opponents that ,ust because you chec"ed does N7. mean that you don@t ha'e a hand. Ho#e'er, circumstances need to be 'ery speci%ic %or a chec")raise to be appropriate. .ypically, I chec")raise on the %lop #hen 77P against a pre%lop raiser, or on the turn #hen 77P against a %lop bettor1raiser #ho #as clearly not on a dra# (uncoordinated %lop . I% you are chec" raising much more than 2G o% the time, you@re being entirely too tric"y %or a SSNL table, and straight%or#ard play #ould probably be more pro%itable %or you. 3ll o% this is ,ust an introduction to the "inds o% sel%)analysis you can1should do #ith Po"er .rac"er statistics. Notice ho# much more in)depth it is than ,ust glancing at a %e# ?PIP numbers. .ypically, the only person #ho can truly do a Qchec")upR on your playing style and ability is >74. 3s al#ays, i% in your searching you %ind hands that indicate you may ha'e a %la# in your po"er reasoning, post them up (one at a time, o% course . .ell us the problem you are #orried you might ha'e, and #hy you thin" this hand might indicate the problem. .hen, open the discussion up to see i% 2F2ers agree or disagree.

58

SOME -HO.GH-S ON G)ME SELE7-4ON (fiks&al)

5ame selection is something e'ery serious po"er player should ha'e in his mind #hen he starts a session. 7b'iously #hat "ind o% table you are at and #hich opponents you are %acing, is gonna be crucial %or your e$pected #in. 5ame selection gets more important the higher in sta"es you get, but e'en at 2ENL, I@d de%initely recommend considering #hat "ind o% tables you chose to sit do#n at. -i%%erent "inds o% players pre%er di%%erent types o% opponents. For instance, i% you are a loose aggressi'e player #ho get a lot o% your pro%itable situations %rom %old eBuity, you@d perhaps pre%er tight, passi'e and nitty opponents that #ill be easier to run o'er. I% you are a tight aggressi'e player #ho usually ha'e the goods #hen you play big pots, you probably li"e to ha'e the loose1passi'e "ind o% %ish, #ho calls do#n a lot, by your side. For serious uNL players, this is usually the case, because pretty much no matter #hat "ind o% micro sta"es table you are at, blu%%ing se'eral streets #ith air1a marginal hand, is something you aren@t gonna be doing, e'en i% they are "ind o% tight. So ho# do you %ind the typical loose1passi'e %ish that go to sho#do#n a lotO 3t 2ENL %or instance, most o% the tables are gonna be %illed #ith them. 6ut e'en there you #ould li"e to %ind the 'ery ,uiciest tables, #ith perhaps e'en 2 or more <E1A12)ish types. Ho#e'er, the higher you get up in sta"es, the %e#er #ill the true %ish be. 3t ;ENL %or instance, e'ery table #ill ha'e at least a couple o% .35s on it. .here are o% course a lot o% %ish on ;ENL too, but they are rarer. .his is #here game selection gets e'en more important. The P%T S"C/ strateg. 3 lot o% people start their session by putting themsel'es on the #aiting list %or the games #ith the currently highest a'erage pot si!es. .he reasoning behind this tactic is ob'ious, at the tables #here the pots are big= the players seem #illing to usually put a lot o% money in the pot. .his is good %or us, #ho #ill usually ha'e good cards #hen #e decide to play those big pots. Personally I ha'e used this game selection strategy a lot, and I ha'e had mi$ed e$periences #ith it. Problems #ith this strategy0 2. 3s a result o% other people using the same strategy, there aren@t usually any %ree seats at the table #ith the highest a'erage pot. &ost o% the time there are e'en a couple o% people on the #aiting list already. So it@s probably gonna ta"e something li"e 2E)2; minutes %rom #hen you register to #hen you actually get a seat. 6y that time, the %ish #ho #ere putting all that money in the pots might already ha'e been stac"ed by one o% the more solid players at the table[ Se'eral times ha'e I #aited %or a seat at the ,uiciest game, only to e'entually sit do#n on it to %ind a bunch o% 2<128 tight aggressi'e players sitting around %olding pre%lop. /learly this "ind o% table is also beatable i% you adapt, but it is not #here the highest possible #inrate can be achie'ed. 2. 6ig pot si!e doesn@t necessarily mean bad players. First o% all, it could simply be a result o% 'ariance. For instance, i% in one hand 6.N pic" up JJ #hile 66 has 33 (they@ll probably get it all)in pre%lop or on the %lop , and then in the ne$t time to deep)stac"ed players both %lop a set, then those pots, and thus the a'erage pot si!e is gonna be huge no matter ho# s"illed the players are. 3lso, good players "no# ho# to 'alue bet their strong hands, and build big pots #ith them. Let@s say you ha'e a *)handed ;ENL game #ith S2E as the a'erage pot si!e. .his is a pretty lo# number, and the logic assumption about the players at it, is that they aren@t gonna pay o%% your big hands. 6ut is this gi'enO Not necessarily. 3s" yoursel%, #hat is your %a'orite "ind o% %ishO -i%%erent people might ha'e a di%%erent ans#er to this Buestion, but personally, I de%initely pre%er the loose passi'e "ind o% opponent. I@d li"e

5<

him to play a lot o% hands, call pre%lop raises all the time and rarely use aggression himsel% but rather call, call, call. .he ad'antages o% %acing these "inds o% opponents are ob'ious. Ce get the ability to decide #hen the money goes in against them, and they aren@t e'en the aggressi'e type #ho blu%%s us o%% the best hand %rom time to time. +$ample hand0 Hero (/7 0 2EEbb0 . . Fish (66 0 <Ebb L<E1*1E.;M0 K

<

Preflop: (2.;bb, * players 4.5 %olds, &P %olds, Hero raises to :bb, 6.N %olds, S6 %olds, 66 calls 8bb. &lop: * A 3 (A.;bb, 2 players 66 chec"s, Hero bets Abb, 66 calls Abb. Turn: J (2:.;bb, 2 players 66 chec"s, Hero chec"s. 'i-er: < (2:.;bb, 2 players

No# this is a spot #here a lot o% 'illains #ill usually put out a blu%%. He missed his 7+S-F- (something that ma"es most players %rustrated , and he sa# us sho#ing #ea"ness by chec"ing behind on the turn. So most o% the time they are gonna put out that blu%%, ta"ing the pot a#ay %rom us. Ho#e'er, the <E1*1E.; player doesn@t bet that ri'er. He ,ust #ants to see that sho#do#n, a%ter all he has a pair (and #e all "no# ho# these players o'er'alue their hands . So he chec"s, and #e get to chec" behind and ta"e do#n that 2:bb pot. Such small pots ma"e a surprisingly big di%%erence in your %inal result. 3 table #ith a small a'erage pot si!e, may 'ery #ell be %illed #ith that "ind o% loose passi'e %ish. .heir passi'e nature has ,ust pre'ented them to build a lot o% big pots. For instance, let@s loo" at another hand #here both the in'ol'ed players are %ish #ith similar stats to the 'illain in the other hand0 /70 28Ebbs0 A A 6.N0 28Ebbs0 K K Preflop: (2.;bb, * players 4.5 %olds, &P %olds, /7 calls 2bb, 6.N calls 2bb, S6 %olds, 66 chec"s. @o$ only on the preflop round have $e seen an example of bad players $ho youAd love to sit $ith( but still they donAt create big pots# ;f at least one of these players $as a )AB( there $ould have been at least a raise preflop in this hand( maybe even a .bet# &lop: K A 2 (8.;bb, 8 players 66 chec"s, /7 chec"s, 6.N chec"s (lol @o$ both players decided to slo$-play their flopped sets( $hich is of course a felony on this board and these stac s# ;t is ho$ever an extremely common play by looseCpassive fish# Turn: : (8.;bb, 8 players 66 chec"s, /7 bets 2bb, 6.N calls 2bb, 66 %olds. DE notices the pot being tiny( and is (correctly) trying to get some money into it# 2)@ ho$ever( decides to eep slo$-playing( out of fear of DE going a$ay if he raises#

6=

'i-er: < (<.;bb, 2 players /7 bets :bb, 6.N calls :bb. /7 sees the card completing the dra#s. In a scared %ashion he puts out a small 'alue1bloc"ing bet. 6.N #ho is also a%raid o% the dra#s, ,ust calls[ .he %inal pot si!e is 2;.;bb. 3n incredibly small pot considering the monsters the players had, but such hands go do#n bet#een passi'e %ish all the time. I% this hand had been going on bet#een t#o .35s, the %inal pot si!e #ould by all li"eliness ha'e been 2*Ebbs. So a high a'erage pot si!e doesn@t al#ays mean bad players, and a lo# one doesn@t al#ays mean good ones. Ho#e'er, i% a good, aggressi'e player sits do#n at a table %ull o% these opponents, he #ill be able to control pot si!es against them. .hey usually call do#n too much, and i% the aggressi'e player pic"s up a bunch o% hands that Buali%y to 'alue bet multiple streets #ith, pots in'ol'ing the calling stations and him could get rather large. .his is #hy the tables #ith the lo# a'erage pot si!es might not al#ays be that bad at all. Players at it could be 'ery #illing to put money in the pot #ith medium hands. 3ll they need is someone to ma"e bets that they can call. Someone #ho #ill build big pots0 >74. Ho# do you %ind the tables #ith this "ind o% opponentsO Personally, there is a strategy I ha'e been using more and more lately. Chen I start a session I open a couple o% empty tables, and sit do#n at them. Chat "ind o% players do you thin" is gonna sit do#n #ith meO -o you thin" the other decent .35s #ho play multiple tables are gonna sit do#n and play heads up #ith another regularO ?ery unli"ely. &ost o% the time the people that come to me are total %ish. .hey usually buy)in %or li"e 2E);Ebb (a 'ery good sign , and start limping all o'er the place. It usually doesn@t ta"e long be%ore I ha'e ; s#eet loose1passi'e %ish sitting #ith me, and the a'erage stats o% my table are ama!ingly o%ten along the lines o% ;E12E12 #hen I use this strategy. .hen the %ish double up through each other and I get to play #ith them 2EEbbs deep. uNL, I encourage you all to use this table selection techniBue the ne$t time you start a session.

Ho5 to P(t 4t )ll -oget#e$ an& 3e a +inning Playe$ (MikeyPat$iot)

&y po"er career has been a long ,ourney. I started out playing in an unorgani!ed, blind) less home game and donating my paychec"s online. 3%ter a K month hiatus %rom the game %or personal reasons (mo'ing1not ha'ing a home game1dating someone I spent a ma,ority o% my time #ith , I got the itch to play again. Since then, I('e made an e%%ort to impro'e at all times rather than assume I "no# ho# to play because I('e read Super1System. I read any boo" I couldn(t get my hands on, started lur"ing 2F21SSNL, and most importantly started to manage my ban"roll responsibly. Chen I %irst started reading here, I couldn(t belie'e that some people #ere beating the game %or A, 2E or 22 P.6612EE hands. +'en #hen I became a consistently marginally #inning player (8):12EE , I %igured the big #inners #ere liars or luc"bo$es. Slo#ly, but surely (and s#itching to si$ ma$ I started to see my #inrate impro'e. I understood #here these people #ere coming %rom. >ou /74L- beat the game that bad. I should start by saying this0 it isn(t easy. Chen people say you should post hands, read SSNL, e'aluate your play in P., etc. they aren(t "idding. -oing these things help build the %undamentals #hich ma"e e'erything else such a bree!e. It(s comparable to a musician playing scales o'er and o'er or a bas"etball player ta"ing ,ump shot a%ter ,ump shot. 7nce you get the basics do#n, the ad'anced stu%% starts to come to you piece by piece. I(m not going to try and tell you I "no# it all. I certainly don(t. Li"e I said be%ore, I(m trying to learn all the time. 6ut these are some things I('e noticed in my playing e$periences that I thin" are important to my success. 2 Passion ) Po"er is a game. >ou can beat it #ith a good understanding o% the %undamentals. Li"e most pro%essions though, those #ho are truly passionate about #hat they(re doing are the most success%ul. &ichael Hordan didn(t get to his le'el by shooting %ree thro#s on the #ee"ends. 6ill 5ates didn(t become success%ul by #riting so%t#are in his %ree time. .hese people #ere1are passionate about #hat they #ere1are doing. .his doesn(t mean you ha'e to play A hours a day or be thin"ing about po"er 2:1< a#ay %rom the table. 6ut it does mean you should constantly be loo"ing %or #ays to impro'e and ne'er accept complacency ) especially #hen you %irst start out. 2 6an"roll management ) I(m sure this sounds li"e a bro"en record to those o% you #ho read this %orum #ith any regularity, but it can(t be said enough. I% you are playing at a le'el you are uncom%ortable at, it #ill be 'ery hard to be success%ul. I% you don(t mind going bust and reloading, by all means play as high as you can a%%ord. I% you(re scared o% getting it all in and being suc"ed out, you(re probably playing %ar too high. 8 &arginal situations ) .he more e$perience you acBuire, the more able you #ill be to handle marginal situations. .his can de%initely add a 66 to your #inrate. Ho#e'er, as other posters ha'e made note o%, they aren(t that important[ I% you ha'e a hard time in marginal situations, you #ill sa'e yoursel% money and %rustration by "eeping yoursel% out o% them. Fold IHo on the button i% e'eryone has limped to you and you don(t #ant to raise, but don(t #ant to call. It may not be optimal (and I may get %lamed %or suggesting it , but #hen you enter a pot, you(re potentially ris"ing your #hole stac". .he marginal +? you gain playing the hand isn(t #orth the ris" i% you(ll get stac"ed a bunch #hen you hit top pair. : Participate on the board[ ) Post hands. 9eply in other hands. Sign up %or a session re'ie# (I highly recommend this . -o something. .he more you challenge yoursel% to critically thin" about the game, the easier decisions #ill come to you at the table.

6)

; Stay humble ) I don(t "no# ho# many times I started my o#n do#ns#ing by getting to coc"y. Sure, #e #ant to play as many hands against the %ish as much as #e can, but (and this goes #ith point 8 that doesn(t mean #e should be putting oursel'es into super marginal positions. Playing 3.o %rom 4.5 is trouble %or most e'eryone. -on(t let an ups#ing t#ist your head into thin"ing other#ise. .hese are the things that ha'e led me to becoming a #inning player. Finding .#o Plus .#o "ic"started all o% it. Hust the %act that you are here is a great start. Jeep learning and don(t be a%raid to ma"e mista"es[ 3lso, i% anyone #ould li"e to discuss hands, po"er, li%e, politics, etc. 3I& me at &i"eyPatriot.

63

)&'i"e f$om a MHNL2e$ (5#itelime8s)

(PA'T ") Hi. I normally play ;12E NL and higher. I don(t post o%ten in &HNL because at that le'el, some o% the ad'anced concepts and thought processes are better le%t unsaid since some people still don(t understand them. &any other posters hold bac" their thought processes to a certain degree as #ell. Ho#e'er, I ha'e gained some "no#ledge %rom 2F2 and #ould li"e to repay by helping out some Small Sta"es players. I #ill try to post one solid piece o% ad'ice %or SS play each #ee". I% I %orget, someone send me a P&. )) "solate against the fish D/'; &'/EU/8TL; I see this mista"e made 'ery o%ten. 3 don"ey, lets say ?PIP o'er ;E limps. 7ur 2F2(er limps behind. .his is 'ery bad. >our range o% hands %or raising the #ea" limper #ith position on him should include 3. L+3S. the %ollo#ing and probably more i% you play hal%#ay decent post%lop0 33)<<, 3J, 3I, 3H, 3., 3$s, JI, JH, J., IH, I., H., IKs, HKs, JKs, K.s.... .he amount you raise can 'ary, but a general rule is 8.;66 F 2 per limper (pot si!e raise . I% you get H4 #ith the %ish, and he chec"s the %lop, you should be betting almost 2EEG o% the time. 6et your monsters and bet your crap. >our bet amount should 'ary bet#een 212 the pot and the %ull pot. &i$ up the bet amount so no one can read your hand. Ho#e'er, use some common sense. I% the %lop is 3;; rainbo#, a hal% pot bet probably ma"es the same hands %old as a pot bet...etc. .hin" about it %rom a game theory perspecti'e. I% you bet the %ull pot e'ery time, he #ill ha'e to %old L+SS than ;EG or you sho# an automatic pro%it. Since most H+ hands miss more than ;EG o% %lops, unless the %ish can ad,ust to your strategy, you #ill sho# an automatic pro%it. 3dditionally, e'en i% does call once in a #hile, you #ill ha'e a hand once in a #hile so he(ll ha'e to be calling1raising not ,ust ;EG o% the time, but #ay more. Furthermore, i% he does start raising and playing bac" at you, he is bad, so you should be able to outplay him. 6ottom Line ) Start Isolating. .here is one situation #here you should not isolate. .his is i% you ha'e someone #ho is ?+9> loose in calling raises to your le%t. I% this is the case, you #on(t be able to isolate that e%%ecti'ely. Naturally, the closer you are to the button, the more %reBuently you should be isolating. >ou should be loo"ing to sit to the direct le%t o% the 'ery loose players. >ou should pound on them. 3ttac" them relentlessly. I('e actually heard it debated #hether you #ould rather sit to the le%t o% a 'ery loose player or the .35 so to a'oid him ha'ing position on you. Let me put an end to this debate. Sit to the le%t o% the loose player. It(s not e'en close. I% you ha'e a * handed table #ith 8 a'erage players, 2 'ery loose player, and one 'ery

6:

solid .35 and you ha'e to sand#hich yoursel% bet#een the .35 and the loose player, I #ould estimate your 6612EE #ill be -93&3.I/3LL> higher sitting to the le%t o% the loose player #ith the .35 to your le%t. .he reasons %or this should be ob'ious. I(ll try to thin" o% another important concept %or ne$t #ee". +n,oy[ (PA'T "") Hi. I normally play ;12E NL and higher. I don(t post o%ten in &HNL because at that le'el, some o% the ad'anced concepts and thought processes are better le%t unsaid since some people still don(t understand them. &any other posters hold bac" their thought processes to a certain degree as #ell. Ho#e'er, I ha'e gained some "no#ledge %rom 2F2 and #ould li"e to repay by helping out some Small Sta"es players. I #ill try to post one solid piece o% ad'ice %or SS play each #ee". I% I %orget, someone send me a P&. +) D/'; D/'; rarel. is slo6pla.ing correct .his goes not only %or post%lop play, but pre%lop play as #ell. First I(ll discuss the simpler pre%lop play. +'ery time you smooth call a raise pre%lop #ith 33 or JJ .here is one common condition smooth calling pre%lop is correct. .his is against a player #ho is rec"lessly aggressi'e post%lop, but #ill %old to a reraise pre%lop. Note that ,ust being rec"lessly aggressi'e post%lop is not enough to #arrant a smooth call. I% he is #illing to call a pot si!e reraise pre%lop, he has 'ery slim implied odds regardless o% his holding. Factor in that he #ill o%ten incorrectly put money in the pot post%lop as a big underdog and slo#playing becomes 'ery incorrect. .here is a second minor reason to slo#play pre%lop and this is %or deception purposes. .his, ho#e'er, is the most o'errated reason at almost any limit. .his is because it ta"es a ridiculous number o% table hours against a particular opponent to deduce that he #ill N+?+9 slo#play 331JJ. I% you still li"e to slo#play your 331JJ, ma"e sure you do it against an opponent #hose PF9 is small enough to the point #here you "no# the range o% hands you are trapping. I% you smooth call a loose raiser and see a I:: %lop, you(ll only end up trapping yoursel% #hen he sho#s you a :; #hich you could('e either pushed out pre%lop, or %orced to ma"e an incorrect call pre%lop. Pre%lop slo#playing is bad, but post%lop slo#playing is usually much #orse. I call the %ollo#ing Y.he Idiot(s &onsterY /all Pre%lop #ith a dra#ing hand (poc"et pair, suited connector /all raiser(s %lop bet #hen you hit your monster. 9aise the turn small (#hether it(s minraise or raise %1 S2EE to S;EE . ?alue bet the ri'er. I(m not saying to get rid o% this line completely, ho#e'er, pic" your spots. 3gainst most thin"ing players, you #ill not ta"e their stac" this #ay against an o'erpair. Ho#e'er,

65

against some loose calling station #hose entire thought process is Yhe bets more so he has a better handY, use this line (raising the %lop is still superior and 'alue bet him into submission. He #ill ne'er %old his .P5J. 'easons slo6pla.ing is bad: 2 Fastplaying is decepti'e, slo#playing is not (against thin"ing players . >ou heard right. 6ecause the o'er#helming ma,ority o% players online slo#play their 'ery strong hands, most thin"ing players #ill ne'er see #hat hit them #hen you %astplay yours. 2 Fastplaying builds pots. .his one should be ob'ious. >ou don(t #ant streets chec"ed #hen you ha'e a 'ery strong hand. >ou #ant the ma$imum amount going in on e'ery street. Chen you %lop a set and sense that your opponent has an o'erpair, pound him. -on(t plan on ta"ing hal% his stac". 5o %or it all. He probably isn(t %olding unless... 8 a scare card hits. I(m going to use a simple e$ample to illustrate this point. >ou ha'e << 77P against a pre%lop raiser. .he %lop comes .<: #ith a heart %lush dra#. >ou chec" call the %lop. .hin" about ho# many turn cards could potentially "ill your action. 3ny heart, ., H,*,8 could result in your opponent not #illing to go to the %elt #ith his o'erpair. /hec")raising and leading out are both acceptable options. /hec")calling is pretty bad. Here is another e$ample %rom a hand that I played recently0 Party Po"er No)Limit Hold(em, S 66 (* ma$, * handed con'erter 66 (SK:K Hero (S28:2 &P (S2A*.22 /7 (SKK2 6utton (S<E:.8; S6 (S<*K.<; Pre%lop0 Hero is 4.5 #ith *, ;. S6 posts a blind o% S;. Hero raises to S8;, 8 %olds, S6 (poster calls S8E, 66 calls S2;. Flop0 (S2E; J, *, * (8 players S6 chec"s, 66 chec"s, Hero bets S<E, S6 calls S<E, 66 %olds. .urn0 (S2:; * (2 players S6 chec"s, Hero bets S2<;, S6 calls S2<;. 9i'er0 (S;K; 3 (2 players S6 chec"s, Hero OOO So many players #ill chec" the turn. /hec"ing the turn is 2EEG #rong. It allo#s your opponent to play a small pot in a hand #here he is either #ay ahead or #ay behind. 6etting it also disguises your hand and most probably stac"s ?illain i% he holds J$. Ho#e'er, I %orgot that an 3 could hit the ri'er and potentially "ill my action. .he correct play in this situation is not only to bet the turn, but to bet all)in. .his assures that you disguise your Buads, get K;GF(s opponent(s stac"s all)in #ith J$, and pre'ent a scare card (3ce %rom "illing your action on the ri'er. .his e$ample illustrates ho# much can go #rong #hen you try to slo#play. : >our opponent doesn(t bet[ In the pre'ious << e$ample, I stated that chec")raising and leading are both good options. .he reason chec")raising is eBually good is because your opponent #ill o%ten ma"e a continuation bet #hen he misses #hich you #ould not gain i% you lead. Ho#e'er, you should be #ary o% the %act that any time you chec"

66

intending to trap, your opponent may chec" also. -isclaimer0 -on(t ta"e #hat I #rite as blac" and #hite, #rong and right. Chether I state them as absolutes or not, they are my opinions. Ho#e'er, the important thing you should be ta"ing in %rom this is the thought process in'ol'ed in ma"ing decisions. In this case, the decision is #hether to slo#play or not. Sure there are times #hen you should be slo#playing. .he important thing is that you ha'e the thought process to recogni!e #hen those situations arise and #hy slo#playing is more pro%itable than %astplaying in those situations. For my third post ne$t #ee", I ha'e an idea, but it is more o% a pro%itability discussion, rather than a pure strategy discussion. 3nyone opposed to thisO +n,oy. (PA'T """) Hi, Sorry it too" me so long to get this one out. I('e been busy lately, but a bunch o% you bombarded me #1 P&(s so here goes0 .he %irst t#o posts %ocused speci%ically on po"er strategy #hile this one #ill deal #ith pro%itability. Here are a %e# speci%ic #ays to impro'e your pro%itability (roughly in order o% importance )) Game Selection: .his is by %ar the most important thing you can do to impro'e your #inrate. I% your game selection consists solely o% putting yoursel% on the #aitlists o% the tables #ith the biggest a'g pots1highestG to the %lop, your game selection suc"s. First, thin" about ho# important game selection is. 3t small sta"es, i% you are a good player, chances are there might be : or ; tables out o% 2EE that you are unable to sustain a positi'e #inrate. Ho#e'er, there is a big di%%erence bet#een #inning 26612EE on a certain table as opposed to 2;6612EE. .hin" about the times #here you sat do#n #ith a %ish on your table playing <E)2EEG o% his hands. Ho# Buic"ly on a'erage does he go bro"eO 8E handsO ;E handsO <E handsO I% you are on his table, sometimes you(ll be the one ta"ing his stac", sometimes you #on(t. Ho#e'er, the bottom line is, on a'erage you #ill ta"e $G o% that player(s stac". I% you %ollo# most o% the %ollo#ing ad'ice, $ #ill be around 8EG. -epending on ho# much he bought in %or, this may a'erage out to around K)2266(s. I% #e ta"e a conser'ati'e estimate and say he lasts <E hands, that(s a ridiculous K)22661H9 raise on your #inrate. I don(t thin" there are many doubters to the %act that game selection is important so I #on(t spend much more time on it. 9ather, let(s mo'e on to ho# you go about pic"ing good games.... +) "dentif.ing &ish I% you are to e$ercise good game selection, ob'iously you ha'e to "no# #hat a good game is. Since most o% you are probably multitablers, the easiest #ay to do it is to use Po"er.rac"er and an add)on #hich superimposes e'eryone(s stats onto the table. Chen you aren(t playing, you should lea'e your computer on and datamine. Cithin a %e# days you can easily recogni!e the regular, #inning players, and the regular, losing players. 6e #arned that you shouldn(t automatically assume that because a certain player(s ?PIP is o'er 8E, he is a %ish. .here is a #ide range o% styles #ith #hich people can play

6*

pro%itably. 6elie'e it or not, there are ;E12E(s #ho are #inning players at ;12ENL and 2E12ENL. Ho#e'er, li"e most things, you are playing the numbers game. /hances are that a player #ith a ?PIP o% ;E is much more li"ely to be a loser than a player #ith a ?PIP o% 2;. .he ne$t #ay to identi%y the %ish is to obser'e ho# they play particular hands. .3J+ N7.+S. Chen you see someone chec")call the JI: %lop 77P #1 3<o, no dra#s, you can be pretty sure that he is a losing player. It(s important that you note speci%ics o% ho# the #ea" player plays, and #ays %or you to e$ploit that. For e$ample, don(t #rite Ydon"eyY as your note. Sure this tells you he suc"s, but #hat good is that i% you are unsure o% ho# to e$ploit it. Instead, #rite Ycalling stationY. No# you "no# not to blu%% him. 7r #rite Ydoesn(t e$tract proper 'alue %rom strong handsY. No# you "no# that you should ,ust chec")call him do#n #ith your top pair type hand. 7r #rite Y%ires three barrels #ith o'ercardsY. No# you "no# to ,ust chec")call him do#n to the ri'er. 7nce you are able to identi%y the %ish, you need to learn ho# to ta"e ad'antage o% them. #) Pla. more hands 6ith the fish and less 6ith the sharks .his should be ob'ious, but it is ama!ing ho# many players play on complete auto)pilot and disregard %or #ho they are playing the hand against. Here(s an e$ample. Standard starting stac"s. >ou ha'e ;; in the S6. Solid player raises :);$ %rom middle position. 3ll %olds around to you. 3 lot o% players #ill call and ta"e a %lop to try and %lop a set. Ho#e'er, this is incorrect %or a number o% reasons. First o% all, a solid player(s opening range is going to be such that e'ery time you %lop your set, he #ill not necessarily ha'e a strong enough hand to pay you o%%. Say he raises JI and the %lop comes H<;. >ou aren(t going to #in much o%% him. 9emember, that you ha'e to plan on getting ;E big blinds #orth o% his stac" in the middle ,ust to 69+3J +?+N on your small poc"et pair. Ne$t, because this player is good, there(s no guarantee that he #ill e'en go bro"e #ith an o'erpair or top pair. &aybe a scare card hits on the turn to "ill your action. &aybe he reads your hand #ell and can get a#ay Buic"ly. .he bottom line is that speculati'e hands %luctuate in 'alue depending on the player you are playing them against. Here is another e$ample. ?ery bad player minraises 4.5. 7ne caller. >ou ha'e :*s on the button. Standard stac" si!es. >ou should be seeing a %lop here e'ery single time. Playing :*s pro%itably against a 'ery bad player in this situation should be pretty easy i% you "no# #hat his lea"s are and ho# to properly e$ploit them. 7ther than #idening your range o% hands you #ill play against a #ea" player, ho# else can you increase the number o% hands you play against him... 9) Learn to pla. short,handed .his is probably one o% the biggest %ears o% a lot o% small sta"es %ull ring players. I "no# #hen I %irst started out, I #as scared to death o% SH play. No#, I(d ha'e to play post%lop and not ,ust #in e$clusi'ely on the strength o% solid starting hands. Ho#e'er, I can honestly say that a%ter 2 or 8 days o% playing * &3_, my #inrate #as signi%icantly higher than #hat i #as earning at %ull ring. .his isn(t because I impro'ed my post%lop play that Buic"ly but rather because there are more %ish on the * &3_ tables, and I am no# playing more hands against each %ish.

68

I thin" that e'ery player ta"es a progression throughout their po"er careers %rom %ull ring to * ma$, to 8 handed and H4 play. .he %e#er the number o% players, the more potential the game has %or pro%itability. .he reasons %or this are %airly ob'ious. :) Seat Selection "ssues It is o%ten argued #hether it is better to sit to the le%t o% the players #ho play #ell, or the players #ho play poorly. .he o'er#helmingly correct ans#er is the players #ho play poorly. .hin" about it. Not only are you no# able to isolate against that player at #ill, but no# #hen you raise, you don(t ris" getting : callers behind you. +'en i% once in a #hile you ha'e to play a hand out o% position against a tough player, you should be playing :); times as many hands against the #ea"er player. I% a seat to the direct le%t o% a loose, #ea" player opens up, /H3N5+ >749 S+3.. No# #hat happens i% you aren(t able to mo'e to the le%t o% the #ea"er player. Let(s say you are to his direct right. .his is #hat is going to happen. >ou are going to ha'e to signi%icantly tighten up your pre%lop raising. >ou can(t open H.o anymore because the loose player #ill call, and this #ill entice others a%ter him to %ollo#. Cho #ants to play a : handed pot out o% position #ith hands li"e thatO Furthermore, e'ery time you are in a pot against the player you are trying to play as many pots #ith as possible, you are out o% position. >ou(ll ha'e to control your continuation betting because that player is probably a calling station. .he bottom line is that because that player is so bad, the game #ill still be pro%itable. Ho#e'er, i% possible, you should de%initely loo" %or another table #here you can get more %a'orable seating. >) Ps.cholog. Ho# psychology applies to po"er is something a lot o% people don(t properly understand. 7ne o% the important aspects o% any hand is ho# your opponent percei'es you. 4nless you ha'e a long history #ith the opponent, this usually in'ol'es ho# you('e been playing %or the past :E);E hands. Here is an e$ample0 Say you('e been ma"ing a lot o% continuation bets a%ter PF raises, and /1F turns #hen you miss. >ou raise $y. Flop comes KA2. 7ne caller. /hec", 6et, /all. .urn is a 2. In this situation, sometimes i% you don(t ha'e a piece you might gi'e up. Ho#e'er, gi'en your table image, it might be 'ery pro%itable %or you to %ire a second barrel as your opponent probably thin"s you only %ire 2nd barrels #ith legit hands. .he point o% this e$ample is that your table image can greatly in%luence certain decisions. 7ne o% the reasons it(s so di%%icult to comment on H4 NL hands is because a lot o% that depends on the pre'ious hands that you('e played #ith the opponent. Let(s say an a'erage player opens %rom the button. >ou reraise 3Io %rom the big blind and he %olds. ?ery ne$t hand you are dealt 33. He opens %rom the cuto%%. >ou should 'ery seriously consider ma"ing an abnormal si!e raise. I% he raises : times the blind, maybe you should consider reraising him 2E times the blind. .his is especially the case #hen you ha'e ,ust sat do#n at the table. &ost players don(t ha'e the thought process reBuired to deduce the real reason you are reraising so much and #ill thin" your a nut,ob and go

6<

bro"e #ith a mediocore hand. Similar situation, ho#e'er this time you hold a hand li"e .. or HH. In this case, you should almost al#ays ,ust call his pre%lop raise. .he reason is that he #on(t gi'e you as much credit %or a strong hand since you are reraising him t#o times in a ro#. >ou are 'ery li"ely to be put all)in pre%lop, or get raised on the %lop. 3 hand li"e .. or HH #ill ha'e trouble dealing #ith this much pressure. .his is all I can thin" o% at the moment but I(ll try to add something ne$t #ee". I% you ha'e ideas on #hat you #ould li"e me to discuss, %eel %ree to P& them to me. I(m too tired to proo%read this, so i% something doesn(t ma"e sense, lemme "no# and I(ll try to address it. +n,oy.

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.NL 0O. )*E +E), -4GH- (Pokey)

3 little o'er a year ago I tested SSNL and %ound out that they #ere #ea")tight. Cell, this month I tested uNL and %ound out that #e(re still #ea")tight as a group. 4hat does 6eak,tight mean< In a nutshell, #ea")tight means you ha'e &46S0 (& onsters (4 nder the (6 ed (S yndrome. >ou gi'e your opponents too much credit %or hands and too much credit %or hand)reading. I li"e to call it YPsychic ?illain Syndrome,Y #here you %eel li"e your opponents can see into your soul. >ou "no# #hatO .hey really can(t. .hey(re ,ust as lost as #e are. 4n%ortunately, #hen #e gi'e them credit %or being paranormally percepti'e po"er players #e shoot oursel'es in the %oot, %ailing to ma"e F+? mo'es because #e %ear that our plays #ill be ob'ious (no matter ho# %ar %rom the truth that might be . 4h. do " accuse u8L of being 6eak,tight< Cell, because I tric"ed you into telling me that you #ere. First, I ga'e you this thread #here hero %lops air0 )))))))))) Po"er Stars ) No Limit Hold(em /ash 5ame ) SE.2E1SE.2; 6linds ) * Players ) (LegoPo"er Hand History /on'erter S60 S2A.*E 660 S22.;; 4.50 S2E.EE Hero (&P 0 S2K.AE /70 S:A.8E 6.N0 S2E.8; Pre%lop0 Hero is dealt H . (* Players 4.5 %olds, Hero raises to S2.EE, 8 %olds, 66 calls S2.EE Flop0 (S2.2E K A ; (2 Players 66 chec"s, Hero bets S2.EE, 66 calls S2.EE .urn0 (S*.2E 2 (2 Players 66 bets S;.EE, Hero calls S;.EE 9i'er0 (S2*.2E 8 (2 Players 66 chec"s, Hero bets S2:.;;.... )))))))))) I then as"ed you ho# o%ten 'illain calls the blu%%. .he results as o% right no#0 Less than +:F of the time: * (2;G o% responders (et6een +:F and :BF of the time: 22 (2<.;G o% responders (et6een :BF and ?:F of the time: 2A (:;G o% responders !ore than ?:F of the time: ; (22.;G o% responders 3%ter that thread died do#n, I had my snea"y moderator)accomplice ma"e another post. It should loo" reasonably similar to you0 ))))))))))

Po"er Stars ) No Limit Hold(em /ash 5ame ) SE.2E1SE.2; 6linds ) * Players ) (LegoPo"er Hand History /on'erter S60 S2A.*E 660 S22.;; 4.50 S2E.EE Hero (&P 0 S2K.AE /70 S:A.8E 6.N0 S2E.8; Pre%lop0 Hero is dealt < * (* Players 4.5 %olds, Hero raises to S2.EE, 8 %olds, 66 calls S2.EE Flop0 (S2.2E K A ; (2 Players 66 chec"s, Hero bets S2.EE, 66 calls S2.EE .urn0 (S*.2E 2 (2 Players 66 bets S;.EE, Hero calls S;.EE 9i'er0 (S2*.2E 8 (2 Players 66 chec"s, Hero bets S2:.;;.... )))))))))) N7.+ C+LL0 stac"s are the same. .he %lop and %lop action are identical. .he turn and turn action are identical. .he ri'er and ri'er action are identical. .he 7NL> -IFF+9+N/+ is that instead o% air #e('e got the immortal nuts. Ce then as"ed you ho# o%ten .HIS ri'er bet gets called, and you told us0 Less than +:F of the time: < (2K.2G o% responders (et6een +:F and :BF of the time: 22 (;EG o% responders (et6een :BF and ?:F of the time: : (2*.<G o% responders !ore than ?:F of the time: 2 (:.2G o% responders 6ummer )) you(re #ea")tight. >ou('e mista"enly assumed that an identical, un"no#n 'illain calls &4/H more o%ten #hen #e('e got nothing than he #ould #hen #e('e got the nuts, e'en though e'ery possible %actor in the hand is other#ise identical. .his ma"es no logical sense, it cannot be correct, but it(s ho# #e thin" as a group. .hat, my %riends, is the 'ery de%inition o% #ea")tight. 4hat are the conse1uences of being 6eak,tight< Cell, the main conseBuence is that #e ma"e incorrect plays because #e gi'e our opponents too much credit. Ce blu%% too little because #e(re ,ust S49+ that 'illain is calling, but in the same situation #hen #e('e got the nuts #e bet small because #e JN7C that 'illain #on(t call a big bet. I(m not saying that both o% these statements are #rong, but at L+3S. one o% them &4S. be. I honestly don(t "no# #here the truth lies. IF our 'illain #ill call our blu%%)pushes too o%ten %or blu%%)pushing to be pro%itable, then pushing #ith the nuts #ill be e$tremely F+? %or us. 7n the other hand, IF our 'illain dumps most o% his hands to a ri'er push, then blu%%)pushing #ill be e$tremely F+? %or us. 7nly empirical e'idence and reads #ill tell us #hich ans#er is correct %or a particular 'illain, but belie'ing that N+I.H+9 pushing the nuts %or 'alue N79 pushing air as a blu%% #ill be F+? cannot be correct )) i% one doesn(t #or", the other #ill. &y pure and uneducated guess is that at uNL, pushing %or 'alue is usually F+? and pushing as a blu%% is usually )+?, but this #ill 'ary %rom 'illain to 'illain, and the %ormula #ill change as you mo'e up in sta"es. =o6 do 6e beat this 6eak,tight curse< Let(s assume that #e err on the side o% o'erestimating our %olding eBuity. I% that(s the case, then the ne$t time you ha'e the

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nuts on the ri'er, as" yoursel% Yi% I had air, #ould pushing be F+?OY I% your ans#er is no, then push. I% your ans#er is yes then decide ho# large a bet you could ma"e #ith air and still ha'e it be F+?, reduce that amount by a couple 66s, and bet that much. .his ad,ustment #ill reduce our predicted %olding eBuity #hen #e ha'e the nuts. It might o'er)reduce it, but it(s probably a mo'e in the right direction. 5i'e it a try %or a couple days and see ho# it #or"s %or you. I don(t point this out to insult you or try to ma"e you %eel stupid= rather, I point it out because it(s an +_.9379-IN39IL> common problem %or po"er players in general, at all stages o% de'elopment. Let(s try to get around our psychological stumbling bloc"s and start ma"ing rational decisions instead.

*3

+o$king on yo($ game (kom)

I decided to post #hat is most o% my ;Enl YcareerY because I thought it might be use%ul %or some players. First #e begin #ith my %irst W2;E" hands #hich can only be described as mediocre.

3s you can see I #as pretty much the typical Ytag%ishY. I #as tight pre%lop, 'aguely a#are o% position, "ne# ho# to c)bet etc but still had some pretty big holes in my game. So I signed up %or cardrunners, spent alot o% time reading posts across unl)HSNL, got some coaching and did some s#eat sessions #ith %riends. .he results are my last W2EE" hands...

*:

I thin" the things I learned in the second batch o% hands are0 )* Turn aggression is important. 3lot o% players ha'e gotten %lop aggression do#n, ie c) betting, chec" raising %lush dra#s etc, but alot o% uNl players are not aggressi'e enough on the turn. Loo"ing at the t#o stats samples you can see in the 2nd one my turn aggression is signi%icantly higher and I thin" that has been one o% my biggest impro'ements. Cor" on identi%ying pro%itable places to %ire again on the turn (Scare cards against habitual %loaters etc and it #ill pay di'idends. +* Sho6do6n /omparing the 2nd sample to the %irst you can see that i #ent to sho#do#n less and #on more o%ten #hen I got there. Loo" to ma"e ri'er %olds[[ .oo many times I used to ma"e alot o% 'ery bad, Ymeh, #hate'er pot oddsY calls on the ri'er #hen it #as ob'iously )+?. Cor"ing on stopping this has brought my sho#do#n numbers into the range #hich I thin" is about right %or a taggy style. #, Table image 6e a#are o% your image at the table[ &y de%ault is to c)bet W2EEG o% the time and loo" to aggressi'ely ta"e do#n pots #ith or #ithout a hand. I% early in a session I sho#do#n premium hands and establish a tight image then this becomes 'ery success%ul as I can abuse this image to steal and rob lots o% small)medium pots. Ho#e'er, I ne'er used to ad,ust my play i% my image #asn(t so great. I% you ha'e been caught stealing #ith trash1double)barrelling #ith air etc, then 3-H4S.[[ .ighten up a bit %rom late position, c)bet less and #ait %or a good spot to use your bad image to get paid o%%. 7ne good tip here is to include your net S#on1lost in your H4-. I %ind it can be a decent indicator o% ho# you are 'ie#ed by the table. 9, Dariance In the bre# etc people are al#ays moaning about tiny s#ings o'er tiny samples. &an up and play the hands and don(t tal" about 'ariance until you('e played at least ;E)2EE" hands, and e'en then probably don(t tal" about it. .he one thing I #ill say

*5

is it is Buite ob'ious that the 2nd graph has %ar less 'ariance than the %irst due to the signi%icantly higher ptbb12EE. 3lthough e'en #ith a P* #inrate I still e$perienced a W28 buy in do#ns#ing #hile playing my 3 game. In conclusion, #hilst I still ha'e alot to learn I %eel I('e at least grasped the %undamentals o% playing good 36/ tag po"er. .hose o% you struggling as brea"e'en1small #inners li"e I #as, ta"e heart. >ou are on the right trac" and #ith some small ad,ustments you can ,oin me in beating the uNL games at a good clip and getting ready to ta"e shots at the higher games.

*6

-#e !asi"s session $e'ie5 9 : /e"onst$("tion: (mat$ix)

Po"er ) ho# do you play yoursO are you a .35 a L35 a sL35 a nit O Ho#e'er you play and #hoe'er you play against one o%ten o'erloo"ed part o% paying goot is re'ie#ing the hands you play a%ter#ards and loo"ing to see #hat good decisions you made ) #hat bad stu%% you did and trying to not repeat the bad stu%% again and 'ersa 'ice. 7%ten times I %ind mysel% playing on autopilot ) I get the po"er %ired up I open up 82<KA<:;<:8E;<KE:2A;KE:AE tables ) I loo" through the players that are sitting choose #hat tables I #ant to play and o%% I go. 3n hour or t#o later I %inish up happy that I ran goot or mad that I lost monies and I go do something else. Sound li"e youO 3 lot o% mediocre players play li"e this ) they "no# the basics they "no# #hat plays are goot and #hat are not ) %or the most part they ma"e the right plays most o% the time ) hey nobodies per%ect right. I thin" this is a one #ay tic"et to brea"e'ens'ille. =o6 do 6e make G pla.ing poker<< Ce ma"e more #ith our good hands and lose less #ith our bad hands than the other players #e play against. Ce ma"e less F.7P Ymista"esY than the rest o% the opposition ) thats it. It(s X'eryX hard to get out o% the Y#oot I #on $ buyins today I ruleY or the YHoly sheet I ran so bad I am do#n S$Y mentality #hen you %inish a session. 3ll #e ought to really care about is #hether #e made goot decisions or not and thin" a%ter a sesh Y#oot I made some great F+? mo'es today FF S"lans"y buc"s %or meY or Yman I really suc"ed calling there and suc"ing out %or 8EEbbY 6ut i% you play a bunch o% tables you don(t ha'e nearly enough time to re'ie# ho# F1) your +? #as %or the big decisions you made that session. Here are some handy steps that help me a%ter I play a session to get a handle on ho# #ell I am playing ) and in #hat spots I really need to #or" on and impro'e. i 7pen up notepad or use pen1paper or something ) open up the trac"er s1# and %ilter it to sho# the big pots you ,ust played. ii 7pen po"er sto'e ) replay the big hands you #anna loo" at in the replayer and pause the action #hen you had to ma"e a decision. Punch the hand into the sto'e ta"e your time and put the 'illain on a range and chec" your eBuity 's that range. iii &3J+ 3 N7.+[ ) and mo'e onto the ne$t big hand. .his ta"es you 2;)2E mins a%ter you(re done playing %or a KE min :table session or thereabouts. I% you got all)in p% 33'JJ and stu%% ignore those ) ,ust %ocus mostly on the hands #here you had to thin" a little. >ou should end up #ith a notepad %ile that loo"s li"e... Session :th 8o- , Part. G:B8L

**

i raised a 2K12* &P .35s Y/6Y #ith air on rags %lop ) %olded to sho'e ) 'illain plays ' tight %rom +1&P ) but can(t continue #ith #hi%%ed 7/(s ) 7J play. ii called a b18b all)in 77P 's .35 on %lop # .P5J, ? had na"ed %d. 5ood call ) he is o%ten semi)blu%%ing. iii ... etc. Sa'e these then once a #ee" loo" bac" through your cli%%notes and see i% the same spots come up o%ten ) get into the habit o% #riting do#n #hy you did $ in y situation and I %ind it helps me to thin" better at the table and o'erall ma"e less F.7P Ymista"esY. 4hich leads me onto H3econstructionH 6asicaly ta"ing other peoples games apart ) and loo"ing %or #ays to possibly e$ploit their #ea"nesses. Ce all maintain large databases o% opponents play ) #e ought to use these more. 7nce a #ee" I sit %or an hour ) pic" out a 'illain I play against o%ten that I ha'e a L7. o% hands on and I loo" at #hat mo'es they ma"e ) ho# they lost the big pots they played ) ho# o%ten they %old to a re)raise ) #hat si!e o% raise is need to get 'alue ) or to get a %old. I #rite up a huge pile o% notes on this 'illain and either import them directly to the po"er s1# or I notepad them and copy1paste them in later #hen I see them again. Some 'illain gi'ing you trouble at the tableO ) instead o% "eeping out o% their #ay get under their s"in, %igure them out and be better armed ne$t time you play them.

*8

-HE E;OL.-4ON OF ) PO,E* PL)0E* (ae<ones)

-isclaimer and Buali%ier0 I ha'e played #ell o'er one million hands o% online po"er, and almost that many this year alone. I@'e ,ust recently started to re%lect on my career in po"er, and I #as able to %ind the points in time in #hich I really had epiphanies. I remembered that #as a Buestion that is as"ed in most Q#ells.R I #as as"ed more than once in mine, and right no# ,man is doing a great #ell in HSNL in #hich people are as"ing him the same Buestion. I@'e decided that I@ll ta"e the time to ans#er it comprehensi'ely, since I ha'en@t made a serious post in &SNL in a 'ery long time) this is my /hristmas present. I@d appreciate it i% HSNL people read it and e$pounded upon it (and the %uture) most notably and i% SSNL and &SNL people #ould as" Buestions related to this thread that others could help them ans#er. .he goal o% this `essay@ is to e$pedite the education process o% all those #ho read it indirectly. (#ould also appreciate i% someone #ho 'isit SSNL #ould lin" it there, than"s The /-olution of a Poker Pla.er by aeFones Po"er is disco'ered di%%erently by many indi'iduals. /learly, i% you@re reading this, you@'e recei'ed it a speci%ic #ay. .his essay is designed to describe a success%ul #ay to go about educating yoursel% about this game (a `method@ that many o% you #ill be able to identi%y #ith , the pit%alls to a'oid along that path, and #hat you can e$pect in the %uture. 3lthough there are a 'ariety o% #ays to go about disco'ering the game, including dreams o% #anting to become the ne$t hal%)#itted accountant %rom .ennessee #ith a #eight problem to ma"e se'en %igures, there are speci%ic channels to go about educating yoursel% on it. 3%ter many o% you %ound po"er and decided you #anted to get better at it, you pic"ed up a po"er boo" at your local boo"store. .his boo" #as in all li"elihood terrible (#ith the e$ception o% Super System , but ne'ertheless an integral part o% your po"er career. >ou learned about pot odds, or ho# to sBuee!e out an e$tra bet #ith t#o pair playing 8)* limit, #here the only person #ho can beat the ra"e in that game is Herry >ang. 6asic concepts, but %airly important ones nonetheless. .hrough these boo"s, you learned to play tight. .ight #as right. It #or"ed. >ou might ha'e #on some money in home games or online) it seemed %airly simple enough, no one else #as %olding enough, so by %olding a lot and only playing strong hands, you #ould ha'e an ad'antage. I% you really got more hungry, you searched 5oogle %or po"er articles, or read e$cerpts by Phil Hellmuth or -aniel Negreanu %rom their #ebsites. For me, -aniel Negreanu #as my most important teacher be%ore I #as any good at po"er. He #as one o% the %e# people 8 or : years ago that actually #ent through some thought process %airly publicly, and I bene%ited greatly %rom "no#ing ho# he thought. .o this day, I belie'e that i%1#hen I play #ith -N, I@ll ha'e a huge ad'antage recalling his thought process %rom hands I read o'er and o'er bac" in the day (#ithout him "no#ing the in%ormation I@m using . .hese "inds o% things #ill help the a'erage railbird, and might e'en assist you to #inning lo# sta"es NL online, or e'en tournaments, but it@s not nearly enough to #in online. .hus, you reach the %irst milestone in your po"er career. !ilestone I): Poker is not pla.ed inside of a bo07 if .ou 6ant to surpass the fgatorsJ of the 6orld7 .ou need to learn to think outside of it* 3round this time you start thin"ing about things other than your cards. >ou reali!e that other people ha'e cards too[ Chat i% you could %igure out #hat they ha'eO 3 no'el

*<

concept, indeed, and one that many players ha'e not come into contact #ith yet. Second and third le'el thin"ing come into the picture, and you get e$cited about po"er. >ou reali!e there are all sorts o% player types, and you should try to cater to the #ay they play (tight in loose games, loose in tight games instead o% imposing your impressi'e #ill o% %olding in an already nitty game, or splashing around #ith bottom pairs and dra#s #hen no one is %olding second pair on any street %or any bet. >ou learn about 5abe@s girl%riend Shania) I can do anything as long as I balance[ >ou li"ely o'er'alue balance, #hich in time you #ill learn to de)'alue, and then 'alue highly again. .his is around the time most o% us learn ho# to play L35 as #ell. Chen you learn the nuances o% playing loose and aggressi'e and the e%%ects o% your image on the table, you are brought into a #hole ne# #orld o% po"er. +'erything loo"s and tastes di%%erent than it did be%ore. Suddenly, you@re loo"ing to %illet a di%%erent "ind o% %ish) a .35%ish, speci%ically. >ou reali!e your image can e%%ect others into ma"ing a#%ul plays. Hell, #e all see ho# bad people play against Poly 6aller. >ou learn to play dra#s super %ast) anytime you can get it in #ith more outs than you ha'e %ingers on one hand, you@'e done alright[ Hello %old eBuity[ 3nytime I go all in, I@ll ,ust be li"e `%old eBuity, %old eBuity, %old eBuity@) it@s a chant to the po"er gods. >ou ma"e this transition o'er and o'er again. >ou get aggressi'e, get tight, get loose, get tight, get loose, get tight. People change their ideal style based on #hat is se$y at the time, and e'entually settle on something that %its their personality. Chen you@re loose and losing, you blame it on the loose lea"s. Chen you@re tight and losing, you complain about not getting enough action. .he human brain is constantly conditioning itsel% to be results oriented and doubt anything that doesn@t #or" at the moment. Ce@ll li"ely re'isit this transition later in our po"er careers. 3 note about disco'ering L35 play. It is at this moment that 5rimmstar shot o%% %rom the standard e'olution o% a po"er player. He mo'ed straight up %rom this %irst milestone, stunted his gro#th in po"er, and became a terrible, terrible high sta"es player. .he man burned nearly a million dollars, true story. .here are other e$amples about players #ho le%t here to success) %or instance, I thin" cts and ,man had %airly instant successs at higher sta"es. .hey #ere luc"y enough to mo'e up and run good, but #ise enough to learn along the #ay. I% you are %ortunate enough to run good at 2;);E and continue to as" Buestions, study game theory, and be open to mo'ing do#n anytime you hit a bad run) then you@re clearly smart enough to `learn on the %ly@ and disco'er other milestones in your po"er career as they come. 7%tentimes, the period be%ore this ne$t milestone is characteri!ed by a great humbling at the po"er tables. -o#ns#ings %rom playing too %ancy and getting your ass handed to you by regulars #ill lead to lo# con%idence. 4sually a shot goes #rong or you ,ust start e$periencing e$treme 'ariance, running ;E buy ins belo# e$pectation in bac" to bac" months, perhaps. It all causes you to retool your game, and hope%ully, ha'e this epiphany. !ilestone I+: Pla.ing the hand in the fanciest manner does not necessaril. e1uate to making the most mone.* .his #as by %ar the most di%%icult concept %or me to understand. I spent the greater part o% a year #orrying about ho# loose and aggressi'e I could play, and chec"ing the si!e o% my dic" e'ery time I sho#ed a blu%%. I@m not sure at #hat point I came to understand that you could play Qstraight%or#ardR and be e$tremely success%ul. I guess I could thin" o% a %e# e$amples^ I remember one time I #as ta"ing a shot at 2;);E on about a ;E" roll, #ith a %riend ha'ing some o% my action (probably a Buarter . I #as playing straight%or#ard, and a%ter about ;E hands I #as loo"ing at my P3H4- and it said this

8=

player #as li"e 2;122 pre%lop^ I #on@t mention #ho it #as (not a 2F2er but I as"ed one o% my %riends #ho played high sta"es) and he said this guy is the 6+S. 2;);E player on the internet. Ho# can he be the best playing 2;122O .hat ba%%led me. 3round here you #ill learn a 'ery 'aluable lesson that aggression post %lop is not the same as aggression pre%lop, and although they are ine'itably related, they are not a direct product o% each other. Some people li"e to L35 it up pre, and then a %lop c)bet is as %ar as they go aggression)#ise. .hey@re easy to %loat, easy to blu%%)raise, easy to 8)bet pre. In general, their up%ront aggression is strong, but their bac"door aggression is pedestrian. (re0 up%ront 's. bac"door aggression. I@'e been using these terms #ith %riends o% mine %or a #hile no#, but I ,ust reali!ed that it might not be standard lingo on here. 4p%ront aggression is basically betting #ith the lead, lots o% c)bets and ob'ious second barrels= 6ac"door aggression is basically tric"y stu%%) turn chec" raises, ri'er chec" raises, leading the turn #ithout initiati'e, etc. Some players ha'e absolutely no bac"door aggression, #hile I had been using entirely too much o% it %or most o% my po"er career) be%ore the second milestone . 9egardless, once you learn about stats li"e CCSF and ,ust general dog%ights %or %lops that you "no# you both missed, you #ill ha'e real battles #ith other regulars. 3 lot o% you #rite posts in &SNL that say Q.ough battle 's. reg #ith history.R I call horseXXXX. &ost o% you are standard 2K12< .35s and your only `battle@ #ith regs are Q!omg, one time he called me do#n #ith third pair) an ace peeled the ri'er, but he still called[R In most o% these cases, it@s super standard #ithout real history. &ost o% you ha'en@t seen history. I remember 3ns"y and iroc"hoes played a hand months ago #here they got it on :)bet on the %lop #ith JI on H high dry. .H3. is a hand #ith history. 5uy bet)calls 3I high on the ri'er, .H3. is a hand #ith history. &ost o% #hat you guys play is ,ust crappy, ob'ious aggression, no o%%ense. 3s soon as I learned ho# you could play relati'ely straight%or#ard and ,ust add some tric"s up your slee'e (#hen you image #arrants you getting a#ay #ith it I instantly became a better player. I% you all ha'en@t graduated %rom the #hole Q2F2 says I should be super tric"y in agroR stage o% your careers, hope%ully you %ound this past section 'ery insight%ul. .he ne$t milestone, ho#e'er, is by %ar the most important in any players career. !ilestone I#: The reali ation that The4orstPla.er is a6ful at poker* 7"ay, that #as a bit harsh. It #as the most concise #ay to say this0 3t some point in your career you #ill be humbled. I% you reach this stage, you@'e li"ely been humbled many, many times. .here are, ho#e'er, spots #here you should gain e$treme con%idence. .imes #hen the hea'ens open up to you and you are being spo"en to by the po"er gods@ themsel'es. Perhaps #hen you ma"e your %irst sic" ace high call do#n (or in 5abe@s case, your %irst "ing or Bueen high call do#n , or you blu%% (or 8)bet blu%% the ri'er %or the %irst time success%ully. +'entually, ho#e'er, you #ill learn that not e'eryone on 2F2 is good at po"er. >ou #ill reali!e that Buantity does not eBual Buality and that high post counts are more a %unction o% boredom than #isdom. .his is #here you try to %ind your niche. 3ll great players are not made the same. &ost o% us come %rom di%%erent bac"grounds and there%ore employ di%%erent thought processes. >ou reali!e that you also ha'e a 'alid opinion, and maybe you don@t agree #ith someone li"e Hason Strasser on a hand) but that@s o"ay, neither does durrrr[ Point being, not e'eryone can play the same, so at this point in your po"er career you gain a great deal

o% con%idence. &aybe you start posting in HSNL more regularly, maybe your opinion is #ell recei'ed= alternati'ely, i% you get to this stage too Buic"ly, you need to ha'e a strong sel%)con%idence to sur'i'e it. I@'e been trying to surpass this milestone %or 8 years. &ostly, I #as humbled by players that #ere better than me (at the time, and still by posting in HSNL. I didn@t ha'e e$perience, but I had ambition. I% you ha'e thic" s"in and an open mind, this can be a strong learning e$perience. I% you don@t, it can be con%idence)shattering enough to induce people to Buit the game. .his is the milestone around most people in &SNL struggle) most, in %act, may ne'er `conBuer@ this stage. &ost #ill %ind &SNL grinding to be satis%ying enough. (note0 reading this does not mean you@'e passed the third milestone, you ha'e to reali!e it %or yoursel% 7nce you reali!e e'eryone suc"s, you@ll start to see it e'ery#here. In %act, there are #inning 2E)2E and 2;);E players, regulars, #ho are 'ery bad. .hey do most things as good as a 8)* player, but game select li"e a 2EE)2EE player, perhaps. Seeing is belie'ing. &aybe these guys aren@t that good[ >ou see certain players playing a lot o% hours high sta"es) he must be good[ >ou see -ario &ineri@s Shar"scope) he must be good[ >ou see Phil Hellmuth@s bracelets) he must be good[ I% you can get past those three statements, your chances o% succeeding in po"er #ill increase e$ponentially. .he %inal &ilestone is one that I@'e only recently come to disco'er. !ilestone I9: ThereJs more to life than poker* 3 truer statement could ha'e ne'er been #ritten. -uring nearly this entire maturation process, most o% us #ho stri'e to `be the best@ #ere obsessed to some degree. I "no# you sat in %reshman composition class, did not read the assigned chapters the pre'ious night, and did math problems #ith #in rates and tried to %igure out ho# much money you #ere going to ma"e this #ee", this month, and this year. I "no# i% you e'er too" the time to learn eBuity calcs that you sat in the bac" o% algebra and %igured out ho# much %old eBuity you needed pre%lop to :)bet sho'e 3$ in a b'b battle. I "no# you s"ipped your Aam chemistry class because you #ere up until *am getting unstuc". Ce all "no# that. .his is the moment #hen you reali!e that there is a certain burnout point in the game, and in order to achie'e ma$imum success you need to play Buality hands, not a minimum Buantity. Here is #here you #ill decrease the number o% tables you play and increase your reads on the regulars in the game. &any use this milestone to better their social li%e, spend more time #ith their %amily, increase their e$ercise regiment. .he %act is that many o% us li'e unhealthy, #e spend all o% the time that #e used to on athletics and our %amily sitting in %ront o% a computer and reading a stupid #ebsite #ith ingenious posters li"e ae,ones. .he more endorphins you can release through e$ercise or se$ or something, the better decisions you #ill ma"e. .he %act is that this #ebsite, these %orums, they %eel li"e a %raternity) #e laugh together at ree%, #e cry together at ddubious. 5et past the internet, get past the :;122 on your right, and impro'e your li%e. 7nly by doing so #ill you e'er impro'e your po"er game.

8)

In summary, many o% us #ill cycle bet#een loose)aggressi'e and straight%or#ard. Ce #ill repeat this cycle many times until #e reach a happy medium. Ce #ill second guess this medium, right%ully so, because it #ill be #rong. Ce #ill change styles again, doubt oursel'es, right%ully so, because again #e #ill be #rong. Ce #ill repeat this process o'er and o'er again. .he best ha'e %ound their niche= the best understand their place in the po"er uni'erse.

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!E--4NG -HE -.*N 's !E--4NG -HE *4;E* (*eg(in)

.his has been under discussion recently in a number o% threads, and I(d li"e to #rite my ideas about this do#n so that its clearer to me and so I can get some %eedbac" on it. 6asically, I #ant to e$amine i% #e should pre%er betting on the turn 's. the ri'er #ith t#o types o% hands0 middling made hands that you #ould li"e to 'alue bet once more #ith, and blu%%s (ob'iously by blu%%s I mean air that you ha'e decided you #ould li"e to blu%% #ith. I(m not getting into #hen you should blu%%, assume that decision has been made . .hen I(d li"e to see ho# Shania %its into all o% this. .o "eep it simple, e'erything I discuss assumes Hero is the pre%lop raiser %rom the /7 a%ter it #as %olded to him, and 'illain called %rom the 66. 6oth ha'e slightly deep 2;Ebb stac"s. I only do this so #e ha'e room to manoeu're, the deepness o% the stac"s #on(t be much o% an issue since I am mostly discussing times #hen 'illain chec"1calls us do#n. .he post%lop action #as that Hero continuation bet on a dry board #ith one %ace card and t#o unconnected lo# cards and got called by 'illain. ?illain then chec"ed a blan" turn. Ce can assume that 'illain li"ely has a #ea"ish made hand. Not al#ays, o% course, but the ma,ority o% the time. I "no# that that is "ind o% 'ague, but I(d pre%er to "eep it abstract. No# lets loo" at our turn options. I% #e are blu%%ing, is it better to bet the turn or to chec" itO Ce do not need to consider the case #here 'illain is going %or a /9 because i% he is, #e should lose about the same amount o% money o'erall. 3ctually, #e might sa'e some money %rom blu%%ing i% #e chec"ed the turn and 'illain bet out on the ri'er, but on such a dry board 'illain #ill o%ten go %or a /9 again on ri'er i% he missed it on the turn, and so I don(t consider our +? much di%%erent bet#een a turn bet and a ri'er bet i% 'illain #anted to /9 us. So I #ill consider only those times #here 'illain is simply chec"1calling us do#n #ith a #ea" made hand. I thin" that in this case, it is better to blu%% on the turn than the ri'er. ChyO Cell, it is easier %or 'illain to call the ri'er imo. It is harder %or 'illain to call the turn than the ri'er #ith a #ea"ish made hand because 'illain "no#s that by calling here, he basically turns his hand %aceup as a #ea"ish made hand. .his ma"es him e$tremely 'ulnerable to thin 'alue bets on the ri'er as #ell as to ri'er blu%%s, things he doesn(t ha'e to #orry about i% he is ,ust calling a ri'er bet. .he other %actor is that i% #e ha'e the nuts #e are almost al#ays betting the turn. .hat in'ol'es shania though, #e #ill get into that later. +ssentially all I('e said here is that it is harder to call 2 bet on the turn than 2 bet on the ri'er (i% the turn #as chec"ed , so I thin" blu%%ing the turn is more e%%ecti'e. Chat about your middling made handsO Cell, the opposite o% the blu%% applies, in that you #ant it to be easy %or 'illain to call. So %or the abo'e mentioned reasons, you #ould pre%er to chec" the turn and bet the ri'er. 6y doing so #e lose the ability to multistreet bet= luc"ily, #ith this type o% hand #e don(t #ant to do that any#ays, so #e lose nothing. 3n important consideration, though, is that by chec"ing the turn #e are less li"ely to be /9ed o%% the best hand. I say less li"ely instead o% impossible because i% 'illain decent then he should o%ten go %or a /9 on ri'er (gi'en the dry board i% he missed it on the turn. Ho#e'er, e'en i% this is true, it is harder %or us to call a turn /9 than a ri'er /9 %or, once again, the reasons mentioned abo'e= #e don(t ha'e to #orry about another street. So e'en #hen considering being /9ed #e pre%er to bet the ri'er #ith this type o% hand. 3ny#ays, I %eel that it is better to blu%% the turn than the ri'er, and better to bet your middling made hands on the ri'er than the turn, all based on ho# easy it is %or 'illain to call. No# I #ant to e$amine Shania here, #hich on such a dra#less board means #e only ha'e to consider one more thing= the nuts. 2y this ; mean hands that $e are happy to bet all . streets $ith( assuming villain eeps chec ing to us. 7b'iously this is di%%erent than the best hand possible, in that #e might not #ant to get our stac" in #ith the nuts

8:

so described i% #e get /9ed on the turn. 3ny#ays, thats the term I(m using. It should be ob'ious that #e pre%er to bet the nuts on the turn than to chec" it. Chile the arguments o% being easier %or 'illain to call on the ri'er than the turn still apply, the 'alue o% the ability to mutistreet bet is enormous #ith this "ind o% hand and out#eighs other considerations. So the nuts, li"e a blu%%, should be betting the turn. So i% the abo'e assumptions are true, #e can say that it is optimal to blu%% and bet the nuts on the turn, and to 'aluebet middling hands on the ri'er. 6ut the problem, ob'iously, is that 'illains adapt. No# #e ha'e to as", ho# do #e balance this outO 7r perhaps most importantly, should $e balance this out& .hat is my main Buestion here, the reason I too" the time to #rite all this do#n. I% #e don(t balance this, is it e$ploitable, and to #hat degreeO I #ill e$amine chec"ing the nuts behind on the turn later, because #e should not be doing that too o%ten, as #e #ould lose too much 'alue. In terms o% balancing I #ant to %irst consider blu%%ing more on the ri'er instead of the turn (not tal"ing about 8 barreling here , and1or betting #ea"ish made hands on the turn %or 'alue and then chec"ing behind on the ri'er. So mi$ing up the (optimal( betting pattern %or blu%%s and middling hands. Lets e$amine the e$ploitablility o% only betting middling hands on the ri'er and ne'er on the turn. Chat can 'illan do to us i% #e bet that #ayO Cell, he #ould then correctly recognise the turn bet as a nuts or air situation. .hus he can correctly assume that all o% his middling made hands are o% eBual 'alue in that situation. 7", but does that actually gi'e him an eBuity edgeO I% #e mi$ it up and bet some o% our o#n middling hands on the turn, then it becomes correct %or him to call do#n #ith only the stronger part o% his range. Fine, by balancing our game #e dictated the 'illain(s actions and %orced him to do something. 2ut $here is the gained e5uity& I can(t %ind it. I%, %or e$ample, #e are betting (optimally( #ithout balance, and it is correct %or 'illain to call say _G o% the time on the turn, then he can arbitrarily choose #hat hands #ill ma"e up this _G. I%, ho#e'er, #e mi$ it up, the 'illain #ill be %orced to ma"e up his _G %rom the top part o% his range. He cannot ,ust randomly choose #hen to call do#n because it is not a nut)or)air situation, so he has to #ait %or certain stronger hands. 6ut he is still calling the theoretically correct _ G, rightO (the top _G o% his range So #e aren(t gaining any real eBuity. .hus I don(t see the point to balancing our game by betting middling made hands on the turn. No# I #ant to e$amine balancing our game by sometimes chec"ing the turn and blu%%ing the ri'er, instead o% the (optimal( #ay. Chat does this accomplishO Cell, say #e bet in an (optimal( pattern. .hen 'illain "no#s almost e$actly #hat "ind o% hand #e ha'e #hen #e chec" the turn and bet the ri'er, because #e almost ne'er ha'e the nuts and aren(t blu%%ing here. I "eep saying (almost( because there #ill be those times #hen the ri'er impro'es our hand, and #e are in %act betting a 'ery strong hand on the ri'er a%ter chec"ing the turn. .his only happens a %airly small percent o% the time though, and so I #ill ignore it. 3ny#ays, by not mi$ing up our game on the ri'er, #e ha'e ha'e turned our hand %ace up as a 'aluebet once #e bet the ri'er. .his allo#s a 'illain #ho "no#s #hat your 'aluebetting range is to play optimally. Ho#e'er, i% you thro# in some blu%%s, all you ha'e to do is ad,ust your blu%%ing G (e'en #hile "eeping a constant 'aluebetting hand range in order to ma"e pro%it o%% your opponent. I can(t tell you #hat that G is, o% course that depends on the game1'illain, but I thin" #e do need to blu%% the ri'er sometimes or else 'illain #ill simply play per%ect po"er. 7nce #e got here, #e ha'e to blu%% sometimes %or the e$act same reason #e ha'e to blu%% sometimes in spots #here #e ha'e the nuts= #e are 'aluebetting and don(t #ant 'illain to play per%ectly, simple as that. .he real problem #ith this (optimal( betting pattern seems to be that our hand is %aceup as air1middling hand once #e chec" the turn, and should #e choose to bet the ri'er, it is %aceup as a middling hand. No# the usually do#nside to turning your hand %aceup

85

applies= it is easy %or 'illain to 'aluebet thinly against you, and you are 'ulnerable to blu%%s. Ho#e'er, compare this to a situation #hen your hand is %aceup by chec"1calling the %lop and chec"ing the turn 77P. Here the do#nside to turning your hand %aceup is much more e$treme= 'illain has 2 streets to blu%% or 'aluebet you. In this spot, he has only 2. .hat(s a 'ery big di%%erence. So #hile there are ob'ious do#nsides to turning your hand %aceup, it is much less o% a problem i% you do it on the ri'er than on the turn. 3nd o% course, the only option you ha'e in terms o% not turning your hand %aceup is to chec" the nuts on the turn sometimes. So you ha'e to as", is it #orth it to lose all that 'alue o% multistreet betting #ith the nuts in order to "eep your hand a mystery on the ri'erO I thin" you ha'e to balance this spot much less than you #ould in other situations on po"er, #here you turn your hand %aceup on eariler streets, simply because it hurts you much less here. 3ny#ays, I hope that #asn(t too rambling, and am 'ery interested to hear your thoughts on this. .his isn(t so much a post intending to educate as it is my loo"ing %or comments and criticism on my thoughts, because this is ho# I see it and #ant to "no# that I am not ma"ing some #rong base assumption that is hurting me #ithout my "no#ing it. I also "no# that there are a lot more Shania issues that I ha'en(t touched, so please %eel %ree to point them out. 3ny#ays, I #on(t be able to respond right a#ay as I(ll be a#ay most o% teh day but I(ll chec" bac" in later.

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7$(s#ing S#o$t Sta"ks (7$y Me ) *i'e$)

I should hit ;J posts sometime in the ne$t couple #ee"s. /onsider this an early Pooh) 6ah post. Li"e the #eather, e'eryone tal"s about short stac"ers but nobody does anything about them. .his is the thread #here you learn not only ho# to deal #ith them, but ho# to crush them. .here are a couple things you need to "eep in mind. -ealing #ith short stac"s is higher 'ariance than dealing #ith big stac"s. Chat #ould normally be small pots become medium si!ed pots. Short stac"s generally only play, at most, 2 streets. .hese t#o %actors mean you tactics against short stac"s may be radically di%%erent %rom your tactics against %ull stac"s. I% you do not ha'e the ban"roll or the stomach to deal #ith this you need to %ind another game. 3ll the #hining in the #orld is not going to change a structure that is ?+9> pro%itable to the po"er sites. >our only recourse is to learn to beat the short stac"s. I% you ta"e nothing else a#ay %rom this post, thin" o% this. Short stac"s are success%ul because they ha'e no di%%icult decisions on later streets, they rely on %old eBuity and abuse %ull stac"s #ho are loathe to ta"e a coin)%lip or get it in as a dog e'en #hen pot odds dictate they should. .he thing is, there is no reason you can(t do this too. Chen you are head(s up against a 2E66 short stac", you 3LS7 ha'e a 2E66 stac". So all those mo'es you hateO Pushing o'er your pre%lop raiseO -on")pushing %lopO Cell you can do those too. 3nd they(re ,ust as de'astating #hen used against a short stac" as #hen used by one. +'en more so because short stac"s don(t e'er get to #in 2EE66 pots to ma"e up %or those losses. .he only real ad'antage a short stac" has o'er a %ull stac" is the ability to sBuee!e t#o %ull stac"s against each other and %orce %ull stac"s to %old %or %ear o% other %ull stac"s. Ho#e'er this ad'antage is o%ten only one o% perception. In such a sBuee!e, the other %ull stac" is li"ely to be as a%raid o% you as you are o% him. So you should usually concentrate on the short stac". So e'en though you may not ha'e odds to call against a short stac"er(s raise, call him any#ay and then open push %lop #ith 3./ and see #hat happens. -o this sometimes #ith big pairs too to put the %ear i% god in him. 3ny chip you ta"e %rom a short stac" hurts him #orse than the chip he ta"es %rom you. 3ny time you get him to %old a%ter he(s put a third o% his stac" in it(s a smac" in the mouth. 3nd any time you stac" him it(s a "ni%e in the gut. .he #ay to beat any enemy is to analy!e their strengths and #ea"nesses, then a'oid or neutrali!e those strengths and e$ploit their #ea"nesses. Ad-antages to Short stacking Fold eBuity and 5ap concept 7nly ha'e to play pre%lop and %lop, no #orries about #hat to do against scare cards etc on later streets

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7pponents seldom ha'e odds to chase dra#s Full stac"s #ho hate shorties and play badly against them 3isad-antages2mistakes from short stacking No implied odds Lo# ceiling to the amount #on #ith monsters Need to push #ith a #ide range to be pro%itable Short stac"ing is a limited game plan #ith no depth that tends to rely on mathematics and tight opponents #ho %old too much High 'ariance From this I ha'e deri'ed three "eys to 'ictory against short stac"s. .hey are0 2 Jno# your shorties. Not all short stac"s play the same. 2 +%%ecti'e stac"s and pot odds. Jno# #hen you ha'e to get it in #ith the #orst o% it. 8 9aise, raise, raise. .o e$ploit shorties, the price o% playing po"er &4S. go up. Kno6 .our shorties 7b'iously e'erything is on a continuum, there are seldom absolutes. Ho#e'er, I am going to group short stac"ers into three basic types. The Good Short Stackers 5ood short stac"ers are the guys you hate. .he ones #ho ha'e a clue and put you to tough decisions. Fortunately .hese "inds o% short stac"s are in the minority. 3nd e'en so, you can ma"e their li%e ,ust as di%%icult by putting .H+& to the tough decisions. Tight7 (ad Short Stackers .ight, bad short stac"ers are the short stac"ers #ith reasonable pre%lop stats, something li"e 221*12. Ho#e'er, they are still 'ery bad. .hese are the guys #ho sit in #ith 2E66 and call pre%lop raises #ith ::. .hese are the guys #ho don(t abuse their %old eBuity. .hese guys are generally sitting #ith short stac"s N7. because they "no# ho# to play short but because they(re either scared money or short rolled. Loose7 (ad Short Stackers Loose, bad short stac"ers are the nuts #ith stats li"e :E12E1: #ho are loo"ing %or any e$cuse to gamble and get their stac" in. .hese guys are basically %ree money, ho#e'er, they can be ?+9> high 'ariance. .hese three di%%erent types o% short stac"s reBuire slightly di%%erent approaches to play against and e$ploit. Spotting the loose1bad short stac"ers is generally Buite easy ,ust %rom their stats. -i%%erentiating bet#een the good short stac"ers and the bad tight short stac"ers can ta"e a little more time. >ou can spot the bad tight short stac"ers because the ma"e bad plays. In particular, they #ill try to set mine or call raises #ith suited connectors #ithout anything resembling implied odds and then %old %lop. +ssentially, short stac"s, particularly short stac"s around 2E66 should be calling raises almost ne'er. .here are a %e# situations #here calling pre%lop raises #ith a short stac" is a good idea and I(ll outline a couple here so you can spot them0 ) I% the short stac" has a big pair II1JJ133 and the player raising pre%lop is li"ely to %old

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to a 8bet1push the short stac" may be #ise to ,ust call a pre%lop raise and try to get it in on the %lop. ) I% the pre%lop raiser is #ea")tight and li"ely to %old %lop too much then the short stac" can call and push %lop #ith a #ide range and ma"e a lot o% pro%it %rom these bad %olds. I% you see a short stac" calling raises outside o% these parameters then you(re li"ely dealing #ith a bad short stac", or at least a short stac" #ho is not playing optimally. It(s important to "no# #hich type o% short stac" you are dealing #ith since it helps determine their hand ranges and ho# best to implement the other parts o% our plan. /ffecti-e stacks and pot odds .his is really the meat o% the eBuation. I% you are ha'ing a hard time against short stac"s, .ou are almost certainl. folding too much. .here are three 'ery common situations you %ace all the time against short stac"s. .hey are0 2 >ou raise pre%lop, short stac" pushes all)in. +'erybody else %olds. -o you call or %oldO 2 Short stac" limps, you raise pre%lop, short stac" calls and pushes %lop. 8 Short stac" limps, you raise pre%lop, you cbet and short stac" chec"raises all in= 79 >ou raise pre%lop, short stac" calls, you cbet %lop and short stac" pushes all in. Situation 2 In this situation, the short stac" usually has 2E66 to 8E66. Larger short stac"s don(t usually push pre%lop li"e this and i% they do you should probably treat them li"e %ull stac"s. So the Buestion is, #hat do #e call #ith hereO .his all depends on the range #e can put the short stac" on. Ce need to do that %irst. I% the short stac" is o% the loose, bad 'ariety his range is 'ery #ide. Something li"e AAF13.F is not unreasonable. Some #ill do this #ith any pair, some are pushing JI or JH here as #ell. Ho#e'er, #e #ill stic" to AAF13.F .he tight, bad short stac"er actually has the tightest range here. He isn(t good enough to ta"e %ull ad'antage o% his %old eBuity and he(s #aiting %or a hand that gi'es him a good chance to double up. He(s not loo"ing to re)steal. So a reasonable range here is HHF13IF. .he good short stac"er is the toughest to put on a range. .his is because he(s good enough to try and abuse his %old eBuity. So his range here is going to be some#hat dependent on your raising range and position. I% you(re in a position #here your raising range is #ide (i.e., button and1or you(re an aggressi'e raiser his pushing range #ill be much #ider than i% you are a nitty player. In addition, he may ta"e into consideration #hether or not you %old too much to short stac" pushes. For the purposes o% the math that %ollo#s, #e are going to assign good short stac"ers a range here o% ..F13HF. Ho#e'er, "eep in mind that their range may be almost as #ide as the loose short stac"er or as tight as the bad1tight short stac"er. >ou need to ad,ust your reads according to the situation. I #ill use these three ranges to gi'e you an idea o%

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#here you stand in a 'ariety o% scenarios. Scenario 23 Short stac" has 2E66 and is not in the blind. >ou raise :66. Short Stac" pushes. +'eryone else %olds. .he pot is 2;.;66 and you need to call 2*66. >ou need a hand #hich has 8A.;;G eBuity against short stac"(s range to ma"e a call brea")e'en. I% short stac" has a range o% AAF13.F 3J has ;;.;:G eBuity 's range 3I has :<.2*G eBuity 's range 3H has 8K.2A* eBuity 's range 3. has 82.*8G eBuity 's range KK has :;.*2G eBuity 's range AA has :2.A8G eBuity 's range ;; has 8K.AAG eBuity 's range :: has 8K.:2G eBuity 's range 88 has 8A.A<G eBuity 's range 22 has 8A.2AG eBuity 's range <*s has 82.AG eBuity 's range I% short stac" has a range o% ..F13HF 3J has ;:.2KG eBuity 's range 3I has :2.:KG eBuity 's range 3H has 82.2AG eBuity 's range .. has :8.<KG eBuity 's range KK has :E.A*G eBuity 's range :: has 8K.K8G eBuity 's range 88 has 8K.8*G eBuity 's range 22 has 8A.<;G eBuity 's range <*s has 88.8KG eBuity 's range I% short stac" has a range o% HHF13IF 3J has ;E.22G eBuity 's range 3I has 88.E<G eBuity 's range HH has :2.<:;G eBuity 's range .. has :E.22G eBuity 's range KK has 8K.82G eBuity 's range ** has 8K.2;G eBuity 's range ;; has 8K.E::G eBuity 's range :: has 8A.;2;G eBuity 's range <*s has 82.<<2G eBuity 's range 3s you can see you(re going to be getting it in behind the short stac"(s range Buite a bit. Ho#e'er, the dead money in the pot dictates your calling range. 3gainst the loosest range, call 88F13HF. 3gainst the medium range, call 22F13IF. 3gainst the tightest range, call ;;F13JF. In addition, this assumes 'illain has a stac" si!e o% e$actly 2E66. .his o%ten isn(t the case. So, ho# small a stac" does 'illain need to ha'e to ma"e calling #ith 2213I1<*s brea")e'en in those situations abo'e #here it is other#ise a %oldO

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I% 'illain has an 2A66 stac", the pot is 28.;66 and you need to call 2:66. 6rea")e'en is 8<.88G eBuity. I% 'illain has an 2;66 stac", the pot is 2E.;66 and you need to call 2266. 6rea")e'en is 8:.K2G eBuity. ?illain(s stac" actually has to get do#n around 2E)2266 %or the eBuity 'alue to shi%t enough to ma"e 2213I1<*s calls in these situations. Scenario 26 Short stac" has 8E66 and is not in the blind. >ou raise :66. Short Stac" pushes. +'eryone else %olds. .he pot is 8;.;66 and you need to call 2*66. >ou need a hand #hich has :2G eBuity against short stac"(s range to ma"e a call brea") e'en. 3s you can see pot odds are such that you need a much tighter calling range. 3gainst the loosest range, call KKF13IF. 3gainst the medium range, call ..F13IF. 3gainst the tightest range, call HHF13JF. Scenario 2/ Short stac" has 2E66 and is in the big blind. >ou raise :66. Short Stac" pushes. +'eryone else %olds. .he pot is 2:.;66 and you need to call 2*66. >ou need a hand #hich has 8K.;G eBuity against short stac"(s range to ma"e a call brea")e'en. 3gainst the loosest range, call ;;F13HF. 3gainst the medium range, call ::F13IF. 3gainst the tightest range, call ;;F13JF. So the %act that the short stac" is in the big blind does mean your pot odds are not as good and you need to tighten up your calling range a little. 6ut not a lot. Scenario 2Short stac" has 8E66 and is in the big blind. >ou raise :66. Short Stac" pushes. +'eryone else %olds. .he pot is 8:.;66 and you need to call 2*66. >ou need a hand #hich has :2.KAG eBuity against short stac"(s range to ma"e a call brea")e'en. 3s you can see, due to the larger stac" si!e the %act 'illain is in the blind doesn(t ma"e much di%%erence. So at 8E66 in or out o% the blinds can be ignored unless it a%%ects the short stac"(s range (i.e,= big blind #ill ha'e a #ider push range against an open raise

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%rom the button than a raise 4.5

.he thing to ta"e a#ay %rom this is that calling these pushes is ne-er far 6rong. 3nd i% there are any mitigating circumstances, particularly other limpers or other players calling your raise, some o% the close %olds (li"e 3H or <*s can Buic"ly become calls. 3nd this is assuming %airly tight pushes, you "no# sometimes these guys are pushing #ith <*s themsel'es. .he point is that you(re probably ma"ing a mista"e by %olding too much and N7. by calling too much.

Situation 2 In this situation, short stac" limps, you raise pre%lop to ;66, short stac" calls and pushes %lop. 7n the %lop, the pot is 22.;66. ?illain pushes 2;66. >ou need to call 2;66 to #in a 2*.;66 pot. >ou need 8*.2:G eBuity in this pot to ma"e this call. 7b'iously there are hundreds o% possible scenarios here, I can(t list all o% them. 6ut here are some things to "eep in mind. 6ad, loose short stac"s and good short stac"s ha'e a huge pushing range here, though %or di%%erent reasons. .he loose short stac" can(t #ait to get his stac" in and gamble. 3ll the better i% he can push you o%% pots. .he good short stac" has a hand sometimes, but he also #ants to e$ploit his %old eBuity by ma"ing you %old the better hand. 6ad, tight short stac"s actually ha'e the tightest range here by %ar. .hey are una#are o% %old eBuity. .hey(re chec"1%olding any %lops that miss them. I% one o% these guys pushes they usually ha'e at least .P or a big dra#. So let(s e$amine some standard situations to see ho# much eBuity you typically ha'e. I(m going to assume it goes #ithout saying that you are calling the push #ith .P or better and any good dra#s. 7'ercards 's poc"et pair0 6oard0 2c 2d Ks eBuity #in tie pots #on pots tied Hand E0 2:.8:8G 2:.E:G EE.8EG 28A 8.EE U 3cJd V Hand 20 <;.*;<G <;.8;G EE.8EG <:* 8.EE U *c*d V Poc"et pair 's bigger pair 6oard0 2c 2d Ks eBuity #in tie pots #on pots tied Hand E0 EA.8A:G EA.8AG EE.EEG A8 E.EE U <c<d V Hand 20 K2.*2*G K2.*2G EE.EEG KE< E.EE U .cKd V

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&iddle pair #ith o'ercard 's top pair 6oard0 2c Ks ;d eBuity #in tie pots #on pots tied Hand E0 2;.2A*G 2;.2KG EE.EEG <;2 E.EE U 3c;c V Hand 20 <:.<2:G <:.<2G EE.EEG 222K E.EE U .Ks V

.hese loo" pretty blea", but only i% the short stac" has +_3/.L> those hands. 3gainst bad, tight short stac"s #e can o%ten ta"e them at their #ord and ,ust %old. Ho#e'er against loose short stac"s and good short stac"s their range is usually much #ider. So #e #ill try to assign some appropriate %lop push ranges0 Loose short stac"s #ill call pre%lop #ith a 'ery #ide range and push anything that hits their hand or i% they thin" %lop did not hit you. 5ood short stac"s ha'e a much narro#er calling range pre%lop. .hey "no# not to try and set mine. Ho#e'er, they may call #ith a #ide range i% they thin" you are li"ely to %old pre%lop to their push, particularly i% your raising range is #ide (i.e.= %rom the button . I(m going to eliminate big pairs under the assumption they #ould ha'e been raised pre%lop. .his may not al#ays be the case, but usually it should be. 3gainst a loose short stac", pushing range on this %lop and our eBuity in these hands loo"s something li"e0 6oard0 2c 2d Ks eBuity #in tie pots #on pots tied Hand E0 :K.2:*G :8.A2G E;.8:G *2E2< <;;A.;E U 3cJd V Hand 20 ;E.A;:G :;.;2G E;.8:G *::8* <;;A.;E U ..)22, 3.sF, JHsF, HKs, .Ks, KAs, 3.oF, JHoF, HKo, .cKd, KAo V 6oard0 2c 2d Ks eBuity #in tie pots #on pots tied Hand E0 ;A.K<2G ;A.:2G EE.;;G K;:8: AK;.;E U <c<d V Hand 20 :2.E2KG :E.:AG EE.;;G **22; AK;.;E U ..)22, 3.sF, JHsF, HKs, .Ks, KAs, 3.oF, JHoF, HKo, .cKd, KAo V 6oard0 2c Ks ;d eBuity #in tie pots #on pots tied Hand E0 ;K.KEKG ;K.*<G EE.2:G AK2E2 8;<.;E U 3c;c V Hand 20 :E.EK2G 8K.A;G EE.2:G ;K;<: 8;<.;E U ..)22, 3.sF, JHsF, HKs, .Ks, KAs, 3.oF, JHoF, HKo, .cKd, KAo V 3gainst a good short stac"er it comes do#n to %iguring out #hat he(s calling raises #ith. He should be calling raises 'ery rarely unless he thin"s he can push)steal against you on the %lop. I% he(s going %or a steal, his range is going to be similar to the loose short stac"er. I% he(s not stealing then you can e$pect him to push .P or better li"e the bad1tight short stac"er and you should be prepared to get out o% his #ay.

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>ou need to try and trac" #hat the good short stac"er is doing. I% he(s calling raises #ith a %airly #ide ranges and trying to steal on %lops then you need to call him do#n lightly. I% he(s playing tight against raises then you ha'e to be prepared to %old marginal hands. 3s the short stac"(s stac" gets bigger, you need better eBuity to call his %lop push. I% short stac" starts #ith 8E66 7n the %lop, the pot is 22.;66. ?illain pushes 2;66. >ou need to call 2;66 to #in a 8*.;66 pot. >ou need :E.*;G eBuity to call. I% short stac" starts #ith :E66 7n the %lop, the pot is 22.;66. ?illain pushes 8;66. >ou need to call 8;66 to #in a :*.;66 pot. >ou need :2.K:G eBuity to call. So #hile you should be tightening up your calling range slightly, "eep in mind that you a%ter still ha'e plenty o% eBuity against the short stac"(s range. .he other big thing to "eep in mind on %lops is turning the tables on the short stac"er.... /all his pre%lop raise and then push %lop. 7r push o'er his pre%lop raise. Put HI& to the tough decision %or all his chips. .his can #or" ,ust as #ell against the short stac"er as it does for him.

Situation 8 Short stac" limps, you raise pre%lop, you cbet and short stac" chec"raises all in= 79 >ou raise pre%lop, short stac" calls, you cbet %lop and short stac" pushes all in. .his situation almost becomes tri'ial against a 2E66 stac". I% the pot on the %lop is K.;66, say you cbet <.;66. Short stac" then pushes his last 2;66. >ou need to call 2;66 in a 8266 pot. >ou only need 82.K2G eBuity to call #hich you #ill ha'e #ith a 'ery #ide range o% hands. 3gainst a 8E66 stac", i% the pot on the %lop is K.;66, say you cbet <.;66. Short stac" then pushes 2;66. >ou need to call 2;66 in a :266 pot. >ou need 8<.8G eBuity to call. 3gainst a :E66 stac", i% the pot on the %lop is K.;66, say you cbet <.;66. Short stac" then pushes 8;66. >ou need to call 8;66 in a ;266 pot. >ou need :E.28G eBuity to call. .he last thing to consider here is that e'en head(s up, you don(t H3?+ to cbet against the short stac". I% you JN7C he(s going to push o'er you and you don(t ha'e a hand that can call him then don(t cbet. +ither ta"e the %ree card or let him bet and then >74 push o'er him and let him decide i% he has enough eBuity. In %act, you should do this sometimes #hen you -7 ha'e a hand you #ant to %elt. So he can(t put you on a hand in these situations and sometimes H+ has to %old the best hand. Finally, #hen it comes to your pre%lop raising, "eep in mind #hat, i% any short stac"s are

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in the hand (or le%t to act behind you and #hether they(re li"ely to push on you either pre%lop or on the %lop. I% they are, then you may #ant to consider tightening up your range and not raising hands li"e <*s. 9ather only raise hands that you #ill be able to get all)in on a #ide 'ariety o% %lops. 7r i% you do still raise <*s, try to do so in situations #here you(re li"ely to ha'e good odds post%lop e'en i% the short stac" pushes. For e$ample, multi)#ay #ith se'eral players calling the raise. In this case, also consider raising a smaller amount that your usual :66F2 to ,uice the pot rather than isolate. 'aise7 raise7 raise Short stac"s do not #ant to call raises unless they(re planning to push)steal a lot o% %lops. .he #orst thing you can do to a short stac"er is raise his limps, raise his blinds and 8bet his raises. 9emember, he has no or 'ery bad implied odds. 3nd in raised pots he shouldn(t ha'e much %old eBuity against .ou. .his is the #orst possible situation %or him to be in. >ou #ant to raise a short stac" as much as you possibly can. >es this #ill lead to high 'ariance situations #hen he comes o'er the top, ho#e'er you usually "no# #hen you ha'e the best o% it. For e$ample, i% a good short stac"er o'erlimps %rom late position, you "no# he almost al#ays does not ha'e much o% a hand or he #ould raise. So you need to raise. .his %orces him to %old 88 or <*s because he doesn(t ha'e odds to call and try to out%lop you. 4nless he(s going to try push)steal %lop. 6ut his range is already #ell de%ined. So you "no# that on the %lop you(re going to ha'e good eBuity to call his push. 3nd i% he reali!es you(re playing him tough this #ay he doubly can(t a%%ord to call because he no longer has the bene%it o% %old eBuity on the %lop. So he needs to %old to your raise= calling becomes a big mista"e. I% he open raises, 8bet him liberally. His choice here becomes one o% %olding or pushing. He "no#s he has little %old eBuity against you and he can(t a%%ord to put in hal% his stac" and %old %lop 'ery o%ten. .his becomes a 'ery di%%icult situation %or a short stac" particularly i% you "eep 8betting him and raising his limps. >ou do not #ant to let short stac"s see too many cheap %lops. >ou also do not #ant to gi'e them the opportunity to be the aggressor and e$ploit the gap concept and their %old eBuity. 9aise them. Put them all)in be%ore they put you all in. Le-eling Jeep in mind that se'eral posters here short stac" some time or all the time (also lur"ers[ . I% they are a#are that you #ill ha'e read this post they may start ad,usting their ranges against you. For e$ample, i% they thin" you('e started %olding 3I against their pre%lop pushes, they may start pushing #ith a &4/H #ider ranger to e$ploit your propensity to %old. 7n the other hand, i% they see you #idening your range against them they may tighten up. 3gainst the bad short stac"ers you really don(t ha'e to #orry. 6ut #atch out %or the good ones ma"ing ad,ustments to your game. &inal 4ords 5ood short stac"ers are di%%icult to play against. 7.7H, bad short stac"ers o% both the loose and tight 'ariety are 'ery transparent and o%ten amount to %ree money, particularly i% you are #illing to play them tough. I% you can learn to play #ell against the bad short stac"ers they #ill more than ma"e up %or the good ones. Chat(s more, the good short stac"ers are not unbeatable either. >ou ,ust need to start playing them as short stac"s N7. as big stac"s #ho sit out the turn and ri'er.

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3 lot o% it is putting yoursel% in 'ery marginal positions, but, the short stac"s ma"e a lot o% pro%it getting people to %old too much. .he only #ay to combat that is to not %old #hen you ha'e decent eBuity, ensuring that they share in these tough spots. .his can lead to 'ery good things %or you %rom a meta)standpoint i% short stac" alters his play so as to a'oid you and not try to push you o%% hands 'ery o%ten. .hus ta"ing a#ay all the ad'antage that comes %rom short stac"ing.

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My Poo#-!a# post (7=* 's> 3=?3) (/an !itel)

7J, I "no# it@s time %or me to ma"e my Pooh)6ah post, but my problem is, that I@m not good at these long posts, and I don@t really ha'e a good, original idea #hat to post about, so I@m going to #rite a short piece on /19 's. b18b #ith both monsters and combo dra#s. Firstly though, I #ant to point out a general %act that is a lot o% the time o'erloo"ed on this %orum. +'ery2 (including me and a lot o% the #ell respected posters on this board "eep harping on about playing combo dra#s and monsters the same #ay. Ce ,usti%y saying that by spouting the #ords QshaniaR, QmetagameR or Qgame theoryR usually. Ho#e'er, it@s Buite ob'ious, that #ith the 2 hands #e are loo"ing %or 2 di%%erent things. Chen #e ha'e a monster, #e #ant to get paid o%%, and #hen #e ha'e a combo dra#, #e #ant %olding eBuity. 3gainst a 'ery good opponent (one that is better than us or as good as us , then playing your dra#s1big hands the same #ay is the line that achie'es optimal F+?. Ho#e'er, against a don", this is not true. For instance, 's. a calling station that #ill al#ays stac" o%% #ith .P, #hat@s the point getting all in on the %lop #ith 22)2; outs #hen you "no# he #ill call, #hen instead you could dra# #ith good odds and stac" him #hen you hit, b1c he@s that bad. Similarly, 's. a nit, there@s no point bet18betting all in #ith a set on a dry board, b1c you@re letting him %old his o'erpair. 7J, no# that I@'e got that out o% the #ay, let me tell you about some o% the considerations #hen deciding #hether to b18b or /190 Stack Si es (in relation to the pot): .his is really important. .here@s nothing #orse than /19 a board #ith a combo dra#, only to get called, ha'e a lot o% money behind on the turn, and the turn bric"s. >ou@re aim it normally to get 3I on the %lop #ith both a combo dra# and a monster, so i% unsure, it@s best to ta"e the line that that gets you all in #ith the most ease. +g. >ou ha'e S2E behind and the pot is S2E, then a /19 is the best option, as it gi'es your opponent a chance to cbet1blu%% and your /19 #ill easily be all in. I% ho#e'er you ha'e SK; behind and the pot is S2<, then a bet18bet is better. Lead %or S2< and then a%ter e'en a minraise, you@re 8bet all in, is a PS6. .he other reason that stac" si!es are important, is to %igure out the F+ you ha'e on a dra#. 7b'iously, the shorter stac"ed the opponent is, the less F+ you@re going to ha'e 3ead !one.: .his again is ?+9> important and a point o'erloo"ed regularly. >ou #ant to ta"e the line that traps the most dead money in the pot. +.g. Let@s say that 4.5 raises, and gets 8 callers, you call in the S6 #ith a suited connector, 66 %old. >ou %lop an 7+SF-. I% you lead out, and the PF9 raises, then the 8 callers inbet#een #ill all %old. I%, ho#e'er, you chec", the PF9 bets, then hope%ully a %e# o% the players inbet#een #ill call #ith a dra#1#ea" .P or #hate'er, and #hen you then /19, you trap all o% their money in the pot. .he opposite o% this is also true. I.e. you call the button@s raise in the S6 and 8 others also call it, then it@s best to lead out, as you trap the most dead money in the pot that #ay. "mage2'eads: Imagine the PF9 is a L35 #ho cbets a lot, but gi'es up 4I on the turn. .hen ob'iously, a bet18bet line is in%erior to the /19, as you lose his potential cbet. I% ho#e'er, the PF9 is 'ery agro and can raise semi)#ea" leads #ith air1#ea" made hands, then the bet18bet

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line is superior as #e trap more o% opponent@s money in the pot. 3s #ell as our read on our opponent being important, our o#n image is important. I% %or instance, #e ha'e been seen to /19 big #ith a monster hand be%ore, then it might be best to /19 big ne$t time #ith a combo dra#, as #e@ll ha'e a lot o% F+. 3lso, the tighter our image, the #ea"er our dra# can be that #e@re either /19 or bet18betting as #e@ll ha'e more F+. I% ho#e'er, #e ha'e a 'ery loose image, then its best to stic" to 'ery strong dra#s, as #e #ill get loo"ed up more o%ten. Lastly, as I@'e already stated abo'e, our read on 'illain is important as to ho# many dra#s #e can play %ast. I% 'illain is a nit, then #e can play a lot o% dra#s %ast, i% he is a calling station, then 'ery %e#. The Turn 7ne o% the biggest problems #ith a bet18bet line, is i% our opponent doesn@t oblige, and he ,ust %lat calls our lead. Here, reads are ?+9> important. I% you thin" he is the type to ,ust call on the %lop #ith .P, then there@s little point ma"ing a big bet on the turn getting him to %old it, as it@s 'ery li"ely he #on@t. It is instead better to bet an amount that prices you in, or maybe ,ust chec"1call. I% ho#e'er, you thin" that you@re opponent is %loating you on the %lop, then it might be best (albeit 'ery high 'ariance to /19 the turn. $2' 6ith other hands I see so many posts on this board that say QCell I %lopped .P, but #ith a #ea" "ic"er, so I chec"ed. He then bet, #hich I thin" could be a cbet, so /19 him to %ind out #here I standR. I&7 this is a terrible (and e$pensi'e reason to /19. 3 much better line is to ,ust lead the %lop, or i% you #ant to snap o%% the cbet, then call, and lead a blan" turn. Chile this line is Buite transparent at higher le'els, it is ?+9> ?+9> e%%ecti'e at SSNL. Lastly, I@d li"e to introduce you to the dbitel rule o% chec")raising0 L(. default7 ne-er $2'7 onl. $2' if .ou ha-e a -er. good reason to do soM

<8

Small PP2s - Mo'ing 3eyon& set mining ()@playa)

In my transition %rom a %ull ring nit to a decent(not Buite good *m player, I ha'e %ound it necessary to add a bit o% 'ersatility to the #ay I play small PP(s(22)** . In %ull ring, i% #e call a raise #ith a hand li"e ;;, #e are usually in set or %old mode, unless #e hit a %lop li"e 28:. Ho#e'er, playing *m, I ha'e %ound it necessary to mi$ up my play #ith small PP(s in order to add to their e%%ecti'eness. .he %ollo#ing are some e$amples o% plays I ha'e been ma"ing that I %eel can add 66(s12EE i% used correctly. .here are, I&7, %our 'ery important items to analy!e #hen deciding to ma"e a play #ith a small PP. .hese are %lop te$ture, type o% opponent, your image, and position. &lop te0ture0 .heir are : types o% %lops I am loo"ing %or #hen I call a raise #ith a small PP ) Paired boards, monotone %lops, ragged %lops, and %lopping a set. Gaired boards ) .a"e a loo" at the %ollo#ing hand0 Party Po"er No Limit Holdem 9ing game 6linds0 SE.;E1S2 * players /on'erter Stack si es: 4.50 SK*.;E 4.5F20 S8*.<; /70 S22K.*K 6utton0 S:*.*2 Hero0 S2E8 660 S2EK.E: Pre,flop: (* players Hero is S6 #ith : : 4.5 %olds, 4.5F2 calls, /7 raises to S:, 6utton %olds, Hero calls, 66 %olds, 4.5F2 calls. &lop: I I K (+1.( . players Hero bets S<, 2 folds. 4ncalled bets0 S< returned to Hero. 'esults: Final pot0 S28 .his is a play I ma"e %airly o%ten #ith small PP(s. 3 paired %lop is a great situation to ta"e a stab at the pot. Ce all "no# that a %lop misses our opponents about *EG o% the time, and on a paired %lop, that percentage is %ar higher. 3 hand li"e AA on a IIK %lop #ill ha'e a 'ery tough time continuing #hen %aced #ith calling a bet. 7b'iously, unpaired high cards are %olding this %lop as #ell. +'en an o'erpair #ill get ner'ous #hen lead into on a %lop li"e this. .hese are the types o% %lops that either hit our opponents 'ery hard, or completely miss them. 0onotone boards ) I% I call a raise #ith 88 %rom the 66 and the %lop comes do#n HK; all (s, I #ill o%ten lead out into the pre%lop raiser. 4nless the player has a %lopped %lush('ery unli"ely or has a big heart, they #ill ha'e a hard time calling my bet. .his is especially good on a board that is monotone #ith all lo# cards, as it is unli"ely to ha'e gi'en the pre%lop raiser a big pair or a set.

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>agged boards ) .his type o% board is less desirable than the abo'e t#o situations, but still deser'es discussion. I consider a ragged board to be a rainbo# %lop o% uncooridated cards all less than 2E. +$ample, I limp 4.5 #ith ;;, a LP player raises, and all %old to me and I call. I% the %lop comes do#n 2*Kr, I #ill o%ten lead out. .hough the board is %ar less scary than the abo'e situations, I #ill do this occasionally because o%ten times my opponent is on #hi%%ed o'ers. Hlopping a set ) 7b'iously our best case scenario #hen calling a raise #ith a small PP, and the important thing here is that #e lead out #ith a big hand. I% your obser'ant opponents ha'e seen you slo#playing your big hands, the abo'e plays #on(t #or". 7ur bets #ill pac" considerably more punch #hen our opponents ha'e seen us bet our %lopped %lush, set, etc. T.pe of opponent0 .his play #or"s best against 'anilla, straight%or#ard players. Ce are loo"ing %or players #ho %ind t#o good cards, raise pre%lop, continue i% they hit the %lop, and %old i% they don(t. .his is not a good play to try against tric"y players #ho li"e to slo#play or %loat. .his is also not a good play against calling stations. I% your opponent #ill call do#n #ith KK on a board o% JJ<, then don(t try this play. It is better to #ait %or monsters and 'alue bet against calling stations, not to try and ta"e pots a#ay %rom them. .his is also not a good play against players #ith a 'ery narro# PF raising range. I% your opponent only raises IIF pre)%lop, don(t try this play. .he #ay you ma"e money against players #ho only raise top ; hands pre %lop is to %lop a set and stac" their o'erpairs. 6lu%%ing them o%% the best hand is not possible in most situations. .he type o% opponents #e are loo"ing %or are players #ho ha'e a %airly #ide pre %lop raising range, and #ho play 'ery straight)%or#ard post %lop. ;our image0 I&7, these plays are better suited %or a .35 image. L35(s #ill ha'e a di%%icult time ma"ing these mo'es, as most players thin" a L35 is blu%%ing, and #ill be more inclined to play sherri%. 3lso, i% you play .35 but ha'e had a good run o% cards and ha'e been acti'e in alot o% pots, don(t try these mo'es. I ha'e been most sucess%ul #ith these plays #hen I ha'e been %airly card dead, ha'e been playing in 'ery %e# pots, and ha'e been sho#ing do#n the goods. Position0 .his is one o% the %e# situations in po"er #hen I thin" it is better to be 77P. I% you are 77P, you can lead into the pre)%lop raiser and put them to a di%%icult decision. I% you ha'e position, you #ill usually be %acing a c)bet. .hese plays become a much more e$pensi'e and high 'ariance proposition i% you are reBuired to raise a c)bet as opposed to leading into a pre)%lop raiser. .here%ore, I thin" they are much easier1lo#er ris" to attempt #hen 77P. &inall.0 &y %inal bit o% ad'ice is to not get carried a#ay #ith plays li"e these. 3 "ey component to the e%%ecti'eness o% these mo'es is that they are %airly uncommon. I% you are ma"ing these plays Buite %reBuently, your opponents are more li"ley to start loo"ing you up. 3lso, I don(t usually go beyond the %lop #ith plays li"e these. I% a player calls your %lop bet, I #ould suggest gi'ing up on the turn unless your hand has impro'ed signi%icantly. .hat said, it is important to occasionally %ire a second barrel in spots li"e these to a'oid becoming to predictable.

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+#e$e t#e ABCD is ;al(eto5nEE (pokey)

Sorry %or my e$tended hiatus %rom the %orums, e'erybody )) real li%e came nipping at my heels a %e# months ago and I #ound up gi'ing up po"er playing and po"er #riting %or a bit. .he past %e# #ee"s I('e been dipping my %eet bac" in the soup, and I thin" I(m %inally ready to go bac" to it. 9ather than ,ust dribbling bac" into the %orums, I %igured I(d come bac" #ith another PS3. >ou can than" +@dreams %or this one0 it #as his suggestion. He P&(ed me the %ollo#ing0
Iuote0

I belie'e that my biggest Ylea"Y is in losing 'alue on the turn or ri'er though, but I(m ne'er sure #here I should be betting. /ould you a hand%ul o% e$amples #here a ri'er bet might be appropriate, but a typical 4SNL player might miss itO I(m not tal"ing ra!or)thin 'alue bets, but common spots that #e should al#ays be betting. +$amples might be mid)poc"et pairs on lo# boards (KK).. , top pair #ea" "ic"er, or strong hands that end up %acing a 8)%lush1paired1straight)completing board.

I thin" this is an outstanding Buestion, and it(s the "ind o% Buestion that all uNLers should be as"ing themsel'es regularly. So, #ithout %urther ado, let(s try and %ind a roadmap to ?alueto#n. 4hen should " bet the turn< 3s a general rule, there are a %e# good times to bet the turn0 2. 2. 8. :. ;. *. Chen your hand is strong enough. Chen your opponent is li"ely enough to %old. Chen neither a2 nor a2 applies, but .75+.H+9 they ma"e betting F+?. Chen your hand needs protection. Chen you are in position and #ant the option o% a %ree sho#do#n. .o better disguise your hand.

Let(s loo" at these one at a time. )* 4hen .our hand is strong enough* /ould this be any more 'agueO Probably not, but it(s as good as #e can get. YStrong enoughY is going to be opponent)speci%ic. 3 %e# things to consider0 ) betting %or 'alue should happen less o%ten against multiple opponents than heads)up. .he strength reBuired to consider a hand Ystrong enoughY is going to go up as the number o% opponents rises, simply because the odds o% some snea"y lil( monster increases #ith the number o% opponents out there. ) betting %or 'alue should happen less o%ten #hen your opponent is tight. .his one is ob'ious )) i% your opponent is tight he(s not going to call #ithout something, and #hen you get called you(re less li"ely to be ahead. ) betting %or 'alue should happen less o%ten #hen your opponent is aggressi'e. Chile #e thin" o% aggro)mon"eys as al#ays #anting to get in'ol'ed in huge pots, the reality is that most o% them loo" so aggressi'e because they(re al#ays either betting ... or F7L-IN5. I% you bet into a maniac, he(s li"ely to release and mo'e on to the ne$t hand. I% you chec" into him, he(s %ar more li"ely to bet it %or you, at #hich point you can snap o%% a blu%% or t#o (or three, or %our .

) betting %or 'alue should happen less o%ten #hen the board is dry. >ou('e got 3< on a board o% H<82 rainbo#= #hat the hell is your opponent going to call #ithO Nothing that ma"es you happy, that(s %or sure. No# i% the board #ere KA<2 #ith t#o hearts, you('e got more chances o% getting a call %rom someone %ishing %or a hand. ) betting %or 'alue should happen less o%ten #hen you #ant a small pot. 5enerally spea"ing, you #ant a small pot i% you ha'e a #ea"er hand, because i% t#o stac"s go into the middle and you('e got .P.J you('e usually made a mista"e. 6e%ore you build a pot, ma"e sure you C3N. a big pot. ) betting %or 'alue should happen more o%ten against calling stations. Cith HH on a IK:2 rainbo# board, you don(t #ant to build a pot against a tough and cle'er opponent, but against a calling station you(re C3> ahead o% his range. &a"e him su%%er %or being too loose. ) betting %or 'alue should happen more o%ten #hen your opponents are li"ely to be dra#ing. I% you "no# your opponent is the "ind o% person #ho ne'er %olds suited cards, go ahead and 'alue bet any pair on a t#o)suited board. Hust be sure you can %old i% the third card %alls.... ) betting %or 'alue should happen more o%ten #hen your hand is subtle. I% you raised ;:s 4.5 and the %lop comes A<* rainbo#, start shooting )) nobody is going to see you coming, so you(re 'ery li"ely to get called by #ea"er hands. ) betting %or 'alue should happen more o%ten against bad players. 6ad players don(t understand hand 'alues, don(t understand #hen to %old, and don(t understand #hen they are beaten. /harge them %or the lesson. In short, 'alue betting should happen not only #hen you are sure your hand is best, but #hen your hand beats 'illain(s range. 7ne more point0 Yraising %or 'alueY is harder than Ybetting %or 'alue,Y because raises o%ten shut do#n your opponents, either causing them to %old and stop spitting money into your pot or causing them to chec")call, adding %ar less to the pot than i% you(d let them "eep %iring. +* 4hen .our opponent is likel. enough to fold* 3gain, this is going to be opponent)speci%ic and board)speci%ic. Some important points0 ) %olding eBuity is stronger #hen a scare card %alls. I% you chec")called your AA on a board o% I<: #ith t#o hearts, consider betting #hen that J hits on the turn, especially against the "ind o% opponent #ho doesn(t bet dra#s (you "no# #hich ones I mean . ) %olding eBuity is stronger #ith better players. Chile bad players call too o%ten, good players o%ten %old too o%ten, especially at uNL le'els. .ypically bad players are calling stations and YgoodY players are #ea")tight. &a"e use o% that, and %orce them to %old on the turn. ) %olding eBuity is stronger i% you('e sho#n strength earlier in the hand. 3 pre%lop raise, %ollo#ed by a %lop bet, %ollo#ed by a turn bet is +_.9+&+L> S/39> %or most players, especially ones #ho YunderstandY continuation betting. >ou(ll o%ten %ind players #ho YtestY the pre%lop raiser to see i% he(ll "eep %iring on the turn= against this sort o% opponent, a Ysecond barrelY o%ten has ridiculously high %olding eBuity. (SI-+ N7.+0 against this type o% opponent, chec"ing behind on the turn #ith a good hand is o%ten e$tremely pro%itable, since they #ill either try to blu%% the ri'er or chec"1call your Yob'ious blu%%Y on the ri'er. .he pre%lop raise 1 %lop bet 1 turn chec" 1 ri'er 'alue bet can be a 'ery potent combination i% used sparingly and i% used against the right type o% semi) thin"ing opponent. ) %olding eBuity is stronger #hen the turn could ha'e logically impro'ed your hand. Say you #ere in the big blind, the %lop comes 3<2, you chec"ed through, and the turn is another <. 3 bet here is going to ha'e some solid %olding eBuity )) it(s unli"ely that anybody has an ace (the %lop #as chec"ed through , and that second se'en is going to put the %ear o% trips in your opponents. Not only #as it an unli"ely card to ha'e impro'ed

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anybody, but it(s also going to get hands li"e AA)JJ to %old Buite o%ten. 3ces #ill o%ten still call you do#n, but that(s a ris" you('e got to ta"e sometimes. 6e realistic, though0 i% you #ere the pre%lop raiser, the %lop #as <*;, and the turn #as a 8, people aren(t going to belie'e that you('e got a 8....(this might be a good time to 'alue bet your poc"et pair KKF, though )) ,ust strongly consider chec"ing behind on the ri'er i% your opponent calls this turn bet. ) %olding eBuity is stronger #hen the board matches your Yli"ely holding.Y People typically assume the blinds ha'e crappy random lo# cards and people typically assume that the pre%lop raiser has 3J or a strong poc"et pair. -on(t pretend that the board pairing deuces helped your hand #hen you('e got na"ed o'ers, and don(t pretend that the JIH. board matches your big blind )) you(re not going to get %olds. ) %olding eBuity is #ea"er in a multi)#ay pot. -on(t rely e$clusi'ely on %olding eBuity here unless you('e got a good reason to do so. ) %olding eBuity is #ea"er #hen your opponents are calling statiosn )) enough said. ) %olding eBuity is non)e$istent i% your opponent(s hand is strong. He(s ne'er %olding the %lush. He(s ne'er %olding the straight. He(s ne'er %olding his set. -on(t e'en try. #* 4hen neither I) nor I+ applies7 but T%G/T=/' the. make betting N/D* .his is commonly called Ysemi)blu%%ing.Y >ou don(t ha'e a strong enough hand to #arrant a bet (usually you(re on the dra# . >ou don(t ha'e enough %olding eBuity to be F+? (you thin" your opponent probably has a good hand . 6ut together, the t#o sources o% 'alue ma"e the play F+?. +$ample0 >ou('e got * call. Flop0 3 < ; in the big blind. /7 (.35 raises to 8$66, button calls, S6 calls, you

S6 chec"s. >ou chec". /7 bets A$66. 6utton %olds. S6 %olds. >ou call. (Not necessarily your best play, but let(s say this is #hat you do %or the e$ample. .urn0 K >ou chec". /7 bets 2E$66. >ou should consider pushing. Let(s say that your opponent either has an ace (<EG o% the time , a big poc"et pair (2EG o% the time , or ,un" (2EG o% the time . Smooth)calling %or %lush 'alue is pretty #ea", here, because you(re out o% position and unli"ely to get called by a hand that you beat i% you manage to hit your %lush. .he pot eBuity isn(t here and the implied odds are pretty poor, so you can(t ,ust smooth)call and hope to get luc"y on the ri'er. Folding is an option, but you('e got lots o% outs to a 'ery li"ely #inner. 3lso, your opponent doesn(t N+/+SS39IL> li"e his hand right no#[ I% you push, things change around Buite a bit. First o%%, your push #ill be a big enough bet to put the %ear o% ,eebus into your opponent. I% he %olds, you #al" a#ay #ith a :A 66 pot #ith nothing but potential and guts, and that(s al#ays a nice situation. I% he calls, you('e still got t#el'e outs to a 'ery li"ely #inner, and that means you(ll #in money some o% the time. No#, i% you JN+C your opponent #ould call 2EEG o% the time and be ahead, pushing is )+? (your hand strength alone doesn(t ma"e this a F+? mo'e . Li"e#ise i% you JN+C your opponent #ould #in 2EEG o% the time at sho#do#n, pushing is )+? (your %olding eBuity alone doesn(t ma"e this a F+? mo'e . Ho#e'er, sometimes 'illain #ill %old the best hand ('alue %or you and sometimes 'illain #ill lose the hand #hen he calls ('alue %or you . 7%ten, the /7&6IN3.I7N o% these t#o bumps the play into F+? territory.

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Here you(re ris"ing about AE 66s on the push )) i% your opponent %olds, you #in W;E 66s. I% you get called, you(ll #in W22E 66s about 218rd o% the time and lose AE 66s the other 218rds o% the time. Let(s say your opponent %olds 2;G o% the time, here. +? %rom push eBuity0 218X(F22E F 218X()AE = )28.8 66s. .his happens <;G o% the time, so the total +? here is E.<;X()28.8 = )2E 66s. +? %rom %old eBuity0 ;E 66s. .his happens 2;G o% the time, so the total +? here is . 2;X(;E = 22.; 66s. +? %rom pushing is F2.; 66s. Note0 i% you al#ays lost #hen you got to sho#do#n, the +? #ould be E.<;X()AE F E.2;X(;E = ):<.; 66s. Li"e#ise, i% you #ere al#ays called #hen you pushed, the +? #ould be )28.8 66s. It is only because o% the combination o% some %olding eBuity 3N- some sho#do#n eBuity that this mo'e is F+?. For semi)blu%%s to #or", the %ollo#ing must all be true0 ) >ou must ha'e outs. Cith outs, you can #in at sho#do#n i% you are called. ) >ou must ha'e some %olding eBuity. I% your opponent ne'er %olds, you can(t be semi) blu%%ing. 9* 4hen .our hand needs protection* .his reason to bet is misused more than any other. >ou raised pre%lop :$66 #ith JJ. .he %lop comes 3 J < rainbo#, you bet *$66 (ooooh, suc"er him in[ , your opponent calls. .he turn is I putting t#o hearts on the board. >our opponent chec"s, you push %or KE 66s, your opponent %olds. YChe#[Y you say. YI protected my hand %rom the dra#[Y .he reality is that YprotectionY is an e$cuse %or timid play, here. 3nd yes, pushing can be .I&I-0 you "no# your opponent #ill %old, and rather than trying to e$tract 'alue #hile you(re C3> ahead, you go %or the sa%e #in. Chat hand are you a%raid o%, hereO H.O -o you really thin" H. is %olding hereOO 7r maybe you thin" your opponent #as calling you #ith H < and ,ust impro'ed his hand to a superdra#. 4nli"ely as this may be, you(re still ahead )) ma"e him pay %or his dra#[ -on(t chic"en out ,ust because your hand isn(t the absolute nuts. Here(s #hen your hand needs protection0 ) Chen you are ahead, but many, many hands could destroy you on the ri'er. I% you('e got KK and the board is no# A ; : 8 , you('e got a reason to protect. I% you('e got 33 and the board is A<;: rainbo#, you(re not protecting anything against anything )) bet %or 'alue or chec" behind #ith an unusual read. ) Chen you are out o% position, be more li"ely to protect your 'ulnerable hands. >ou don(t #ant to %old the best hand, so getting an opponent to %old #hen you(re 77P is o%ten a good thing. ) Chen the board is e$tremely dra#)hea'y. ) Chen your opponent li"es to blu%%. .hese last t#o combine in some pretty spectacularly ugly #ays at times. For instance0 say you('e got blac" aces and the board is H . * ; and your opponent is loose and

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aggressi'e, tric"y and blu%%)happy. -amn near e'ery card in the dec" is a scare card %or you0 'illain could complete a straight #ith any 2, 8, :, <, A, K, I, J, or 3. 3lso, any red card could complete a %lush. 3lso, any H, ., *, or ; could gi'e 'illain trips. .hat means that )) literally[ )) any card in the dec" is a potential scare card on the ri'er. >ou "no# that your opponent is li"ely to ha'e some#here bet#een !ero and 2; outs, but you ha'e no idea #hich ones are the magic ones. 5i'en your opponent(s style, you(re going to ha'e to call his ri'er bet out o% %ear that it(s a blu%%. So #hat do you doO >ou bet the turn )) H39- )) to protect your hand. -oing so reduces his implied odds i% he hits and charges him a big price %or hunting. It also ma"es you loo" committed, decreasing the li"elihood that 'illain chooses this hand to get all tric"y #ith a blu%%. Feel %ree to bet the pot, here. -on(t go nuts #ith your protection bets0 a%ter all, you -7 ha'e the best hand )) that(s #hat you(re protecting, rememberO &a"e a bet that your opponent can tal" himsel% into calling, but that ma"es calling )+? %or him. 3%ter all, #e(re trying to #in &7N+>, not P7.S. :* 4hen .ou are in position and 6ant the option of a free sho6do6n* Here(s another good one that uNL(ers o%ten %orget. >ou('e got AA, so you raise :$66 pre%lop. S6 and 66 call. .he %lop comes 3<: #ith t#o hearts. .he blinds chec", you bet K$66, S6 calls, 66 %olds. .he turn comes #ith a blac" 2 and S6 chec"s. Chat to doO &any uNL(ers #ill chec" here, hoping to get a cheaper sho#do#n. 7% course, this could create some 'ery tough decisions %or you on the ri'er. Chat do you do #hen the ri'er card is a heart, or another 3, or a <, or a :, or a 2, or an o'ercard, or something that loo"s totally blan", and S6 bets into youO Cell, you cry, because you('e got no idea #hat(s going on. Ho#e'er[ I% you bet the turn, loo" at all the good things that happen0 ) >ou charge the heart dra# to see another card. ) >ou get more 'alue %rom a stray < (or :[ that happens to be o'erly optimistic. ) >ou might %old out AA)JJ, getting them to %inally belie'e that you ha'e an ace. +'en i% you are called on the turn, #hen the ri'er card comes, you(ll 'ery o%ten get a chance to chec" behind and see ho# the cards loo". >ou get to set your o#n price %or the sho#do#n, losing 'ery little to 3$ or o'erpairs, and #inning unusually much %rom #ea"er hands and dra#s. In a sense, this reason combines protection, blu%%ing, and pot control into one reason. &a"e sure that your betting strategy is internally consistent and #ell)disguised )) don(t automatically slo#play the turn #ith stronger hands and automatically bet #ea"er hands on the turn, or you(ll be ob'ious enough that you(ll induce a ton o% turn blu%% chec")raises that you #on(t li"e. In other #ords, bet your strong hands on the turn but 3LS7 bet the #ea"er stu%% on the turn sometimes. -on(t try this mo'e on tric"y)trappy opponents )) they lo'e to smooth)call %lop bets #ith monsters and then chec")raise the turn. >ou(ll hate it. 3gainst these opponents, chec"ing behind on the turn can be the better mo'e, particularly i% you('e got outs to impro'e (e'en i% it(s only a %e# outs . Luc"ily, these %ol"s are relati'ely rare. 3gainst the typical opponent, calling the pre%lop and %lop bets and chec")raising the turn means you can sa%ely let your hand go, especially i% you(re ma"ing this "ind o% play #ith 'ery %e# outs to impro'e (li"e a poc"et pair . >* To better disguise .our hand*

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Here, the idea is that chec"ing the turn #ould gi'e a#ay too much in%ormation about your holdings. .he most ob'ious e$ample is #hen you(re 77P #ith a %lush dra# )) chec"1calling the turn and leading a ri'er %lush card is eBui'alent to renting billboard space to announce your hand to your opponents. Ho#e'er, leading out on the turn ma"es it much snea"ier i% and #hen you hit on the ri'er, and ma"es it more li"ely that you get paid o%% handsomely #hen your ship does come in. 3lso, i% your turn bet is a continuation o% pre'ious aggression you #ill ha'e the added bene%it o% %olding eBuity to ma"e your mo'e more F+?. &any people #ould consider this a 'ariety o% semi)blu%%ing, but the intent is 'ery di%%erent here0 should your opponent choose to %old on the turn you #ouldn(t be too upset, but this bet #ill not be all)in, and the purpose o% this bet is not to %old your opponent. 9ather, the goal is to ma"e your ri'er payo%% much larger i% you are luc"y enough to hit your gin card. Semiblu%%s #ant %olds= disguise bets #ant calls. )))))))))) 4hen should " bet the ri-er< For ri'er bets, things are a bit simpler0 no#, your 'alue comes %rom only three sources0 2. 5etting your opponent to %old #hen he has the best hand. 2. 5etting your opponent to call #hen he has the #orst hand. 8. Y?alue blu%%ing.Y 7nce again, let(s go through them one)by)one. )* Getting .our opponent to fold 6hen he has the best hand* 3t the ri'er, you either ha'e the best hand or you don(t. I% you don(t ha'e the best hand then your only hope o% lea'ing #ith the cash is to con'ince your opponent to %old. 9i'er blu%%s ta"e lots o% courage, but i% they are done properly they can be e$tremely pro%itable. 4n%ortunately, most people either blu%% the ri'er C3> too much (spe#ing cash le%t and right since their opponents "no# not to %old or C3> too little (ne'er betting unless they are %airly sure they are ahead, and there%ore rarely getting called by non) monster hands . Ho# do you decide i% a ri'er blu%% is a good in'estmentO First o%%, #e should blu%% ri'ers more against good players than against bad players. 5ood players can see that they are beaten= bad players cannot see beyond their o#n cards. I% a bad player li"es his hand, he(s not %olding )) it doesn(t much matter #hat you say about your holding. -on(t blu%% the calling stations )) it(s an e$pensi'e habit. Secondly, blu%% ri'ers more #hen your table image is tight and strong. I% you('e been sho#ing do#n monsters %or the past hour, getting in'ol'ed in 'ery %e# hands, betting strongly, and %lashing nothing but the nuts, %eel %ree to thro# your #eight around a bit on the ri'er. >ou(re air)tight play has earned you mountains o% %olding eBuity= cash in by blu%%ing more %reely at the ri'er. Ho#e'er, i% you('e been mi$ing it up le%t and right, and i% you #ere caught betting #ith air a %e# times (especially against .HIS opponent[ , %eel %ree to chec" behind and lose a smaller pot rather than a bigger one. I% your table image is crap, your %olding eBuity is %loating in the toilet right ne$t to it )) understand this, and sa'e your money %or #hen you get a hand. .hird, blu%% ri'ers more #hen your betting tells a logical story that means you('e got a good hand. >our opponent limp)calls pre%lop. .he %lop comes J.A #ith t#o hearts )) your opponent chec"s to you and calls your bet. .he turn is : and your opponent chec")calls your bet. .he ri'er is 8 and your opponent bets. He(s telling a consistent story0 YI('e

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got a speculati'e hand ... I('e got a %lush dra# ... I('e still got a %lush dra# ... I('e got a %lush[Y .his is the "ind o% bet that has .7NS o% %olding eBuity, e'en i% your opponent(s actual holding is K < . .oo o%ten, though, #e tell an IN/7NSIS.+N. story0 #e raise pre%lop. .he %lop comes A<* rainbo#, our opponent chec"s and #e bet. He calls. .he turn is another <. 7ur opponent chec"s and #e chec" behind. .he ri'er is a 8, our opponent chec"s and #e...betO Chat strong holding is actually consistent #ith this betting strategyO 7ur opponent "no#s #e(re not doing this #ith an o'erpair, he "no#s #e don(t ha'e a straight, and he "no#s #e don(t ha'e a <. 7ur hand screams o% missed o'ercards, and a sa''y opponent is going to call #ith his .*o and piss us o%% as he ra"es the pot. YHo# can you call #ith that crapOOY #e scream, but the ans#er is ob'ious0 Ybecause you only ma"e that play #ith air.Y &a"e sure that your bets ma"e sense. So i% you raised pre%lop, bet the %lop, and chec"ed the turn, bet a ri'er scare card0 an ace, a third suited card, possibly a "ing (on an aceless board )) that sort o% thing. -on(t pretend that the ri'er 8 made your straight #hen the board is no# H.*;8 )) nobody(s going to belie'e it. /on'ersely, don(t pretend you #ere limped pre%lop and #ere chec")calling all the #ay #ith 3J= it(s ,ust not credible. Finally, blu%% ri'ers more #hen you('e got a read that your opponent "no#s ho# to %ind the Y%oldY button. .his is related to the %irst point, but still separate enough to #arrant mentioning. Some ultra)tight nits cannot e'er %old a%ter raising pre%lop )) they play so %e# hands that they are simply incapable o% letting go o% a hand once they('e got one. Jno# this, and a'oid blu%%ing them. 3lternati'ely, some maniacally aggressi'e L35s #ill release a hand the moment they %ace pressure= %ight against them. 3gainst these %ol"s, ri'er raises or chec")raises are o%ten the most pro%itable play you can ma"e. 4se it. +* Getting .our opponent to call 6hen he has the 6orst hand* 3h, the art o% po"er. >ou('e got the nuts )) the absolute, unburnished nuts[ No# #hatO Cell, no# you('e got to %igure out ho# to get paid. 7ne o% the greatest di%%iculties in po"er is deciding on bet si!ing. Ce('e got a dilemma0 the bigger our bet, the bigger our payo%% #hen #e get called but the less li"ely our opponent is to call us. Ho# do #e ma$imi!e 'alue #hen #e thin" our hand is bestO Ce pic" our bet si!e care%ully. Some general hints0 ) 6et bigger #hen our table image suc"s. I% #e('e been playing crappy po"er, or i% #e('e been unluc"y enough to get caught stealing a %e# times, or i% #e('e not sho#n do#n any #inners lately, our table image #ill loo" bad. .his is especially true i% this particular opponent has caught us stealing recently. Feel %ree to ma"e large bets )) it(ll loo" desperate and scared, and our opponent #ill call more o%ten than usual. ) 6et bigger i% you(re Yon tilt.Y I put Yon tiltY in Buotes because I(m assuming you(re N7. on tilt (#e(re beyond emotional play, rightO No, #hat I mean here is that you can bet bigger i% your play #ill Xloo"X li"e a tilt play to your opponent. .he last hand your nut %lush lost to a ri'ered %ull houseO >ou(re on tilt, baby[ I% you(re luc"y enough to catch poc"et roc"ets this hand, play it to the bone )) nobody is going to belie'e you, and you(ll be paid o%% because Yhe(s tilting o%% another stac"= I(ll bet my 8PNJ is good[Y ) 6et bigger i% your opponent is bad and1or unobser'ant. 3gainst a good opponent or a #atch%ul one, you can(t get a#ay #ith si!ing your bets based on your hands. 6ut against an idiot you can bet big #ith a big hand and small #ith a small hand and su%%er no negati'e conseBuences. Feel %ree to ma"e these "inds o% plays against the hopeless goobers sitting at your table= ,ust be sure you beha'e yoursel% #hen a smart player is in the pot. ) 6et bigger i% your opponent sees too many sho#do#ns. .his is a use%ul number to ha'e in your H4- %or this reason alone. ) 6et smaller i% your opponent is timid. 3 #ea")tight nit is not going to pay o%% a pot)si!ed ri'er bet #ithout a strong hand= ma"e sure you gi'e him enough odds to tal" himsel% into a crying call. ) 6et smaller i% your opponent couldn(t possibly ha'e a big hand. I% you('e got 33 on a

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board o% 33I<2, you simply can(t get a#ay #ith betting much under normal circumstances. &a"e a small bet and be happy that you got paid o%% at all. ) 6et smaller i% your opponent li"es to raise or chec")raise #ea"ness. Some opponents L7?+ to push people o%% their hands on the ri'er= i% that(s the case, do #hate'er it ta"es to induce a blu%%. 3 common betting pattern that might do this at uNL is Yraise pre%lop, 81:ths)pot %lop, 212)pot turn, 212)pot ri'er.Y .hat small ri'er bet can induce a maniac to come o'er the top #ith a blu%% raise, hoping to drag do#n a big(un. .his is especially true i% the Yob'ious dra#Y misses on the ri'er. (Note that many o% these hints #or" the other #ay around %or si!ing blu%%s. #* HDalue bluffing*H 7% all the ideas in this post, 'alue blu%%ing is probably the least understood. It(s the ri'er eBui'alent o% a semi)blu%%0 a bet that is not F+? as a blu%%, is not F+? as a 'alue bet, but is F+? as a combination o% the t#o. Ho# can you possibly ha'e a situation at the ri'er #here your bet is Ypart blu%%, part 'alue betYO Cell, because your opponent isn(t holding a hand= he(s holding a range. I(ll repeat that, because it(s a really, 9eally, 9+3LL> important concept0 yo($ opponent isn2t #ol&ing a #an&F #e2s #ol&ing a $ange> 3nybody #ho says he can si!e up an opponent )) loo" him in the eye, stare him in the soul )) and identi%y his e$act hand holding ... #ell, that person is a liar. It(s #hat good players say to %rea" out their opponents. .he truth is that unless an opponent is #oe%ully straight%or#ard in playing style, you #on(t "no# their e$act holding. 6est case, you(ll "no# their range. 7% course, this #or"s the other #ay around, too0 your opponent can(t identi%y your e$act holding, either. No#, the combination o% these t#o scenarios leads to the interesting (though unusual situation o% the 'alue blu%%. Let(s say that your opponent is an ultra)loose but not completely stupid player. He(s not a Ygood L35,Y because they don(t e$ist at uNL (or SSNL, %or that matter . 9ather, he(s a Ysemi)thin"ing L35.Y 3 #hile bac", someone coined the phrase Y2.;th)le'el thin"erY to represent a player #ho thin"s about your hand but al#ays puts you on 3J. It #as a ,o"e, but beginning hand readers #ill o%ten do something 'ery similar to this, putting you on an o'erly narro# hand range and stic"ing to it despite any e'idence to the contrary. So, let(s say this is the "ind o% opponent you ha'e0 loose enough that you can(t predict his holdings all that #ell, smart enough to try to put you on a hand, but amateurish enough to do a really bad ,ob o% it. .he current board is 3HK<: #ith no %lushes. >ou ha'e IHo and you attempted a steal. 3t the ri'er, you('e got second pair. >our opponent(s range is Buite #ide, but you thin" there(s an <;G chance you(re beaten. I% you bet the pot, there(s a 218rd chance he(ll %old a better hand than yours and also a 218rd chance he(ll call #ith a #orse hand than yours. Ho# does this #or" outO He %olds 218X(<;G F 218X(2;G = :2.<G o% the time. Here you #in 2$Pot. He calls #ith a #orse hand 218X(2;G = A.8G o% the time. Here you #in 2$Pot. He calls #ith a better hand 218X(<;G = ;EG o% the time. Here you lose 2$Pot. >our net is E.:2<X(F2 F E.EA8X(F2 F E.;X()2 = FE.EA8$Pot, ma"ing this a #inning strategy. Note that this strategy doesn(t #or" as a blu%% )) 'illain only %olds 218rd o% the time, and you(re ris"ing the pot on the blu%% (you lay 2)to)2 odds on a bet that(s 2)to)2 against you

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#inning . Note also that this strategy doesn(t #or" as a 'alue bet )) 'illain(s hand beats yours <;G o% the time, but you(re only getting t#ice your money #hen you #in (you(re getting 2)to)2 odds on a 8)to)2 longshot . In other #ords, the bet is )+? as a blu%%, )+? as a 'alue bet, but F+? as a combination o% the t#o. ?illain(s sloppy hand)reading combined #ith 'illain(s unidenti%iable hand ma"es this a %u!!y enough betting area to be F+?. Here are some ?alueto#n e$amples %rom my S2EENL play. Get the mone. in 6hile the. still ha-e potential* Full .ilt Po"er ) No Limit Hold(em /ash 5ame ) SE.;E1S2 6linds ) * Players ) (LegoPo"er Hand History /on'erter Po"ey (S6 0 S2EE.EE 660 SA;.K; 4.50 S:*.;E &P0 S8:.<E /70 SA;.2; 6.N0 S:;.8; ?illain is horrible0 **122 pre%lop, : a'erage aggression. He(s bleeding money in e'ery direction and he #on(t last long. Preflop: Po"ey is dealt 3 3 (* Players , folds, Po"ey raises to S:.EE, 66 calls S8.EE &lop: (SA H A : (2 Players Po"ey bets S;.EE, 66 raises to S2E.EE, Po"ey calls S;.EE .hree)betting is S4/H a strong mo'e that I don(t #ant to scare him o%% yet. Turn: (S2A 8 (2 Players Po"ey chec"s, 66 bets S2A.EE, Po"ey raises to S<K.EE, 66 calls all)in %or S:8.K; 4ncalled bet o% S<.E; returned to Po"ey 5i'en his aggression %actor, I ta"e the ris" o% a chec")raise. He doesn(t disappoint me, and he Buic"ly calls o%% the rest o% his stac" #ith a cruddy dra#. Note that he didn(t e'en ha'e the proper odds to call my raise. 'i-er: (S2<2.KE I (2 Players ) 2 3ll)In

Pot Si!e0 S2<2.KE (S8 9a"e 22 had * Go ey had A (Iueen 3ac high) and 'EJ) (-+8-#=-) A (a pair of Aces) and KE@ (/+82#=-)

6y getting the money in #hile 'illain still had a dra#, I stac"ed him. I% I(d #aited until the ri'er to try and ta"e his money, he #ould ha'e easily %olded his unimpro'ed *;o. Potential is great %or a good player but e$tremely e$pensi'e %or a bad one. )))))))))) Sneak. hands can bet harder* Full .ilt Po"er ) No Limit Hold(em /ash 5ame ) SE.;E1S2 6linds ) * Players ) (LegoPo"er Hand History /on'erter

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S60 S2:2.EE Po"ey (66 0 S2EE.EE 4.50 S8;.2E &P0 S;A.K; /70 S2A.E; 6.N0 S8A.;E ?illain here runs :<12; pre%lop and 2.: post%lop. Preflop: Po"ey is dealt * ; (* Players 4.5 calls S2.EE, 0G folds, /7 calls S2.EE, 6.N calls S2.EE, S6 calls SE.;E, Po"ey chec"s Plenty o% padding %rom limpers= I might as #ell see a %ree %lop #ith my speculati'e hand. &lop: (S; 2 A : (; Players S6 chec"s, Po"ey bets S:.EE, . folds, S6 raises to SA.EE, Po"ey calls S:.EE -ouble)gutter= that(s a hand. I bet strong and get a minraise. I can nearly call on pot odds, and de%initely on implied odds since I(m in position. Turn: (S22 < (2 Players S6 bets S22.EE, Po"ey raises to S;E.EE, S6 calls S2K.EE 6ingo[ I hit my hand. ?illain bets hard and I ha'e the absolute nuts )) I ma"e a raise that 'illain can easily call, but that lea'es 'illain #ith a crying call on nearly any ri'er. 'i-er: (S222 8 (2 Players S6 chec"s, Po"ey bets all)in %or S:2.EE, S6 calls S:2.EE No #ay does an aggressi'e opponent chec" through #ith a runner)runner %lush. I ma"e the obligatory all)in bet and 'illain ma"es the obligatory crying call. Pot Si!e0 S2E8.EE (S8 9a"e J2 had 8 2 (t$o pair( %ights and )$os) and 'EJ) (-+188#88) Go ey had * - (a straight( %ight high) and KE@ (/+188#88) .his hand sho#s a good multi)street strategy that intends to ma"e it 'ery easy %or 'illain to put all his money in the middle. Note that e'en though straights and %lushes ha'e hit the board, 'illain %eels obligated to pay o%% the 218rd)pot bet (all)in on the ri'er #ith only t#o pair. 3 turn push is Buite aggressi'e, thro#ing in a more)than)pot)si!ed raise, but smooth)calling the turn lea'es too much behind to ha'e a reasonable #ay o% getting it all in on the ri'er. .he smallish turn raise %ollo#ed by the tiny ri'er bet are both easy %or 'illain to con'ince himsel% to call, and I stac" him #ith my straight. )))))))))) Sneak. hands can bet harder7 redu0* Full .ilt Po"er ) No Limit Hold(em /ash 5ame ) SE.;E1S2 6linds ) ; Players ) (LegoPo"er Hand History /on'erter S60 S*A.KE 660 S:2.*; Po"ey (4.5 0 SKA.;E /70 S:;.E;

6.N0 S<2.EE ?illain is mediocre)to)bad, running 2K1K pre%lop and #ith a 2.8 a'erage aggression post%lop. Preflop: Po"ey is dealt 2 2 (; Players Po"ey calls S2.EE, /7 calls S2.EE, 2)@ folds, S6 raises to S2.EE, 66 calls S2.EE, Po"ey calls S2.EE, /7 calls S2.EE -euces ne'er loses, #oo[ &lop: (SA : I 2 (: Players S6 chec"s, 66 chec"s, Po"ey bets S;.EE, DE folds, S6 calls S;.EE, 22 folds 59+3. %lop. 5i'en that the pre%lop raiser ,ust chec"ed, I decide to bet %or 'alue and to try to build a pot (hoping %or callers and it #or"s. Turn: (S2A : (2 Players S6 chec"s, Po"ey bets S22.EE, S6 calls S22.EE I(m not a%raid o% the dra# anymore, so rather than try to price him out, I o%%er a 218rds) pot bet. ?illain comes along %or the ride. +ither he(s got a I and he(s dra#ing nearly dead or he(s got hearts and he(s dra#ing totally dead. +ither #ay, I(m happy. 'i-er: (S:2 A (2 Players S6 bets S*.EE, Po"ey raises to S;E.EE, S6 calls all)in %or S:8.KE 4ncalled bet o% SE.2E returned to Po"ey .han" goodness %or position0 #e ri'er the third heart and 'illain ma"es a pansy)si!ed bet. 9ather than smooth)call my near)nuts, or ma"e some #ea")assed minraise, I push, "no#ing that I lose the three)pair hands and blu%%s, but that I get called by the %lushes. Since I #as going to lose the blu%%s any#ays, this seems F+? to me. ?illain pays me o%% #ith his heart %lush. Pot Si!e0 S2:2.AE (S8 9a"e J2 had I 3 Go ey had 2 (a flush( Iueen high) and 'EJ) (-+*8#=8) 2 (a full house( )$os full of Hours) and KE@ (/+*=#=8)

Lessons here0 let 'illains dra# i% they(re dra#ing dead (or nearly so . I% 'illain sho#s interest and you "no# you('e got him dead)to)rights, go %or the %rea"in( ,ugular. Snea"y hands ha'e the potential to #in bigger pots than ob'ious hands. )))))))))) Protecting .our hand* Full .ilt Po"er ) No Limit Hold(em /ash 5ame ) SE.;E1S2 6linds ) * Players ) (LegoPo"er Hand History /on'erter Po"ey (S6 0 SKK.EE 660 S2EE.EE 4.50 S2EK.2E &P0 S*<.2E /70 S28:.2E 6.N0 S2;;.EE

6oth /7 and 6utton are e$tremely loose and e$tremely aggro. Preflop: Po"ey is dealt 3 3 (* Players 4.5 calls S2.EE, 0G folds, /7 calls S2.EE, 6.N calls S2.EE, Po"ey raises to S*.EE, 2 folds, /7 calls S;.EE, 6.N calls S;.EE Super)premium hand, so I charge (em to see. &lop: (S2E 2 : < (8 Players Po"ey chec"s, /7 bets S22.EE, 6.N calls S22.EE, Po"ey calls S22.EE I #asn(t c)betting into these t#o 'ery o%ten, so I %igured that #ith 67.H o% them in the hand I had room to get trappy. I chec", hoping %or a bet, and they oblige. Cith a relati'ely blan" board, I smooth)call to see a turn. Turn: (S;* K (8 Players Po"ey chec"s, /7 bets S88.EE, 6.N calls S88.EE, Po"ey raises all)in to SA2.EE, 2 folds 4ncalled bet o% S:A.EE returned to Po"ey .his board ,ust became X#ayX too dra#y to allo# any cheap cards. I don(t #ant to deal #ith a ri'er decision, and I don(t #ant to be loo"ing o'er my shoulder i% the ri'er comes #ith a diamond or spade, not to mention a 2, 8, :, <, or K. Cith this many scare cards, I ,ust put all my money in the middle a%ter the bet. .o my great surprise, 67.H 'illains %old %or the relati'ely small additional bet. I guess they trusted me more than they trusted each other.... Pot Si!e0 S2;;.EE (S8 9a"e 9ead this hand as an e$ample o% sho#ing #ea"ness to induce bets, snapping o%% multiple blu%%s, "no#ing your opponents, and protecting your hand. )))))))))) Protecting .our hand7 redu0* Full .ilt Po"er ) No Limit Hold(em /ash 5ame ) SE.;E1S2 6linds ) * Players ) (LegoPo"er Hand History /on'erter 7'er a short sample, 'illain is running :E12< #ith a post%lop aggression o% almost 22. S60 S2E*.:; Po"ey (66 0 S2*K.2; 4.50 S2E2.2; &P0 S2;<.E; /70 S2EE.EE 6.N0 S:*2.2; Preflop: Po"ey is dealt H H (* Players L)B folds, &P calls S2.EE, DE folds, 6.N calls S2.EE, J2 folds, Po"ey raises to S<.EE, 0G folds, 6.N calls S*.EE &lop: (S2;.;E 2 K < (2 Players Po"ey bets S2;.EE, 6.N raises to S8E.EE, Po"ey calls S2;.EE I bet my o'erpair e$pecting 'illain to %old= instead he minraises. I smooth)call, intending to chec")raise a sa%e turn.

Turn: (S<;.;E 8 (2 Players Po"ey chec"s, 6.N bets S:;.EE, Po"ey raises all)in to S282.2;, 2)@ folds 4ncalled bet o% SA<.2; returned to Po"ey .he good ne#s is that I still ha'e an o'erpair. .he bad ne#s is that the board is ridiculously dra#y no#. I chec", "no#ing that this opponent simply cannot resist the opportunity to push me o%% my hand. 3%ter he ma"es his bet, ho#e'er, I am un#illing to see a ri'er card )) #ith #ell o'er hal% the dec" as scare cards, I can(t trust mysel% to ma"e the right decision there. Instead, I put it all in the middle, e$pecting an improper call %rom any solid dra# or strong K, and a %old %rom e'erything else. ?illain %olds, and I snap o%% a large turn blu%%, pic"ing up a big pot uncontested. Pot Si!e0 S2*;.;E (S8 9a"e 7n a less #et board I might ha'e gone %or a smaller chec")raise to gain 'alue= as it stands, I need to protect my hand %rom an increasingly unpleasant board. .his is the "ind o% opponent #ho puts monsters under my bed= "no#ing that, I bet all)in to pre'ent an e$tremely e$pensi'e F.7P mista"e on the ri'er. )))))))))) Protecting .our hand7 part """* Full .ilt Po"er ) No Limit Hold(em /ash 5ame ) SE.;E1S2 6linds ) * Players ) (LegoPo"er Hand History /on'erter S60 S2:A.E; 660 S2E2.AE Po"ey (4.5 0 S2:;.:E &P0 S<A.2E /70 S2E<.AE 6.N0 S28A.*E ?illain in this hand has good stats, i% a bit on the nitty side0 2K128 pre%lop #ith a 2.; a'erage aggression post%lop. Ce don(t tangle much, but sometimes it(s ine'itable. Preflop: Po"ey is dealt 3 3 (* Players Po"ey raises to S:.EE, 0G folds, /7 calls S:.EE, 2 folds, 66 calls S8.EE 7b'ious. &lop: (S22.;E J 2 I (8 Players 66 chec"s, Po"ey bets SK.EE, DE folds, 66 calls SK.EE ?alue bet hoping %or a call %rom a good J. Turn: (S8E.;E 2 (2 Players 66 bets S22.EE, Po"ey raises all)in to S282.:E, 66 calls all)in %or S**.AE 4ncalled bet o% SE.EE returned to Po"ey 3 'ery important turn0 that 2 ,ust counter%eited JI and almost surely didn(t help 'illain in any case (good ne#s . .here are no# t#o %lush dra#s on the board (bad ne#s . ?illain has bet into me, indicating something strongish (bad ne#s . &y hand is Buite strong despite that (good ne#s . I% 'illain is dra#ing he(s only got one more card %or a suc"out (good ne#s . I ma"e a pot)si!ed reraise to end this %arce0 'illain is li"ely to %old here, but i% he calls he(ll still be behind most o% the time.

'i-er: (S2EA.2E A

(2 Players ) 2 3ll)In

Pot Si!e0 S2EA.2E (S8 9a"e 22 had ) K (a flush( King high) and KE@ (/+18.#.8) Go ey had A A (t$o pair( Aces and )$os) and 'EJ) (-+181#88) ?illain calls and suc"s out on the ri'er, but #hen the money #ent in he #as %ar behind. I lost the hand, but I #on the S"lans"y buc"s0 my play #as superior to his. 3%ter all, #hen the money #ent in the pot I had a slightly greater than <<G chance o% #inning the #hole thing. 6ad luc" but good play )) hey, that(s ,ust po"er. )))))))))) /-en if .ou5re ahead7 sometimes it5s ,/D to bet* Full .ilt Po"er ) No Limit Hold(em /ash 5ame ) SE.;E1S2 6linds ) * Players ) (LegoPo"er Hand History /on'erter S60 S2EE.A; 660 S:<.2E Po"ey (4.5 0 S2:K.*; &P0 S2E*.;E /70 S:2.8; 6.N0 SA8.;E S6 is a maniac0 A<1;E pre%lop, 2.* a'erage aggro post%lop. Preflop: Po"ey is dealt 3 H (* Players Po"ey raises to S:.EE, . folds, S6 calls S8.;E, 22 folds &lop: (SK H 3 : (2 Players S6 chec"s, Po"ey bets S*.EE, S6 calls S*.EE Pure 'alue bet, hoping 'illain plays bac". He doesn(t. Turn: (S22 2 (2 Players S6 chec"s, Po"ey bets S2E.EE, S6 calls S2E.EE Cea" bet to induce a raise. He doesn(t. .his is #orrisome0 #hen an aggressi'e player slo#s do#n, it(s time to get %rightened. 'i-er: (S:2 . (2 Players S6 bets S2E.EE, Po"ey calls S2E.EE .he ine'itable scare card hits and 'illain bets it. ?illain #ins at sho#do#n about 8*G o% the time, so the odds are strong that this is ,ust a blu%%. .hat means my hand is best more than ;EG o% the time. -espite this, I cannot pro%itably raise )) 'illain #ill almost ne'er %old a better hand and almost ne'er call #ith a #orse hand, so e'en though I am ahead more than hal% the time, i% I bet it #ill be )+?, #inning me the same amount o% money most o% the time and losing me more on those unusual occasions #hen I(m behind. Pot Si!e0 SA2.EE (S8 9a"e J2 had , ) (t$o pair( )ens and Hours) and 'EJ) (-+,8#88)

Go ey had A

(t$o pair( Aces and 3ac s) and KE@ (/+.8#88)

&oral o% the story0 aggression is good as a general rule, but being o'erly and blindly aggressi'e is )+?. 7nly bet #hen there(s pro%it in it. )))))))))) $hecking to induce a bluff from an aggressi-e opponent* 7pponent is :2.:12E.*12.*, steals 2*G o% the time and L7?+S to %loat %lops. Full .ilt Po"er ) No Limit Hold(em /ash 5ame ) SE.;E1S2 6linds ) ; Players ) (LegoPo"er Hand History /on'erter S60 S22:.*E Po"ey (66 0 S2A8.;; 4.50 S82K.:E /70 S2EE.A; 6.N0 S2*E.2E Preflop: Po"ey is dealt 3 I (; Players 2 folds, 6.N raises to S8.;E, J2 folds, Po"ey raises to S2;.EE, 6.N calls S22.;E Cith a premium hand I mi$ it up by reraising instead o% calling, trying to get the upper hand. &lop: (S8E.;E 3 . ; (2 Players Po"ey bets S2;.EE, 6.N calls S2;.EE Standard continuation bet, combined #ith a standard %loat %rom 'illain. Turn: (SAE.;E K (2 Players Po"ey chec"s, 6.N bets all)in %or S22E.2E, Po"ey calls S22E.2E I Ysho# #ea"nessY and 'illain %ires all)in. I #as surprised to see ,ust ho# strong his hand actually #as. 'i-er: (S82E.KE 8 (2 Players ) 2 3ll)In

Pot Si!e0 S82E.KE (S8 9a"e 2)@ had A 3 (a pair of Aces) and 'EJ) (-+1*8#28) Go ey had A I (a pair of Aces) and KE@ (/+1-7#78) .his hand sho#s another e$ample o% N7. betting to ma$imi!e pot si!e. It also sho#s the importance o% "no#ing #hat story your betting line is telling )) in this case, I spo"e o% #ea"ness to induce a blu%%, so I had to call the resulting bet. )))))))))) 8ot telling a consistent stor.* Full .ilt Po"er ) No Limit Hold(em /ash 5ame ) SE.;E1S2 6linds ) ; Players ) (LegoPo"er Hand History /on'erter S60 S2K2.K;

Po"ey (66 0 S2::.:; 4.50 S:::.8E /70 S:8.:E 6.N0 SA<.:E I('e been struggling on the table, and I('e recently lost some big hands. ?illain is super) bad0 *A1K pre%lop, #ent to sho#do#n 8<G o% the time and #on there 8KG o% the time. He(s sloppy and luc"y, and he(s got money I #ant. Preflop: Po"ey is dealt 3 3 (; Players 4.5 calls S2.EE, /7 calls S2.EE, 2 folds, Po"ey raises to S;.EE, 4.5 calls S:.EE, DE folds .ime to use my lousy table image. &lop: (S22.;E A K ; (2 Players Po"ey bets SA.EE, 4.5 calls SA.EE I hope he pays o%% my c)bet= he does. Turn: (S2<.;E . (2 Players Po"ey bets S28.EE, 4.5 calls S28.EE Nothing has changed= I ma"e a big bet to try and get some money in the pot. ?illain calls. 'i-er: (S<8.;E 3 (2 Players Po"ey bets all)in %or S2EA.:;, 4.5 calls S2EA.:; 9i'er time. Jeep in mind that 'illian is X63-X )) he(s loo"ing %or a reason to call, not a reason to %old. So I gi'e him one. &y ri'er bet is too big, and that loo"s 'ery %ishy. ?illain JN7CS I don(t ha'e a %lush because there(s no #ay I could play a %lush dra# this #ay (in actuality, I de%initely could, but li"e I said0 'illain is bad . ?illain decides I must be ma"ing a desperation blu%% #ith air, and tal"s himsel% into a heroic call. Pot Si!e0 S2KE.:E (S8 9a"e L)B had 3 ) (a pair of )ens) and 'EJ) (-+1,,#,-) Go ey had A A (three of a ind( Aces) and KE@ (/+1,2#=-) I told an inconsistent story and 'illain got le'elled into paying o%% an e$tra buyin on the ri'er. )))))))))) Kno6 the. enem.* Full .ilt Po"er ) No Limit Hold(em /ash 5ame ) SE.;E1S2 6linds ) * Players ) (LegoPo"er Hand History /on'erter Po"ey (S6 0 S2:A.E; 660 S2E:.2; 4.50 S8K.EE &P0 S2;K.E; /70 S<<.2; 6.N0 S82.<; ?illain hasn(t been around long, but he(s terrible 3N- he(s on tilt. He ,ust lost a big pot

and someone at the table is taunting him %or it (not me, o% course . ?illain runs :;18 pre%lop and 2 a'erage aggression. He(s a target. Preflop: Po"ey is dealt < I (* Players L)B folds, &P calls S2.EE, /7 calls S2.EE, 2)@ folds, Po"ey calls SE.;E, 66 chec"s Speculati'e hand, lo# price, lots o% padding. I complete. &lop: (S: K 8 I (: Players Po"ey bets S2.EE, 22 folds, &P calls S2.EE, /7 calls S2.EE Flop gi'es me a mediocre hand. I bet #ea"ly to try and pic" up the pot and get t#o callers. Hmmmm. Turn: (S2E H (8 Players Po"ey bets S*.EE, &P calls S*.EE, /7 calls S*.EE No# I('e got a %lush dra# thro#n into the mi$. I ma"e another #ea" bet and get t#o callers again. I(m li"ing my pot odds and implied odds. 'i-er: (S2A 3 (8 Players Po"ey bets all)in %or S28K.E;, 0G folds, /7 calls all)in %or S*A.2; 4ncalled bet o% SE.EE returned to Po"ey I% my hand #asn(t good be%ore, it(s -+FINI.+L> good no#. 5i'en that 'illains ha'e been calling all along, I(m hoping someone ,ust bac"ed into t#o pair #ith their 3$ hand. No stronger %lush ma"es any sense, and my hand is #ic"edly)#ell disguised. 9ather than try and get both to pay o%% a small bet, I go %or the gusto and sho'e. &P escapes but /7 pays o%% my massi'e o'erbet. Pot Si!e0 S2*:.;E (S8 9a"e DE had I ) (a pair of Iueens) and 'EJ) (-+77#2-) Go ey had 7 I (a flush( Ace high) and KE@ (/+8,#2-) 3gain, I tell an inconsistent story, again I o'erbet to disguise my hand, again 'illain calls because o% emotional reasons, and again my snea"y hand collects me a huge pot. No#, I(m not saying that o'erbets are al#ays the best choice, but i% you 7//3SI7N3LL> mi$ them into your lineup )) particularly #hen your betting is highly inconsistent )) you can get a big payout %rom the right enemy.

Playing OOP (ep&a5s)

Pla.ing %ut of Position ,, "ntroduction Ce are operating under the assumption that e'eryone "no#s the %ollo#ing0 >ou ought to be playing many more hands %rom LP than %rom +P. .a"e a loo" at your #innings and total hand in'estments. .he bul" should come %rom LP. I% there is a balance, you are playing too many hands out o% position, and it is li"ely costing you money. .hin" o% position li"e many o% us thought o% hoo"ing up bac" in college. >ou #ant to end up on top o% the hot girl at the party. I% you do, you@ll al#ays get #hat you #ant, and you@ll usually %inish ahead o% her. 7ccasionally, though, you ha'e to let her get on top= she@ll en,oy the position more, but that doesn@t mean you can@t get #hat you #ant. I guess this analogy stops at busting0 you@ll al#ays bust, and it ta"es %ore'er to reload. 3ny#ay, mo'ing on^ 'eads are /ssential: Stud. =ands ;ou 3on5t Pla. .o be com%ortable playing out o% position, you must also be com%ortable trusting your reads and your %eel %or %lop te$tures. .here are #ays to ma"e this easier on you. 6ut be%ore #e get there^ .here #ill be hands, and circumstances, in #hich the highest +? line is to muc" a reasonably strong hand #hen you are out o% position. It #ill be much easier to de'elop reads and handle your positional disad'antage as a session goes on= playing big pots 77P early in a session is generally a bad idea because you ha'en@t had the time to de'elop reads and a %eel %or the rhythm o% the table. Let@s say you raise 3 J 4.5 and get one caller, and you are both ne# to the table. >ou ha'e no read on this player. Flop comes 3 A 8

and you lead %or 81: pot. ?illain comes o'er the top %or a PS9. He might certainly be #ielding his position li"e a #eapon, as many strong players do. 6ut you #ill Buic"ly be playing %or your stac" to %ind out i% he %lopped a set on you, and muc"ing your hand no# is not a ban"roll "iller by any means. &a"e a note o% his play. Catch ho# he handles position in %uture hands. &ost importantly, do your best to pay attention to similar situations e'en #hen you are not in the hand. Players #ho li"e to multi)table o%ten ma"e the mista"e o% only paying attention to hands in #hich they are in'ol'ed. Some o% the best reads you can de'elop #ill come %rom studying these hands. I% you notice a big pot that happened a hand or t#o ago #hile you #ere de'oting your attention else#here, pull up the hand history i% you can. Sit out %or a %e# hands at your other tables. Party Po"er in particular is 'ery generous about re'ealing a player@s hand at sho#do#n= use that in%ormation to ma"e detailed notes. I% you are dealing #ith aggressi'e post%lop players #ho ha'e a positional ad'antage o'er you, it #ill bene%it you to care%ully #atch their play as o%ten as you can. 3gain, this does not go %or e'ery opponent= you@ll run into players #ho li"e to raise less o%ten than /lear /hannel li"es to raise salaries in a union negotiation. It@s the tougher players #ho #ill challenge you, but you #ill e'entually be able to ascertain the times in #hich they are simply trying to intimidate you based on position. Ha'ing said this, sometimes the best ad'ice is the simple Ylea'e and #ait %or a better seat.Y 6ut I@m only doing this against a maniac, not a tough .35 or a good L35 #ho

"no#s #hat position is. I #ant to beat those players at their o#n game. +'entually I #on@t mind i% a strong, aggressi'e player thin"s he can %loat and bully me. I@ll ad,ust and there are multiple lines I can ta"e to #in pots %rom him. Here is an e$ample %rom a hand that happened last #ee"end. I had the %ollo#ing notes on a player #ho is 2212218 in ;EE hands0 YStrong player, capable o% ma"ing good laydo#ns. Seems to understand position and has pushed me out o% se'eral pots a%ter I raised pre%lop. I #anted badly to call him and %orce him to sho# me a set, but I ha'e bac"ed do#n each time. Li"es to raise %lop /bets, or %loat and raise turn. Corth #atching some more.Y I #as in &P #ith 3 I heads up to the %lop. , and I opened %or S:. He called on the 6utton, and #e #ere

Flop came H ; : , and I led %or S*. He raised to S2A, a play he had used on me on my second orbit o% the session. He #ould certainly ma"e this play #ith a set, but he seemed to be raising #ith .P ,ust as o%ten. I thought it #as possible I #as behind to a H. suited, 3H "ind o% hand. I could ha'e been behind a set or t#o pair, only occasionally an o'erpair, and o%ten enough an unimpro'ed PP. I decided it #as, o'erall, much more li"ely that he had an unimpro'ed pair, .P or air than a big hand li"e a set or o'erpair. In other #ords, he can not call a re)raise #ith much o% his range, because by re)raising, I am telling him that I ha'e a monster pair. I% he beats that, he pushes, and I %old. 6ut my re) raise "noc"s out his dra#ing hands and %olds out many hands that beat me, along #ith changing the table dynamic that had pre'iously con'inced him I could be run o'er. Ce #ere both reasonably deep, #ith e%%ecti'e stac"s S2<;, and I made it S;A. He seemed to thin" %or a #hile and %olded, but he might 'ery #ell ha'e been playing it up. I immediately made a note o% the hand, as I %elt this opponent #as perhaps less li"ely to raise my %lop /bet, and more li"ely to %loat or %old. Jeep in mind that had I attempted this play early on, I #ould ha'e had to do it #ith no in%ormation about this player and I #ould ha'e been simply hoping I #as not up against a set. The +:F 'ule I tend to ma"e an assumption about players that I am not sure is per%ectly accurate, but it has seemed to help me. It is this, similar to Harrington@s 2EG chance o% a blu%% concept0 I% I ha'e a strong enough sample si!e against an opponent I respect, and he has position on me, there is at least a 2;G chance that any aggression he sho#s against me in a heads)up pot is based solely on his positional ad'antage. Ho# did I come to that numberO I spent a lot o% time combing through the P. database, chec"ing out hands, and ma"ing my best guess. I also considered my o#n tendencies and my procli'ity to use position li"e a hammer on a stubborn nail. 3gain, this is Buite a nebulous number and concept, but I try to "eep it in mind #hen I ma"e a reasonably strong hand against a solid opponent #ho has position on me. Is 2;G a huge numberO It is not, but it brings a blu%%, a %loat, or a semi)blu%% into the eBuation a lot more o%ten. I don(t e$pect e'eryone to agree #ith the range, but I the concept has #or"ed %or me. I #ould also assert that this number is going to rise based on the sta"es you play. 9ecalling my long)ago days o% 2;NL, I #ould guess it@s much lo#er. I don@t use the number #ithout a lot o% hands or a solid read on a player, because at SSNL, most players tend to play their cards based on the strength o% their hand. It@s pretty darn straight%or#ard. Ce@re trying to impro'e our play against the strongest opponents and

<

prepare our game %or higher sta"es. =andling !in,'aises: The. 3on5t Al6a.s !ean Sets Here@s a hand that I butchered li"e an o'er#eight co# on Hamburger -ay that indicates the po#er o% raising in position. I #as dealt 3 J and made my standard raise, one caller. He seemed solid, but I didn(t ha'e much history #ith him. Flop came 3 < * . I led %or S*, and he min)raised to S22. I called but %eared a set immediately. .urn #as a total bric", the 2 , I chec"ed, and he chec"ed. 9i'er #as the . , I chec"ed, he bet S8E, and I called. He sho#ed K A %or a straight. .he min)raise %ro!e me on the %lop. I #as con'inced he #ould only min)raise %or 'alue #ith a set= instead I let him dra# cheaply and I %ell %or the trap on the ri'er. I still tend to thin" that the ma,ority, or at least the plurality, o% %lop min)raises indicate a set. +'en seemingly solid players T and I@'e seen plenty o% 2p2ers do this T min)raise their set on the %lop because they #ant to build a pot and get 'alue, but they don@t #ant to lose their opponent. Ho#e'er, I@'e come to %ind out that it can mean something else. &any players "no# that a min)raise is regarded #ith dread because o% #hat it represents, and I@'e run into plenty o% players #ho use it to %loat or shut do#n their opponent. I@'e run into opponents #ho #ill min)raise a /bet #ith top pair or an unimpro'ed PP. It@s ama!ing ho# e%%ecti'e it can be against us, maligned as the min) raise is. So here@s ho# I handle it0 +'ery time I see a player min)raise a %lop /bet, I #ill ma"e note o% it. I% that player sho#s his hand do#n, per%ect. It@s a bounty o% in%ormation. 6ut let@s say I raise 3 J in +P and get one caller, and the %lop comes J A 8 or e'en . A 8 . I@ll ma"e my /bet, and i% I get min)raised, I@m coming o'er the top. I% I lead %or * and get raised to 22, I@m ma"ing it 8;. &y opponent@s action is then going to tell me a lot. I% they push I %old and ma"e a note that I belie'e they@ll min)raise sets. I% they %old, I note that they@ll try to ta"e a#ay the pot #ith a min)bet and #ill bac" do#n to %urther aggression. .heir best play #ith a set is to call, cause that ma"es it 'ery di%%icult %or me on the turn, but than"%ully most opponents at SSNL #on@t ,ust call there #ith a set. .hey@ll push. -oes it get e$pensi'e sometimesO >es. 6ut you@ll be surprised ho# o%ten you can ta"e the pot and #hen you get pushed, it@s help%ul to "no# ho# opponents play their monsters. Ha'ing a note on #hat a min)raise means is one o% the most help%ul pieces o% in%o you can ha'e in this game at this le'el. A 3efault Line for =andling AA or KK -s* 'esistance Playing 33 or JJ against resistance #hen you are 77P can be dread%ully di%%icult T harder than a group o% teen boys at a Scarlett Hohannson photo shoot. 7ne o% 2p2@s best posters, Fo$#oods Fiend, shared some o% his thoughts on handling this spot and I@'e built them into my de%ault line. .his is assuming the %lop is at least some#hat innocuous. I% I@m raised #ith normal or deep stac"s, I@ll call and lead the turn %or 218 pot. I% I get called I ha'e to chec" the ri'er, and a call1%old #ill be reads)based. I% I get raised again on the turn, I@m gone. .here are also times #hen I #ill muc" 33 or JJ on the %lop to one raise, but o% course that@s dependent on the read and opponent. I thin" %olding to e'ery raise #hen 77P is gi'ing a#ay too much 'alue.

)=

$onclusions 6eing 77P bites li"e a 'indicti'e girl%riend #ho %inds out you@'e been cheating. Lots o% teeth. Not generally much %un, unless you@re into that "ind o% thing. So do yoursel% a %a'or and play the bul" o% your hands in position. 6ut don@t roll o'er dead ,ust because you ha'e to act %irst. .rust your reads. 4se chec"1raises occasionally. It ,ust ta"es some ad,ustments to get your opponents o%% balance, and then they@ll be dreading playing any pots #ith you at all.

LOOSE )GG*ESS4;E PL)0 (!al(ga+#ale)

(%orgi'e spelling mista"es, I am #earing a cast on one hand... stupid %ootball Note0 .his applies to *ma$ %ar more than F9. It applies some#hat to being in &P)LP in F9. I don(t "no# about you guys, but e'erytime I see a %lop and there are chips in the pot, I #ant them. I don(t care i% there are 2Ebb(s in p% or 2bb.. I #ant them in my stac". 3ggression #ins money, period. Sure, playing passi'ely against a maniac is right sometimes... but I #ant to be that guy people play passi'ely against. It ma"es li%e easier %or me, because I decide #hen the money goes in and #hen it doesn(t. So, %irst let(s deal #ith p%. I raise a lot p% (in *ma$ about 2;G o% my hands, maybe more haha . I do this because I am aiming to #in the pot, and I(d li"e some money in there to #in. Plus, raising gi'es me the ability to ta"e do#n the pot #hen #e both ha'e nothing on the %lop. ca-eat, Kno6 6hen not to c,bet* This depends on t6o factors -er. hea-il.,, (oard Te0ture and 8umber of Dillains* I might c)bet into 8 #ea" opponents i% the %lop #as A:2r. I(d chec" o%ten 's. 2 opponents i% it #as JA< t#o)tone and I held 3I. Jno#ing #hen to1#hen not to c)bet #ill help your #inrate a lot. 3nother reason I(m consantly raising and stabbing is that it helps me get paid o%% #hen I hit the %lop hard. Ho#e'er, I(m not con'inced it helps that much in a #orld #here 'illains thin" about their o#n cards and not yours. Ho#e'er, 'illains #ill pla. back e'entually. It(s important to "no# #hat to do)) and this means "no#ing your 'illain. Lets say I('e been hammering on a 'illain all game, stealing blinds #ith any 3, any J, and most suited I(s. I open %rom the /7 #ith 3 . . ?illain calls in the 66. .he %lop comes do#n . A 8 ?illain chec"s, I lead %or the pot ( K bb , ?illain c1r %or 82bb. &any people ad'ocate %olding here. Cith no image and playing a .35 game, %olding may be the correct play here. 6ut, as it stands, it may not. Chat hand #ould 'illain play li"e thisO ?ery %e# that beat you %rom the a'erage 'illain[[ -o you thin" your a'erage SSNL player c1r a set12pair on the %lop, into a p% raiserOO No[ 9arely. I am more %rightened i% I lead and am smoothcalled. I call the c1r and play po"er on the ne$t t#o streets, thin"ing pot control on the turn, and 'alue on the ri'er. >ou #ill be ama!ed ho# many times you are sho#n H A here. .he point is this0 6hen people are 6illing to pla. back at .ou 6ith less7 .ou can -alue .our a-erage hands higher. Ho# much higher is up to you))and up to your read o% a 'illain. I try to a'oid situations li"e the one abo'e #ithout a read, or #hen I %irst sit do#n. important ca-eat,,O 6hen .ou are raised on the turn*** .our top pair is still not good7 e-en considering the pre-ious statement* Lastly, "no# #hen to go .35. Playing L35 gets a table #or"ed up. I% people start calling p% raises en masse, or reraising you... its time to stop raising ;*s 4.5 and loo" %or 'alue %rom your big pairs. >ou(ll still get the action, and no# you al#ays ha'e the cards. Pla.ing tight pf is rarel.7 if e-er7 6rong* I "no# a lot o% you are interested in loosening up your game, I hope this #as some#hat o% a brie% outline. It(s not as long as Po"ey(s... but then again, Po"ey can(t count to 2*EE.

))

So heres a brie% outline 2 3ttac", p% and the %lop. Put money in the pot, scoop it to your side. 2 Jno# #hen to c)bet and #hen not to. 8 6e strong #hen you connect) your opponents are li"ely to play bac" #ith less than you(re used to. : 9ead the table so you "no# #hen to slo# do#n and tighten up. 7ne more Buic" thing to highlight) 3s you raise more p% and c)bet the %lop constantly, people start %loating you. Its not hard to notice... o%ten the ans#er %or me is double barrel bluffing. It is a po#er%ul #eapon... use it against the right opponents. 9emember) 7nly an idiot blu%%s a man he "no#s #ill call him[[ -isclaimer) the #ord is still out as to #hether or not I(m good at po"er. So don(t ta"e any o% this too seriously.

)3

0o( S#o(l& Open Limp>>>>>>>>> (*i"#7>)

***********8%TPPP First, to clari%y, open limping is #hen you are the %irst one to enter a pot and ,ust limp in. Limping behind someone is a di%%erent strategey all together. I #ill limp behind someone i% I "no# I can stac" them #hen I hit big. 6ut, on to 7pen Limping0 I %eel this is one o% the biggest lea"s in a players game. 7pen limping is a pure chip spe#. It tends to lea'e money on the table #hen you hit big, so you are there%ore losing 'alue. Chat do I mean by thisO I(ll gi'e you an e$ample %rom a 212 NL Li'e game %rom a #hile bac". .his #as a regular game that I played in about 8 days a #ee". Hero is in &P2 #ith about S2;E behind. (I "no# this is bigger stac"s than many uNL players are used to, but #e all "no# that this is about as micro as it gets li'e It %olds to me and I ha'e 33. I limped in %or S2. &y %riend (#ho also happens to be &P2 raises to S2E 6utton calls. 6ac" to me, I reraise to S8E, &P2 thin"s and %inally calls but I can tell he "no#s #hat I ha'e. 6utton %olds. Flop is 33H, .urn $, ri'er $. 3#esome, i %lopped Buads. It #as chec"ed to the ri'er #hen i %inally bet S2E and he called and said YSho# me your acesY So, in this 'ery hand, and many more li"e it, had I ,ust made a standard raise to maybe SA in this case, I more than li"ely get to reraise all)in. &y %riend had JJ, so yes, I le%t 3 L7. o% chips on the table that should ha'e been shipped to me by getting it all in PF. I %igure that I cost mysel% S2EE by limping that hand. .his is ,ust one e$ample, there are many many more li"e it. 6ac" to my intial point. 7pen limping #ill cost you money in the long run. .his is a 'ery hard concept %or many players to grasp. &any do not #ant to raise S/s 4.5, but yet they #ant to see a %lop, so they limp in. Chen they miss, they %eel that they got a chance to get a#ay cheap #hile still playing a %lop. I&7, this is bad %or business. I% you raise, you immediately ta"e control o% the pot until either e'eryone %olds, calls or raises you. Chen called, you dont ha'e to hit your hand, ,ust e'aluate the %lop and determine i% your opponent hit his hand. +ither #ay, you should ma"e a c)bet. 3n e$ample or t#o0 (assume %ull stac"s %or both e$amples at ;Enl >ou are 4.5 #ith K < and raise to S2.EE 7ne caller and the blinds %old (not ta"ing out the ra"e pot is S:.<;

):

Flop is <I*r, one spade. &iddle pair %or you, lead out %or S8.EE .his is a %airly standard 'alue bet and you #ill usually ta"e do#n the pot. Hand 20 3gain, you are 4.5 #ith < : 7ne call and the blinds %old. Flop is <:: >ou ,ust %lopped a monster. 7ur natural tendency is to chec" raise or chec" call here. Crong. Lead out %or S8 again. Chy #ould you bet this monster you as"O +asy, no one in their right mind can put you on <:s and #ill belie'e that you missed this %lop and a good aggressi'e opponent #ill try to ta"e this a#ay %rom you #ith 3 high or and o'er pair li"e KK. 3lso, your hand isnt the nuts and you ma"e it pricey %or an o'er pair to dra# out against you that ;G o% the time that they do. No#, thin" about i% you had ,ust limped in #ith those hands, odds are that you are lea'ing chips in your opponents stac" that right%ully belong to you. 6oth e$amples are hands 'ery similar to hands I ha'e played. >ou dont ha'e to play the L35tard game that I do to ne'er open limp. .35s should not be open limping either. No#, you as", arent there e'er times that you should be open limpingO So glad you as"ed. >+S there are, but I&7, these type o% situations occur more in tournaments than in cash games. Chen someone is constantly raising and reraising you, then open limping a big hand is %ine I&7, but re%er bac" to my %irst e$ample and ho# I le%t a lot o% money on the table and you #ill %ind it is still better to raise and then reraise them to get it all in PF. I(ll lea'e you #ith this e$ample %rom the same 212 NL Li'e game. I had been playing a %airly aggressi'e game and had been getting reraised all night long, %elt li"e e'ery hand actually. I had managed to build up to about S:EE despite ha'e gotten played bac" at all damn night #hen this hand, one o% the biggest li'e pots I ha'e e'er seen (and #on %or that matter came up. I am 4.5 and raise to S2E #ith JJ 2 callers and then the e$pected reraise to SKE. 7ne more caller. %olds bac" to me and I am ,ust sic" but I(m not good enough to %old JJ PF. I ,ust say to hell #ith and push, 2 %olds and then the other t#o both call. I had them co'ered. Ce all %lip, my JJPIIPHH and your hero #ins about SAEE. I also #on a tournament about < hours later. Sorry slight brag at the end there, but I hope I ha'e pro'ided you #ith some decent e$amples o% #hy you shouldnt be open limping. W9ich

and raise to S2.EE

)5

S(ite& 7onne"to$s1 4mplie& O&&s1 an& 0o( (goofy3alle$)

3 recent thread about using the ;12E rule to call pre%lop raises #ith PPs and suited connectors got me thin"ing about the "ind o% implied odds reBuired to call pre%lop raises #ith S/s= people tend to arbitrarily use things li"e the ;12E rule, e'en though I('e ne'er seen any mathematical description o% the "ind o% odds you need to call these raises. I(m going to attempt to sol'e that problem (but I still need some help[ . I(ll list the conclusions %irst, and lea'e the tl=dr math %or the bottom %or those o% you that #ant to peruse it. I also encourage math)head)types to chec" my math to ma"e sure I didn(t mess anything up. .here are t#o "inds o% hands you can %lop #ith S/s0 5ood made hands (most o% #hich can be made by calling #ith 3./, #hich o% course #e don(t do and dra#s. First, made hands, stolen o%% some page I googled0 Edds of flopping### Flush0 E.A:G .#o pair0 2G .rips0 2.8;G Full house0 E.EKG Iuads0 E.E2G Straight0 2.82G ))))))) .otal0 ;.*G (2 in 2A times, 2<02 Ho#e'er, most o% the time you #ill be %lopping dra#s instead o% big hands #ith S/s, and that(s #here things get complicated. Let(s separate this into t#o categories0 combo dra#s and regular dra#s. $%!(% 3'A4S Edds of flopping### 2E outer (7+S- F F- F pair 0 E.E<<G 2< outer (5utshot F F- F pair 0 E.2;8G 2; outer (7+S- F %lush dra# 0 2.:2:G 2: outer (Pair F %lush dra# 0 2.:;EG 28 outer (Pair F straight dra# 0 2.2:<G 22 outer (5utshot F %lush dra# 0 2.**:G )))))))))))))))))))))))) .otal0 *.KG (2 in 2: times, 2802 .hese dra#s are all hands that can be played pro%itably a%ter the %lop= either you are a %a'orite against an o'erpair, or getting 3I on the %lop is F+? #hen you ta"e some %old eBuity (and thus ta"ing do#n dead money into account. /ombining these big dra#s #ith good made hands, you(ll ha'e a relati'ely Ybig handY on the %lop 22.;G o% the time, or 2 in A ('ery close to ho# o%ten you #ill %lop a set #ith an o'erpair . Ho#e'er, since a set is a near)in'incible hand and you still ha'e to impro'e #ith these dra#s, you can(t say that you also need about <02 odds to call #ith a suited connector. >our a'erage eBuity on the %lop #ith these made hands and combo dra#s against an o'erpair is **G (the made hands go %rom <;G)KKG= the combo dra#s range %rom :;G)*;G = compare this #ith sets, #here your eBuity is generally KEFG. '/GULA' 3'A4S

)6

Edds of flopping### K outer (%lush dra# 0 ;.2G A outer (straight dra# 0 A.EG ))))))))))))))))) .otal0 28.2G (2 in <.; times, *.;02 .hese are your standard dra#s= #hen you %lop a hand #ith #hich you can continue, it #ill most %reBuently be one o% these. .hese dra#s impro'e to a %lush or straight on the ri'er about 2 time in 8. Summar. ) you ha'e a ;.*G (2 in 2A, 2<02 chance o% %lopping a good made hand ) you ha'e a W<G (2 in 2:, 2802 chance o% %lopping a strong (22F outs combo dra# ) you ha'e a W28G chance (2 in <.;, *.;02 chance o% %lopping a standard 7+S- or F3dding these all together, you #ill %lop a hand you can continue #ith on the %lop 2;G o% the time (2 in : . Ho#e'er, only hal% o% the time #ill these hands be immediately pro%itable (i.e. F+? to sho'e it in = the other hal%, you(ll ha'e your standard old 7+S- or F- #hich reBuires playing some po"er. So7 a 1uestion from me to all .ou math,heads: =o6 do .ou combine these preflop odds 6ith the odds of hitting .our hand postflop to figure out the implied odds re1uired to call 6ith S$s preflop< I% you don(t li"e numbers, s"ip the rest o% the post= #hat %ollo#s is ho# I calculated e'erything.

tlQdr math &ade hands0 I calculated the odds o% %lopping a straight mysel%= #ith *;s, %or e$ample, there are %our %lops that gi'e you a straight (<AK, :<A, 8:<, 28: . .he odds o% hitting each o% those %lops are 221;E X A1:K X :1:A= multiply that by : %lops, and you get 2.82G. $ombo dra6s 3ll e$amples assume you ha'e *c;c. 7+S- F %lush dra# F pair (2E outs b7&5 0 >ou need a %lop o% A<(*1; , <(*1; :, (*1; :8, #ith t#o clubs each. Ac <c *1;$0 21;E X 21:K X ;1:A X 8 = .E2;;G &ultiply by 8 to get odds %or all three %lops = B*B?>:#F. Not 'ery high. 5utshot F %lush dra# F pair (2< outs 0 >ou need a %lop o% KA(*1; , K<(*1; , A(*1; :, <(*1; 8, (*1; :2, (*1; 82 #ith t#o clubs. Kc Ac *1;$0 21;E X 21:K X ;1:A X 8 = .EE2;;G &ultiply by * to get odds %or all si$ %lops = B*):#F. 7+S- F %lush dra# (2; outs 0 >ou need a %lop o% A<$, <:$, or :8$ #ith t#o clubs= in addition, you can catch ultra) decepti'e %lops o% K<8 #ith t#o clubs or A:2 #ith t#o clubs.

)*

7dds o% %lopping A<$ #ith t#o clubs, #here $ does not complete a %lush or straight and does not pair your hand0 A<$0 <c Ac $ = 21;E X 21:K X 2<1:A X 8 = E.28AG <c A$ $c = 21;E X 81:K X 2E1:A X * = E.2;8G <$ Ac $c = 81;E X 21:K X 2E1:A X * = E.2;8G .otal = E.:::G .otal %or all 8 %lops = 2.882G K<80 Kc <c 8$ = 21;E X 21:K X 81:A X 8 = E.E2;8G X8 %or Kc <$ 8c1K$ <c 8c = E.E:;KG X2 %or A:2 = E.EK2AG .otal odds o% %lopping 2;)outer0 )*9+9F Pair F %lush dra# (2: outs 0 .#o clubs and one o% your hole cards0 *1;E X 221:K X 2E1:A X 8 = 2.*AG Since #e already counted pair F F- F 7+S- and pair F F- F gutshot, subtract E.E<*;8 and E.2;8 to get )*9:F Pair F straight dra# (28 outs 0 using *;s, possible %lops are A<(*1; , <(*1; :, (*1; :8 A1;E X :1:K X ;1:A X 8 = E.:EAG &ultiply by 8 %or all three %lops = 2.22:G Since #e already counted pair F F- F 7+S-, subtract E.E<*;8 to get )*)9?F 5utshot F %lush dra# (22 outs 0 >ou need a %lop o% KA$, K<$, A:$, <8$, :2$, 82$ (#here each %lop has t#o clubs . Same calculation as 7+S- F %lush dra#= E.:::G per %lop X * %lops = +*>>9F So, total odds of flopping a combo dra6 = E.E<*;8G (2E outs F E.2;8G (2< outs F 2.:2:G (2; outs F 2.:;G (2: outs F 2.2:<G (28 outs F 2.**:G (22 outs = >*A):F = 2 in 2: times (2802 'egular dra6s 7+S- (A outs 0 .here are %i'e %lops you can catch an 7+S- #ith0 using *;s as an e$ample, there(s A<$, <:$, :8$, K<8, and A:2. 7dds o% %lopping A<$ (#here $ does not pair your hand and does not complete a straight 0 A1;E X :1:K X 8:1:A X 8 = E2.K:G Subtract E.::2G %or the times it ma"es an 7+SF- (#hich #e already counted = 2.:KAG &ultiply by 8 %or the odds o% A<$1<:$1:8$0 <.:K:G 7dds o% %lopping K<80 221;E X A1:K X :1:A = E.88G &ultiply by 2 %or the odds o% K<81A:20 E.*;G Subtract E.EK2A since #e already counted double gutshot F F-0 = E.;;AG

)8

.otal odds o% %lopping non)combo 7+S- = @*B:F Flush dra# (K outs 0 .#o clubs F a blan" that does not complete a %lush or pair your hand0 221;E X 2E1:K X 881:A X 8 = K.2*G Subtract 2.:2: and 2.**2 since #e already counted the times #here the %lush dra# gi'es you an 7+S-, and you get :*)?:F non)combo %lush dra#s. So, your total chances o% %lopping a standard A or K out dra# are A.E;G (7+S- F ;.2<;G (%lush = )#*++:F (2 in <.;, *.;02 . I calculated the a'erage eBuity o% made hands1combo dra#s against o'erpairs by ta"ing the #eighted a'erage o% each0 E.E<< 1 22.; X *;.;;* (E.E<< 1 22.; = Gage o% time you %lop oes%dFpair, *;.;;*G = eBuity o% *s;s on KsAs*$ board against 3c3d F .2;8 1 22.; X ;<.*<< F 2.:2: 1 22.; X ;*.2* F 2.:; 1 22.; X ;E.<2 F 2.2:< 1 22.; X :;.A* F 2.**: 1 22.; X :<.<A F E.A: 1 22.; X K<.2< F 2 1 22.; X <:.;; F 2.8; 1 22.; X A<.<A F E.EK 1 22.; X K2.:2: F E.E2 1 22.; X KK.AKK F 2.82 1 22.; X K*.<2<

)<

*e$aise& !lin& !attles an& !l(ffing 5it# Ma$ginal Han&s (sam #)

Hi. I am a lapsed limit player trying to get bac" into po"er and trying to get serious about learning NL, especially about e$amining a lot o% the math underlying 'arious situations. Hope%ully I #ill ha'e some dedication and be around the %orum relati'ely %reBuently %or a #hile. I ha'e gotten a lot %rom lur"ing around here and in &SNL the last month or so, and so thought I #ould try to Ygi'e bac"Y by sharing some calculations and thoughts that I ha'e been #or"ing on. .here #as a recent post #here players #ere #ondering about calling 8)bets a%ter raising in position. I thin" many o% us reali!e that #e can@t call these bets i% #e are going to play #ea"ly a%ter the %lop (only continue #ith a set or on really %a'orable boards but the Buestion o% #hen to continue or blu%% #ith marginal hands is tric"y. Since most 2EE and 2EENL opponents are nits #hen it comes to 8)betting pre%lop, these situations are only applicable selecti'ely. 6ut those spots are still important against the more agro pre%lop players. 3nd #ith 8)betting %reBuencies increasing so much as sta"es rise, this seems li"e one o% the issues that SSNL players need to %igure out in order to mo'e up. So let@s loo" at a situation (Stac"s=2EE units in #hich you raise the button 8.; units, the S6 %olds, the 66 bumps to 22 units, and you call. So #e ha'e 22.; units in the pot going to the %lop. .he %lop comes do#n pretty dry, lea'ing you #ith a marginal holding, and the opponont o% course c)bets. .he rest o% this post is going to loo" at the eBuity o% blu%%ing on a relati'ely dry %lop #hile manipulating three 'ariables0 (a your hand T 3J or ;; %or simplicity@s sa"e (b your opponents pre%lop 8)betting range and (c your opponents range %or calling a blu%% i% you raise. .hese eBuities can be then compared to %olding, #hich is ob'iously E +?. 7b'iously, #e also #ant to "no# the +? o% calling gi'en certain scenarios, but this post is so long ,ust #ith blu%%ing that I #ill sa'e that and maybe do it later i% this post seems interesting to enough other posters. ;ou !issed7 but =o6 %ften 3id ;our %pponent< So let@s imagine the %lop comes do#n .<8r and your opponent ma"es a standard continuation bet o% 2* units (into 22.; . Is raising cra!y hereO Cell ho# o%ten did he actually hit that %lop hardO Let@s loo" at results %or three pre%lop ranges #ith updated probabilities based on the %lop cards. (.hese ranges and labels may not be accurate %or many games but it captures to some degree three di%%erent ideal)typical players as %ar as 8)betting. I did not include a simulation %or a total nit, li"e ..F 3JF because intuiti'ely I am pretty sure you don@t #ant to challenge this player post)%lop #ith marginal holdings . .#o simple obser'ations to start0 (a >our opponent@s pre%lop range changes things dramatically but (b generally spea"ing opponents #ill %reBuently ha'e 'ery little on a board li"e this.

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I thin" the gut reaction o% many players is to %old your #hi%%ed o'ercards here %or sure on the .<8r %lop and sometimes also your small pairs. 6ut #hat i% you raiseO .he +? o% raising is going to depend on ho# much you are ris"ing, his calling range and thus your %old eBuity (F+ , and your pot eBuity (P+ against his calling range. 3 pot si!ed raise be a total ris" o% <E.; units, #hich is a#"#ard. So let@s loo" at the eBuity o% a couple di%%erent blu%%s T %irst a push %or AK units and then a small raise to :; units. Pushing =as to be $ra .7 'ight< Let@s assume that you ha'e 3dJh and push and loo" at each o% the pre%lop raising pro%iles based on #hether they #ould call this push #ith only a 'ery strong hand (%irst column in table abo'e or also a medium strength hand (second column in table abo'e . (Note that no# that #e ha'e 3dJh, #e ha'e to discount the chance that he has an ace or a "ing in his hand so the probability o% calling in each situation is slightly di%%erent although not 'ery di%%erent than the probabilities in the table abo'e . >our eBuity %or each situation is going to be the sum o% your F+ and P+, #hich amounts to (2)$ (8A.; F ($ (222.;y F AK(2)y , #here $ is the probability he calls and y is the probability you #in against his range #hen called. 4sing po"ersto'e to get your P+ i% called by his range, here is your +? in units under those circumstances.

Co#[ 3s long as the player is loose enough pre%lop but needs .P.J or better to stac" o%%, pushing is ,ust printing money #hen compared to %olding. I thin" that a lot o% QgoodR SSNL players, including mysel%, ha'e adopted %airly laggy pre%lop styles but are not calling a push light here in the 66 as a de%ault play and ha'e trouble %iguring out #hen that@s necessary. Chile 3J is a hand that #e #ould al#ays be continuing to the %lop #ith in these situations, an ob'ious implication1generali!ation is that other high)card hands become more playable i% #e can identi%y #hich %lops to pro%itably blu%% raise. So perhaps a %airly po#er%ul general conclusion can be dra#n %rom this speci%ic circumstance0 .a"e Home Point a2 T Some o% the most Qsurprisingly e$ploitableR players at SSNL are those #ho, in trying to impro'e and imitate the styles o% "no#n high)limit #inners, ha'e let their pre%lop aggression outpace their ability to counter post)%lop aggression. 3gainst this type o% player, you can pro%it immensely by running them o'er on the right dry %lops. .his should e$pand your pre%lop calling range i% you@re really going to capitali!e on these opportunities. 3nother interesting conclusion %rom this is ho# dramatically the +? o% plays changes based on seemingly small ad,ustments to ranges. .he only di%%erence bet#een the SL35 and the .35 pre%lop is a #illingness to three)bet #ith 3H or JIs, and the only di%%erence bet#een the strong and medium calling ranges o% these players is a #illingness to stac" o%% #ith KK or AA. 6ut i% you push here, the di%%erence in +? bet#een being up against a SL351strong range 'ersus a .351medium range is 28 units[ .his may say something interesting about the notion o% Qchanging gears.R Let@s pretend #e@re the 66 %or a second. In some sense, changing gears is about establishing an image

%or your opponent o% the Qstate o% the #orldR being a gi'en cell o% the table abo'e and then ad,usting your play to ma"e a di%%erent cell the de %acto reality. &o'ing to an iterated situation or one in #hich you are trying to mi$ strategies against a range ob'iously in'ol'es a lot more than the simple model presented here, but I thin" the table abo'e does sho# ho# pro%itable it can be in some situations %or the 66 to shi%t gears and trap. .a"e Home Point a20 I% your opponent is a thin"ing one and has li"ely become suspicious o% your blu%%ing in these situations, then you need to trac" any changes in his 8)betting tendencies and be care%ul. 6ecause i% a SL351strong changes gears to a .351medium, then a must)capitali!e F+? opportunity can Buic"ly become a big T+? mista"e. 4hat About Underpairs< So lets get bac" to the main discussion. Chat i%, instead o% o'ercards li"e 3Jo, you ha'e a small pair li"e ;;O Is raising still better than %oldingO

.hings are not Buite as rosy i% you hold an underpair, since your eBuity against his calling range decreases dramatically T the dra# 'alue o% 3Jo is much pre%erable to ha'ing a pair. I% you "no# #ith high probability your opponents@ 8)betting and push)calling ranges, then pushing may still be pro%itable. 6ut notice ho# much it hurts i% your assumptions are #rong. For instance, #ith 3J #e may not ha'e a great grasp o% the 'illain@s 8)betting range, but as long as #e are relati'ely sure that he #on@t call a push #ith KK or AA then it is hard %or us to ma"e a big mista"e. Cith ;;, pushing into the nittier pre%lop three betters is going to be a big mista"e e'en i% they are ne'er calling light. .a"e Home Point a80 I% you are going to attempt to run the opponent o'er, consider not the strength o% your hand currently but its eBuity against your opponents calling range. 6asically, o'ercards can constitute a semi)semi)blu%%. Are Small 'aises 'eall. 3onk,Like< 7", so blu%% raising dry %lops loo"s li"e something that needs to be added to the arsenal in some situations. 6ut is pushing necessarily the best ideaO Small raises are o%ten derided but may be pretty e%%ecti'e in SSNL games. Let@s consider a situation #here you raise to :E units and your opponent #ill still %old all the hands he %olded to a push but #ill push all the hands he pre'iously called, #ith you then %olding to that push. Chat does your eBuity loo" li"e no#O (Since you are %olding to the push i% it comes, ha'ing 3J 'ersus ;; only matters in so %ar as it slightly changes the probabilities o% his holdings. .hese calcs assume 3J.

6ehold the po#er o% the don" raise[ 7% course, your opponent may be less li"ely to %old to this raise #ith a medium strength hand (and #ill not al#ays push o'er, but that@s the simulation . 6ut I do thin" many SSNL players at least #ill %old hands li"e AA or KK here

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%or 2: more units, %eeling that calling commits them to the pot and being unsure #hat to do on the turn i% they call and don@t impro'e. I% you are up against that type o% player, then the don" raise in this spot is almost al#ays better than %olding no matter #hat you ha'e. 3lso notice that, against the looser pre%lop 8)betters, the small raise is a #inning play no matter #hat unless they are #illing to e$pand their repushing range e'en more. .he small raise also ob'iously has the ad'antage o% lo#er 'ariance. .a"e Home Point a: T -on@t discount the po#er o% the small blu%% raise. I% you can %ind a player that #ill still %old medium strength hands to a small raise or is loose enough #ith pre%lop three)bets, then a small raise on dry %lops can be de'astating. 4hat About %ther &lops< For the ranges e$amined here, the .<8r %lop is pretty generali!able to other %lops #ith three relati'ely lo# cards, no %lush dra#, and %e# straight dra#s. I don@t see #hy K*2, <;;, .A8, etc #ould be much di%%erent. +'en H high %lops are pretty similar %or players #ith the tighter ranges, since they #on@t ha'e many more ,ac"s than tens. Flops #ith 3s, Js, and Is are a di%%erent beast. 3lso, %lops #ith %lush dra#s that are lo# may also play di%%erently. .he chances o% your opponent ha'ing the dra# are actually 'ery slim, so it shouldn@t a%%ect the strength o% his hand that much. 6ut #e #ould assume that opponents are going to call raises lighter i% there is a %lush dra#, since raising the F- in our position is so typical. .here%ore, it probably ma"es sense to thin" o% a .<8ss %lop to play roughly similar to the .<8r one e$amined here, but that the opponent is signi%icantly more li"ely to be calling #ith a range that includes medium)strength hands. 7", so that got #ay too long. .he ma,or ca'eat I #ould add (other than the 'ery real possibility that my math is #rong is that naturally our o'erall strategy in'ol'es mi$ing our range and so loo"ing at ,ust one isolated situation should be ta"en #ith a grain o% salt. Hope this pro'ides some %odder %or discussion.

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?-3etting lig#t (/an !itel)

4hat is #,betting light< Firstly, I guess, #e ha'e to establish #hat a 8)bet is. Its a term used here to describe pre%lop (although can also describe post %lop . 3nd it is basically ,ust a reraise. So an e$ample is i% 4.5 raises to :66 and I then in 4.5F2 reraise to 2266, that #ould be a 8) bet. 7J, ne$t, #hat is the YlightY part aboutO Cell, most players #hen they start to play po"er to a decentish le'el tend to only reraise (8)bet 'ery strong hands pre%lop. Something li"e IIF and sometimes 3J and that(s about it. 8)betting light means that you do it #ith some #ea"er hands as #ell, li"e 3I, **, <As etc etc.

4h. do 6e #,bet light< .heres a %e# reasons here. .he main 2 though are %or image1shania1metagame and b1c cbets = SSSSSS. I(m sure e'ery2 says that pushing a combo dra# is so good because no# you can play your sets the same #ay and get loo"ed up light. No# I(m sorry, but this is really a bit o% 6S. 5ood players realise e$actly #hat you #ere doing, so they #ill thin" nothing o% it. 3nd bad players don(t %old .PF any#ay. Not to mention that people are still too scared to play their sets mega %ast a lot o% the time any#ay. 64. #hen you 8bet light, it 9+3LL> 9+3LL> a%%ects the #ay 'illains 'ie# you. Chen you sho#do#n <Ks a%ter 8betting pre%lop, it ma"e you loo" li"e a maniac, 64. they still ha'e no idea ho# to respond. .hey start to call you do#n a lot lighter (so ob' you ha'e to read,ust your %reBuencies No# onto the cbet=SSS point. >ou "no# ho# #hen you raise pre%lop and cbet the %lop normally, you get loo"ed up by bottom pair, gutshots etc. 3ll sorts o% trash, a%ter all, you ha'e 3J, rightO 64., in rr pots, things #or" di%%erently. +'ery2 puts you on 33 all o% a sudden. So, they call pre%lop b1c they thin" they ha'e implied odds and they try and get a good %lop #ith their <As or their 22. 6ut they c1% the %lop all the time unless they %lop a set or 2pair or #hate'er.

"mportant note on cbeting in reraised pots: -7 N7. 6+. 3S &4/H 3S >74 C74L- -7 IN 3 N79&3L P7.[ >our cbets in reraised pots should be bet#een 212 pot and 218 pot, N7. more. .he reasons %or this is that normally you either ha'e air as you(re 8)betting light and so #e dont ha'e to ta"e it do#n as o%ten i% #e bet less. 79 #e ha'e a 'ery good hand, and due to pot1stac" si!e ratio, #e can get 3I 'ery easily by not betting all that much. 4ho to #,bet light7 6ith 6hat hands and in 6hat position< I can(t stress ho# important reads are #hen 8)betting light. >ou %irstly need to "no# ho# light some2 is raising. .heres not point 8betting light, i% the guy #ho raised is a 2218 pre%lop type, or e'en a *E1; pre%lop type. .he typed you #ant to go %or are the 8E12E types, or e'en the 2212< .35s. 3lthough a <E1;E player #ill raise too lightly, he(ll also be

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calling raises to light and not %olding to cbets, so he(s not a good person to 8bet light. 3lso, try to get a read on #hat their calling ranges o% 8bets are and ho# they play post%lop a%ter calling. I% they call a lot pre%lop and play %it or %old post%lop, 8bet these guys. I% they :bet light and c1r blu%% a lot o% %lops #ith a good %reBuency, dont 8bet lighgt these guys. .his is mainly common sence, but is S777 important. .he hands you should be 8betting #ith are ones that /3N #in you a big pot. So <As, 88 etc. 3lso, hands that ha'e good sho#do#n 'alue, li"e 3I, JIs etc. Position is also Buite important. 9emeber that people raise #ay looser on the button that 4.5 etc. 3lso, #hen you ha'e position, you can chec" behind some %lops %or pot control etc.

An.thing /lse< 7ne o% the "eys to 8)betting light is playing #ell is rr pots. .his needs reads. >ou need to understand pot control and your image #ell. I really recomment that you ,ust ha'e a go and practice ma"es per%ect. &aybe drop do#n a le'el i% you(re a bit scared. 3nd i% you need some help on hands in rr pots, ,ust pots them, or P& a %e# to some2 you respect, and I(s sure they(ll help you out ]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]] Here is #here #e are supposed to put e$ample hands. 6ut the beuaty o% 8betting light is that #e ma"e most our money #hen e'ery2 %olds pre%lop or #hen they %old to a cbet on the %lop, so theres littly point me posting those. Instead I #ill post a %e# hands that I #on 6+/34S+ I 8bet light. 6ut all, %eel %ree to post hands you #on or lost0 .his guy is a 2812* .35, #ho I had been 8betting light the #hole time, and had %inally tilted him0 Full .ilt Po"er No Limit Holdem 9ing game 6linds0 S21S2 * players /on'erter Stack si es: 4.50 S22:.KE 4.5F20 S2:2 /70 S22A.;; 6utton0 S8:8.2E S60 S2:< Hero0 S:A:.8E Pre,flop: (* players Hero is 66 #ith . H 4.5 calls, 2 folds, 6utton raises to SK, S6 calls, Hero raises to S8A, 2 folds, S6 calls. &lop: ; . A (+87( 2 players

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S6 chec"s, Hero bets S2EK, S6 calls all)in S2EK. Turn: 2 (+.8-( 1 player / 1 all-in - 0ain pot1 +.8-

'i-er: J

(+.8-( 1 player / 1 all-in - 0ain pot1 +.8-

'esults: Final pot0 S8E; S6 sho#ed Kd Ad Hero sho#ed .h Hh Note Buite ho# bad his pre%lop call is. I% I ha'e a big hand, he(s scre#ed, i% I ha'e a badish hand, I can still %lop better than him and i% he doesnt hit the %lop (he only hits 2 in 8 times he(s %olding to my cbet. .his one is also 's a 2212* type .35. I thin" e'en a 2p2er. .his is a classic e$ample o% some2 playing badly in rr pots. Sure I ha'e 33 here, but i% I #asn(t rr ;*s and 22 all day, I doubt he #ould play his hand the same #ay0 Full .ilt Po"er No Limit Holdem 9ing game 6linds0 S21S2 ; players /on'erter Stack si es: 4.50 S:2 /70 S2;:.KE 6utton0 S;K.2E S60 S2KA Hero0 S2E2.<E Pre,flop: (- players Hero is 66 #ith 3 3 2 folds, S6 raises to S*, Hero raises to S2A, S6 calls. &lop: . : < (+.*( . players S6 chec"s, Hero bets S2;, S6 calls. Turn: * (+8*( . players S6 chec"s, Hero bets S*;, S6 calls. 'i-er: 2 (+21*( . players S6 chec"s, Hero is all)in SK8.<, S6 calls all)in SKE. 4ncalled bets0 S8.< returned to Hero. 'esults: Final pot0 S8KK.< Hero sho#ed 3d 3s S6 muc"s Hh .c

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P$eflop G3etting (-#eo$y) (tannen<)

.his post #as inspired by this thread, some brie% 3I& con'ersations #ith this guy, and a curiosity I@'e noticed I ha'e about pre%lop play since I started datamining and dabbling #ith :EE NL )) a le'el "no#n %or a distinct spi"e in aggression, especially pre%lop )) a %e# #ee"s ago. .he %ollo#ing discussion isn@t meant to be a be all, end all on pre%lop :betting. I% something li"e that could e$ist, po"er #ouldn@t be the %ascinating game that has capti'ated the ma,ority o% this %orum. 9ather, I hope this post pro'ides some %ood %or thought about #hy to :bet and helps some o% SSNL #ith regard to ho# to thin" about 'illains@ ranges and ho# they should a%%ect pre%lop decisions. I% you read this post and thin" you got something out o% it, you might li"e my Pooh)6ah Post. 4h. 9bet< It@s %airly simple, really. .#o reasons (no order 0 )* &or -alue: Not much e$planation necessary. I% 3 you thin" you ha'e the best hand and 6 the 'illain has 8bet and you thin" it@s li"ely that he@ll call or sho'e o'er the top o% your :bet #ith a #orse hand, the play is generally to :bet %or 'alue. .here are times #hen it ma"es sense to ,ust call a 8bet #ith hands li"e 33 and JJ, but %or the purpose o% this article I@ll ad'ocate an aggressi'e pre%lop strategy and assume that 3 many 'illains 8bet light, 6 to counter this, it@s help%ul to ha'e the light :bet in your arsenal, and / to balance light :betting, you #ant to :bet %or 'alue #ith 33 and JJ, and at times, 3J, II, etc. +* As a bluff: 3s I touched on, this article assumes that 'illains 8bet light. In reality, at 2EE NL, most 'illains don@t 8bet 'ery light. I@'e %ound that some .35s 8bet 'ery light1%reBuently, especially i% 3 they suspect you@re raising light %rom late position or 6 they ha'e position on you. 3t :EE NL, most .35s 8bet light. .his is a personal obser'ation, and my e$perience at the le'el is relati'ely limited. I% you ha'e played :EE NL, you might disagree. 3t the 'ery least, ho#e'er, there@s a signi%icant increase in pre%lop aggression %rom the 212 games to the 21: games. Say you@re sitting #ith a 2*122 L35.35 and he@s 8betting the crap out o% your open raises. >ou ha'e a %e# options0 )) Lea'e the table. .his is o%ten a reasonable approach, especially i% he has position on you. .oo many o% us play po"er #ith our egos, and I@'e been guilty o% doing so mysel%. Ce play to ma"e money, and i% the light 8bettor is competent post%lop, it can be pretty tough to ma"e money. Ho#e'er, #e also play to ha'e %un and to impro'e, so it o%ten ma"es sense to stay at the table )) especially i% there are one or t#o #ea" players sitting. +) 7pen up your calling range. .his can be use%ul, especially i% you@re in position. +'en out o% position, it can ma"e sense to mi$ in some speculati'e calls #ith the "no#ledge that 3 you@ll hit sometimes and 6 you can chec")raise a bunch o% %lops pro%itably to thro# the 'illain o%% guard. #) .hro# in some light :bets. .his is #hat I@'e been setting up %or, and it@s a "ey component o% this article. .he situation %ollo#s0 3 the 'illain "no#s you@re a .35 (or a L35 and are opening #ith a pretty #ide range, 6 as a result, he@s 8betting #ith a #ide range, and / being :bet #ith the bul" o% the hands #ith #hich he@s 8betting is going to put the 'illain in some 'ery tough spots.

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I% a 'illain is 8betting light, your :bets should ha'e a ton o% %old eBuity (perhaps not a%ter the 'illain reali!es #hat@s happening, but at least %or the %irst session or t#o . 3gainst some 'illains, :betting light is ma,or F+?. Cith that said, much o% the importance o% the mo'e is rooted in metagame. It@s 'ery bad %or your raises to be constantly 8bet, and in general, a 'illain #ill be less li"ely to 8bet a%ter he notices that you@re #illing to :bet his 8bets. /as. stuff* Sho6 me some math: Chen I decided to #rite this article, the purpose I had in mind #as to e$plore the small :bet. 3s I e$plained, there are t#o reasons %or the pre%lop :bet (or any bet or raise, really 0 %or 'alue, and as a blu%%. .he %irst one is easy= #hen betting and raising %or 'alue, it@s tough to run into trouble. :bet blu%%ing pre%lop is tric"ier. .he issue is that po"er is a game o% math. .here@s this stu%% called pot odds, and more o%ten than not, it dictates your decisions in this game i% your goal is to play soundly. Chen you :bet light, you@re hoping the other guy %olds. 4n%ortunately, though, he #on@t al#ays %old. I suppose there #ill be times #hen he@ll call (especially i% he@s bad )) but really, you shouldn@t be doing light :betting against bad players . &uch more o%ten, ho#e'er, he@ll sho'e. 3nd #hen he sho'es, things get %u!!y, because 3 at this point, you@re being laid ma,or odds, and 6 ob'iously, you can@t "no# #hat hand he has (unless you@re Phil Hellmuth and ha'e #orld class Qreading abilityR . Chen things get %u!!y, it becomes more li"ely that you@ll ma"e a mista"e. Chen you ma"e a mista"e, you gi'e up e$pected 'alue. .he more e$pected 'alue you gi'e up, the lo#er #ill be your #in rate. I hope the %ollo#ing calculations illustrate some o% the reasoning behind small pre%lop :bets0 Chat %ollo# are some assumptions I made %or the purpose o% my Po"erSto'ing. 3t the ris" o% stating the ('ery ob'ious, these things #ill rarely be e$actly the case. .his is a theory article. )) e%%ecti'e stac"s are al#ays 2EE big blinds. +) players #on@t call your pre%lop :bet= i% they continue #ith the hand, they@ll ;bet all in. #) Nit #ill ;bet all in #ith 33 and JJ and %old e'erything else (note0 you might be thin"ing, QI% this guy is a nit, #hy are you :betting his 8bets lightOR .he response is, QChate'er, it@s theory. For the purpose o% this article, `Nit@ doesn@t mean he doesn@t 8bet light, it@s ,ust a name I@m gi'ing him to di%%erentiate his ;betting range. For the purpose o% this article, don@t #orry about 8bets, ho# they should a%%ect these players@ ;betting ranges, etc. )) ,ust go #ith the assumptions, e'en i% some o% them seem contri'ed.R . 9) /onser'ati'e .35 #ill ;bet all in #ith the abo'e t#o hands plus 3Js, 3Jo, and II (and %old all other hands . :) 3ggressi'e .35 #ill ;bet all in #ith the abo'e hands plus 3Is, HH, and hal% the combinations o% .. (and %old all other hands . >) L35 #ill ;bet all in #ith the abo'e hands plus 3Hs, hal% the combinations o% 3.s, the other t#o combinations o% .., KK, hal% the combinations o% AA, and hal% the combinations o% A<s (and %old all other hands . I came up #ith these ranges in the span o% a %e# minutes= i% you thin" they seem Qrandom,R you@re right. .here@s little rhyme or reason to them, they@re ,ust %our ranges that start out tight and gradually increase in scope. 7b'iously, the number o% ranges #ith #hich the %ollo#ing calculations can be per%ormed is essentially in%inite. 3dding a broader range o% ranges (ugh to this analysis de%initely has some merit, and hope%ully someone #ill do this i% it@s decided that the initial in'estigation is #orth#hile.

38

First, let@s loo" at some scenarios in #hich you :bet pot. Note that none o% these :bets are %or 'alue= each one is a blu%%. .he best hand you hold in the %ollo#ing scenarios is ... +'en .. is a dog against the #idest o% the 'illains@ ;betting ranges, so #hen you :bet #ith this hand, you@'e decided to turn your hand into a blu%%. .. does ha'e solid eBuity against the range o% L35, but it@s important to reali!e #hat@s occurring. .urning .. into a blu%% by :betting isn@t necessarily a poor play= it is not, ho#e'er, a 'alue raise. >ou@re 4.5 #ith *;s. >ou open to S<. .#o %olds to Nit on the button. Nit ma"es a pot 8bet to S2:. >ou ma"e a pot :bet to S<;. Nit ;bets all in. Pot %dds: >ou ha'e to call S22; to #in a pot o% S2<A. >ou@re getting 2<A022;, or 2.2202. 2EE18.22 = 82.E*. /1uit.: eBuity #in tie pots #on pots tied Hand E0 22.:K*G 22.2KG EE.2EG 2A82288* 2*A8;:.EE U *;s V Hand 20 <<.;E:G <<.8EG EE.2EG *8;82;:A 2*A8;:.EE U JJF V Are .ou priced in to call< No. >ou need a little o'er 82G eBuity to call, and you only ha'e about 22.;G. >ou can %old the hand #ithout ma"ing a mista"e. >ou@re 4.5 #ith *;s. >ou open to S<. .#o %olds to /onser'ati'e .35 on the button. /onser'ati'e .35 ma"es a pot 8bet to S2:. >ou ma"e a pot :bet to S<;. /onser'ati'e .35 ;bets all in. Pot %dds: Same as abo'e, S22; to #in a pot o% S2<A. >ou@re getting 2<A022;, or 2.2202. >ou need 82.E*G eBuity or more to call. /1uit.: eBuity #in tie pots #on pots tied Hand E0 82.2::G 8E.K2G EE.22G <2E2E2EA ;2;;<E.EE U *;s V Hand 20 *A.A;*G *A.*8G EE.22G 2;KA82KK* ;2;;<E.EE U IIF, 3Js, 3Jo V Are .ou priced in to call< >es. >ou need a little o'er 82G eBuity to call, and you ha'e it almost e$actly. >ou@re priced in to call #ith only about 82G eBuity= you@ll get stac"ed more than t#ice as o%ten as you@ll suc" out, but calling is correct because %olding #ould be a slight mathematical error. Since you@re priced in to call all in a%ter ma"ing a pot :bet #ith *;s against the range o% /onser'ati'e .35, you@ll be priced in #ith the same hand a%ter the same action against both 3ggressi'e .35 and L35 as #ell. .hese guys ha'e #ider ;bet sho'ing ranges, so %olding against them becomes a signi%icantly bigger mista"e. .he good ne#s is that your *;s has more eBuity against their ranges. .he bad ne#s is that they@ll ;bet sho'e on your *;s more o%ten, and your hand is still a pretty big dog against the group o% hands #ith #hich they@ll be pushing. >ou@re 4.5 #ith ... >ou open to S<. .#o %olds to Nit on the button. Nit ma"es a pot 8bet

3<

to S2:. >ou ma"e a pot :bet to S<;. Nit ;bets all in. Pot %dds: Still S22; to #in a pot o% S2<A. >ou@re getting 2<A022;, or 2.2202. >ou need 82.E*G eBuity or more to call. /1uit.: eBuity #in tie pots #on pots tied Hand E0 2K.E;<G 2A.A*G EE.2EG 282;282A 2:288:.EE U .. V Hand 20 AE.K:8G AE.<;G EE.2EG KK;:AAK2 2:288:.EE U JJF V Are .ou priced in to call< No. .. is generally a much better hand than *;s, but Nit@s range is so narro# that .. actually per%orms #orse than *;s against the hands Nit could be holding. >ou need more than 82G eBuity to call and only ha'e about 2KG, so you can pitch it #ithout ma"ing a mathematical error. >ou@re 4.5 #ith ... >ou open to S<. .#o %olds to /onser'ati'e .35 on the button. /onser'ati'e .35 ma"es a pot 8bet to S2:. >ou ma"e a pot :bet to S<;. /onser'ati'e .35 ;bets all in. Pot %dds: >ou need 82.E*G eBuity or more to call. /1uit.: eBuity #in tie pots #on pots tied Hand E0 8*.:28G 8*.22G EE.2EG 22*;E2E82 *K88K*.EE U .. V Hand 20 *8.;A<G *8.8KG EE.2EG 222:222K2 *K88K*.EE U IIF, 3Js, 3Jo V Are .ou priced in to call< >es, 8*.:G is enough eBuity that you should be calling. Li"e in the %irst scenario, since you@re priced in against this guy, you@ll also ha'e to call against the remaining t#o %ictional players. It@s notable that e'en against L35, your .. is a slight dog (about :;.;1;;.; . >ou@re 4.5 #ith JIo. >ou open to S<. .#o %olds to Nit on the button. Nit ma"es a pot 8bet to S2:. >ou ma"e a pot :bet to S<;. Nit ;bets all in. Pot %dds: >ou need 82.E*G eBuity or more to call. /1uit.: eBuity #in tie pots #on pots tied Hand E0 22.:A*G 22.2;G EE.8:G 2E*2822E *2A*;E.EE U JIo V Hand 20 AA.;2:G AA.2<G EE.8:G 2*8E;A:22 *2A*;E.EE U JJF V Are .ou priced in to call< No. >ou@re 4.5 #ith JIo. >ou open to S<. .#o %olds to /onser'ati'e .35 on the button.

:=

/onser'ati'e .35 ma"es a pot 8bet to S2:. >ou ma"e a pot :bet to S<;. /onser'ati'e .35 ;bets all in. Pot %dds: >ou need 82.E*G eBuity or more to call. /1uit.: eBuity #in tie pots #on pots tied Hand E0 2E.<;2G 2E.2*G EE.:KG KKK2E*;* 2:28E22.EE U JIo V Hand 20 <K.2:KG <A.<*G EE.:KG 8AA8A*A;2 2:28E22.EE U IIF, 3Js, 3Jo V Are .ou priced in to call< No. >ou need a bit more than 82G eBuity to call, and you@re only getting about 22G. >ou@re 4.5 #ith JIo. >ou open to S<. .#o %olds to 3ggressi'e .35 on the button. 3ggressi'e .35 ma"es a pot 8bet to S2:. >ou ma"e a pot :bet to S<;. 3ggressi'e .35 ;bets all in. Pot %dds: >ou need 82.E*G eBuity or more to call. /1uit.: eBuity #in tie pots #on pots tied Hand E0 2*.<;2G 2*.88G EE.:8G 2K:<828*: 82:<*2<.EE U JIo V Hand 20 <8.2:KG <2.A2G EE.:8G ;8A*A<<2E 82:<*2<.EE U HHF, .c.s, .d.s, .h.s, 3IsF, 3Jo V Are .ou priced in to call< No, you@re still not getting enough eBuity against the range you@re %acing. >ou@re 4.5 #ith JIo. >ou open to S<. .#o %olds to L35 on the button. L35 ma"es a pot 8bet to S2:. >ou ma"e a pot :bet to S<;. L35 ;bets all in. Pot %dds: >ou need 82.E*G eBuity or more to call. /1uit.: eBuity #in tie pots #on pots tied Hand E0 82.E2<G 82.*<G EE.8;G 8;2:2E<AE 8K8<<8:.EE U JIo V Hand 20 *<.K<8G *<.*2G EE.8;G <;E2<*<:: 8K8<<8:.EE U KKF, AcAs, AdAs, AhAs, 3HsF, 3h.h, 3s.s, 3Jo V Are .ou priced in to call< >es. .his range is #ide enough that you ha'e to call, and #hen you do call, you@re a big dog. No#, let@s loo" at some similar scenarios. >our hands #ill remain the same, as #ill the 'illains@ ranges. Ho#e'er, in the %ollo#ing hands, you ma"e a small :bet to 2.2; times the 'illain@s 8bet (S;: instead o% :betting pot. Such a :bet ris"s less money #hile still denying 'illains the odds to set mine against you and to call #ith speculati'e hands. In addition, it ma"es calling a ;bet sho'e less attracti'e %rom a pot odds perspecti'e, so you

#on@t be mathematically obligated to call sho'es as o%ten a%ter ma"ing a light :bet. Important note0 you might be thin"ing, QFair enough, but a small :bet doesn@t ha'e the same %old eBuity as a :bet to pot.R IN 9+3LI.>, .HIS &3> 79 &3> N7. 6+ .H+ /3S+[ For the purpose o% this article, I. IS N7. .H+ /3S+. I% I #ere to assume that the 'illains@ ;betting ranges change #hen you decrease the si!e o% your :bet, the e$amples #ould become e$tremely lengthy and complicated. For the purpose o% this article, assume that a small :bet has the same %old eBuity as a big :bet. >ou@re 4.5 #ith *;s. >ou open to S<. .#o %olds to Nit on the button. Nit ma"es a pot 8bet to S2:. >ou ma"e a small :bet to S;:. Nit ;bets all in. Pot %dds: >ou ha'e to call S2:* to #in a pot o% S2;<. >ou@re getting 2;<02:*, or 2.<*02. 2EE12.<* = 8*.28 /1uit.: eBuity #in tie pots #on pots tied Hand E0 22.:K*G 22.2KG EE.2EG 2A82288* 2*A8;:.EE U *;s V Hand 20 <<.;E:G <<.8EG EE.2EG *8;82;:A 2*A8;:.EE U JJF V Are .ou priced in to call< No. >ou need a little o'er 8*G eBuity to call, and you only ha'e about 22.;G. >ou can %old the hand #ithout ma"ing a mista"e. >ou@re 4.5 #ith *;s. >ou open to S<. .#o %olds to /onser'ati'e .35 on the button. /onser'ati'e .35 ma"es a pot 8bet to S2:. >ou ma"e a small :bet to S;:. /onser'ati'e .35 ;bets all in. Pot %dds: Same as abo'e, S2:* to #in a pot o% S2;<. >ou@re getting 2;<02:*, or 2.<*02. >ou need 8*.28G eBuity or more to call. /1uit.: eBuity #in tie pots #on pots tied Hand E0 82.2::G 8E.K2G EE.22G <2E2E2EA ;2;;<E.EE U *;s V Hand 20 *A.A;*G *A.*8G EE.22G 2;KA82KK* ;2;;<E.EE U IIF, 3Js, 3Jo V Are .ou priced in to call< No. >ou need a little o'er 8*G eBuity to call, and you only ha'e a bit more than 82G. Note that #hen you :bet pot, you #ere mathematically %orced to call o%% your stac" a%ter the :bet blu%% #ith this hand. Chen you ma"e the small :bet, though, you can %old to the sho'e #ithout ma"ing a mista"e. >ou@re 4.5 #ith *;s. >ou open to S<. .#o %olds to 3ggressi'e .35 on the button. 3ggressi'e .35 ma"es a pot 8bet to S2:. >ou ma"e a small :bet to S;:. /onser'ati'e .35 ;bets all in. Pot %dds: Same as abo'e, S2:* to #in a pot o% S2;<. >ou@re getting 2;<02:*, or 2.<*02.

:)

>ou need 8*.28G eBuity or more to call. /1uit.: eBuity #in tie pots #on pots tied Hand E0 8E.E:;G 2K.A2G EE.22G K;KKAEE* <222A<.EE U *;s V Hand 20 *K.K;;G *K.<8G EE.22G 22::<2<<2 <222A<.EE U HHF, .c.s, .d.s, .h.s, 3IsF, 3Jo V Are .ou priced in to call< No. >ou still don@t ha'e enough eBuity to call. In %act, your eBuity has dropped slightly despite the %act that the range you@re %acing has #idened. >ou@re 4.5 #ith *;s. >ou open to S<. .#o %olds to L35 on the button. L35 ma"es a pot 8bet to S2:. >ou ma"e a small :bet to S;:. L35 ;bets all in. Pot %dds: Same as abo'e, S2:* to #in a pot o% S2;<. >ou@re getting 2;<02:*, or 2.<*02. >ou need 8*.28G eBuity or more to call. /1uit.: eBuity #in tie pots #on pots tied Hand E0 2K.8*AG 2K.E*G EE.82G 2888*<A<2 2:EE:E8.EE U *;s V Hand 20 <E.*82G <E.88G EE.82G 822<2A<K: 2:EE:E8.EE U KKF, AcAs, AdAs, AhAs, 3HsF, 3h.h, 3s.s, Ah<h, As<s, 3Jo V Are .ou priced in to call< No. +'en against L35@s range, you can %old *;s to the sho'e a%ter :betting. >ou@re 4.5 #ith ... >ou open to S<. .#o %olds to Nit on the button. Nit ma"es a pot 8bet to S2:. >ou ma"e a small :bet to S;:. Nit ;bets all in. Pot %dds: >ou@re getting 2.<*02 and need 8*.28G eBuity or more to call. /1uit.: eBuity #in tie pots #on pots tied Hand E0 2K.E;<G 2A.A*G EE.2EG 282;282A 2:288:.EE U .. V Hand 20 AE.K:8G AE.<;G EE.2EG KK;:AAK2 2:288:.EE U JJF V Are .ou priced in to call< No. >ou #eren@t priced in to call against this guy e'en a%ter ma"ing a pot :bet, so clearly you@re not priced in no# that your pot odds ha'e become less %a'orable. >ou@re 4.5 #ith ... >ou open to S<. .#o %olds to /onser'ati'e .35 on the button. /onser'ati'e .35 ma"es a pot 8bet to S2:. >ou ma"e a small :bet to S;:. /onser'ati'e .35 ;bets all in. Pot %dds: >ou@re getting2.<*02 and need 8*.28G eBuity or more to call.

:3

/1uit.: eBuity #in tie pots #on pots tied Hand E0 8*.:28G 8*.22G EE.2EG 22*;E2E82 *K88K*.EE U .. V Hand 20 *8.;A<G *8.8KG EE.2EG 222:222K2 *K88K*.EE U IIF, 3Js, 3Jo V Are .ou priced in to call< >es, barely. Note that .. also became a call against this guy #hen you #ere :betting pot, but that then, the decision #asn@t a close one. &ath dictates that #ith .., the %our 'illains@ ;bets should be dealt #ith the same #ay despite the di%%erence in :bet si!e (since you@re priced in against /onser'ati'e .35, you@ll be priced in against 3ggressi'e .35 and L35 too . Ho#e'er, %olding #ould only be a 'ery minor mista"e because the small :bet leads to much less %a'orable pot odds on a call. >ou@re 4.5 #ith JIo. >ou open to S<. .#o %olds to Nit on the button. Nit ma"es a pot 8bet to S2:. >ou ma"e a small :bet to S;:. Nit ;bets all in. Pot %dds: >ou@re getting 2.<*02 and need 8*.28G eBuity or more to call. /1uit.: eBuity #in tie pots #on pots tied Hand E0 22.:A*G 22.2;G EE.8:G 2E*2822E *2A*;E.EE U JIo V Hand 20 AA.;2:G AA.2<G EE.8:G 2*8E;A:22 *2A*;E.EE U JJF V Are .ou priced in to call< No #ay. >ou need more than three times the eBuity you ha'e be%ore calling becomes the right play. >ou@re 4.5 #ith JIo. >ou open to S<. .#o %olds to /onser'ati'e .35 on the button. /onser'ati'e .35 ma"es a pot 8bet to S2:. >ou ma"e a small :bet to S;:. /onser'ati'e .35 ;bets all in. Pot %dds: >ou@re getting 2.<*02 and need 8*.28G eBuity or more to call. /1uit.: eBuity #in tie pots #on pots tied Hand E0 2E.<;2G 2E.2*G EE.:KG KKK2E*;* 2:28E22.EE U JIo V Hand 20 <K.2:KG <A.<*G EE.:KG 8AA8A*A;2 2:28E22.EE U IIF, 3Js, 3Jo V Are .ou priced in to call< No, and it@s still not close. >ou@re 4.5 #ith JIo. >ou open to S<. .#o %olds to 3ggressi'e .35 on the button. 3ggressi'e .35 ma"es a pot 8bet to S2:. >ou ma"e a small :bet to S;:. 3ggressi'e .35 ;bets all in. Pot %dds: >ou@re getting 2.<*02 and need 8*.28G eBuity or more to call. /1uit.:

::

eBuity #in tie pots #on pots tied Hand E0 2*.<;2G 2*.88G EE.:8G 2K:<828*: 82:<*2<.EE U JIo V Hand 20 <8.2:KG <2.A2G EE.:8G ;8A*A<<2E 82:<*2<.EE U HHF, .c.s, .d.s, .h.s, 3IsF, 3Jo V Are .ou priced in to call< Nope. 2*.A c 8*.2. >ou@re 4.5 #ith JIo. >ou open to S<. .#o %olds to L35 on the button. L35 ma"es a pot 8bet to S2:. >ou ma"e a small :bet to S;:. L35 ;bets all in. Pot %dds: >ou@re getting 2.<*02 and need 8*.28G eBuity or more to call. /1uit.: eBuity #in tie pots #on pots tied Hand E0 82.A*;G 82.;2G EE.8*G 8*E*AA*2E 8K<2K8E.EE U JIo V Hand 20 *<.28;G **.<AG EE.8*G <:EK8A;22 8K<2K8E.EE U KKF, AcAs, AdAs, AhAs, 3HsF, Ah<h, As<s, 3Jo V Are .ou priced in to call< No. +'en against this guy you can %old and a'oid getting all in pre%lop as a *<188 dog. Anal.sis Chen you :bet pot #ith *;s, you #ere able to %old to a sho'e %rom Nit, but you #ere priced in to call against the other three players. Chen you :bet blu%%ed small #ith *;s, mean#hile, you #ere able to %old against all %our players@ sho'es #ithout ma"ing a mathematical mista"e. Chen you :bet pot #ith poc"et tens, you #ere able to %old to Nit@s sho'e, but you had to call against the other three. .he same #as the case #hen you decreased the si!e o% your :bet #ith the tens0 %olding #as correct against Nit, but you had to call against the other three (though against /onser'ati'e .35 )) the player #ith the ne$t narro#est range )) the decision to call in this spot #as e$tremely close . Chen you :bet pot #ith JIo, you #ere able to %old to sho'es %rom the %irst three players, but you #ere priced in to call against L35. Ho#e'er, #hen you made your :bet blu%% smaller #ith this hand, you #ere able to correctly %old against all %our players. Chen holding .., decreasing the si!e o% your :bet changed nothing #ith regard to the correctness o% calling a ;bet sho'e against the gi'en ranges. Ho#e'er, #hen holding the other t#o hands, the smaller :bet pro'ided you #ith increased le'erage= #ith *;s and JIo, decreasing the si!e o% your :bet made it possible to correctly %old to ;bet sho'es in spots #here you #ould@'e had to call i% your :bet #ere bigger. .he results #ere especially drastic #ith *;s, the small suited connector. Cith this hand, you #ere priced in to call three times out o% %our #hen ma"ing a :bet to pot. Chen you made a small :bet, though, you #ere priced in !ero times out o% %our. 6eing mathematically %orced to call o%% most o% your stac" is bad #hen you "no# you are a signi%icant dog in the pot. 6eing able to :bet blu%% #ith the "no#ledge that you can %old to a ;bet all in is a nice lu$ury. -ecreasing the si!e o% a :bet ma"es this process

:5

possible, perhaps at the e$pense o% some %old eBuity. Ho# much %old eBuity (i% any O .ough to say. 4onJt -illains adjust to m. small 9bets< Probably not, especially at 2EE NL. 6ut yes, i% you@re pulling this crap o%ten #ith ,un", smart 'illains should notice e'entually and begin to sho'e o'er your :bets #ith a #ider range. I% they ad,ust, you ad,ust. :betting small #ith premium hands is a good ad,ustment and is important %or balance. So7 according to this article7 does it ne-er make sense to 9bet pot< It ne'er ma"es sense to :bet pot according to the assumptions in this article. I% I had some #ay o% "no#ing that light 8betters react the same #ay to small :bets as to pot :bets, I@d eliminate the pot :bet %rom my arsenal because i% this #ere the case, :betting pot #ould be in%erior to both :betting small and to :bet sho'ing, in my opinion. Ho#e'er, it@s impossible to pro'e that %old eBuity is the same regardless o% :betting si!e. Cith the in%ormation I ha'e, I@ll probably begin to replace pot :bets #ith a combination o% small :bets and :bet sho'es. Note that it@s important to ma"e both small :bets and :bet pushes #ith both hands that are marginal and hands that are po#er%ul.

:6

!lin& stealing (Pokey)

Cell, i% somebody hadn(t changed my title, I(d be a Pooh)6ah no#. -ue to some^er, Qirrational e$uberanceR on my part, I@m %orced to ma"e a S+/7N- Pooh)bah post. I ha'en@t had Buite as much time to thin" about it the second time around, but I@'e decided to address an important and o%ten)misunderstood topic in small)sta"es no)limit po"er0 blind stealing. .o those o% you #ho consider blind stealing an insigni%icant part o% the no)limit po"er game, or perhaps ,ust an Qimage mo'eR to help get paid o%% on your big hands, thin" again T blind stealing can be an e$tremely 'aluable part o% your po"er arsenal. I@ll admit it0 I@m a ruthless, heartless, helpless, hopeless, habitual blind thie%. I stole blinds #hen I played limit hold@em, I stole blinds #hen I played tournaments, I steal blinds #hen I play no)limit hold@em. I@'e stolen blinds %rom my eight)year)old cousin and %rom an A;)year)old great)grandmother. I steal blinds #hen I@m playing my 2*1K %ull)ring .35 game and I steal blinds #hen I@m playing my 8;12E *)ma$ L35 game. I@'e al#ays stolen blinds, and I al#ays #ill. Furthermore, I@m reasonably good at it. In the last 2<,;EE hands, I@'e attempted to steal the blinds a #hopping 8A.82G o% the time T that #or"s out to be 828 steal attempts out o% A2< opportunities. 7'er those 828 blind)steal attempts, I@'e maintained a healthy #in rate o% 2.2E P.661hand0 that@s 22E P.6612EE. -espite the %act that I@'e only attempted a blind steal one time e'ery %i'e orbits, those steal attempts ha'e generated o'er 8EG o% my total pro%its at the no)limit po"er tables. Li"e I said0 done right, blind stealing is a ?+9> important contributor to your o'erall #in rate. So, no# that I@'e got your attention, let@s turn to the issue at hand0 ho# do you steal the blinds success%ullyO Chat@s the %ormula, #hat@s the method, #hat@s the approachO .he ans#er is that it@s Buite easy, and despite that, it@s #ildly success%ul. Poke.Js 'ules for (lind Theft: )* Kno6 .ourself and kno6 .our target* 6lind steals rely hea'ily on %olding eBuity. .he more %reBuently you try to steal the blinds, the #ea"er the a'erage hand you@ll ha'e #hen you attempt a steal. .hat means that %or the %reBuent blind thie%, you@re hoping N7. to get to a sho#do#n. .he good ne#s is that the odds o% your remaining opponents ha'ing a decent hand are slim T there are only t#o or three players le%t to act, and they ha'e random hands. .he odds none o% the remaining players ha'e QgoodR hands are as %ollo#s0 ) QSuper Premium Hand,R 33)HH, 3J0 K:.2G chance #ith t#o players le%t to act, and K2.8G chance #ith three players le%t to act. ) QPremium Hand,R 33).., 3J, 3I0 KE.AG chance #ith t#o players le%t to act, and A*.*G chance #ith three players le%t to act. ) Q5reat Hand,R 33)KK, 3J, 3I, JI0 A<.AG chance #ith t#o players le%t to act, and A2.8G chance #ith three players le%t to act. ) Q?ery 5ood Hand,R all 5reat Hands plus AA, 3H0 A:.*G chance #ith t#o players le%t to act, and <<.KG chance #ith three players le%t to act. ) Q5ood Hand,R any pair, any t#o broad#ay0 *<.:G chance #ith t#o players le%t to act, and ;;.8G chance #ith three players le%t to act. ) Q3bo'e 3'erage Hand,R any ace, any suited, any pair, any t#o broad#ay0 2K.;G chance #ith t#o players le%t to act, and 2*G chance #ith three players le%t to act. Note #hat this means0 the QlooserR your remaining opponents, the harder it #ill be to success%ully steal the blinds pre%lop. I% your blind steals are a standard :$66, then you

:*

#ill #ager :$66 to #in 2.;$66, so i% you immediately #in 8 times out o% 22 you #ill sho# an immediate pre%lop pro%it, e'en i% you ne'er #in a hand #hen you don@t #in pre%lop. Since 8 out o% 22 is 2<.8G, i% our opponents are li"ely to %old <2.<G o% the time, #e #in immediately. So against players #ho #ill only play Q'ery good handsR 'ersus a steal attempt, you should be stealing #ith literally any t#o cards %rom either 66 or /7, and doing so #ill sho# an instant pro%it e'en be%ore the %lop. 7% course, the hand range your opponent #ill consider #orthy o% a pre%lop call #ill e$pand as you attempt steals more %reBuently, so you need to remain a#are o% both your table image and your opponent@s play style. +* Aggression7 aggression7 aggression* Chen you get called pre%lop, this is not a tragedy T it@s an opportunity. &ost opponents crumble Buic"ly against steady aggression= to success%ully steal blinds, #e need to apply that steady aggression. Ho#e'er, #e need to do so /39+F4LL> so as to ma"e sure that our attempts are pro%itable. .he %lop is going to impro'e our hand about one time in three. Let@s assume that #hen #e@re called, #e@re typically behind. .his #ill be the case #hen #e are relentless #ith our steal attempts and our opponents are conser'ati'e #ith their calls. Chile this sounds li"e a recipe %or ban"ruptcy, it@s actually not bad at all. /onsider that e'en i% our opponent is playing as incredibly tight, some o% his hand range #ill include unpaired pre%lop hands li"e 3J. So, #hat are the odds that by the %lop our opponent@s hand is at least strong enough to beat unimpro'ed poc"et deucesO ) I% our opponent is only playing QSuper Premium Hands,R his hand on the %lop #ill beat unimpro'ed poc"et deuces <8G o% the time. ) I% our opponent is playing QPremium Hands,R his hand on the %lop #ill beat unimpro'ed poc"et deuces *:G o% the time. ) I% our opponent is playing Q5reat Hands,R his hand on the %lop #ill beat unimpro'ed poc"et deuces ;K.:G o% the time. ) I% our opponent is playing Q?ery 5ood Hands,R his hand on the %lop #ill beat unimpro'ed poc"et deuces ;*.<G o% the time. ) I% our opponent is playing Q5ood Hands,R his hand on the %lop #ill beat unimpro'ed poc"et deuces :KG o% the time. ) I% our opponent is playing Q3bo'e 3'erage Hands,R his hand on the %lop #ill beat unimpro'ed poc"et deuces :E.2G o% the time. No# #e get into the art o% blind stealing0 ho# large should our %lop bet beO Ce #ant to ma"e sure our %lop bet is at the same si!e #hether #e@'e %lopped #ell or not, but #e@re balancing competing issues0 ho# o%ten our opponent #ill impro'e, ho# o%ten #e #ill ha'e a strong hand, ho# o%ten our opponent #ill impro'e and still %old, ho# o%ten our opponent #ill impro'e and #e@ll impro'e more, ho# o%ten #e@ll impro'e but our opponent #ill impro'e more, etc. 3s complicated as this all sounds, #e@'e got a %e# things going %or us0 namely, that #e ha'e played the hand aggressi'ely so %ar and that #e #ill ha'e position on this and e'ery remaining street in the hand. For people #ho steal in%reBuently (say, 2EG o% the time or less , your %lop bets should be si!eable. 5i'en that you are only attempting a steal 2EG o% the time, you #ill be stealing #ith reasonably solid hands yoursel%0 collecti'ely, all suited aces, any pair, and any t#o broad#ay cards ma"e up 2E.:G o% possible holdings, meaning that your hand on the %lop #ill beat unimpro'ed poc"et deuces :<.*G o% the time. .he odds that your hand is #orth pursuing is there%ore signi%icant enough to #arrant a %ull pot)si!ed continuation bet %rom you= i% your opponent %olds, great, and i% not, you ha'e a 'aluable hand o%ten enough to ma"e this a highly pro%itable hand %or you. Ho#e'er, I don@t recommend stealing QonlyR 2EG o% the time. I recommend stealing much more o%ten than that. 3s an e$ample, my steal rate o% 8A.8G corresponds roughly to stealing #ith Qany pair, any ace, any "ing, any t#o broad#ay cards, and any suited connector do#n to A<s.R I% that@s your steal range, the chances that on the %lop you ha'e

:8

at least a pair #ill be noticeably lo#er (something li"e :2.AG . .he ans#er is not to bet less o%ten on the %lop= rather, the ans#er is to bet a smaller Buantity on the %lop. Chile a pot)si!ed bet needs to #in ;EG o% the time to be immediately pro%itable, a 218)pot si!ed bet only needs to #in :EG o% the time to be immediately pro%itable. Notice #hat this means0 i% your opponent plays 'ery tightly against your pre%lop raise, the odds that he has a decent hand on the %lop go up, lo#ering the 'alue o% your %lop bets. Ho#e'er, the odds that he /3LLS your pre%lop bet go -7CN, raising the 'alue o% your P9+FL7P bets. 3t this stage o% the hand, #e@'e already had t#o chances to #in the pot0 one i% our opponent %olds to the pre%lop bet and one i% our opponent %olds to the %lop bet. /onsider the 'alue o% a steal attempt %rom the big blind against the 'arious opponents, assuming they #ill (a %old pre%lop i% their hand is outside o% the speci%ied range (#inning E.<; P.66s , and (b only call the %lop #ith a hand that can beat 22 (#hen they %old, #e #in 2.<; P.66s, and #hen they %old, #e lose ;.; P.66s . .his assumes our betting is 2 P.66 pre%lop and 8.; P.66 on the %lop. I% #e consider only the tightest and loosest opponents, #e see this0 ) Super Premium Hands0 K:.2G o% the time they %old pre%lop, 2<G o% the time they %old on the %lop. +? = E.K:2X(FE.<; F (E.E;KXE.2< X(F2.<; F (E.E;KXE.<8 X();.; = FE.;2 P.66. ) Premium Hands0 KE.AG o% the time they %old pre%lop, 8*G o% the time they %old on the %lop. +? = E.KEAX(FE.<; F (E.EK2XE.8* X(F2.<; F (E.EK2XE.*: X();.; = FE.:; P.66. S"ipping ahead to the loosest players0 ) 5ood Hands0 *<.:G o% the time they %old pre%lop, ;2G o% the time they %old on the %lop. +? = E.*<:X(FE.<; F (E.82*XE.;2 X(F2.<; F (E.82*XE.:K X();.; = FE.EA P.66. ) 3bo'e 3'erage Hands0 2K.;G o% the time they %old pre%lop, ;K.KG o% the time they %old on the %lop. +? = E.2K;X(FE.<; F (E.<E;XE.;KK X(F2.<; F (E.<E;XE.:E2 X();.; = )E.2< P.66. 7nce again, this demonstrates a bi!arre truism0 the less li"ely your opponent is to %old, the less pro%itable your blind)stealing #ill pro'e to be in terms o% %olding eBuity. Note #ell t#o points, ho#e'er0 %irst, this assumes that our opponent is calling +?+9> time he has a hand that is at least as strong as a pair o% deuces= thus, the opponent holding 22 on a board o% 3JI is assumed to call our continuation bet. 3lso, our +? calculations ha'e thus %ar assumed that #hene'er #e ha'e not #on #ith the %lop bet, #e lose e'ery time. .his should pro'e F39 %rom true, especially against the loosest o% our opponents. 3 sa%e bet is that #e #ill #in at L+3S. 218 o% the time #hen our %lop bet is called, and that sa%ely ma"es all o% these calculations F+?. 3%ter the %lop, easy and simple rules must be thro#n out the #indo#. From here on in, there is too much QartR in the play to be easily categori!ed in a summary li"e this. I do #ant to point out a %e# simple points that might ma"e help you in your blind)stealing ad'entures0 2. &uch li"e bears in the #oods, your opponents are more a%raid o% you than you are o%

:<

them. .his is your hand T you@'e raised pre%lop and bet the %lop. >ou@re S/39>, here. 5i'en that your opponent has e$hibited N7 aggression at this point, your %olding eBuity remains solid. 4se that ruthlessly. I% a scare card hits on the turn and your opponent chec"s to you again, %ire that second (thirdO barrel[ -on@t be a%raid to bet the turn ace, the turn "ing, the turn pair, the turn %lush card, the turn straight card, or the turn blan" i% you thin" your opponent is running scared. .his is another place #here "no#ing your enemy helps. 2. I% your opponent gets aggressi'e, .94S. him. .here is no shame in %olding your blind steal attempt. I% the %lop comes 3A8r and your opponent bets the pot, or chec")raises big, %eel %ree to %old your JIo. In %act, %eel 76LI53.+- to do so. 6lind stealing is decidedly a Qsmall pot gameR strategy= i% you are ris"ing your stac" on a blind steal, you@'e scre#ed up big)time. Similarly, i% you are stealing #ith total garbage (A*s or some such and someone reraises, 5+. 74.. Fold immediately, and #ithout hesitation. -on@t bother seeing #hat the %lop brings T there@s no pro%it in it. 8. .a"e %ree cards i% they are bene%icial to you. 7ne strength o% this strategy is that you@ll o%ten ha'e good dra#s on the %lop, and your opponent #ill usually o%%er you a %ree card on the turn. I% you@'e got a good dra#, %eel %ree to ta"e it. -on@t 3LC3>S ta"e it, though T I@'e o%ten %ired another barrel #ith a hand li"e .cKc #hen the board loo"ed li"e IcHd:s:c. Not only did that turn card :c impro'e my hand by gi'ing me nine more outs, but it also scared the doody out o% my opponent, ma"ing him thin" that I ,ust turned trips. Chy not ta"e ad'antage o% the %earO Instead o% playing %or my 2)to)2 dra#, I can bet immediately and #in the pot a signi%icant chun" o% the time, and S.ILL #in 218 o% the time at sho#do#n (usually %or e'en more money, since my opponent #on@t see my straight or %lush coming . :. -on@t get discouraged i% your steals %ail. Ce@re o%ten #orried that because our opponent played bac" at us the last time #e tried to steal, #e need to tighten up considerably. -on@t. 7ur opponents don@t ad,ust N+39L> as much as #e thin" they do. Hust because you got reraised pre%lop the last time you tried to steal doesn@t mean that they@'e got your number= more li"ely, S6 had 33 #hen he %ought bac". No# he@s got K2o, and he does N7. ha'e a pair o% balls. Hit him again, and "eep hitting him. ;. Jno# your image[ Chile players don@t ad,ust 'ery #ell or 'ery %ar or 'ery e%%ecti'ely, they -7 ad,ust. I% you@'e pic"ed up the pot #ith pre%lop bets and %lop bets the last %our hands in a ro#, %old your KAs in the /7 this time. >ou are not a sla'e to your cards= understand your table image, understand that your opponents are getting pissed o%% at you, and understand that your %olding eBuity %alls e'ery additional time you #in a pot #ithout sho#ing your cards. 3%ter you@'e %olded pre%lop three or %our times in a ro#, you can go bac" to stealing and bullying, but gi'e your opponents a tiny chance to catch their breaths bet#een steals. *. /O NO- SLO+PL)0> I cannot emphasi!e this enough. >our entire strategy here is a blu%% that depends entirely on your playing your monsters and your ,un" identically. .here@s al#ays the temptation #hen you ha'e 33 pre%lop and catch 3;; on the %lop to suddenly change gears. -on@t[ Cith any luc", your opponent #on@t belie'e you, and #ill call all)in #ith II unimpro'ed. Not only #ill you stac" him, but you@ll also get e'en more respect the ne$t time you play %ast on a board o% 3;;^only this time you@ll ha'e KAs^.Fast play o% big hands is /94/I3L to the success o% this strategy. Not only does it boost the shania o% all your #ea" ,un" by ele'ating your %olding eBuity, but it also gets paid o%% much more %reBuently than it #ould i% you #ere only nut)peddling. .o those o% you #ho read this entire thread, I than" the both o% you, and I hope this ga'e you some additional insight into the ins and outs o% blind stealing. 5i'e it a shot T you may %ind it more lucrati'e than you e'er imagined it could be.

5=

5ee!, I('e made some lengthy posts in the past, but this one #as longer than 5handi. Sorry about that.

-aking stealing t#e 3lin&s to next le'el (/an !itel)

Secondly, #hat I(m about to #rite is not %or e'ery2. 4nli"e blind stealing, you don(t H3?+ to do this to play optimal po"er. I "no# that a lot o% good players1respected posters do this already and some don(t li"e it at all. 7J, #hat you ha'e to realise is Buite ho# F+? blind stealing is. /hec" you 6612EE #hen blind stealing in P.. I(m sure that %or most o% you it(s bigger than *E P.6612EE, no# that a hell o% a lot o% SSSS[[[[ .he reason %or this is in a #ay, NL.H is a badly structured game in the #ay that #hen you play #ithout antes, the blinds are at such a disad'antage, they ha'e to post their blind #ithout e'en seeing their hand. No# considering that a good .35 player #ill normally only play about 2EG o% their hands, this means that on the 66 , they(re losing :66 e'ery ; hands, that they normally #ouldn(t put in. 7J, so lets say you(re on the button and &P limps to you. >ou ha'e J 2 , #hat should you normally doO Cell %olding certainly doesn(t loo" too bad. Ce('e got a poor hand a%ter all. Chat do I thin" you should doO 93IS+ .H3. LcensoredM[[[ 9easons0 2 no#, yourblind steal doen(t e'en loo" li"e a blind steal, so it(s less li"ely the blinds #ill see it as that and play bac" at you. 2 It(s scary the amount o% times that I('e seen people limp1%old pre%lop, e'en %rom /7. It "inda ba%%les me realy[[ Chat "ind o% hand can they ha'eO 8 Chat do you opponents limp #ithO .his is a 'ery important consideration. Normally, either trash1S/1PP. .hese hands miss the %lop 'ery o%ten. So e'en i% you do get called, they #on(t continue a%ter your %lop cbet 'ery o%ten. : Chen #e ta"e it do#n pre%lop, #e no# #in 2.;66. .hats o'er 2EEP.6612EE.....%rea"daddy, #e(ll catch you yet ; Ce(ll get paid o%% more on our big hands. * 7ur oppponents are plays sub)optimally by open limping. So by raising, #e are punishing that mista"e. Ne$t, lets thin" about #hat #ill happen a%ter #e ma"e this play a %e# times. Cell, either you(re at a table o% mega mega unobser'ant %ish and you ,ust "eep ra"ing in the money %rom their limps. 7r maybe you(re sitting at a table o% ,ust mega unobser'ant %ish, and they realise #hat you(re doing and they stop limping. Cell, is this a good thing or a bad thingO I thin" in a #ay, its a ?+9> good thing. It means 2 they #ill be %olding more, so you can steal the blinds more, #hich as #e('e already discussed is SSSSSS. 2 .hey #ill be raising more and #ill be out o% their com%ort !one. .his means they #ill usually ma"e e'en bigger mista"es than usual as they try to ad,ust Ne$t, #hat hands should you be doing this #ithO 3%ter ho# many limpersO 3%ter #hat sort o% limpers. I&7, you should do it #ith your normal blind stealing range, so S/, unsuited connectors, suited 2 gappers, 3$s, J$s, lo# PP etc etc. No. o% limpers0 normally 2 or 2, but sometimes more i% conditions allo#

5)

.he type o% limpers0 the ones that li"e to %old, eihter pre%lop or 2 cbets. Lastly, the problems #ith this0 2 I% you do this too o%ten, you(ll %ind that you open up your game tooo much and start raising poor hands 77P too and get into trouble. 2 #atch out %or L99 8 >ou(ll be put in a lot more marginal situations post)%lop, so you need to ma"e sure your reasing s"ills are goot. I&7, playing a huge range o% hands %rom the button a%ter E or 2 (and e'en 2 limpers , raising them all and then %rom all other positions ,ust play pairs1big aces1JI is a simpleish but 'ery pro%itable strategy

53

TILT and PSYCHOLOGY

-#e psy"#ology of -4L- (/ay"a$e4nfe$no)
I ha'e been gi'ing a lot o% thought today to #hat %actors separate highly tilt)prone players %rom those players that struggle #ith tilt less o%ten. I o%ten %eel bad, because a lot o% %riends o% mine are se'erely inhibited by tilt, and I #ish that I could at least help them start do#n the right road to#ards managing this problem. .his is my attempt. First let me say that there are big di%%erences bet#een recogni!ing a problem, understanding a problem, and managing a problem. Chile there ha'e been many attempts, both by amateurs and seasoned pro%essionals, to help people #ith this particular problem, most o% these attempts that I ha'e seen are some#hat misguided, because they lac" a certain %undamental understanding o% human beha'iour. I% you missed an easy layup at the bu!!er o% a high school state championship bas"etball game, and your mother approached you and told you that it #as o"ay, and that it(s ,ust a game, #ould you ,ump up and yell Y>ay[ Let(s all go to &c-onald(s[YO Probably not. I% your old man told you that you should stop smo"ing cigarettes because they are bad %or you, #ould you say Y5olly. I guess you(re right, pops.Y and ne'er pic" up another cigarette againO Probably not. .hings ,ust don(t #or" that #ay. Logic does not o'erride peoples( hard)coded responses and urges. Fear can o'erride them. /on%licting responses and urges can o'erride them, but %or the most part, logic isn(t much help in the no#. In order to use rational thin"ing to help manage your problems, you must #or" hard to condition yoursel% #hile you are thin"ing rationally. Ha'ing a mantra, or a cliche, or a picture on the ready %or #hen you(re thin"ing irrationally ,ust isn(t going to cut it. It #ill lose its e%%ect, ,ust li"e an ill concei'ed Ne# >ear(s resolution. 7", so ho# do #e go about managing the problemO Cell, %irst #e should understand the problem, and not ,ust loo" at the end e%%ect. Chen it comes to po"er related beha'iours, this can be 'ery hard to do, because there are so many uniBue %actors in play. I% a person that has problems #ith tilt control #ere to go to a psychologist, that psychologist #ould probably come to the conclusion that he1she #as compulsi'e, addiction prone, egomaniacal, and displayed strong tendencies o% any combination o% 'arious personality disorders that you can thin" o%. 5uess #hat, thoughO .hat same psychologist is going to dra# similar conclusions about a high percentage o% po"er players that aren(t as tilt prone, also. .he %act o% the matter is that these tendencies are 'ery common among all po"er players, #hether they(re tilt mon"ies or not. So, #hat is it then that separates players #ith regards to tiltO Cell, %or the most part, its simply a matter o% anger le'els and ho# conditioned an indi'idual is to managing their anger. I% you are 'ery prone to tilt, thin" about ho# you #ould react in the %ollo#ing situations. I% you are not 'ery prone to tilt, thin" about ho# someone that you "no# #ell, and is e'ery prone to tilt #ould react in the %ollo#ing situations0 >our %a'orite %ootball team thro#s an interception in the last minute o% a close game that is returned %or a game #inning score by the opposing team. >ou get cut o%% in tra%%ic. 3n old lady in %ront o% you in line at the grocery store insists on si%ting through change %or ; minutes in order to pay an e$act amount. .hese are the moments that bring to light the le'els o% anger #ithin a person, and the

5:

people that lose it in any o% these situations, tend to lose it in all o% these situations, and tend to lose it at the po"er table as #ell. I% you(re the guy that screams at your tele'ision #hen your team loses, you(re going to ha'e a real uphill battle #ith po"er. Something else that should be added to that, is that although a marginal ammount o% sel% control #ill su%%ice in those situations, its not going to do you much good #hen you(re in'ol'ed in something as intense as a game o% po"er, as opposed to sitting on your couch and eating potato chips. -on(t thin" that you(re going to be o"ay, ,ust because you(re not the type to lash out in those sorts o% situations. I% you(re the type that ,ust boils on the inside, li"e the guy %rom YFalling -o#nY, that anger is still there, nonetheless. >our approach might "eep you %rom getting punched at 3ldi(s, but it #on(t help you much in po"er. Chat can you doO Cell, you shouldn(t go o%% the deep end ,ust yet. >ou might be reading this and thin"ing Y7h my god[ .hat(s so me[Y, and maybe it is, but its e'eryone to a certain e$tent. .here is no one that doesn(t get mad, in li%e, or in po"er. .he easiest #ay to assess the se'erity o% your problem, ,ust li"e #ith anything else, is by the conseBuences o% your actions. I% your anger is causing you ma,or problems in your li%e, then it #ould greatly bene%it you to see" pro%essional help, not ,ust %or the sa"e o% your po"er career. I% your problem isn(t se'ere, but its something you #ould li"e to #or" on, there are plenty o% %ree resources a'ailable that can pro'ide you #ith a %oundation %or that #or". I can tell you right no# that it #ill do you no good i% you do not continue to #or", though, ,ust li"e li%ting #eights %or a day isn(t going to ma"e you any stronger physically. .ry to "eep in mind that #hile the end result o% your problem may sur%ace on an imaginary card table, that does not mean that people that spend a lot o% time around imaginary card tables are the most Buali%ied to help you #ith that problem. 3s nice as it #ould be to be able to condition your beha'ior by taping some %ortune coo"ie LcensoredM onto the side o% your monitor, you(ll come to %ind out that in the long run, these type o% solutions aren(t really any more e%%ecti'e than a rabbit(s %oot. I% you(re serious about loo"ing into e%%ecti'e #ays o% managing your anger, get on google, start researching, and be prepared to actually spend some time and e%%ort on it, instead o% loo"ing %or a Buic" %i$. I(ll #arn you ahead o% time, though. &ost online resources %or these types o% things really aren(t 'ery #ell geared to#ards younger age groups, and so a lot o% them #ill probably come o%% as %airly cheesy. Its not that hard to impro'ise a little bit and put your research into a conte$t that ma"es more sense %or you, though. Final .hought0 Catch more Jung Fu

55

-4L- an& *>)>)> (P<o??6)

"no# there ha'e been many posts on tilt and cures etc, but as a once chronic tilter, i thought i #ould thro# in my thoughts and ideas on #hat I ha'e learned on the topic. .he %act is simple, you CILL N7. CIN i% you continue to let tilt run thru your game. .here are players #ho "no# this, and %i$ it, and then there are players #ho Y"no#Y this and basically ignore it. Im here to help the latter. I thin" its %airly sa%e to say, i am pretty #ell 'ersed in tilt. Im not proud o% this lol.

.he process I de'eloped in terms o% tilt is called 9.3.3. '*A*A* )* 'ecognition +* Alle-iation #* Adjustment +ach portion is important, and i% %ollo#ed, your game #ill de'elop 2E)%old. )* 'ecognition .his is perhaps the hardest thing about tilt, the %act that alot o% the time, people #ill not JN7C they are acti'ely tilting. I s#eat people a ton, and alot o% times I see people doing things that i "no# they "no# they shouldn(t be doing. Ho#e'er they dont reali!e it. (hope i didnt lose anyone So ho# can you come to reali!e itO Cell, #hat is tilt %irst o%%O I #ould de%ine it as a state o% mind a player enters that causes them to de'iate %rom 3N> play they #ould ma"e normally #ith sound reasoning, to a play o% pure emotion. Lets %ace it, emotion #ill "ill you in this game, and as much as the 22 tabling hudbots #ant to belie'e, #e are all humans and prone to such emotions.

56

/ommon tilt thoughts0 Y.his LcensoredM has min raised my cbet %ar too many timesY >es, annoying as hell, but #orry more about his stats and reads. .his is emotion getting in'ol'ed and is de'iating you %rom playing optimally Y/ome on gimme a handY Patience child. Nothing ma"es a cold hand strea" stic" out more than tilt. I% it seems to be bothering you especially today >74 &3> H4S. 6+ 7N .IL.. YI ne'er #in %lipsY LcensoredM you dont. S.F4 noob, Buit tilting. 9ecognition is the hardest part o% this process, because e'eryone is di%%erent. Ne$t time you ha'e %ound yoursel% tilting, stop[, go thru the session and %ind #hat caused it, #hether it #as a beat, a player, or your g% bitching at you. Crite it do#n and remember it. +'entually youll ha'e a solid list o% YChat to a'oidY #hile playing. +* Alle-iation .his step is o% course coming do#n o%% o% tilt. .here are 2 di%%erent %orms o% alle'iation. a2) Long term0 .his o% course means one thing. -7 N7. /7N.IN4+ PL3>IN5. S.7P. Nothing is harder than the %irst time you lea'e a *E1: mon"ey sitting on your right #ith ; buy ins, but I promise you, it gets easier. &ost o% us ha'e the ad'antage here in the micros o% "no#ing there #ill 3LC3>S be %ish to %eed us shar"s. Chen you get rattled, you play less optimally and become part o% the Y%orce itY cro#d. >ou start playing against the *E1: #ith AK o%%suit, %lop an oesd and chec" call hal% your stac". CH>O Lea'e the table until you are settled, #hether its ; hours or ; days later. .he %act is, T=/ GA!/ 4"LL AL4A;S (/ T=/'/7 (UT ;%U' HAH GA!/ 4"LL 8%T* a2)Short .erm0 I recommend trying to a'oid this, but i% you are %or %or any reason in a spot #here you need to continue (i.e. a tournament , there are a %e# Buic" things you can do to calm yoursel%. Pretty simple0 Ha'e a smo"e i% you smo"e, get a soda, #ash your %ace #ith #arm #ater or dra# a #arm bath and play in it, put on a soothing song. +'en tal" to someone, about po"er or not, on the phone or aim. Hell im on this site #ay too much, pm me, ill help you out[ Personally I light up a scented candle and re%lect on %inding my center. >ou #ould be surprised ho# much ta"ing 2E seconds to breath and %ocus on something else #ould really help, but people %all into a trap o% getting &79+ into the game #hen they are ur"ed. -ont do this. #*Adjustment Finding #hat caused your tilt can help, but its more or less %inding #hat you can do to a'oid 3N>.HIN5 that #ill hurt you. Shorter sessions [[[ I used to sit and play till i reached 2;EE hands. 6y 22EE i #as usually going batshit insane. Shorten it up. Play ;EE, ta"e a %i'e minute brea", then play another ;EE. It adds ; minutes to your time, but also adds to your ptbb12EE. Less tables. Not all o% us can handle 2 hour sessions at 22 tables. Hell I cant handle A #ithout tilting. Lessen it up, e'en by 2 and im sure youd be surprised at the some#hat calmer pace calming you. Su%%icient 6r. .his ones pretty ob'ious as #ell. -ropping 2 bis then noticing you still ha'e 82 bis le%t is much easier to handle then reali!ing you #ere ne'er really rolled %or this le'el in the %irst place. +$cercise. .his is more important than you #ill "no#. Its science. +ndorphins and #hat not people. .a"e a #al", pump some iron, hell LcensoredM someone %erociously. -o S7&+.HIN5 to get your blood %lo#ing a %e# times a #ee". .his #ill not only impro'e the Buality o% you emotional state, but e'en health state, and lets not %orget, li%e isnt all about po"er. .a"e a brea". 3n hour. 3 month. 3 year, #1e. I tilted o%% a 'ery si!eable roll in about a

5*

#ee" o% nonstop tilting. I too" a : month hiatus %rom po"er, and I ha'e come bac" stronger than e'er. 5uess #hat guys, the secret to success is passion and patience. I% you lose either, you are scre#ed. Stop playing %or a day and pic" up a boo", #hether po"er related or not. (I recommend .a"e &e to the 9i'er by Peter 3lson as a non)strat po"er boo" . -on(t %orce anything[ I% your not in the mood to play today, there5s al6a.s tomorro6.

+'erything about tilt and its elements are pretty indi'idual, so in reality, its up to you to %ind ho# it all pertains to your play and your emotions. .ry %illing in on a piece o% paper one day ho# you recogni!e your tilt, ho# you alle'iate it, and ho# you can ad,ust to a'oid needing alle'iation. It CILL help your game 2EEG. I P97&IS+[ 3nd remember, dealing #ith tilt is ,ust li"e se$. >ou can #atch 2EE people do it, but this does not ma"e >74 a pro%essional. Cell I hope this rambling helped someone out so I can say only KK.KG o% my posts are #orthless. Id lo'e to hear thoughts on the topic. ill start, tl0dr

58

My -ake On -ilt (3ea'ens)

.ilt. I% you('e played po"er %or any amount o% time you('e e$perienced it. >ou %lop top set #ith JJ on a board o% J;A rainbo#. >ou lead, get raised by an ob'ious table)mon"ey, and cheer. >ou happily 8bet all)in and raise your %ist triumphantly in the air as your push gets called. >ou already picture yoursel% stac"ing those chips (or 'irtual chips in a huge pyramid. .urn card0 < Ha, couldn(t ha'e helped the mon"ey. 9i'er card0 * SHIP I.[ 6ut #ait ) #hy are all the chec"s being pushed to the mon"eyOOO .he table)mon"ey %lips o'er his JK %or the runner)runner straight. It is li"e the :th o% Huly in your head, and your poor mouse doesn(t e'en "no# #hat it(s in %or. >ou scream. >ou yell. Y____ you, you ____ing don"ey _____Y is typed out into the chat bo$ #ith such anger that the des" sha"es #ith e'ery "eystro"e. Steaming. Fuming. Pissed o%% at ho# this moron could go all)in #ith .P6J and a bac"door straight dra#. >ou rebuy. 9e'enge is the only thing on your mind right. >ou #ant bac" the money you right%ully earned and Senior -on" too" %rom you #ith his insane luc". >our mouse #inces each time you clic" Fold Fold Fold. >ou get restless and %rustrated by not recei'ing one playable hand. 3nd then it comes ) you get 3Hs in the cuto%%. 93IS+[ Fold, %old. 5ets to our %riend, .able)&on"ey ) reraise. C.FO No #ay. Not this time, pal. >ou push ) still steaming. Instacall. >ou don(t e'en remember the %lop, turn or ri'er. 3ll you see is the 33 %lipped o'er and another 2EE66s being shipped o'er to Senior -on"= #ho no# has ta"en you %or 2EE66s. Chat happenedOOO 7ne e'ent spar"ed a total change in momentum o% your entire session. >ou tilted. I #anted to ma"e this (obscenely long post about the t#o di%%erent "inds o% tilt0 Loser(s .ilt and Cinner(s .ilt, and also brie%ly tal" about #ays to cope #ith and pre'ent tilting in general.

5<

First, is the most ob'ious one #e('e all dealt #ith ) Loser(s .ilt. .his happens #hen an e'ent ta"es place li"e listed abo'e. >ou are an o'er#helming %a'orite in a hand, and the 'illain catches a miracle card(s . /ommon reactions, ob'iously, are anger and disgust ) both o% #hich pa'e the path o% you misplaying a %uture hand. >ou %eel a need to #in that money bac" as soon as possible, and in doing so, you set yoursel% up %or more %uture losses. Ce do this by0 opening up your pre%lop standards too much, raising1calling raises #ith marginal hands, not "eeping position1stats1reads in mind during a hand, and becoming #ay too aggressi'e. I thin" #e('e all been in those situations are "no# them pretty #ell. .he second %orm o% tilt (that I didn(t e'en .HINJ o% until it #as brought to my attention is Cinner(s .ilt. >ou may thin", YHo# can you tilt #hen you(re $inningOOY. Picture this ) >ou are on a heater and playing #ell. >ou(re getting hands and they are hitting hard. Ne$t thing you "no# you(re up 2;E66s and li%e is gEEt. >ou laugh at the meager plebs and loo" do#n on them %rom your mountain o% chips. .hen #inner(s tilt comes into play ) but the scary thing about #inner(s tilt is that you don(t e'en reali!e it[ >ou %ind yoursel% playing marginal hands and pushing e'en the thinnest o% edges because in your mind you(re thin"ing, YHey, I(m up big ) I can a%%ord to ma"e this call. I(m running hot any#ays, rightOY. So i% you don(t hit (don(t #orry, you #ere behind the #hole time any#ays , your stac" starts to d#indle. 6ut it doesn(t %a!e you[ >ou(re still ha'ing a #inning session, rightO 3ll is good, rightOOO No, by ma"ing these poor decisions and losing these YsmallY pots you@re basically burning money. 5etting a deep stac" should allo# you some opening up o% your game, but not to someho# rationali!e ma"ing )+? decisions. No# that #e('e loo"ed at the t#o di%%erent %orms o% tilt, let(s loo" at #ay to cope1deal #ith tilt and #ays to pre'ent tilting in the %irst place. .here are in%inite #ays to cope or deal #ith tilt. I belie'e it depends on the person as to #hat calms them do#n the best. In almost all cases, it in'ol'es doing something 7.H+9 than playing po"er. For a lot o% people, ta"ing a brea" %rom po"er altogether %or a little #hile is the only #ay. Catch some .?, play some 'ideo games, read a boo", go outside, hang #ith %riends, etc ) ,ust get your mind o%% the game. For others, re'ie#ing their plays %or the session, posting1reading on 2p2, or reading their po"er boo"s help. .he main goal in dealing #ith tilt is reali!ing that in the long run, the bad beats #on(t matter and that you(ll come out on top more times than not. It(s a numbers game[ >ou get your money in as the %a'orite and o'erall you CILL ma"e money. 3s SSNL players, #e thri'e on these people suc"ing out on us. 7ther#ise #e(d be sitting at tables %ull o% :]2(s, 3Hs, dbtiels, Buar"s, etc. ) #hich I personally #ould hate. +'eryone goes through the s#ings, as it is the nature o% the beast. .he sooner you can learn to roll #ith the punches, the better o%% your game #ill be. >our goal should be to be able to shrug o%% bad beats because you "no# that the short run is ,ust the battle, not the #ar. .his brings me to pre'enting tilt %rom happening in the %irst place. .his part is more psychological, so I #ould lo'e i% some o% the Psych regs could come in and shed some light on ho# to get in the proper mindset %or po"er. &y practical suggestion %or pre'enting tilt is being properly ban"rolled. I% you pro'ide yoursel% a nice cushion to so%ten out the 'ariance, then hope%ully you #ill not %lip out #hen you drop %e# buy)ins to bad beats. I('e personally %ound that #hen I('e got a nice 69 %or the le'el I(m playing on,

6=

my tilting has dropped dramatically. Cell, I hope this #asn(t .77 long and it pro'ided something help%ul. I% you don(t get anything %rom this thread, I hope that no one %ollo#s my lead and blo#s their entire 69 in one night by tilting your %ace o%% and ,umping into a game that you are se'erely underrolled %or.

;a$ian"e1 -ilt1 Ego1 an& SSNL (lm5)

3s a %amous S.. poster once said, Q there #ill come a time #hen you #ill run #orse than you e'er thought possible.R I %ind mysel% in the middle o% such a time no#. I am not posting this to bore the %orum #ith tales o% one outers or runner runner disasters, but to hope%ully allo# some o% the ne#er players a chance to learn %rom my do#ns#ing, so that they may be able to cope #ith there o#n ine'itable do#ns#ing better. ?ariance, .ilt, and +go all play huge roles in the length and destructi'eness o% our do#ns#ings. 3s there are only t#o o% these three %actors #e can control, I don@t intend to spend much time on 'ariance. .here has been se'eral posts #ritten on the sub,ect by %ar superior players than mysel%. .he bottom line is the :)2 shots, the 2E)2 shots, and the :;)2 shots, all ha'e to hit sometime. Sometimes they all hit in a short amount o% time. .here is nothing you can do about it. Learn to be happy #hen you get your money in #ith #ay the best o% it and lose. >ou success%ully manipulated your opponent into ma"ing a huge mista"e and that is all you can hope %or. .he other t#o %actors, tilt and ego, are 'ery closely related I&7. 3s 2F2ers, #e ma"e up a small percentage o% the SSNL player pool #ho considers themsel'es serious students o% the game o% po"er. Ce #or" at getting better #ith e'ery post #e ma"e. Ce study hands, share ideas, and learn %rom others mista"es and #e are better po"er players %or it. .he problem is #e "no# it. I belie'e that most o% us %eel li"e #e are one o% the better players at the table #hen #e sit do#n. Ce see our opponent@s mista"es and do our best to manipulate them. Chen #e #in #e pat oursel'es on the bac" and %eel good about the time #e ha'e put into impro'ing our game. Chen #e lose it@s usually because someone got luc"y. Jno#ing #e ha'e an edge against our opponents ma"es losing to them all the more pain%ul. It also can lead to us playing longer than #e should #hen #e are losing. Ce "no# #e are better, so #e ignore the #arning signs o% tilt in the hopes o% stac"ing a bad opponent. Ce get impatient and try and %orce the issue #hen #hat #e really need to be doing is #aiting %or the right spot. Not matter ho# big our edge is, #e #ill ne'er be able to #in e'eryday. I% any o% you listen to .he /ircuit, >ou may ha'e heard the inter'ie# #ith /hip 9eese this #ee". . In this inter'ie# /hip mentioned that he %elt li"e playing to long #hen they are losing #as one o% the biggest mista"es he sees his opponents ma"e. He also said that it #as one o% the hardest things %or him to o'er come early in his career. 6e%ore #e can become truly great players #e must learn to be able to Buit behind and play longer #hen #e are #inning. +'eryone plays better #hen they are #inning and e'eryone plays #orse #hen they are losing. I% #e normally play 2 hours a day but sometimes play * hours, #e #ould be much better o%% playing %or * hours #hen #e are playing #ell and controlling the table than #hen #e are stuc" and trying to get e'en. I&7 ego is the main reason players get stuc". It is important that #e separate our sel% #orth %rom the results o% our po"er sessions. Ce all need something outside o% po"er that #e can be proud o% and en,oy. Ce should all stri'e to be good %riends, parents, students, or #hate'er. I% you are a causal player "eep other aspects o% your li%e at a higher priority than po"er. I% you are a pro%essional player, %ind other hobbies that you en,oy. Find something stable that brings you happiness. I% you let po"er determine you happiness, you are setting yoursel% up %or one hell o% a emotional rollercoaster ride. .he less o% your sel% #orth you deri'e %rom po"er the better player you #ill be. I don@t really ha'e any more to say on the sub,ect no#. I hope i% you@'e read this %ar,

6)

that you ha'e %ound some %ood %or thought in this post. I got a lot out o% #riting it. I can only hope you got something out o% reading it. I@m going to ta"e a brea" %rom po"er %or a couple o% days, read a boo", ta"e my girl%riend out, and help an old lady cross the street. Hope%ully #hen I return the pendulum #ill s#ing the other #ay, but i% not, hope%ully I@ll be able to ta"e it in stride. I ha'e to i% I e'er #ant to be a true pro%essional.

63

EVERYTHING ABOUT CONTINUATION BET

7ontin(ation 3etting % P)*- 4 (M0N)ME4@G*EG)
In this article, I #ill attempt to discuss the intricacies o% continuation betting. For organi!ation purposes, I #ill split continuation betting into categories o%0 heads up on the %lop, 8#ay, and :F players. So, let@s hit it up. =eads up* I li"e to call it, QFind a %lop %or me not to continuation bet.R 3s a de%ault, i% you ha'e a shot o% #inning the hand, or getting a piece, bet out. >es, that means betting out 33 on an 3*8 rainbo#, and yes that means betting JHc on an 3h.h8s board. >ou do, a%ter all, ha'e 8 outs to the nuts. >ou hold *;s on a AcKc2sO &onster bac"door dra#s. 6et out. 7% course, you can bet your dra#s as #ell, and bet your made hands as #ell. .he only thing I #ill say about a speci%ic situation in this paragraph is a Buic" synopsis o% a monotone %lop. Flop comes KHJs, and you ha'e *;h. 7", you can gi'e up. Hust be sure to balance by betting out here, and sometimes %iring out t#o barrels i% you thin" you@ll be called by something li"e a ten, or IsK$, etc. No#, these Buic" e$amples are merely de%aults= you@'e ,ust sat at a table 's a table o% un"no#ns. 6ut alas, po"er is rarely an un"no#n in an un"no#n situation, so I guess #e need a strategy %or those situations too^. .here are a %e# stats I care about. Honestly, as I mo'ed up through the ran"s, stats become less important, and dynamics becomes #eighted more. Ho#e'er, there are a %e# numbers considered #hen continuation betting. .hose numbers are0 call continuation bet G, raise continuation bet G, and %old continuation bet G. I #ill discuss the types o% players that %all into 'arious categories based on their stats. XN7.+X -o not depend on these stats as the be all end all. Po"er players may play in di%%erent moods on di%%erent days, or hate you because you ,ust roc"ed them on some other table, or #ant to ha'e a dic" measuring contest #ith you because their girl%riend ,ust bro"e up #ith them because they lost that contest #ith her. 6ut, o'er a bunch o% hands, you #ill ha'e reliable stats. 7nce you obser'e your opponent and he seems to be in synch #ith his normal game play, they #or" #ell. 7% course, i% he is playing di%%erently today, disregard the stats and go #ith ho# he is playing today. =eads up -s the 6eak,tight,%!&G,he,must,ha-e,flopped,the,nuts,to,bet,at, that,flop* .his is the guy #ho %olds to continuation bets <E)AEGF o% the time. Fire a#ay. I% he starts to call you thin (b1c you chec" through the turn and ri'er and he sho#s do#n &P on the %lop , start %iring the turn and ri'er more o%ten. Cithout getting more into %urther streets, this is a good guy to represent scare cards on the turn #ith. Chen he raises or calls, proceed #ith caution. 4ntil you "no# he has ad,usted his game by calling thin1semiblu%% or blu%% raising the %lop, try to get to sho#do#n and %igure out #hat the hell this guy is doing. The normal pla.er* .his is your a'erage tag, or a'erage player #ho generally calls or raises #ith a hand, but #ill sometimes call you do#n thin, or sometimes blu%% raise you. For this player, I resort to the bet i% I can #in strategy outlined in the opening paragraph. I% I ha'e some gutshot, or bac"door dra#, bet it. Note that this player has N7. started playing bac" at you. The anno.ing ass LL%L " ha-e t6o cards " callM pla.er* .his is the guys #ho calls around ;EG o% the time or greater. Sometimes, you@re going to ha'e to concede some pots to him on the %lop by chec"1%olding. 7% course, this #ill set you up %or a chec"1raise on the %lop #ith a real hand or blu%%, so e'entually he doesn@t al#ays bet this %lop #hen chec"ed to, or %ire the turn 2EEG i% he is 77P. No#, let@s assume you are 77P and get called. >ou #ill ha'e to start %iring out at a %e# turns here. +ssentially, this guy is going

6:

to #in some money %rom you at the beginning, until you %igure out #hat e$actly he is doing. 6ut, once you ma"e that note that he called your t#o street blu%% #ith *8 on a *AHJ board, the game is essentially o'er. .he strategy against these people depends on #hat subset they are. The a) station is easily dealt #ith by 'alue betting him to death. .hat means three streets #ith .P.J or .P5J, or a set, t#o pair, #hen your dra#s hits. He is the calling station, so you are losing a L7. o% 'alue by chec"1calling to see i% he bets his busted dra# #hen you are sitting there #ith aces on a I high board. 9emember, H+@LL tal" himsel% into a call, and you can represent ha'ing a busted dra# there too. -on@t chec" to these guys i% you ha'e a hand. .he more di%%icult 'ersion o% these players is the b) float. t.pe. .his is the lag #ho #ants to outplay you. .his is the 2p2er #ho #ants to stro"e his ego. .his is the idiot #ho has a 88G calling1%olding1raising ratio #hen %aced #ith a continuation bet. Ho#e'er, note that the normal player #ho ,ust lots a %e# big pots, or seems generally tilty #ill also %it into this category. .he normal player #ill also %it into this category a%ter you@'e pounded him #ith continuation bets the last 8E minutes. .he tool %or combating these guys is to let them outplay you. 6etting the %lop and chec"1raising the turn is a sic" mo'e against these guys, #hether you ha'e air or a monster (I %or one am not really a %an o% sho#ing blu%%s, but i% you decide it is F+? to do so, go %or it . 3lso, these are the guys that might ta"e one o%% #ith AA on a 2KI board, or #ith a hand li"e K.. Start to double barrel these guys. 6asically, i% they #ant to outplay you, they are going to ha'e to call do#n #ith middle pair %or their stac", because #e@re gonna be %iring at them all day long. 9emember, ho#e'er, that your aggression is going to cause them to ma"e mista"es, #hile you #ill turn their aggression into a mista"e. >ou tric"y LcensoredM. !arginal hands are trick. to pla.* .his #ould be I. on a .J8r %lop, or J.s on a 3JA %lop. >ou might be ahead but you might not be. 77P, you still should be betting these hands much o% the time because chec"1calling doesn@t really get you a lot o% in%ormation, and is generally a #ea" play. Ho#e'er, #hile in position, you ha'e the option o% chec"ing behind. >ou are some#hat %orced to call the turn i% your opponents %ires, and e'aluate the ri'er depending on the speci%ic situation. Note that chec"ing behind #ith marginal hands #ill be balanced by the times you chec" behind #ith air, a strong hand, or a monster (slo#playing . I #ill not get into the speci%ics o% #hen to bet monsters or not, because it is pretty speci%ic to the opponent, your image, and the table dynamics (ie 2; pages . Ho#e'er, I guess %eel %ree to as" Buestions and I #ill do my best to ans#er. .he last thing to ta"e into consideration is your image. .he board is really dra#y, and your image is o% betting into e'ery single %lop. It might be a good time to chec"1%old, as that %lop hit a lot o% hands and your image isn@t that great. 3dditionally, i% you ,ust sho#ed do#n a blu%% or something happened #hen it loo"ed li"e you #ere %ull o% LcensoredM, considering not betting the ne$t %lop. 7% course, this is a great time to pound the %lop i% you hit, because your opponent #ill gi'e you less credit. .he big thing not to %orget is the importance o% mi$ing up your play. /hec"1raise #ith good and bad hands. /hec"1call and lead the turn. /ontinuation bet monsters and air, and marginal hands, but also chec" behind on the %lop #ith them. Chen players see you are capable to ha'e a #ide range o% hands e'en doing any action (betting, or chec"ing, calling or raising , they are less li"ely to play bac" at you, and there actions #ill de%ine their hands more easily, allo#ing you to play closer to per%ectly. So, that in a nutshell is continuation betting heads up. Ne$t time #e #ill tal" about multi#ay pots, and ho# your hand and position a%%ects #hat you do.

65

7-!E--4NG (-#e Ma"#ine)

7ne thing #hen I %irst started playing po"er that I noticed I did not ha'e a good grasp on #as betting, particularly continuation betting. &ost o% this post may be tri'ial to most but it may be help%ul to some, or e'en ,ust a good reminder to most 4h. continuation bet<<< Cell that ans#er is easy. In a heads up pot any random hand #ill miss the %lop 218 o% the time. So i% #e continuation bet at all o% the pots #e raise #e should #in at least 218 o% them ,ust because the other person hasnt made a hand, let alone made a hand strong enough to call us do#n #ith. =o6 much should m. continuation bet be<<< .hat Buestion depends on a %e# di%%erent %actors. I #ill try to go through a %e# di%%erent e$amples to describe my meaning. Cell its standard to PF9 :$66 F 2 %or each limper. For the time being I #ould li"e to "eep our post %lop to heads up play. In the /7 #e hold 3Jo, so #e came in %or our :$66 F 2 %or one limper and #e #ere called by the 66 only. Lets assume our 'illain in this e$ample plays a semi .35 game at 2A1*12.;. .he %lop comes K : 2 . It is 'ery unli"ely that this %lop has helped our 'ilain unless he has KK, ::, or 22. his 2AG range is much #ider then these 8 hands and #e are ahead o% almost all o% them. Ce #ould al#ays come out %or a /)6et in this spot #hen chec"ed to. a2 reason is to protect #hat is most li"ely the best hand at this point. I% any %urther action is pursued then #e can read,ust our read and ma"e the appropriate play. a2 reason is more o% a semi blu%% in #hich #e are representing a hand #hich is stronger then ours really is. (this e$ample #ill come into play more in a later e$ample Cell I ,ust read all this crap about #hy I should bet and this part #as supposed to be about ho# much I should bet. Cell I %elt that getting that part out o% the #ay #as 'ery rele'ant to ho# much #e should bet. 7n a %lop li"e this it is 'ery dra#less against this 'illain. it is unli"ely that he holds ;8 %or an openender and there are no %lush dra#s out. 7ur bet si!ing does not need to be %ull pot here. .his #ay #e sa'e money #hen #e actually are behind. Ce only need to bet an amount that #e %eel is enough to Yget the ,ob doneY. In our 3J e$ample our ,ob is to get 'illain to %old. I% #e %eel that 212)81: PS6 is the right amount then that is the amount #e should bet= no more, no less. No# lets ta"e the same 'illain and change our %lop around. Ce still hold 3Jo in the /7 and he is still in the 66. I% #e say the %lop is 2E K : no# #e ha'e a di%%erent situation to %ace. .his board has become dra# hea'y as there are GEJJ;2'% %lush dra#s and straight dra#s on board. No# our 'illains 2AG has become much larger in possible holdings that can outdra# us. Ce li"ely are still ahead o% his holdings so here #e are betting %or protection and 'alue. I% our 'illain is dra#ing to a %lush or straight #e #ant him to pay the most he possibly #ill #hile doing it unpro%itably. I% he is #illing to call a PS6 on the %lop #ith an 7+S- then #e need to ma"e a PS6. (For simplicity(s sa"e im negating the %act that 'illains possible IH are also li'e outs against our 3J here . 6y ma"ing a PS6 'illain loses the most #hen he does not outdra# us and he #as #illing to put more money in post %lop because ho# the %lop had helped him. 3ll continuation bets should be no less then 212 PS6 to no more then %ull pot.

66

4ell " follo6ed .our ad-ice but e-er. continuation bet " make gets check raised or called and 6e check do6n .his is o". 3 continuation bet is a small blu%% and %rom time to time they #ill get pic"ed o%%. .his is actually the beauty in a continuation bet (to be discussed later . Sometiems your 'illain #ill hit a %lop and chec" raise you. It is then your decision to step bac" and play po"er #ith 3J on the K:2r board. 5o #ith your %eel. "s there a time 6hen " shouldn5t be $,(etting >+S. Ce do not #ant to be /)betting in a %e# di%%erent spots. a2 Ce do not #ant to be /)betting 77P in multi#ay pots. Ce still ha'e a 'illain le%t to act behind us and #e ha'e no idea #here they stand #ith this %lop because they ha'e no acted yet. a2 Ce hold a hand such as 33 and the %lop is JIH. i% #e ha'e our pre'ious semi .35 'illain it is 'ery li"ely that this %lop has helped him in a big #ay and #e need to get our hand to sho# do#n as cheaply as possible so #e #ould not #ant to continuation bet here. a8 3 good Buote %rom ,,b2EA Y.his is an important point to remember^the a'erage don" plays 3$o. Chy semiblu%% the don"s #ith an 7+S- or F- #ith #hen you "no# they@ll call #ith their .P and better "ic"erO I&7 an 3 on the %lop means that F+ can Buic"ly approach E. .he semi)blu%% in this situation can be T+? I&7.Y .his Buote in our conte$t I(m not only applying to a semi blu%%ing hand such as a F- or 7+S-. I% #e ha'e notes on a 'illain that says plays any ace %rom any position in raised or unraised pots then our JI #hich #e raised %rom &P should be #ary #hen this 'illain calls and an ace %lops. 7pponent dependent and note dependent I #ill sometimes not /)bet against this 'illain. " pla. a semi LAG sta.le and lo-e raising S$5s so 6hat to do on the flop 6hen " miss< 3 continuation bet is also a stone cold blu%% as much as it can be a semi blu%% or a bet %or 'alue against a #orse hand. Ce represented that #e had a big hand pre%lop #hen #e raised so most o% the time (again opponent dependent i% I am raising S/(s pre%lop I #ill be betting them on the %lop. /)betting becomes espically important #ith S/(s #hen #e %lop our dra#s. Say #e raise *< :$66 %rom the button and are called by 66. I% 'illain holds a #ea" 3ce and #e %lop a %lush dra# and lead %or a 212)81: PS6 on a 3 2E 2 and are called(say #e are playing 2;NL .he pot #as 2S on the %lop and no# bet#een :);S on the turn. ?illain #ill most li"ely chec" his #ea" ace to us %or %ear o% being out"ic"ed1FPS #ith top pair. Ce ha'e no# bought oursel'es a %ree card on the turn should #e need it to complete a dra# #e may ha'e %lopped. 4ell it seems m. $,bets keep getting called and i ha-ent been impro-ing* Should " stop $,betting for a fe6 hands< .he ans#er here may be yes %or some reasons such as an incorrect perception o% a player. Chen up against a calling station #e do not need to /)bet blu%% because he #ill be calling us do#n. 3gainst this opponent #e need to /)bet #hen #e actually ma"e a hand and ha'e him pay us o%% #ith many #orse hands. 3side %rom this aspect my main reason to "eep /)betting (#hich I %ail to do sometimes

6*

#hen Im running bad is to set up %or later hands. ?illain 8 times in a ro# pic"ed o%% my 3Jo /)bet on a I<2r %lop. 6y this time he has me pegged as a blu%%er. Chen #e come in %or a raise #ith a PP and %lop a set and lead out #hen chec"ed to it is 'ery li"ely that said 'illain #ill be paying us o%% %rom the perception #e ha'e gi'en him about us. .his here is a double edged s#ord also. Ce need to "eep /)betting to set our sel% up %or later hands. .he same is true #hen #e actually %lop a big hand. 9eason 20 Chen #e #ere betting be%ore #ith 3J high it may become 'ery suspicious to some 'illains i% #e decide to chec" behind on a %lop #here #e #ere chec"ed to #hen #e %lop a monster hand. Ce need to "eep portraying the image #e ha'e set up #ith them and bet into the pot. .he pot gets big and hope%ully said 'illain #ho thin"s #e are don"ey o% the year pays us o%% #ith a nice big 2EE66(s 9eason 20 I% #e are un"no#n to 'illain and #e /)bet #ith a %lopped set or .P.J and get to sho#do#n, the #hole table sees that #e are leading out #ith po#er%ul hands and not trying to slo#play them. .HIS IS .H+ 6+S. P39.[[ .his #ay in the %uture our /)bets #hen #e ha'e nothing but air #ill be getting much more respect because o% the hands that #e ha'e been leading out #ith[ .here are so many di%%erent reasons %or /)betting gi'en certain hands. 3gainst the same Semi .35 'illain %rom the pre'ious e$amples= #ith 33 on a K:2r board #e are betting %or 'alue since its alomst certain #e ha'e the best hand. Cith 3J on the same board #e are betting %or protection since our hand is most li"ely the best but could easily be outdra#n. Ce need to loo" at our 'illain, as #ell as %lop te$ture and si!e up the appropriate bet. Chen done correctly you can /)bet your #ay %rom one le'el to the ne$t. .here are ob'iously circumstances #here it #ould be #rong to /)bet that I ha'e not mentioned here but anyone #ho #ould li"e to add some or add some other ideas about /)betting that I did not touch upon please %eel %ree, and I hope you all do[[[

68

7ON-4N.)-4ON !E- )*-47LE (F$eak/a&&y)

/ontinuation bets are e$actly #hat the name implies. .hey are a continuation o% pre)%lop aggression, designed to #in the pot i% the pre)%lop raiser missed the %lop, or continue to build a pot #hen ahead. Chen continuation bets are used success%ully, they are an important money ma"ing #eapon o% the solid po"er player. Chen continuation bets are used incorrectly, typically by beginners #ho o'er use the concept, they can become a marginal, or e'en money losing play. .his article is going to loo" at ho# to ma$imi!e your continuation bets by e$amining pre)%lop situations, %lop te$tures, betting si!es, and opponent player types, in order to ma"e your continuation bets as success%ul as possible. .he primary goal o% solid continuation bet play should be to #in your missed %lops #ith continuation bets ;EG o% the time or more. .he proper use o% pre)%lop raises, betting si!es, and balance, are important components in achie'ing better than brea" e'en numbers #ith your continuation bets. >ou can ho#e'er, #in only 8;G o% your continuation bets and still be pro%itable #ith them, as long as you ma"e your continuation bet si!es small enough to pro'ide %or a higher %ailure rate. For e$ample, here are the 8 common continuation bet si!es0 (d the pot I% the Pot is 2266 and you ma"e a continuation bet o% only *66 then you need to be success%ul only 8:G o% the time. (\ o% the pot I% the pot is 2266 and you ma"e a continuation bet o% A66, then you need to be success%ul :2G o% the time. (Full pot si!e I% the pot is 2266 and you ma"e a continuation bet o% 2266, then you need to be success%ul ;2G o% the time. Chen determining the appropriate continuation bet si!e #hen you miss, you #ant to choose the minimum si!e you thin" #ill #in you the pot #ith the least amount o% ris". In a per%ect #orld you could bet e o% the pot #hen you miss, and #in the pot o'er ;EG o% the time. .hen you could bet the %ull pot si!e #hen you connect #ith the %lop and get called o'er ;EG o% the time. 4n%ortunately most opponents that are paying attention at all #ill soon catch on to your 'arying bet si!e. So the best #ay to combat this is to use t#o 'ery similar bet si!es %or your continuation blu%% bets, and 'ary bet#een them depending upon the %lop te$ture and the types o% opponents you %ace. .his #ill create a randomi!ing e%%ect that #ill be 'ery di%%icult %or your opponents to pic" up, and at the same time ma$imi!e your pro%its. 3t small sta"es No)limit Holdem the most optimal play is to 'ary your continuation bet si!es bet#een \ o% the pot and the %ull si!e o% the pot. I% you do this e%%ecti'ely enough, you can 'ary your bet si!es to pro'ide you #ith slightly better odds #hen you do miss, and build an e%%ecti'e pot #hen you do connect. For e$ample, #hen you miss the %lop, i% you don@t bet at all W2EG o% the time, bet the %ull si!e o% the pot W;EG o% the time, and \ o% the pot the remaining W8EG o% the time, you are "eeping your opponents guessing, #hile remaining intimidating at the same time. 3lso, i% you bet the %ull si!e o% the pot WA;G o% the time #hen you connect, and \ o% the pot the remaining W2;G o% the time, you are again "eeping your opponents guessing, #hile tilting the odds in your %a'or. >ou #ill ho#e'er ha'e to ad,ust these percentages depending upon your o#n style o% play (See Q.he type o% player you areR at the end o% the article . So let@s ta"e a rough e$ample o% this and say that your opponent calls hal% o% the time, and %olds the other hal% o% the time, #hich is a %airly rough and appro$imate representation o% small sta"es No)limit Holdem. Let@s also say that the pot si!e is 2266 and #e simulate this 2EE times. Let@s also assume that you N+?+9 impro'e a%ter continuation betting. .he net result #ill loo" as %ollo#s simluate 2EE$0 2EG o% the time don(t bet18EG o% the time bet 81: pot1;EG bet the %ull pot >our opponent calls )N13) 1>ou lose 22E 66 1>ou lose 8EE

6<

>our opponent %olds )N13) 1>ou #in 2AE 66 1>ou #in 8EE >our opponent bets) >ou 1chec"1%old = E N13 N13 N+. 9+S4L. >74 CIN 0 *E 66 Let@s also remember that sometimes #e #ill impro'e, and sometimes our opponent #ill %old on the turn. 3nd that@s ,ust #hen #e don@t connect #ith the %lop. Chen #e do connect, and #e@'e mi$ed in our continuation bets e%%ecti'ely, #e should be able to net enough because #e@'e "ept our opponents o%% balance and guessing. 7ne o% the primary "eys to e%%ecti'e continuation betting is 63L3N/+. Chen you achie'e e%%ecti'e balance, you should actually become ambi'alent as to #hether your continuation bet is called or not. For i% it is called and you missed, you@re still achie'ing the same goal. So the ne$t time you do connect #ith a big hand on the %lop and bet, your opponents ha'e to guess, is he ,ust continuation betting again, or does he really ha'e a handO Chile it is true that a lot o% online opponents don@t pay particular attention because they@re #atching ..?. or they@re playing multiple tables at the same time, an e%%ecti'e balancing strategy doesn@t care. Ce@re not concerned necessarily that they are al#ays paying attention, but that #e 'ary our bets in order to pro'ide us the best possible odds considering the gi'en %lop and hole cards that #e hold. Jeep in mind also that <EG o% %lops are missed by our opponents. .his is one o% the primary reasons that continuation bets are so e%%ecti'e. I% your opponent doesn@t hold a poc"et pair, or ha'e a 'ery small poc"et pair, they may not be able to continue i% you apply the correct amount o% pressure.

Good Pla.ers to $ontinuation (et Against .here are some types o% players that are better to continuation bet against than others. >ou #ant to identi%y these players and use the continuation bet against them as o%ten as possible. .hese common player types are as %ollo#s0 The !ouse T .he mouse plays a %airly #ea"1tight style o% play. He doesn@t enter many pots, and #hen he does he is almost al#ays holding a premium hand. He #ill almost ne'er continue i% the %lop doesn@t hit him, or he doesn@t ha'e a strong hand #hile %acing aggression. >ou@ll ha'e to loo" hard to notice the mouse because you@d almost s#ear he doesn@t e$ist. Chen you miss the %lop, go ahead and ta"e a stab at the pot, you@ll #in it uncontested more o%ten against the mouse than any other player type. Chen you do connect, try and lure him in by beating #ea" and in'iting him to come along. I% the mouse does bet into you, %old unless you ha'e a strong hand. .ypical Stats0 ?PSIP =c 22 1 PF9 =c8 1 359 =c .; 1 C.S- =c 2; The 'ock T .he 9oc" is 'ery similar to the mouse in that they play 'ery %e# pots. .hey di%%er only slightly in that they #ill sometimes call #ith their poc"et pairs i% they suspect you are betting into them #ith air. >et they are nearly as timid as the mouse, so i% you continue to apply pressure, and they hold a marginal hand, you #ill typically #in the pot. .his is the second best player type to continuation bet against. 3pply pressure to them as much as possible, but don@t get out o% line i% you suspect that the roc" has hit a good %lop. .est them, but also gi'e them respect o% they sho# too much resistance. .ypical Stats0 ?PSIP =c 22 1 PF9 =c8 1 359 =c 2 1 C.S- =c 2* The Rackal T .his player plays a %e# too many hands, but not enough that #e@re #orried that non)descript boards hit him hard. He li"es to try and snea" into %lops cheap, and #ill sometimes call raises #ith non)premium hands. I% you@'e been playing a solid around game, go ahead and continuation bet into him at a high rate. Hac"als li"e to ha'e %un and be in'ol'ed in a lot o% pots, but they #ill typically gi'e tight1aggressi'e opponents the bene%it o% the doubt more o%ten than other players. 3gain, i% you encounter any

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resistance then step on the brea"s. .ypical Stats0 ?PSIP =c 2* 1 PF9 =c: 1 359 =c 2 1 C.S- =c 2E The School Teacher T .hese opponents play a %airly straight %or#ard 36/ style o% po"er that is Buite predictable. .hey usually #on@t continue on the %lop unless they ha'e top pair or better, and they do little in terms o% applying pressure. .hey #ill raise #hen they ha'e a solid hand, and #hen they do get ready to release your hand, unless o% course yours is 'ery good. >ou can usually spot them because they@re typically ma"ing comments about ho# (bad others play, or they@re in%orming the table about ho# a hand should ha'e been played. .hese players typically understand the basics, but not much more beyond that. 3pply pressure and test them as o%ten as possible. .ypical Stats0 ?PSIP =c 2E 1 PF9 =c; 1 359 =c 2 1 C.S- =c 22 The Look,up Artist T .hese opponents are great %or your chip stac". .hey@ll typically call your %lop bet in hopes that you@ll gi'e up on the turn, or in the o%% chance their ace high may be the best hand. It #ill ta"e a#hile to spot these guys, but #hen you do it@s best to bet into them, and then be prepared to %ire the second bullet. .hese opponents typically come in t#o di%%erent player types that you ha'e to be a#are o%. .he %irst is the %airly passi'e player that ,ust li"es to call and hope he pairs his "ing or ace on the turn, but #ill readily %old to a second bet. .he other is usually a bit more o% an aggressi'e opponent that typically #ill call because they don@t belie'e your %lop bet, yet they #ill %old to %urther aggression on the turn. +ither #ay, pay attention to players #ho call too many %lop bets, but %old to turn bets. &a"e sure you ha'e a 'ery good read on this opponent be%ore you commit too many chips to the pot #ith missed o'er cards. -on@t attempt %ire a second bullet until you get more com%ortable #ith %lop te$tures and turn play. .ypical Stats0 ?PSIP =c :E 1 PF9 =c; 1 359 =c 2 1 C.S- =c 22 Pla.ers 8%T to $ontinuation (et Against Chile there are se'eral types o% players you #ant to continuation bet, there are others that you don@t #ant to continuation bet against as o%ten. .his doesn@t mean that you #on@t e'er continuation bet against them, you@ll ,ust ha'e to apply much more discretion. Here are a %e# o% those player types0 The !aniac T 3 true maniac needs no introduction, and you@ll ha'e little di%%iculty spotting him at the table. He@ll be in'ol'ed in a lot o% pots, raising Buite o%ten be%ore the %lop, and going too %ar #ith mediocre hands. .he maniac "no#s little about calling. He@s usually either raising, raising, or raising. I% he ,ust calls, then you should de%initely slam on the brea"s. 3gainst these opponents you ,ust ha'e to #ait %or premium hands, and play a little bit o% a rope a dope strategy. -on@t be too a%raid o% chasing them o%% though. +'en chec")raises on the turn don@t %a!e the maniac 'ery o%ten. I@d recommend not continuation betting against the maniac %or he@s li"ely to call or raise you #ith any t#o. >ou can #ait %or better spots against these guys. .hat doesn@t mean you should ,ust them run you o'er o% course. I% you do continuation bet, ma"e sure you ha'e some good outs. .ypical Stats0 ?PSIP =c *; 1 PF9 =c22 1 359 =c 2E 1 C.S- =c 2: The Gambler T .he gambler is %airly similar to the maniac, e$cept he #on@t be raising as many pots, and he #on@t be Buite as aggressi'e. He #ill ho#e'er gamble and ta"e shots at gut)shot dra#s, and o'erplay his second pair. 6oth the maniac and the gambler #ill be easy to spot, as they@ll be in'ol'ed in a lot o% pots. .he main distinction bet#een the gambler and the maniac is that the gambler #ill %old a little more o%ten #hen he "no#s he@s beat. I% ho#e'er he has any chance to outdra# you, he #ill o%ten ta"e that chance. Chen you do happen to come across a big hand #ith the gambler it@s best to bet your hand strong. >ou could employ a similar rop)a)dope strategy o% chec"ing your hands to him and letting him do the betting %or you, but the gambler, unli"e the maniac, #ill chec" behind sometimes. .hus the most optimal play is to bet into him and hope to be raised.

>ou can continuation bet against the gambler a little more o%ten then the maniac, but ma"e sure the %lop is %airly dra#)less i% you do. .ypical Stats0 ?PSIP =c ;E 1 PF9 =c2E 1 359 =c< 1 C.S- =c 2: The $alling Station T Hope%ully this should be an ob'ious one. I% you miss the %lop, you don@t #ant to bet into someone #ho #ill #ith any t#o, or any small piece o% the %lop. .he calling station #ill gladly call any bet you put in %ront o% him, so don@t do it on a blu%%. Hust #ait %or good hands that connect, and bet them all the #ay to the ri'er, then ma"e sure to say than" you. .he calling station is o% course easy to spot. .hey@ll be the person at the table calling and chasing e'ery gut)shot, %lush dra# or one outer they can %ind. .hey hardly e'er raise, and i% they do, I hope you turbo toss your hands into the muc". /alling stations don@t blu%%. I #ould highly recommend almost ne'er continuation betting your missed %lops into calling stations, as you@ll li"ely night chase them loose, and you may loose most o% your chips trying to push them o%% o% a hand. .ypical Stats0 ?PSIP =c ;E 1 PF9 =c2 1 359 =c.2; 1 C.S- =c 2: The T.pe of Pla.er ;ou Are Ho# o%ten you continuation bet is also 'ery dependent upon your o#n personal playing style. I% you play a %airly conser'ati'e style, and don@t raise that much be%ore the %lop, then your continuation blu%% bets #ill li"ely get more respect, then let@s say a gambler type person #ho raises be%ore the %lop a lot. Not only must you be a#are o% the types o% opponents you are %acing, but you must also be a#are o% ho# you thin" the table percei'es your style o% play. 3lso, don@t ,ust blindly ad,ust your continuation bet %reBuency based upon your playing style that >74 actually play. &a"e sure that it %its ho# you@'e been currently playing at a gi'en table. .a"e into account the number o% times you@'e been in'ol'ed in recent pots, the number times you@'e gone to sho#do#n, ho# o%ten you@'e raised, and the types o% hands that you@'e sho#do#n. +_0 >ou may be a some#hat conser'ati'e player #ho raises around ;G o% his starting hands, but let@s say you@'e ,ust had a recent run o% great cards. I% you@'e been raising a #hole lot, and not sho#ing any cards, then you suddenly pic" up 3J again and raise, don@t go cra!y i% you miss the %lop. >ou may e'en ,ust chec" and gi'e up the pot. 3 lot o% raising by one particular player begins to build a tension at the table that someone e'entually attempts to snap. 3l#ays be a#are o% your current play and ho# others may percei'e you. It doesn@t matter i% you@'e ,ust been playing your normal game or not, it only matters ho# others Qthin"R you are playing. 6elo# is a small table #ith suggested ad,ustments to ma"e #ith your continuation bets, based on your current Qtable imageR.

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+H0 )M-4 7-!E--4NG )G)4N E (3i3lio-san)

.L= -9= and a lot o% these concepts are stolen directly %rom 5reen Plastic 'ideos and other good posters on these boards (.rue, -ebitel, 7range, +pda#s, others I am shame%ully %orgetting . I(d greatly appreciate i% #e can get some discussion on these topics going. .o be honest, I almost thin" each o% these * points could deser'e its o#n thread In SSNL, con'entional #isdom is that the pre)%lop aggressor should al#ays /)bet in a heads)up pot. .here ha'e been a lot o% YChen should I c)betOY threads, and I can recall that in many o% them, the standard ans#er #as YHeads)upO 3l#ays. 8)#aysO Sometimes, in position.Y I #as de%inately one o% those posters. I thin" there are a couple o% reasons this is popular. First, it ma"es %or easy decisions. 9aise, /)bet, scoop pot or %old to /19, mo'e on, until #e get to a big hand1big pot situation, in #hich case decisions are also usually easy. Second, the %act that many /) bets #ith made hands #in the pot con'inces many players that their bet #as, indeed, the correct mo'e. 3%ter all, they #on the pot, rightO 6ut on this %orum, #e should by no# "no# that it(s rarely that simple. &aybe you could ha'e #on a bigger pot. &aybe you ,ust got luc"y, and your mo'e that is #rong KEG o% the time ,ust #on the pot because this is one o% those other 2EG holdings. I couple o% things ha'e changed my mind about /)betting. Part o% it is that, as you rise in sta"es, players get a lot more tric"y (note that this is a separate attribute than YgoodY0 bad players can be tric"y, and good players can be tric"y . .hey chec")raise more, and #ith a #ider 'ariety o% hands. 6ad players might chec")raise #ith hands that they really shouldn(t chec"1raise #ith, li"e underpairs, or .PNJ, or middle pair, and good players #ill tend to balance it out more by chec")raising monsters, semi)blu%%s, and big o'erpairs. 6ut the range o% hands players #ill play aggressi'ely changes as you mo'e up. I thin" there are a %e# %actors to thin" about #hen you are deciding #hether to /)bet your hand in a heads)up pot. .o reduce the comple$ity o% the decision trees in'ol'ed, let(s (%or the moment assume 2EE 66 stac"s, and a potsi!e o% appro$imately <)2E66. 2 .he 'alue o% your hand 2 Chether or not you opened in a steal position 8 Chether or not being chec")raised #ill present you #ith a di%%icult decision : Chether or not betting presents your opponent #ith an easy decision, or betting #ill ma"e your opponents turn1ri'er decisions easy ; >our position * Chether or not the pot is re)raised )) The -alue of .our hand First, let(s consider #hether you ha'e a made hand, a dra# (#ea" or strong , or complete air. Ma&e Han&s +'ery time you ha'e a made hand, you should be thin"ing o% ho# to e$tract the most 'alue %rom it 's. #orse hands. In some cases you may decide that this isn(t 'ery %easible (al#ays trying to sho#do#n 22 unimpro'ed on any board is probably not a great idea . Cith strong hands, the best #ay to get 'alue %rom it is to bet it. 3J on an 3K< %lop, %or

*3

e$ample. Sets on ,ust about any %lop, but especially 3)high and dra#y %lops. Ho#e'er, there are some strong hands that you should really chec" (at least some o% the time . I% you ha'e 3J on an 3<2 rainbo# %lop, potting the %lop is a pretty good #ay to ma"e ,ust about any one)pair hand #ithout an 3ce %old. I% you ha'e JJ on the same %lop (yes, this is a strong hand , you ha'e the same problem. &any times, the best #ay to get 'alue %rom these hands is to chec" the %lop, especially i% you ha'e position. Cith medium strength hands, the best #ay to get 'alue is ne'er 'ery ob'ious. For e$ample, AA on a :;K board #ith t#o diamonds. 7b'iously, there are some #orse hands that might call a %lop bet (*<, any diamond dra# , and there are also many turn cards that you #ill not #ant to see. 6ut, in genaral, i% your opponent %olds to this bet, it #as almost al#ays a hand that you #ere a 2 or 802 %a'orite o'er. 3n additional problem is that many o% those Y#orse handsY #ill not ,ust call your %lop bet but #ill raise (see point 8 . Chether or not you bet a medium)strength hand should depend on the board te$ture and your opponent(s tendencies #ith the range o% hands that you are ahead o%, especially i% those tendencies are identical to #hen he holds hands that you are behind. /$a5s .here(s a 'ery good section on playing dra#s in &iller and S"lans"y(s NLH.aP, and I #ill not repeat all o% it, but important points are that the i% your dra# is not to the nuts, or is 'ery #ea", you should be more inclined to bet. Cith these holdings, the 'alue o% #inning the pot outright becomes much greater than simply hitting your dra#, because i% your dra# is 'ery #ea", you #on(t hit it 'ery o%ten, and i% your dra# is not to the nuts, you might lose a lot o% money i% you hit (or gain 'ery little %rom #orse hands . +$amples o% #ea" non)nut dra#s that you should be inclined to bet are0 bare o'ercards (these are sometimes the best hand, yes, but i% you are called, you are essentially on a *)out dra# , gutshot straight dra#s (i% you can pic" up the pot a good percentage o% the time, this ma"es up %or #inning big pots the rare times you hit, because you ,ust don(t hit 'ery o%ten , lo# %lush dra#s on paired boards (i% you hit, you #on(t get a lot o% action e$cept %rom the nut %lush or %ull houses, unless players are 'ery loose , and open)ended straight dra#s on t#o)tone %lops (again, i% you hit on a %lush card, you probably #on(t get a lot o% action . >ou #ould also, o% course, be inclined to bet 'ery strong dra#s, li"e the nut %lush dra# #ith t#o o'ercards, or open)ended)straight)%lush dra#s, or pairF%lushdra# combos (although i% your YpairY is the 3ce, then you should be more inclined to chec" because it is o%ten the best made hand and is not 'ulnerable to the %lush dra# %or ob'ious reasons . Cith non)nut dra#s, you should be a#are o% the possibility o% ma"ing your opponent sometimes %old a better dra# by %iring t#o (or sometimes three[ barrels, #hich, depending on your opponent, can ma"e you more inclined to bet. 7omplete )i$ 4nless you are gi'ing up on the pot entirely, or ha'e some reason to belie'e that a delayed blu%% #ill be more success%ul, I thin" you should ,ust about al#ays /)bet #ith complete air )) it(s one o% the reasons raising a #ide 'ariety o% hands pre)%lop is pro%itable at all. +) 3id .ou open in steal position< Players #ill gi'e you less credit %or a hand. .his might mean they are more li"ely to call you lightly (so you can get more 'alue %rom moderate)hands or it may mean that they are more li"ely to c1r lightly (ma"ing it hard to gain 'alue %rom #ea"1moderate hands by

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betting . 3lso, your opponents range %or calling you pre%lop is #ider #hen you steal %rom the /7 and 6utton. 3gain, depending on ho# the player plays #ith his hand range, and his perception o% your hand range, should in%luence your decisions on #hether to /)bet, #hether you #elcome a /1r, etc. #) =o6 much does getting check,raised suck< I% you ha'e 8 8 on an 3 8 * a little ,ig in %ront o% your monitor. I% you hold 3 < board and get chec")raised, you are probably doing

on the same board, that(s not so hot. Ho# about J

Notice that all those hands ha'e 'ery strong eBuity 's. the na"ed %lush dra#, but the 3< hand and especially the JJ hand suc" 's. most 3ces. In general, you really don(t #ant to be put in positions #here your hand is probably the best hand, but you #ill ha'e to %old because you might be crushed. Note that in many cases, the turn action changes things greatly. For one, players 'ery rarely try to c1r t#ice, and i% they do, they generally don(t c1r blu%% the turn #ith na"ed dra#s (most players #ould blu%% by betting a%ter the turn #as chec"ed through . So i% it is chec"ed to you on the turn, you can sa%ely 'alue bet, and you can usually %old to a c1r #ithout %eeling the least bit bad about it. I% it is bet to you on the turn, your hand is still o%ten best (because your opponent #ill be blu%%ing a good G o% the time, or Y'alue bettingY a #ea"er hand than"s to the #ea"ness you sho#ed on the %lop , but notice ho# 'ery o%ten your eBuity 's. most dra#s has gone #ay up. 6y the #ay, i% you chec" a hand li"e JJ on the abo'e %lop, resist the temptation to slo#) play i% you hit your 2)outer on the turn. .his is because the 'illain #ill sometimes be semi)blu%%ing, and #ill sometimes be betting an 3ce, and he is pretty unli"ely to put you on a set gi'en the %lop action, and in both cases he #ill 'ery li"ely call a big raise. 9) Are .ou making it eas. for Roe Tag or !ac 3onke. to pla. this hand< Let(s go bac" to the 3<2 rainbo# %lop. >ou(re ma"ing it pretty easy %or both players to play this %lop i% you pot it. .hey(ll probably ,ust %old anything less than an 3ce here. 4nless you are holding complete air or a set, this is ma"ing things too easy %or them, especially i% you ha'e position (almost regardless o% #hat made hand you hold . .here are certain made hands (88);; being the prime e$amples that bene%it greatly %rom a %lop li"e this, but other made hands (li"e KK)JJ and #ea" 3ces that really don(t #ant to ma"e things that easy %or ?illain, as they are #ay ahead o% 'illain(s non)3ce holdings. :) Are .ou in position< 3ll things considered, in a heads)up pot, I(m much more inclined to bet out o% position than in position #ith my made hands. It(s much harder to e$tract 'alue %rom medium strength hands (and easier to be blu%%ed o%% o% them , and the 'alue o% simply #inning the pot goes #ay up in comparison to the 'alue o% e$tracting another bet %rom #orse hands. >) "s this a re,raised pot<

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>ou shouldn(t al#ays bet in a re)raised pot. I% you ha'e a monster, the pot is big enough to get the money in on 8 streets. 3nd o%ten in re)raised pots, your bets are only going to be called by a 'ery narro# range o% hands, #hich is %ine i% you hold air, or i% you ha'e a set, or 33 on <:8 %lop, but not so hot i% you hold JJ on a IH$ %lop, or II on an 3<2 %lop.

*6

Some t#o(g#ts on "ontin(ation 3et siHing (Pant#$o)

&ost 2F2@ers are %amiliar #ith the :$66 F 661limper pre%lop betsi!ing methodology, but #hat about post %lopO -o #e al#ays bet the potO &in betO Sho'eO 7n one hand, i% you al#ays bet too much, you@re going to lose the most #hen your opponent calls #ith a hand that@s better than yours. 7n the other hand, #hen you al#ays bet too little, you@re o%%ering your opponent correct pot odds to continue #ith dra#ing hands and suc" out on you. 7b'iously, #e #ant our bet si!es to encourage our opponents to ma"e mista"es against us= 6ig mista"es= &ista"es that ma$imi!e our e$pectation. So ho# much do #e betO Chat %actors should #e consider be%ore si!ing our betsO In this article I plan on discussing some o% the more common methodologies regarding si!ing your continuation bets and some o% the ad'antages and disad'antages that accompany the 'arious tactics. Note that this article #ill not co'er the Qi%sR and Q#hen@sR to continuation bet, or #hat conditions ma"e a bet F+? or T+?, types o% 'illains or %lops to cbet, etc= I@ll lea'e that %or another time. 9ather, I@d li"e to %ocus e$plicitly on bet si!ing strategies and the rationales behind #hy #e may %ind it optimal to utili!e a speci%ic approach o'er another. It@s also #orth noting that I don@t consider any one strategy to be any more or less %a'orable than any other= .his #rite)up is simply an attempt to get people thin"ing as to #hy they@re betting a precise amount and the implications related #ith the si!e o% their bets in di%%erent situations. !ethodolog. I): Si ing .our bets based on the strength of .our hand Seems straight%or#ard enough= Chen you ha'e a strong hand, you #ant to ma$imi!e your #innings and play a big pot, and #hen you ha'e a #ea" hand, you #ant to minimi!e your losses and play a small pot. So you bet as the smallest amount your opponents #ill let you get a#ay #ith #hen you@re blu%%ing, and the largest amount you thin" your opponents #ill call #hen you ha'e a strong hand. 7n the one hand, ris"ing a large amount ,ust seems silly #hen you can bet smaller and achie'e the same result= 7n the %lip side, you@re losing a ton o% 'alue #hen you ma"e a small bet #hen your opponent #ould ha'e called a much larger bet. .heoretically, this approach #ould be almost %la#less and po"er #ould be much easier i% our bets someho# didn@t represent the actual strength o% our hand. .he ob'ious dra#bac" to using this tactic is that you become 'ery e$ploitable to obser'ant opponents, as they@ll soon reali!e that your bet si!ing represents the e$act strength o% your hand. 3 solid 'illain #ill correctly %old his marginal holding %acing your pot si!ed bet, and #ill interpret your smaller bets as #ea"ness and raise you o%% your hand, or %loat #ith the intention o% ta"ing the pot a#ay it a#ay on a later street. 6y telegraphing the strength o% your hand #ith the si!e o% your bet, you@re allo#ing your opponents to play per%ectly against you, and you@ll #onder #hy you al#ays get raised #hen you ha'e nothing and al#ays get %olds #hen you %lop the nuts. 4orks best against: Cea"er 'illains, 'illains #ho call pre%lop raises to play %it or %old, 'illains #ho don@t sho# aggression against #ea" bets #ithout a hand. 3isad-antages: 3gainst good1obser'ant 'illains you lose action on your big hands, and ha'e pots stolen %rom you #hen you sho# #ea"ness #ith small(er bets. Lac" o% balance.

!ethodolog. I+: Dar. .our bet si ing based on the te0ture of the board .he general idea being to 'ary your bet si!ing based on the te$ture o% the board(duh T bigger bets on more coordinated boards and smaller bets on less coordinated or dry boards. Since the te$ture o% the %lop impacts the shape o% the hand distributions, that is, hands that the board `hits@ are much greater on coordinated boards than on dry boards,

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#e ma"e our bets larger on dra#y boards and smaller on dry boards Since dry boards miss most hands, #e can bet a smaller amount (Wd to 218rds o% the pot that #ill o%ten achie'e the same result as a larger bet #ith less ris". 7n dra# hea'y boards that hit a #ide range o% hands, #e can ma"e larger bets (W218rds to the %ull si!e o% the pot to deny dra#ing hands proper odds to continue that a smaller bet may not ha'e. .his strategy is 'ery ad'antageous against the type o% 'illain #ho #ill raise smaller continuation bets #ith dra#ing hands sensing #ea"ness, but is more liable to %lat call a larger bet sensing strength. 3%ter all, the semi)blu%% can di%%icult to de%end against #ith marginal one pair type hands, and #e@d much pre%er our opponents to play passi'ely against us. 3lso, #hen #e ma"e large bets on dra#y boards #ith strong hands, #e@re anticipating getting a lot o% money in the middle be%ore the ri'er #hen many dra#ing hands in our opponents range become #orthless. It is also #orth mentioning that by using a bet si!e methodology that ad'ocates using consistent bet si!es relati'e to the te$ture o% the board and not your hole cards, you e%%ecti'ely disguise your hand to your opponents. Lets loo" at 8 e$amples0 a dry board, a some#hat coordinated board, and a 'ery coordinated board, and some bet si!es #e may decide to %ire into each pot. +$ample 20 a dry board Hero (6.N 0 S2EE S60 S2EE Preflop: Hero is dealt _, > (* Players , folds, Hero raises to S:, S6 calls S8.;, 22 folds &lop: (SK 3 2 A (2 Players S6 chec"s, Hero bets S;.;E +$ample 20 a middling dra#y board Hero (6.N 0 S2EE S60 S2EE Preflop: Hero is dealt _, > (* Players , folds, Hero raises to S:, S6 calls S8.;, 22 folds &lop: (SK A : K (2 Players S6 chec"s, Hero bets S< +$ample 80 a 'ery dra#y board Hero (6.N 0 S2EE S60 S2EE Preflop: Hero is dealt _, > (* Players , folds, Hero raises to S:, S6 calls S8.;, 22 folds &lop: (SK K I H (2 Players S6 chec"s, Hero bets SA 4orks best against: all 'illains. 3isad-antages: Small increase in losses #ith #ea"er hands1blu%%s %rom balancing bet si!ing #ith stronger hands and 'ice)'ersa.

!ethodolog. I#: Adjusting .our bet si ing based on the depth of the stacks

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relati-e to the si e of the pot Cithout di'ulging into too much theory, stac" si!es can help us e$trapolate an optimal percentage o% the pot to bet. .he #hole idea o% geometric gro#th (credit M)he 0athematics of Go erN is essentially betting a consistent percentage o% the pot on each street to get our e%%ecti'e stac" `all in@ com%ortably by the ri'er, a concept critical to success in NLH+. It should seem ob'ious that #hen #e %lop a monster, #e #ant to get as much money as possible in the middle to ma$imi!e our #innings. 7ne o% the most important aspects o% stac" si!es in NLH+ is ho# they a%%ect implied odds. Chen #e ad,ust our bet si!ing based on the e%%ecti'e stac" si!es, #e can reduce our opponents implied odds to call bets on early streets #ith in%erior hands in hopes o% dra#ing to a better hand. 3lso, i% #e assume 2EE66 e%%ecti'e stac"s, it does ma"e a lot o% sense #hy #e #ould pre%er to bet a smaller percentage o% the pot #hen the pot is large, and a larger percentage o% the pot #hen the pot is small, both %rom a practical and mathematical standpoint. 3 really really basic e$ample0 Hero (6.N 0 S222 S60 S2EE Preflop: Hero is dealt _, > (* Players , folds, Hero raises to S:, S6 calls S8.;, 22 folds In this e$ample, the pot is SK and the e%%ecti'e stac" si!es are S22< (28 times the si!e o% the pot , so betting 2EEG o% the pot on all three streets should get our stac" all in by the ri'er. &lop: (SK A ; H (2 Players S6 chec"s, Hero bets SK, S6 calls. Turn: (S2< 8 (2 Players S6 chec"s, Hero bets S2<, S6 calls. 'i-er: (SA2 I (2 Players S6 chec"s, Hero bets SA2 and is all)in Lastly, I should point out that ponicarau$ made a cool #rite)up entitled 5et it in #here he mentions similar concepts. 4orks best against: all 'illains. 3isad-antages: Small increase in losses #ith #ea"er hands1blu%%s %rom balancing bet si!ing #ith stronger hands. Not al#ays optimal1%easible #ith deeper stac"s.

!ethodolog. I9: Al6a.s bet the pot &any 461F.@ers religiously use the Qbet potR button to si!e their bets. 6y ma"ing the same si!ed bets relati'e to the si!e o% the pot, you again completely disguise your hand to your opponents. 3gainst #ea"er1passi'e players, al#ays betting the pot seems optimal because you build bigger pots #hen you@re the aggressor, and you can set yoursel% up %or larger bets on later streets #ith strong hands. Cea")tight players #ill gi'e up easier against you "no#ing they@ll be %acing large pot si!ed bets on e'ery street. .he dra#bac" o% this approach is that consistently building large pots results in 'ery high 'ariance, especially %or a L35 #ho is playing a high number o% marginal holdings. Since the pots are bigger, you #ill o%ten %ind yoursel% %acing di%%icult situations #ith medium strength hands, as building big pots against aggressi'e opponents #ho #ill chec")raise #ith air and dra#s and try to push you o%% your hand can get e$pensi'e. 3lso, playing big

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pots regardless o% hand strength reduces your ability to utili!e pot control, as e'ery pot you play in as the aggressor #ill be o% the same si!e (number o% opponents is rele'ant here . Lastly, by al#ays betting pot you@re ris"ing a lot to #in a little #hen you@re blu%%ing. 4orks best against: all 'illains 3isad-antages: Higher 'ariance= Small increase in losses #ith #ea"er hands1blu%%s %rom balancing bet si!ing #ith stronger hands.

!ethodolog. I:: Al6a.s bet 0F of the pot7 6here 0 is some fi0ed predefined number I@ll re%er to this as the multitabelers theorem because many 2F2@ers use a bet pot script to handle their bet si!ing. .hey usually ha'e it set up to bet some arbitrary percentage based on the current si!e o% the pot (o%ten in the neighborhood o% *EG to 2EEG depending on pre%erence . 3s #ith the pre'ious methodology, it can be 'ery di%%icult1impossible %or opponents to deduce the strength o% your hand i% you@re al#ays ma"ing the same si!e bet #hether you@'e hit the %lop or not. Cith a smaller continuation bet si!e than the `bet pot@ ad'ocacy, you can ta"e a stab at more pots #hile ris"ing a smaller amount o% chips. &ost o% the same disad'antages associated #ith the a%orementioned bet pot methodology are apparent in this theorem. 4orks best against: all 'illains. 3isad-antages: Small increase in losses #ith #ea"er hands1blu%%s %rom balancing bet si!ing #ith stronger hands and 'ice)'ersa.

!ethodolog. I>: %-erbetting the pot &a"ing a large o'erbet doesn@t ha'e to #or" all that o%ten %or it to be a pro%itable play. Some opponents #ill interpret your o'erbet as #ea"ness or a blu%% and call do#n #ith a marginal hand. 4sing this strategy e$tracts ma$imum 'alue %rom `calling stations@ #ho #on@t %old #ith any piece o% the board, and the so called `chasers@ #ho #on@t %old any "ind o% dra# on any street. >ou can e$tract a large amount o% chips be%ore the ri'er #hen missed dra#s become #orthless and induce ri'er blu%%s %rom 'illains #ho ha'e missed their dra#s and %ind themsel'es pot committed. I@'e had some success using this strategy a%ter losing a large pot #hen my opponents percei'e me to be on tilt, or in blind battles #here opponents al#ays thin" an aggressi'e player is F7S and trying to buy the pot. 4orks best against: Cea" players, calling stations, chasers, 'illains #ho don@t li"e to %old, 'illains #ho li"e to ma"e hero calls and pic" o%% blu%%s. 3isad-antages: 6igger bets may lose action #hen a smaller bet #ould not ha'e. 6alancing o'erbetting strong made hands #ith #ea"er hands1blu%%s can be di%%icult and1or suboptimal.

!ethodolog. I?: Adjust .our bet si ing on the objecti-e .ouJre tr.ing to achie-e )) credit 9ay bee, soah and a %e# other HSNL1&SNL 2F2@ers .he idea being to ad,ust your bets to manipulate your opponents into playing not only the pot si!e o% your choosing, but the actions you may #ant your opponents to ta"e

8=

against you. Sometimes you #ant to bet smaller #hen 77P to price yoursel% into seeing cheap cards, or to pic" up the pot #ith minimal ris", or to induce a raise= 7r bet larger to %orce your opponents to %old, or at the 'ery least %orce them into a di%%icult decision as to #hether or not they should continue #ith the hand. 3s an e$ample, #e might choose to ma"e smaller d pot bets #hen you #ant action or #ant to induce a raise, and bet the pot #hen you don@t #ant action or #ant to discourage opponents %rom ma"ing plays or calling do#n lightly. .he disad'antage o% any comple$ bet si!ing methodology is that our opponents may or may not construe the in%ormation #e had hoped to associate #ith our bet si!es as #e ha'e intended. Say %or e$ample, #e ma"e a bet o% si!e 3 because #e #ant our opponent to ta"e action _= In response our opponent may instead decide to ta"e action > because they interpret our bet o% si!e 3 much di%%erently than a bet o% si!e 6, despite the %act that #e anticipated this opponent to be much less li"ely to ta"e action > o'er action _ i% #e made a bet o% 'alue 3 instead o% 'alue 6. Still #ith meO 7J, enough theory mumbo ,umbo, let@s loo" at a really simple e$ample #here #e might be able to manipulate our opponents into ta"ing speci%ic actions against us by 'arying our bet si!es. Hand 20 Hero (4.5 0 S2EE 6.N0 S2EE Preflop: Hero is dealt . , . (* Players Hero raises to S:, 2 folds, 6.N calls S:, 2 folds &lop: (SK.;E A 8 Hero bets S;.;E^ 3 (2 Players

Ce@ll play the role o% hero, a 2A12: thin"ing .35 #ho uses a highly 'aried bet si!ing methodology. Ce open 4.5 open get called by the 2E12E button. In our short history, #e 'ie# the button as an aggressi'e 'illain #ho is capable o% ma"ing a mo'e. Cith a dry 3ce high %lop, #e decide to ma"e slightly o'er hal% pot si!e continuation bet e$pecting the button to %old all #orst hands and call or raise all better hands. &lop: (SK.;E A 8 3 (2 Players Hero bets S;.;E, 6.N raises S2E +asy %old rightO Cell, maybe. /ould the button ha'e interpreted our Wd pot si!ed bet as #ea"nessO Could a 218rds or near pot si!ed bet be more su%%icient in representing a strong handO Could the button be less li"ely to ma"e a play %acing a larger betO In the actual hand hero %olded, the on collected the pot and e$posed his hole cards, H . So #hat ha'e learned %rom this handO .he actions ta"en by this particular 'illain may or may not ha'e been pre,udiced by the si!e o% our bet. &aybe the button #as planning on ma"ing a play regardless o% our bet si!e, and maybe he #asn@t. Ne'ertheless, it is something to "eep in mind. 7n to the ne$t meeting^ Hand 20 (same 'illain Hero (4.5 0 S2EE 6.N0 S2EE Preflop: Hero is dealt 3 , I (* Players Hero raises to S:, 2 folds, 6.N calls S:, 2 folds &lop: (SK.;E ; J . (2 Players I

Hero bets SA^ In this hand, #e ha'e a read that this 'illain may ha'e interpreted our smaller continuation bet as #ea"ness, so #e ad,ust by ma"ing a larger bet #ith a hand that #e don@t necessarily #ant action #ith. &lop: (SK.;E ; J . Hero bets SA, 6.N %olds. (2 Players

.he button %olds and hero collects the pot. Ce no# ha'e a stronger suspicion that this 'illain may percei'e our smaller continuation bets as #ea"ness and larger continuation bets as strength, and #e intend to e$ploit our read by manipulating our opponent into ma"ing a mista"e. No# again, this may or may not be the case= &aybe the button decided to %old in this hand gi'en he recently made a play against us, or maybe he had a timing tell and %elt #e #ere stronger in this hand than in the pre'ious one. Ho#e'er, in a game #ith no absolutes, #e still plan on e$perimenting #ith our ne#ly gained in%ormation in an e%%ort to si!e our bets to incite speci%ic responses against this opponent in the %uture. Hand 80 (same 'illain Hero (4.5 0 S2EE 6.N0 S2EE Preflop: Hero is dealt < , < (* Players Hero raises to S:, 2 folds, 6.N calls S:, 2 folds &lop: (SK.;E < H Hero bets S;.;E^ 2 (2 Players

4sing pre'ious history and our read on 'illain, #e can no# ma"e the same small continuation bet #e made bac" in hand 2 in an attempt to induce either a call %rom a #ea" hand or a blu%% raise. &lop: (SK.;E < H 2 (2 Players Hero bets S;.;E, 6.N raises S2E, Hero calls S2:.;E. Turn: (S:K.;E J (2 Players Hero chec"s, 6.N bets S8A, Hero raises all)in, 6.N calls all)in. Ship it. 6utton muc"s J . and hero collects the pot.

No# ob'iously, our static strategy #on@t #or" %ore'er on this particular 'illain, so #e@ll need to ma"e continuous ad,ustments. .he ne$t time #e %lop a strong hand #e might ma"e a larger bet, or ma"e a smaller bet #hen #e@re blu%%ing. .he idea is to ad,ust better than your opponent does, and yet still be able to manipulate them into doing #hat you #ant them to do. -o note, that #ith this simple illustration #e@'e only begun to scratch the sur%ace in reali!ing ho# po#er%ul a highly 'aried bet si!ing methodology can be. Ce@re not necessarily al#ays trying to decei'e our opponents #ith our bet si!es, but rather, betting an amount that ma$imi!es our e$pectation #hich is the si!e o% our opponent@s possible mista"e times the chance he #ill ma"e that mista"e (S"lans"y, &iller= NLH+.3P= p;< . 4orks bets against: 'illains #ho #e ha'e a 'ery good read on. 3isad-antages: 6y 'arying our bet si!es based on a speci%ic set o% ob,ecti'es, #e may %ace di%%icult decisions on later streets as opponents reactions may or may not be in%luenced by the si!e o% our bets. 9eBuires constant adaptation.

8)

.here are some things I ha'en@t co'ered that are #orth noting, such as ad,usting bet si!ing based on your opponents estimated hand ranges, ad,usting your bet si!ing based on position, number o% opponents, your image, history, etc= Feel %ree to add any thoughts1criticisms.

83

/O.!LE !)**EL4NG (o$ange)

Hey guys, Hust thought I(d #rite a little something. %n 3ouble (arreling: .his is a concept not #idely used in uNL or e'en SSNL. It is a 'ery common play in &SNLF, #here the aggression is much higher and more %reBuent than those games that #e play. It can be an e%%ecti'e play used in many di%%erent manners. 4hat is 3ouble (arreling< -ouble 6arreling is e$actly that. Firing t#o barrels. .he purposes can be 'ery many) %rom pure blu%%ing against a suspected %loat or semi)blu%%ing #ith a nice dra#, the double barrel is e%%ecti'e. 4hen double barreling: )Ce mi$ our ranges so that #hen #e bet the turn a%ter raising PF1betting the %lop, our hand is N7. al#ays the nuts1strong hand. 7ur ranges are #ider and there%ore harder to read. )3long #ith that, #e gain more action to #hen #e -7 actually ha'e a hand. )Chen applied correctly to certain players, #e either dictate the action and set oursel'es odds in #hich #e #ould not ha'e recei'ed (#hen double barreling dra#s and enable oursel'es another chance at #inning the pot other than impro'ing. Some e0amples of double barreling: (3ssume all situations are 2EE66s1*ma$ . .he %irst and 'ery standard one0 >ou open $$ in the /7, 66 calls, all else %old. Flop0 . 2 K 66 chec"s, >ou bet, 66 calls .urn0 31J1paint 66 chec"s, >ou bet, he %olds. .his is pretty much the standard double barrel line. Ce bet because the paint changed the board and there%ore hand 'alues. 3 'illain should be much stronger i% your betting (and repping that paint card (and should %ear a ri'er bet i% he calls . .his is a 'ery standard double barreling line used against all opponents. 3s you mo'e in limits, this common "no#ledge can be e$ploited (ie. calling much #ider, blu%% raising the double barrel because you "no# the opponent #ould double on this board nearly e'erytime, etc . 6ut %or no#, this is still a nice play, and one that /3N be used %or 'alue too (ie. ha'ing 3J on that such board and betting the turn . >our raise 3 J to :$bb. >ou get a .35 caller on the button, all else %old.

(2Ebb Flop0 . * * >ou bet *bb, he calls

8:

(22bb 2 >ou bet 2;bb, and he %olds. Notes0 .his is a common line used most against .35gy regulars. .his play is o%ten used against more competent players as don"eys #ill continue to call #ith << and other marginal hands. 3s o% PF1%lop action, #e can generally narro# .35(s hand range to a pp or some %loat. 6y double barreling, #e generally %old out better hands against a 'ery predictable range. .he .35 should be thin"ing Yhe "no#s that the turn changed nothing, #hy is he bettingO He must be strongY a80 >ou raise 3 < , 6utton calls, all else %old. He is an un"no#n player.

(2Ebbs Flop0 : . J >ou bet Abb, He calls. (2*bb .urn0 2 >ou bet 2<bb .here are a %e# reasons #hy double barreling on these boards is nice. >ou set your o#n price %or a dra#, one that your opponent may not ha'e gi'en you. >ou also enable yoursel% another chance to #in the pot other than impro'ing (as stated earlier, and also the de%inition o% a semi)blu%% . In /9, 5P states that J high boards are e$cellent ones to double barrel on, simply because you are representing a ton o% strength. 3s stated earlier, your hand range is #idened ) many times, you #ould be double barreling #ith 3J and the li"e in this spot. .ry e$changing 3 < #ith 3J1a set1IH and you still may 'ery #ell be double barreling. &i$ing your strong hands #ith dra#s is an essential s"ill that e'ol'es into ;th le'el thin"ing in the HSNL games (ie. bet si!ing1etc . 6etting the turn ma"es ri'er play 5+N+93LL> pretty easy. I% your opponent is one that #ill %old to aggression, you can triple barrel at times. I% he(s determined and #illing to go %ar #ith this hand, you can c1%) (probably the best selection %or those in uNL . 3nother instance in #hich it might be nice to double #ith a dra# is #hen you pic" up a dra# on the turn. >ou open * < someone calls.

Flop0 . 2 : >ou bet, he calls .urn0 A >ou should bet 3gain, it goes along #ith the semiblu%%ing thing. Sorry, %orgot to add this little snipit (edit , one thing I %orgot. .here are many more instances in #hich double barreling is e%%ecti'e, these are ,ust a %e#. .hin" %or yoursel% on some other spots and share them.

85

GE- 4- 4N (poin"a$a(x)
LNote0 I started #riting this up, and then got busy. It(s still probably too long)#inded %or many people to actually read it, but I thought the +? calculations in the middle #ere pretty enlightening. /li%%(s notes0 bet moreM In another thread yesterday, :]2]it said
Iuote0

Chen you %lop a monster the %irst thing you should do is loo" at stac" si!es and %igure out #hat si!e bets on each street gets e'erything in the middle.

I('e thought about this be%ore, and I thin" about it sometimes during the hands, but not enough. I #rote this up on the %ly, and hadn(t really thought so e$plicitly about this stu%% be%ore, so please gi'e me some %eedbac". .he basic idea is that, #hen #e %lop a monster, #e #ant to thin" about lines that #ill get as much o% our stac" in the middle as possible. Ideally, i% there(s money le%t to bet on the ri'er, #e #ant the pot to be bigger than our stac". .he bigger the pot is, the easier it is %or the 'illain to ma"e a crying call. Let(s thin" about t#o standard lines0 %ne -illain7 normal stacks7 hero raises in position pre,flop I play a lot o% hands that are e%%ecti'ely li"e this. .o ma"e the numbers easy, let(s say it(s S2EENL, *)ma$ and this happens0 Preflop: 4.5 limps, Hero raises to S:, 4.5 calls, e'eryone else %olds. &lop: (S2E, 2 players, stac"s SK; . %ne bet per street7 hero flops the nuts and 6ants to get all the mone. in* .he t#o hands that made me thin" about this #ere hands #here Hero had 3ce)rag suited and %lopped the nut %lush. Chat are the linesO I% there(s only one bet per street, I thin" the standard 2F2 lines are pot)it)all)the)#ay) baby and 81:)on)the)%lop)218)on)the)turn. pot)pot gi'es us S8E in the pot and SA; in our stac" on the turn and SKE in the pot, S;; in our stac" #hen #e see the ri'er, and #e(re as"ing 'illain to put in a little more than 212)pot on the ri'er. 81:)pot, 218)pot has us betting S<.;E on the %lop, seeing the turn #ith S2; in the pot and SA<.;E in our stac"s, betting S2< on the turn and ending up at the ri'er #ith S<E in our stac" and S*E in the pot.

Ho# much are they #orth So, there(s a XhugeX di%%erence bet#een those t#o lines. Let(s say, %or instance, that 'illain has don")certi%ied calling hand against you, li"e .P.J. He(ll probably call reasonable)si!ed bets, but be less li"ely to call an o'erbet. Let(s see ho# he stac"s up (ha[[[ against the t#o lines. 3gainst the 81:,218 line, let(s say he(ll al#ays call the %lop, call the turn AEG o% the time, but only call the ri'er o'erbet ;EG o% the time. Ce(ll analy!e things %rom the %lop on. .hen, our +? is

86

2.EX(2E F <.; F E.AX(2< F E.;X(<E

= G:A.

For the pot)pot line, let(s say he(ll al#ays call the %lop. Similarly, he(ll al#ays call the ri'er i% he gets there because there(s so much money in the pot. Chat(s our +? i% he(ll %old the turn more o%ten, thoughO Let(s say he %olds the turn a lot, li"e ;EG o% the time. .hen our +? is 2.EX(2E F 2E F E.;X(8E F ;; = G>+*:. It turns out that he only has to call :*G o% the time on the turn %or the lines to ha'e the same +?. Chat i% he(s a more typical calling)station "ind o% guy and calls more li"e <EG o% the time on the turnO .hen our +? is G@B. .hat(s 218 more money than #e #ere ma"ing #ith the smaller bets. Intuiti'ely, you can see that the 'illain #ill ha'e to be a XlotX more li"ely to %old to the pot)pot line be%ore #e start using the 81:,218 line. In practice, this means that I(m much more li"ely to go pot)pot on scary boards, either because I ha'e the scary hand, or because I don(t #ant 'illains dra#ing to it.

So, unless you thin" that 'illain is sa''y enough to ma"e some real ad,ustments based on the 'arious lines you ta"e, you should be betting Buite a bit #hen you ha'e a great hand. .he "ey is thin"ing ahead on the early streets. Ce #ant to set things up so that, #hen the 'illain decides he(ll call a 212)pot bet on the ri'er, that 212)pot bet is a lot o% money. Pots gro# e$ponentially, so betting ,ust a little more early on can ma"e a big di%%erence later on. Cith shorter stac"s, you #on(t be able to ma"e si!eable bets on all streets. 3s stac"s get deeper, this concept gets more important. Cith big hands, I usually try to sBuee!e out as much 'alue as I possibly can on the early streets, because it ma"es it that much easier to get more 'alue on the later streets. Hust so that you don(t ha'e to #or" it out on the %ly, i% there(s S2E in the pot on the %lop, pot)pot)pot bets #ill be bets o% S2E, S8E and SKE, and #e(ll get about S28E o% your stac" in. .hat is, i% it(s going to go pot)pot)pot, you can get )#0 the pre)%lop money in. I% it(s going to go pot)pot)212pot, the bets #ill be S2E, S8E, S:;, and #e(ll get SA; in, so you can get A.;$ the pre)%lop money in. I% it(s going to go 81:, 218, 212, the bets #ill be S<.;, S2<, S8E and #e(ll get S;: in, so you can get about ;$ the pre)%lop money in that #ay. So, i% #e ha'e %ull stac"s and #ant to get it in, 81:, 218, 212 isn(t good enough. Chy am I %ocusing on smaller bets on the ri'erO Cell, it(s Buite possible that, in situations li"e this, he(ll ha'e an 7J hand #ith a dra# that missed on the ri'er. I #ant most o% the money in be%ore then so that he can ma"e a crying call. !ore than one bet per street Chen #e %lop a monster, #e can run into a lot o% situations #here the 'illain has a good dra#. In that situation, it(s li"ely that #e can get more than one bet in per street. .hen again, those e$tra bets are usually on the %lop. 3 lot o% that trans%ers pretty easily #hen you start thin"ing about b8b, cr, etc. .he "ey is to thin" Yi% I bet this much, the pot #ill be that much on the ne$t street and the stac" si!es #ill be blah blah.Y

8*

I% there(s S2E in the pot, and it goes bet)raise on the %lop, you might get S2E in on the %lop. I% it goes pot)call, pot)call a%ter that, you(ll put in S;E on the turn and S2;E on the ri'er, getting S22E o% your stac" in. So, #hen you(re playing against someone #ho has a 2$ stac", it(s important to raise early on to set things up to get the stac"s in later on. (Ce(ll o%ten #ant to bet less on the ri'er, though . Hmmn .. that sounds li"e the hand %rom the post I re%erred to earlier0
Iuote0

4.5 (S2*.A2 &P (S8E.;E /7 (SK.<; Hero (S8A.*2 S6 (S:2.:K 66 (S:<.2E Preflop: Hero is 6utton #ith 3 , 2 . S6 posts a blind o% SE.2E. . folds, Hero raises to S2, 1 fold, 66 calls SE.<;. &lop: (S2.2E K , I , . (2 players 66 bets S2, Hero raises to S2, 66 calls S2. Turn: (S*.2E < (2 players 66 bets S8.E8, Hero raises to S<, 66 calls S8.K<. 'i-er: (S2E.2E H 66 chec"s.H+97O (2 players

So, hero ends up #ith S8E in his stac" and S2E in the pot, ma"ing it pretty hard to get the rest in. In this speci%ic case, there #as some history, and 'illain #as pretty li"ely to thin" he #as getting pushed around, so a push %rom the hero got a stubborn call. Hust %or %un, though, let(s see ho# this #ould ha'e played out #ith bigger bets0 I% hero ma"es about a pot)si!ed raise on the %lop, it #ill loo" li"e &lop: (S2.2E K , I , . (2 players 66 bets S2, Hero raises to S:, 66 calls S8. No#, e'en i% 'illain goes into chec")call mode, Turn: (S2E.2E < (2 players 66 chec"s, Hero bets to S2E, 66 calls S2E. 3nd #e see the ri'er #ith S8E in the pot and S28 in our stac".

88

PL)04NG 6.N, F*OM L)-E POS4-4ON (tannen<)

&y current ?PIP1PF9 stats0 4.50 22122. &P0 22122. /70 2212E. 6.N0 8E12<. &y attempt to steal blinds percentage0 82. .he last %i'e numbers used to be e'en higher #hen I #as playing a higher 'ariance style= I@m sure many good players can pro'ide numbers higher than these. Note ho# sharply the numbers ,ump %rom &P to /7, and %rom /7 to 6.N. Cinning players generally ma"e most o% their money %rom late position (cuto%% and button . From late position, I@ll o%ten raise #ith anything suited, anything connected, and i% conditions are right, any t#o cards. 4h. 3o "t< In order o% importance0 2. .o steal the blinds0 .here@s little reason %or me to elaborate much on this= Po"ey co'ered all the details (and more in his thread. .he gist o% it is that stealing blinds = SSS= i% you chec" Po"er.rac"er, you@ll see that your P.6612EE s"yroc"ets #hen you attempt to steal the blinds. I% you #ant to steal the blinds 2;, 8E, 8; percent o% the time that you@re on the button, you ha'e to be #illing to raise 2;, 8E, 8; percent o% the hands you@re dealt %rom this position (actually, the percentages are e'en higher, because P. only registers a blind steal attempt i% there are no limpers to you . I% you #ant to raise 8E percent o% your hands %rom the button, you@re gonna ha'e to raise some absolute ,un". 2. Position ma"es it pro%itable to play many more hands0 I%, in theory, it@s pro%itable to play _G o% hands 4.5 at a *ma$ game, then it #ill be pro%itable to play _F>G (>PE o% the hands you@re dealt on the button. Position is a H45+ ad'antage= ob'iously, this is not a ne# concept %or SSNL. 8. .able image1metagame (this is less important than the abo'e t#o reasons, but still #orthy o% a mention in my opinion 0 Chen #ea" players see you sho# do#n <;o a%ter raising pre%lop %rom the button, they@ll thin" you@re a %ish and gi'e you action the ne$t time you raise aces 4.5. Stronger players might reali!e you@re positionally a#are, but 3 sometimes you@ll get aces on the button, 6 i% they suspect you@re playing a bunch o% ,un" %rom late position and decide to tangle #ith you #ithout hands, guess #hatO In general, neither o% you #ill ha'e hands, and you@ll ha'e position a%ter the %lop comes, and / at SSNL, strong players are &4/H less common than #ea" players. 4hen To 3o "t< 2. 4se P. stats0 I% you@re on the button, use the statistics QFolds 66 to stealR and QFolds S6 to stealR to e'aluate the pre%lop tendencies o% the players in the blinds. It is notable that you can only get these statistics in your hud i% you ha'e Po"er 3ce Hud. .his is one o% many reasons to upgrade i% you@re using 5ame.ime Plus, but that@s an issue that probably deser'es its o#n thread. In general, the more these players are relinBuishing their blinds, the better, but this doesn@t necessarily mean I #on@t steal i% I e$pect to be called. I%, say, I@m on the button, the S6 is a nit #ho %olds his blind to steals e'ery time, and the bb is a

8<

*;1212 %ish #ho 3 rarely %olds his blind and 6 rarely %olds post%lop, I@ll raise to isolate the %ish #ith almost any t#o cards. I% you@re in the /7, you@ll still #ant to glance at the percentage o% time the blinds %old to steals, but you@ll also #ant to loo" at the percentage o% time the button calls a pre%lop raise. In the past, I@'e been guilty o% not paying enough attention to this statistic= i% the player on the button is constantly calling raises pre%lop and has a reasonable post%lop game, it ma"es sense to cut do#n on the ,un" you@re playing %rom the /7. 2. 4se non)statistical reads0 &aybe you@re on the button, and the players in the blinds tend to de%end their blinds by calling pre%lop, but tend to shut do#n i% they miss post%lop. In a case li"e this, it@s pro%itable to raise (and continuation bet, o% course #ith any t#o cards. &aybe e%%ecti'e stats are deep, and neither o% the tags in the blinds li"es to %old to steals, but both o% them ha'e a tendency to o'er'alue top pair, o'erpairs, etc. I@ll be much more li"ely to raise #ith ,un" in a spot li"e this than #ith 2EEbb stac"s against players in the blinds #hom I respect. I could spend time coming up #ith more e$amples= the bottom line is that it@s not di%%icult to %ind Qe$cusesR to play more hands i% you@re a thin"ing player and #ill ha'e position throughout the hand. =o6 To Pla. 4ith ;our Runk After The &lop C39NIN50 N7. +?+N /L7S+ .7 S3F+ F79 C79J 6ut seriously, #hen I came up #ith the idea %or this post, I intended %or this section to be the meat o% it. Playing ,un" %rom late position is easy #hen you pop it up pre%lop, e'eryone %olds, and you get the blinds. 6ut sometimes you@ll get a caller or t#o. Chat %ollo#s is a list o% the situations in #hich you@ll %ind yoursel% #hen you raise %rom late position #ith a not)so)great hand and get called, and %abricated hands designed to illustrate the #ritten principles. For simpli%ication, I@ll assume that there@s one 'illain per hand, that the 'illain #on@t 8bet pre%lop, that he #on@t don"bet the %lop, and that stac"s are al#ays 2EE 66s. .his is ob'iously unrealistic, but this article is theoretical in nature. Note that I ordered the three categories in this list in a #ay that I thin" proceeds %rom easiest to hardest to play, and also in a #ay that I thin" proceeds %rom least interesting to most interesting0 )* ;ou hit the flop hard (t6o pair7 trips7 set7 straight7 flush7 boat7 1uads7 ro.al flush7 big dra6): >ou luc"ed out #ith your ,un", and it@s time to get the 'illain@s monies. Slo#playing can be a reasonable option once in a #hile #hen 3 you ha'e the board crippled and your hand is beastly enough to let the 'illain catch up #ithout ha'ing to #orry about being outdra#n, or 6 the 'illain is a thin"ing player and you #ant to thro# him a cur'eball %or shania@s sa"e. 6ut in general, you %lopped huge and #ant to get some money in the pot. Po"er at its core is about playing big pots #ith big hands. >ou ha'e a big hand, so start building the pot. 6et, bet, bet is usually the play here. I% a scare card hits, you@ll #ant to slo# do#n sometimes= this is read)dependent, o% course. S21S2 No Limit Hold(em 9ing 5ame * Players LegoPo"er Hand /on'erter Stack Si es S60 SChate'er 660 S2EE 4.50 SNot

<=

&P0 S?ery /70 S9ele'ant Hero (6.N 0 S2EE Preflop: ; : (+.( * players) L)B folds, 0G folds, DE folds, Hero raises to S<, J2 folds, 66 calls S; +'eryone %olded to you. >ou don@t ha'e to do it e'ery time, but this is a good spot to try to pic" up the blinds. &lop: ; 3 : (+1-( 2 players) 66 chec"s, Hero bets S28, 66 calls S28 7ne caller. .hat@s about the best %lop you can as" %or. .he board has t#o diamonds, and I didn@t pro'ide a read on the 'illain, so there@s no reason to slo#play. I li"e a bet o% close to the pot because the board is dra#y. Turn: H (+,1( 2 players) 66 chec"s, Hero bets S8;, 66 calls S8; Same logic as abo'e, really. 7ur hand is 'ulnerable, but at this point it@s almost al#ays the best hand, so bombs a#ay. 'i-er: * (+111( 2 players) 66 chec"s, Hero bets S<A, 22 folds 6et si!e is pre%erence. Since there@s no need to protect anymore, it@s reasonable to ma"e a smaller bet. I ha'e sho'ed in these spots be%ore, though. S21S2 No Limit Hold(em 9ing 5ame * Players LegoPo"er Hand /on'erter Stack Si es S60 SChate'er 660 S2EE 4.50 SNot &P0 S?ery /70 S9ele'ant Hero (6.N 0 S2EE Preflop: A * (+.( * players) L)B folds, 0G folds, DE folds, Hero raises to S<, J2 folds, 66 calls S; 6linds, position, metagame, etc. &lop: * H * (+1-( 2 players) 66 chec"s, Hero bets S22, 66 raises to S2K, Hero calls S2A Chen the board is dra#less, I tend to continuation bet a bit smaller. >um, he raised. >ou@re not a%raid o% being outdra#n (he has t#o outs at most , so call and let him thin" continue to thin" his 3H is the best hand or %ire another barrel #ith air. It@s possible that he has something li"e 3*, but #hen you raise pre%lop #ith a * in your hand and %lop trips #ith it, you@re not %olding the hand #hen the stac"s are this si!e. Turn: . (+7.( 2 players)

<

66 bets S*E, Hero sho'es, 22 folds .he turn #as another diamond and pro'ided air li"e JI and 3I #ith straight dra#s, so he there@s a small possibility that he has some outs no#. I can see ,ust calling any#ay )) and I@d do it %airly o%ten, especially #ith the right read )) but sho'ing is a bit sa%er and per%ectly reasonable. 9ead0 .he 'illain in the %ollo#ing hand is a le'el one thin"er #ith no handreading s"ills. He plays at about 2;1K12.;, and has a tendency to call big bets #ith dra#s, to go too %ar #ith top pair, etc. S21S2 No Limit Hold(em 9ing 5ame * Players LegoPo"er Hand /on'erter Stack Si es S60 SChate'er 660 S2EE 4.50 SNot &P0 S?ery /70 S9ele'ant Hero (6.N 0 S2EE Preflop: . < (+.( * players) L)B folds, 0G folds, DE folds, Hero raises to S<, J2 folds, 66 calls S; See abo'e. &lop: 2 K A (+1-( 2 players) 66 chec"s, Hero bets S28, 66 calls S28 >ou %lopped an open)ended straight %lush dra#, #hich is a %a'orite o'er any hand e$cept a set (and e'en against a set, it has about :2G eBuity . It@s possible that the 'illain has you in bad shape #ith something li"e J H , but it@s un#ise to #orry about that= you should thin" o% your hand as an absolute monster. >ou #ant to thro# out on a continuation bet on the %lop because you ha'e an eBuity ad'antage o'er the 'illain@s range and you #ant to build the pot. I% you get raised, you@re sho'ing. I% you get called and hit on the turn, you@re ma"ing another big bet. I% you get called and miss on the turn, both betting and chec"ing are reasonable= the better the 'illain, the better an option betting becomes, in my opinion. .his is the case because a good player #ill generally raise a #et %lop li"e this #ith a big hand, and i% a good player doesn@t ha'e a big hand, he #on@t call a turn bet. Sidenote )) it@s important at this point to clari%y #hat I meant abo'e #hen I used the phrase Qbig dra#.R +'eryone "no#s #hat the terms t#o pair, trips, set, straight, %lush, boat, Buads, and royal %lush mean, but the phrase Qbig dra#R is some#hat ambiguous. 3n 7+SF- #ill al#ays be a big dra#, but ho# about an open)ended straight dra#, a %lush dra#, a gutshot and t#o o'ercards, etc.O 3 Qbig dra#,R %or the purpose o% this article, is ,ust a dra# that you@re #illing to %elt on the %lop. .his is hea'ily dependent on reads and %lo#, o% course= it@s more o% a Q%eelR thing than a science. Turn: I (+,1( 2 players) 66 chec"s, Hero chec"s. 7ur read indicates that chec"ing is probably better than betting in this spot. Ce@re not con%ident that the 'illain #ill %old to a bet, and our hand no longer has an eBuity ad'antage o'er a pair. 6etting is good because it disguises your hand, but the 'illain is

<)

only thin"ing on one le'el and #ill probably pay o%% a ri'er bet i% you hit any#ay. /hec"ing does carry the disad'antage o% ma"ing it impossible to stac" the 'illain i% #e hit on the ri'er, but rarely in po"er are there %la#less plays. 'i-er: J (+,1( 2 players) 66 chec"s, Hero bets S8E, 66 calls S8E .ime to 'alue bet. 9ead0 .he 'illain in the %ollo#ing hand is 'ery aggressi'e post%lop and li"es to raise your continuation bets #ith a #ide 'ariety o% hands. He@s a solid player, though, and has respect %or your play. S21S2 No Limit Hold(em 9ing 5ame * Players LegoPo"er Hand /on'erter Stack Si es S60 SChate'er 660 S2EE 4.50 SNot &P0 S?ery /70 S9ele'ant Hero (6.N 0 S2EE Preflop: < K (+.( * players) L)B folds, 0G folds, DE folds, Hero raises to S<, J2 folds, 66 calls S; See abo'e. &lop: * I A (+1-( 2 players) 66 chec"s, Hero bets S22, 66 raises to S:E, Hero sho'es, 22 folds I@m calling this a Qbig dra#R and including it in the %irst category o% hands because against this 'illain, you@re #illing to reraise all in #ith it a%ter he chec")raises your continuation bet. >ou ha'e at least eight outs no matter #hat the 'illain is holding and against a hand li"e 3I, you@re less than a 202 dog. .he 'illain@s range is 'ery #ide, and he@ll %old o%ten enough to the sho'e %or it to be a good play. +* ;ou missed the flop entirel. (no pair7 -er. little dra6ing potential): >our hand is more or less hopeless at this point, and the only #ay to #in the pot is to bet. .he play in this spot is generally to ma"e a pure blu%% on the %lop, and to continue at times on the turn (and I don@t ma"e a habit o% three)barreling, but sometimes it@s F+? #ith the right board and the right read . 3gainst the *;1212 type I described at the beginning o% the post, the best play is o%ten ,ust passing up on a continuation bet and shutting do#n. It might %eel strange to raise pre%lop #ith a garbage hand and then not e'en bet the %lop, but i% he@s not %olding and you ha'e a minute chance o% impro'ing to a real hand, putting more money in the pot might as #ell be burning it. 9ead0 .he 'illain in the %ollo#ing hand is a straight%or#ard tag, say 2<12818.; or so. He plays solid, but you@'e played a ton o% hands #ith him and ne'er seen him ma"e a mo'e or a Qtric"yR play post%lop. S21S2 No Limit Hold(em 9ing 5ame * Players LegoPo"er Hand /on'erter

<3

Stack Si es S60 SChate'er 660 S2EE 4.50 SNot &P0 S?ery /70 S9ele'ant Hero (6.N 0 S2EE Preflop: < * (+.( * players) L)B folds, 0G folds, DE folds, Hero raises to S<, J2 folds, 66 calls S; I@m raising suited connectors in this spot almost e'ery time. &lop: J I 8 (+1-( 2 players) 66 chec"s, Hero bets S28, 66 calls S28 6ad %lop. .he club pro'ides our hand #ith a runner %lush dra#, but that@s hardly a good dra#. >ou #ant to bet based on the te$ture o% the %lop and not on the strength o% your hand, so you ma"e the same bet as you made #ith the monster hand on the dra#y %lop abo'e. He calls, #hich more or less means he has a "ing, a Bueen, H., or diamonds. Turn: 2 (+,1( 2 players) 66 chec"s, Hero bets S8;, 22 folds .he turn is a bric", #hich is a good thing in this spot. 6etting here is a solid option, because 3 the 'illain is straight%or#ard enough that #e can assign him a %airly tight range, and 6 most o% his range #ill %old to a turn bet. .he 'illain most li"ely #on@t continue to dra# against us #ith these pot odds, and there@s a good chance he@ll %old a Bueen, maybe e'en the #ea"er "ings in his range. Not a play I@d ma"e e'ery time, but this is a thin"ing player@s turn bet. 9ead0 .he 'illain in the %ollo#ing hand has %olded to < o% 22 continuation bets thus %ar, but aside %rom that seems li"e a don" and Po"er 3ce Hud sho#s that he has gone to sho#do#n 2A percent o% the time, #hich is %airly high. S21S2 No Limit Hold(em 9ing 5ame * Players LegoPo"er Hand /on'erter Stack Si es S60 SChate'er 660 S2EE 4.50 SNot &P0 S?ery /70 S9ele'ant Hero (6.N 0 S2EE Preflop: H A (+.( * players) L)B folds, 0G folds, DE folds, Hero raises to S<, J2 folds, 66 calls S; 6linds, position, suited cards, implied odds, etc. >ou "no# the big blind has a tendency to pay o%%. 9aising #ill steal the blinds pretty o%ten, and i% you %lop big, you might get re#arded #ith a stac". &lop: 3 I ; (+1-( 2 players) 66 chec"s, Hero bets S22, 66 calls S22

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He@s %olded more than hal% the time to continuation bets, so theoretically e'en a %ull pot cbet should sho# a pro%it. >ou bet a little o'er t#o thirds o% the pot because the %lop is pretty dry and again, consistency is a good thing. Turn: ; (+.7( 2 players) 66 chec"s, Hero chec"s .he continuation bet didn@t #or", the runner %lush dra# #e %lopped #as eliminated by the turn card, and our read is that this 'illain li"es to go to sho#do#n. Ce still don@t ha'e a pair, so #e can@t semiblu%% either. No# is a good time to gi'e up. 'i-er: 2 (+.7( 2 players) 66 bets S2:, "ero folds H)high is good almost ne'er in this spot, e'en against this 'illain, and raising is ,ust as"ing %or it. 3s .aylor /aby #ould say, ,ust pitch the hand. 9ead0 .he 'illain in the %ollo#ing hand is the *;1212 mega%ish described earlier. He has %olded to continuation bets only t#o times out o% 2; and gone to sho#do#n ;8 percent o% the hands he@s played. S21S2 No Limit Hold(em 9ing 5ame * Players LegoPo"er Hand /on'erter Stack Si es S60 SChate'er 660 S2EE 4.50 SNot &P0 S?ery /70 S9ele'ant Hero (6.N 0 S2EE Preflop: I . (+.( * players) L)B folds, 0G folds, DE folds, Hero raises to S<, J2 folds, 66 calls S; >ou "no# the big blind is probably calling pre%lop, but raising is good any#ay because it@s F+? to isolate this dude #ith pretty much any t#o cards, especially #ith position. &lop: 2 J : (+1-( 2 players) 66 chec"s, Hero chec"s He@s not %olding, so there@s little reason to bet. I% you@d %lopped top pair (either the Bueen or the . you@d be betting this %lop #ith a plan to get three streets o% 'alue. .he only reason to consider betting no# is i% you thin" Bueen)high is good enough %or 'alue, but e'en that@s illogical because you #on@t get three streets o% 'alue out o% e'en the biggest %ish #ith a high card hand, and #e don@t e'en ha'e an ace. Turn: 8 (+1-( 2 players) 66 chec"s, Hero chec"s See %lop analysis. 'i-er: . (+1-( 2 players) 66 chec"s, Hero bets S22, 66 calls S22

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.ime to ta"e this noob to 'alueto#n. It@s not a certainty that your hand is best, but you@re losing ma,or 'alue i% you chec" behind against this guy. #* ;ou got a piece of the flop (bottom pair7 middle pair7 lo6 top pair7 a mediocre dra6): I le%t this %or last because I thin" it@s the most discussable situation. 3 Qmediocre dra#R is any dra# that you@re not #illing to %elt on the %lop )) depending on your read o% the 'illain and your %eel %or the situation, this can mean o'ercards, a gutshot and an o'ercard, e'en a hand as good as an open)ended straight dra# or a %lush dra#. .his category is interesting because it@s the only one o% the three in #hich there are usually t#o reasonable #ays to play the %lop and the turn0 3 /hec" behind. I% you ha'e a #ea" pair, your hand might be good but can@t stand to play a big pot. 3 chec" behind #ith a hand li"e middle pair is a Q'alue chec"R )) it "eeps the pot small, induces blu%%s, and ensures that you #on@t get raised o%% your hand and that it gets a chance to impro'e to trips or t#o pair. 3 chec" behind #ith a mediocre dra# li"e a gutshot and o'ercards is some#hat tric"y, but it@s a reasonable option at times because it guarantees that you #on@t get raised o%% a hand that has something li"e si$ outs, ten outs, etc. 6 6et. 6ets in spots li"e these are semiblu%%s. I% you %lop middle pair and elect to continuation bet, you@re generally not betting %or 'alue. >our goal is to ta"e do#n the pot, but i% that doesn@t occur, at least you@'e in%lated the pot %or your %i'e outer (t#o outs to trips, three outs to t#o pair . I% you ha'e a dra# that you@re planning to %old to a raise on the %lop, you are betting and hoping the 'illain %olds, but #ith the "no#ledge that your hand has some outs i% you get called. S21S2 No Limit Hold(em 9ing 5ame * Players LegoPo"er Hand /on'erter Stack Si es S60 SChate'er 660 S2EE 4.50 SNot &P0 S?ery /70 S9ele'ant Hero (6.N 0 S2EE Preflop: H : (+.( * players) L)B folds, 0G folds, DE folds, Hero raises to S<, J2 folds, 66 calls S; .his hand is some serious ,un", but it is reasonable to open #ith it once in a #hile %rom the button. &lop: H 8 I (+1-( 2 players) 66 chec"s, Hero bets S28, 66 calls S28 >ou %lop middle pair and elect to semiblu%% #ith it. It doesn@t ma"e much sense to bet your ,ac" %or 'alue at this point, because it@s going to be pretty tough to bet all three streets #ith this hand unimpro'ed and see a sho#do#n. >ou bet S28 because the board is dra#y. 4n%ortunately, the 'illain calls. >ou might ha'e the best hand at this point, but that doesn@t mean the continuation bet #as %or 'alue. Turn: 8 (+,1( 2 players)

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66 chec"s, Hero chec"s >ou decide not to continue the semiblu%% this time. I% the 'illain can read hands, he@ll "no# that you don@t ha'e a good made hand no#, but in this hand the 'illain is un"no#n. I% the ri'er bric"s and the 'illain ma"es a reasonable bet, you ha'e little choice but to %old. 'i-er: I (+,1( 2 players) 66 bets S8E, "ero folds .he 'illain could be betting missed spades or air, but it@s probably more li"ely that he has a Bueen or a better ,ac" than #e ha'e. I@ll try to pic" 'illains o%% in these spots in the right situation, but the standard play a%ter semiblu%%ing, chec"ing through a blan" turn, and missing on the ri'er is %olding i% the 'illain ma"es a ri'er bet. S21S2 No Limit Hold(em 9ing 5ame * Players LegoPo"er Hand /on'erter Stack Si es S60 SChate'er 660 S2EE 4.50 SNot &P0 S?ery /70 S9ele'ant Hero (6.N 0 S2EE Preflop: H : (+.( * players) L)B folds, 0G folds, DE folds, Hero raises to S<, J2 folds, 66 calls S; >ou ha'e the same hand and elect to raise it again= you@re going to play the %lop di%%erently this time, though. &lop: H 8 I (+1-( 2 players) 66 chec"s, Hero chec"s 7h my, a 'ery similar %lop. Last time, you tried semiblu%%ing #ith your %lopped middle pair, #hich #as per%ectly reasonable. .his time, you@re going to chec" behind and try to see a cheap sho#do#n. I tend to be more li"ely to try this #ith dryer %lops. I changed this %lop slightly %rom the last hand )) this %lop #as rainbo#, the last one #as t#o)tone )) but I@m capable o% semiblu%%ing on a dry %lop and chec"ing behind on a #et %lop, etc. It@s also better to chec" behind #ith a pair o% ,ac"s or Bueens than #ith a pair o% %ours or %i'es, o% course, because o'ercards are scare cards #hen your hand is ,ust one pair. Turn: 8 (+1-( 2 players) 66 chec"s, Hero chec"s .his is a good turn card. .here@s still not much o% a reason to bet, because you@re not getting more than one street o% 'alue out o% this hand. I% the ri'er doesn@t scare us and the 'illain chec"s again, it@s time to thin" about betting. I% the 'illain bets the ri'er, you ha'e little choice but to call since you induced a blu%%. 'i-er: I (+1-( 2 players) 66 bets SK, Hero calls SK. .here@s a chance the 'illain has you beat, but I@m not %olding a%ter the #ay #e played the hand. .here@s no reason to raise the ri'er (sa'e %or 'ery high le'el thin"ing against a

<*

'illain #ith #hom you ha'e a lot o% history , so calling is the only option in this spot. 9ead0 ?illain is nitty and bad. He runs at K1;1:= #hen he calls a raise pre%lop, it usually means he has a poc"et pair. I% he %lops an o'erpair, he@s generally %elting it. He li"es to chec")raise continuation bets big #ith small o'erpairs, una#are that against good players, this turns his hands into blu%%s. S21S2 No Limit Hold(em 9ing 5ame * Players LegoPo"er Hand /on'erter Stack Si es S60 SChate'er 660 S2EE 4.50 SNot &P0 S?ery /70 S9ele'ant Hero (6.N 0 S2EE Preflop: : ; (+.( * players) L)B folds, 0G folds, DE folds, Hero raises to S<, J2 folds, 66 calls S; >our hand suc"s, but the 66 is the per%ect player to blind steal against because he@ll usually %old his hand, and i% he doesn@t, you ha'e implied odds out the #a!oo. &lop: * < 2 (+1-( 2 players) 66 chec"s, Hero chec"s >ou %lop an open)ended straight dra# on a rainbo# board, but the 'illain@s range consists mostly o% o'erpairs and sets. 5i'en the pro'ided read, the 'illain #ill chec")raise i% you continuation bet. Po"erSto'e says your hand only has a 2K.2* percent chance to #in against the range o% HH)** and 22, so i% you get chec")raised big by the 'illain, you can@t sho'e and you #on@t ha'e the odds to continue #ith the hand. >ou decide to chec" behind and ensure that you get to see a %ree card, "no#ing that there@s a good chance o% stac"ing the 'illain you peel o%% a 8 or an A. In addition, i% you miss on the turn and the 'illain bets, you can call the bet "no#ing that you generally ha'e the implied odds to continue. Turn: K (+1-( 2 players) 66 bets S22, Hero calls S22 .he turn doesn@t complete your dra#, but it@s a lo# enough card that the 'illain can still ha'e an o'erpair #ith HH or .. (I@m assuming he #ould@'e reraised pre%lop #ith IIF , and he could ha'e a set #ith KK, <<, **, or 22. /alling is a slam dun" against this 'illain. 'i-er: K (+.=( 2 players) 66 bets S::, Hero %olds >ou ha'e close to the nut lo#, and ,udging by the 'illain@s tendencies and his o'erbet, there@s a good chance he ,ust %illed up. It@s possible the he ,ust has an o'erpair, but our read is that he #on@t %old that to a sho'e any#ay, and in this case he might e'en be right to %elt it i% you pushed because a ri'er push #ould ma"e your line strange as hell. Hust %old this time and stac" him #hen you ha'e a real hand. 9ead0 ?illain is loose pre%lop and li"es to call raises out o% position #ith hands li"e IH, J., etc. He@ll %old to a continuation bet i% he misses the %lop, though= thus %ar, Po"er 3ce Hud indicates that he@s %olded to 28 o% 2* continuation bets.

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S21S2 No Limit Hold(em 9ing 5ame * Players LegoPo"er Hand /on'erter Stack Si es S60 SChate'er 660 S2EE 4.50 SNot &P0 S?ery /70 S9ele'ant Hero (6.N 0 S2EE Preflop: : ; (+.( * players) L)B folds, 0G folds, DE folds, Hero raises to S<, J2 folds, 66 calls S; 3gainst a 66 li"e this, you can probably raise pro%itably and then continuation bet #ith any t#o cards. .his analysis ignores the S6, o% course, but %or the purpose o% this article, the S6 doesn@t e$ist. &lop: * < 2 (+1-( 2 players) 66 chec"s, Hero bets S28, 66 %olds .he %lop is the same as in the last hand, but the 'illain is di%%erent. Chereas a chec")raise loomed against the last 'illain and implied odds #ere plenti%ul i% you chec"ed behind, this 'illain #ill probably %old to a continuation bet (and a hand li"e J. or IH is about e'en money against our dra# at this point , and it@s tough to say ho# much money #e@ll ma"e i% #e chec" behind and ma"e our hand. I% the 'illain ma"es a big raise, #e probably #on@t continue, but that@s an unli"ely scenario. 3gainst this 'illain, the play is to continuation bet and try to ta"e the pot do#n. 9ead0 ?illain is a ::12A1; lag%ish #ho lo'es to attac" #ea"ness. He %olds %airly o%ten to sho#s o% strength )) in %act, he has %olded to %i'e o% se'en continuation bets so %ar )) but you ha'e seen him %ire three barrels #ith air #hen he thin"s he can steal pots. S21S2 No Limit Hold(em 9ing 5ame * Players LegoPo"er Hand /on'erter Stack Si es S60 SChate'er 660 S2EE 4.50 SNot &P0 S?ery /70 S9ele'ant Hero (6.N 0 S2EE Preflop: H K (+.( * players) L)B folds, 0G folds, DE folds, Hero raises to S<, J2 folds, 66 calls S; From the button, this hand is an auto)raise %or me. &lop: H A 8 (+1-( 2 players) 66 chec"s, Hero chec"s >ou %lop top pair and chec" behind. .he %lop has t#o spades and any I, J or 3 is a bad card %or you, but gi'en your read, chec"ing behind is the play. I% the 'illain %ires the turn,

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you@re calling 2EE percent o% the time regardless o% the turn card. .he ri'er is tric"ier i% he bets again, but it@s important to "eep your read in mind. Turn: : (+1-( 2 players) 66 bets S2:, Hero calls S2: .he turn #as an undercard and didn@t scare you. 3s e$pected, the 'illain bet out. .his is an easy call against this 'illain, and there@s little reason to raise. 'i-er: J (+,.( 2 players) 66 bets S28, Hero calls .he "ing is a bad card because you no longer ha'e top pair. .he 'illain leads %or S28 into a pot o% S:8, gi'ing you **028 odds (a little less than 802 . It@s possible that the 'illain hit the ri'er, but you reason that your hand #ill be good more than 2; percent o% the time against his range. .his is good reasoning against a 'illain li"e this one )) i% he@d bet the pot on the ri'er, you@d ha'e a harder decision, but #ith pot odds this generous, the ri'er bet is a pretty easy call.

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HAND RANGES, READS AND NOTES

*E)/S (&<oy"eII?)
I posted this in another thread started by Fallen Hero, but a%ter posting my original thoughts, i('e de'eloped a %e# others that I thin" are #orthy o% including, and there%ore should be included....thus I(m copying my original and adding to it. Sorry i% this causes you to read it t#ice. &irst rule of reads , ;ou ha-e to appl. an. reads .ou ha-e to the conte0t and histor. of the hand****does it make sense 6hat the -illain is doing< +$ample %rom the other day. I pic" up Bueens in the 66. : limps to me, including the S6. I raise it A$bb. Folds to S6 (#ho is .35 . S6 goes all in %or ;Ebb(s. -oes that ma"e senseO /ould he ha'e possibly gone %or a limp)reraise #ith 33 or JJ here #ith only the 66 le%t to act #ho is 77P %or the rest o% the handO .he ans#er is clearly no. He put me on the sBuee!e play and assumed I had garbage. I didn(t, I called, and I stac"ed his completely dominated IH. Chene'er an opponent ma"es a play, does it ma"e sense in the conte$t o% the hand. 3 %e# really 'aluable reads to ha'e on 'illains. Daluable read ) , -illains that o-erpla. TPTK 7ne o% my 'illain(s notes is Yplays .P.J li"e the nuts, e'en #ith it(s .P o% K(s. 9aised and called all in #ith 3K on a <AAK three%lush board.Y I('e used that read to stac" a particular 'illain at least : times. Ho#e'er, this has to done in the conte$t o% the hand. /on'ersely i% you ha'e a read that a loose passi'e opponent can(t %old top pair, and the %lop comes < high and he(d raised pre%lop #ith a relati'ely narro# raising range, you "no# he(s not going cra!y #ith .P.J...you "no# he(s got an o'erpair. Daluable read + , Pla.s 6a. too agressi-el. 6hen there is a flush dra6 on the board* .hese 'illains are great to %lop big hands against in position because you ne'er e'en ha'e to bet or raise because you "no# they don(t ha'e the dra# either. +$ample, you ha'e poc"et <(s in position. ?illain raises, you call. Flop comes __< #ith 2 spades. ?illain pots it, you call. .urn ) blan", 'illain pushes, you call and stac" his 33 that he o'erplayed due to the dra#)hea'y board. Daluable 'ead # , total donke. calling station 7ne o% the best reads "no#n to man. -o not semi)blu%% these guys, do not threebet all in #ith a coin %lip hand because they(ll call, and you are only ;E1;E....try to catch your hand because they #ill call once you catch it too. .hey can(t %old .P e'en on a straigthening %lushing board. ?alue bet, 'alue bet, 'alue bet. I called a S2E turn bet against one o% these guys into a S2E pot #ith a %lush dra# last #ee" on a .HIJ board. 9i'ered the %lush, push o'erbet %or S2;E and he called #ith the ace hi straight. Dalueable read 9 , minbets dra6s

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>ou('e all seen these guys. .hey minbet into you and try to dra# cheap, then they go ahead and call your big raise. I really ha'e no idea #hat they are thin"ing...they "no# they can(t pay %ull price to dra#, #hich is #hy they bet small, but then they call a raise any#ay. Punish these guys, and %old i% any dra#s come home. Daluable read : , minraises small pockets2S$5s2suited aces preflop* Some 'illains #ill typically minraise either small poc"ets, or sc(s or suited aces pre%lop...they don(t usually minraise all three, but lots o% 'illains #ill minraise at least one o% these. I% you start getting action #ith a big hand on a ragged board or a board li"e ;;J, you can generally %igure they('e got the trips #ith top "ic"er, or a set on a A;2 board or something similar. It can sa'e you money a lot o% the time..or you can P4NISH them on a ;;J board #hen you('e got JJ because you JN7C they('e got 3;. Daluable read > , can5t read boards and tell 6hen he5s counterfeited* Also7 the con-erse Hsmart enough to kno6 he just got counterfeitedH .hese 'illains are great. Flop comes 22A, and they ha'e AK. >ou bet #ith Hac"s and they call. .urn K...you bet they raise, you reraise, and 'illain has top 2...can(t %old right, e'en though ..F "ills them, #hich you represent. .hey don(t reali!e your 2 pair beats them. .his is a great read to ha'e. 5ood L35S typically reali!e this but still can(t %old. +$ample %rom abo'e KA2 though, you bet and get raised...thin" you might be behind to KA so you %lat call. .urn comes a 2, and no# 'illain chec"s.....no# you('e got him. Start 'alue) betting, he(ll probably call. Daluable read ? , minbet,threebets monsters .hese are great too because they let you get a#ay cheap. ?illain leads into you #ith a minbet on a dra# hea'y board "no#ing you(ll raise. >ou oblige, and no# the threebets all in #ith a set...you easily dump your hand (pro'ided you ha'e this read . ?illain doesn(t reali!e he could ha'e potted it and gotten a much bigger raise out o% you but hey...his bad play is #hy you are here. Dalueable read @ , pla.s ALL dra6s agressi-el. 3 read that an opponent plays big dra#s agressi'ely doesn(t really help you much other than including the big dra# in his range #hen he(s raising on a dra# hea'y board. 3 read that an opponent #ill play 3N> dra# agressi'ely is ho#e'er. 3ny ragged 2 %lush board #ith him raising ma"es it easier to include the dra# and not a set as his li"ely holdings. Same thing on connected %lops li"e 3<A....ma"es it easier to put him on K. or ;* and lets you "no# by his action i% he(s hit. 3 good #ay to determine i% 'illains got a monster or not is to %lat call his %lop raise #hen 77P and don" into him on the turn. I% he raises you again, it(s generally a big hand. I% he calls he(s probably got the dra# and that lets you play the ri'er per%ectly. 3gainst a lot o% these 'illains i% you threebet the %lop big you are li"ely to get raised all in and are then %aced #ith a tough decision. I generally li"e to call their %lop raise, and then disappoint them by don"ing a PS6 on a blan" turn, this destroys their odds and eliminates tough decisions on your part as 'ery %e# o% them ha'e the guts to go all in at that point. Daluable 'ead )B , makes 6eak $,bets 6ith 6hiffed hands7 makes big c,bets 6ith hands that connected .hese 'illains are really easy to %loat against #ith nothing, or punish #ith big hands. I% a 'illain ma"es a #ea" c)bet into me I(ll generally raise i% I thin" he(ll %old right on the %lop, or #ait until the turn to raise as that(s al#ays more scary and almost al#ays gets a %old.

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/on'ersely, i% the 'illain ma"es a PS6 and I ha'e nothing, I "no# I can sa%ely %old and #on(t try to %loat because I "no# he(s got a hand. .his is #hy it(s so critical that you al#ays ma"e your cbets a standard si!e. Daluable read )) , 3oes not consider pot si e 6hen determining the strength of a bet Some 'illains associate the si!e o% the bet in relation to the sta"es as a strong bet, rather than the si!e o% the bet in relation to the pot. For e$ample...some 'illains thin" their S2E bet into a S;E pot is strong because it(s a big bet %or S;ENL. Ce as a group typically consider that a #ea" bet...but i% the 'illain doesn(t, be#are. Daluable 'ead )+ , -illain AL4A;S raises in the (( if it5s a headsup blind battle and the S( completes* .his read ma"es you money in a number o% #ays. First you "no# not to complete #ith hands you #ant to play 77P to a raise, because you "no# you(ll get one. 3nd second you JN7C he(s raising so you limp #ith ..F and punish him #hen he does. 3%ter enough o% these you can start limping and not e$pect a raise. Daluable read )# , Dillain reraises light and flatcalls 6ith trul. big hands* I %ound a .35 'illain that religously reraises #ith marginal hands (3H %or e$ample but N+?+9 reraises #ith 331JJ. .his ma"es him easy to play against because i% he reraises you, you "no# your 3J is good on an a J hi %lop, because 33 isn(t in his reraise range. Daluable 'ead )9 , $alls pot,si e bets on dra6s on the flop A83 turn7 then either goes for the checkraise 6hen it hits (or donk bets it7 depends on -illain) Lots o% 'illains (mysel% included #ill call smallish PS6(s on the %lop #ith dra#s. Not as many #ill call on the turn. .he ones that #ill call large turn bets are truly great buddies %or li%e and #orth %ollo#ing around. Chen you get called by one o% these guys on the %lop on a dra# hea'y board. >ou must ma"e a PS turn bet, scre# pot control, punish these don"ies. /on'ersely, slo# #ay do#n #hen the dra# hits and consider %olding. .he other great thing about these guys i% that they(ll almost al#ays go %or a chec"raise #hen they complete their dra#, disappoint them by not letting them get the chec"raise in. !arginal but sometimes -aluable timing tells 3ssuming a 'illain normally acts in a certain period o% time, sometimes something outside o% that normal range can gi'e you a tell. .he most common one is the delayed call or bet. I% a 'illain raised on the %lop and then a %lush card %alls, and that 'illain ta"es an inordinately long period to act a%ter the card hits, it(s almost a certainty that he hit the %lush. I can(t tell you ho# many times I('e seen this and it(s been the %lush. .hey are thin"ing that you(ll associate their long thought period #ith #ea"ness, but in reality it(s strength. I generally insta)%old .P #ith this read and i(m almost al#ays right. .his read is sub,ect to a 'illain that is only single)tabling though. I% it(s against a multi)tabling tag it(s not as reliable as he could be acting on another table, etc. 7ther 9amblings ) 3bsent reads I(m typically 'ery reluctant to call large ri'er bets #ith good, but not unbeatable hands. I('e gotten burned by this lately #ith things li"e J high %lushes %acing pushes and losing to the nut %lush, things li"e that. ?illains typically ,ust don(t bet ri'ers huge #ithout the nuts or near nuts. 3lso be#are o% the %ull pot si!e bet or slight o'erbet i% you chec"ed the turn behind a%ter a dra# hit. .his almost al#ays signi%ies a #hi%%ed turn)chec"raise that the 'illain is trying to ma"e up %or. I% a 'illain is capable o% blu%%ing the ri'er #ith missed dra#s and things o% that nature, then calling is

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standard, but I ha'e to ha'e a read to ma"e me do this and it has to be a 'ery good read.

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H)N/ *E)/4NG = !E- S4@4NG ("a$ni'al#o3o)

(et si ing and hand ranges in Small Stakes 8L First I@d li"e to ,ust say ho# much I@'e learned about po"er %rom this %orum and hope to be able to gi'e something bac" to the group o% people and community that has helped me ma"es money and e$ercise my brain. I@'e only really been around about A months and didn@t play seriously %or many o% those %irst months, but a%ter gradually spending more time on 2p2 and getting the courage to post here I@'e de'eloped into a po"er player (I ha'e the F.P ,ersey to pro'e it [ . I didn@t #rite a Pooh)6ah post %or se'eral reasons, mostly I am la!y. 3t the reBuest o% lore! I am discussing hand reading and bet si!ing, as I %eel they go hand in hand. I am currently playing 2EENL #ith occasional shots at :EE, but I@ll try to "eep this basic enough %or all le'els o% uNL and up. Practice, practice, practice. Cor" on de'eloping your reads, put people on hands all the time. Chen you are #atching a high sta"es game, or ,ust in bet#een hands at other tables, acti'ely attempt to put people on hands. I #ill %reBuently say out loud the hand I thin" my opponent has, this creates accountability. Secondly, you ha'e to put %aith in your reads. I% you put your opponent on a dra# and then he ma"es a PS6 on the ri'er, ma"e the call. 3s soon as these decisions start in%luencing your ban"roll you suddenly become much more e$cited about the proposition o% being right about #hat your opponent has. Chat you can do at the table. &a"e notes, and lots o% them. Chene'er you see someone play a hand di%%erently than their P. stats or perception o% them as a player #ould lead you to belie'e, ma"e a note. Some samples0 Qdon"bet #ith airR, Qlead into p%r and bet 8 streets #ith .PCJR, Qblu%% raise ri'er #ith missed dra#R. 6ut I@m getting ahead o% mysel% here. Chat basic elements o% pt stats should you be loo"ing at #hen deciding hand ranges %or opponentsO DP"P .his is the most basic, i% your opponent has a 'pip under 2E he ,ust isn@t going to ha'e K: i% he limps behind limpers or cold calls a raise. &ost li"ely he is limping #ith suited connectors, 3$s, and small)medium poc"et pairs. P&' .his one is pretty clear too, i% a $1*1$ player raises %rom 4.5 in a K handed game, he isn@t going to ha'e 88 or 3., these shouldn@t be included in his hand range later. A& No# this is #here it gets more complicated, people #ith lo# 3F (total post %lop , say lo#er than 2, aren@t o%ten betting out #ith dra#s, or ma"ing elaborate semi)blu%%s. Chen a passi'e player raises the turn your .P.J is o%ten no good (see0 6aluga .heorem . Similarly these players aren@t going to blu%% missed dra#s as o%ten so i% there #as a F- on the %lop, its not #ise to assume that a missed dra# is a big part o% 'illain@s range #hen he pots the ri'er. .his has all been pretty 'ague, and is intended as more o% a primer %or some o% the uNL people and maybe some o% the limit con'erts. 3 lot o% hand reading is based on #hat I #ould call %eel. Sometimes you ,ust "no# #hen a guy is leading into you #ith a %lopped set and you can ma"e a great %old #ith an o'erpair. 7ne o% the biggest cues I use to read hands online is bet si!ing. Preflop .he small raise %rom +P0 3 typical LP player opens in +P %or ,ust o'er the minimum. .his

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is nearly al#ays a monster. !in,raises: .his is something I ma"e notes on to narro# a range do#n, but as %ar as I can tell, a good range %or minraises pre%lop is 22)KK, 32s)3Ks, 8:s)H.s, suited one gaps, and then it "ind o% brea"s do#n based on indi'iduals. .hese are Qpot s#eetenersR ,ust ,uicing up the si!e o% the pot #ith a hand they #ant to play. 4se this to your ad'antage and see a %lop too i% your hand is reasonable, or i% it@s a good hand, then go ahead and re)raise them and you@ll o%ten %ind yoursel% #inning the pot pre%lop. The @0bbNraise: .his is a scared monster, something li"e II or HH #here the 'illain doesn@t #ant to play post%lop, some #ill pull this maneu'er #ith JJ, 33, and e'en 3J hoping to ta"e it do#n then, or build a big pot so they don@t ha'e to #orry about %olding. 4se the ;12E rule ,udiciously, and don@t try to 8bet these guys light, they aren@t going any#here. %ur raises: 3s you can see, a simply p%r si!e helps us narro# do#n our opponents hand range, in some cases signi%icantly. .his is precisely #hy #e use the :$66 F21limper %ormula to ma"e pre%lop raises (a PS9 is %ine too, especially as you get to .;12 and 212 . 8 bets0 .he lo#er the le'el the tighter our opponents are here, at 2;nl (I ne'er played 2E, so I don@t %eel com%ortable ma"ing generali!ations most 'illains aren@t 8betting #ithout IIF, and maybe 3J. 3s you mo'e up, the a'erage player@s range #idens to something li"e ..F 3IF at some o% the more aggressi'e 2EEnl *ma$ games. 4se this to your ad'antage. 3t the uNL le'els, see a %lop #ith a PP these guys cant %old aces e'er, so stac" them #ith e'ery set, but be #eary and don@t put more bets in post%lop Q,ust to ma"e sureR. No set, no bet is the #ay to go here. 3s you mo'e up, start 8betting #ith a #ider range yoursel%, I thin" in shorthanded games especially, you should be more aggressi'e than the a'erage player pre%lop, For e$ample, at ;Enl #hen most people aren@t yet 8betting #ithout the goods, try a resteal the ne$t time that tag that has a name li"e 6usto>74 tries to steal your blind, liberating isn@t itO &lop Ce are %inally here, some community cards to #or" #ith. No# #e get more in%ormation about our opponent@s hand. I@ll deal #ith mainly raised pots in #hich #e are the aggressor, as this is the most common spot %or a 2p2 .35 to be in. 3onkbets: .his is #hen a guy calls your p%r 77P and the leads into you on the %lop. In general this means a #ea" made hand or a dra#. .he more taggy your opponent the more o%ten they #ill be leading sets and big dra#s they #ant to b18bai #ith. I% a typical player leads into you on a I<2r %lop and you ha'e 3I, control the pot and ,ust call. I% the %lop is Is.sAo then consider raising to price out a dra#. I% you hold an o'erpair and a .35 leads into you on a dry %lop, call and re)e'aluate the turn. I% the %lop is dra# hea'y you can either raise, or let a blan" roll o%% and bomb the turn. I% you see someone lead into you #ith a hand li"e .P.J or another odd hand, then ma"e a note. !inbets: In general treat these as chec"s, i% you #ere planning to chec" behind, then ,ust call. I% you #ere going to ma"e a cbet, ma"e a good si!ed raise. .hese hands tend to be e'en #ea"er than those by people #ho ma"e larger don"bets including small PPs and na"ed dra#s. I could go on and tal" about e'ery type o% betting situation and #hat I thin" o% 'arious betsi!es, but I@d rather loo" at some e$amples o% #here hand reading comes into play. .he 'illain in the %ollo#ing hand is 2*1A12:, yes 2: aggression, #ith a 2;G CtS(sample si!e is 8EE hands . He had been playing solid aggressi'e po"er, and I %eel li"e he can %old due to his lo# CtS-. I decide to call #ith 3I pre%lop because I ha'e position and I also suspect that he is raising limpers %rom LP #ith a #ide range. 7n the %lop I ha'e 2 o'ers and a gutshot to the nuts. He ma"es a standard, i% not a bit small, cbet I decide to call #ith position loo"ing to blu%% the turn or ma"e the best hand. I suspect that he #ill %ire a second barrel %airly liberally as his turn 3F is *. .he turn is a total blan" and he %ires again. No# here is #here the hand reading comes into play. Could he %ire again

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here #ith a huge hand li"e 8 Hac"sO 4nli"ely, he #ould li"ely go %or a c1r. 3lso I suspect he is capable o% ma"ing a laydo#n and so a hand li"e 33 #ill o%ten get muc"ed i% I push. .he reason I can assume this is my image, o'er the 2EE hands I played at this table I had been Buite tight, playing 2*1<.;12 #ith a CtS- o% only ;.AG. Cith this type o% image I thin" his calling range is on the order o% H., .., HH, sometimes IIF. 3gainst this range I am still dra#ing li'e, but most importantly, the portion o% his range #ith #hich he bets (something li"e AAF, 3.F JI, IH, H., and some other random aces I ha'e a lot o% F+ against. Full .ilt Po"er No Limit Holdem 9ing game 6linds0 S21S: Stack si es: /70 S:<8 Hero0 S:2E Pre,flop: (= players Hero is 6utton #ith I 3 4.5 %olds, 4.5F2 calls, . folds, /7 raises to S2E, Hero calls, . folds. &lop: 8 . H (+-8( 2 players /7 bets S2A, Hero calls. Turn: ; (+18*( 2 players /7 bets S<;, Hero raises all)in S8<2 .his ne$t hand too" place in an aggressi'e shorthanded game, #ith lots o% light pre%lop raising. ?illain is a typical agg.ag and plays about 2812E18. &y image is similar at 2212A18. I played this hand #ith him earlier #hich indicates his range pre%lop is #idened as #ell as some hint to #hat his %lop chec" means. Full .ilt Po"er No Limit Holdem 9ing game 6linds0 S21S2 Hero0 S2:A 660 S2E<E.2; Pre,flop: (* players Hero is 4.5F2 #ith : : 4.5 %olds, Hero raises to S<, . folds, 66 raises to S22, Hero calls. &lop: H ; < (+,.( 2 players 66 chec"s, Hero chec"s. Turn: ; (+,.( 2 players 66 bets S8E, Hero calls. 'i-er: K (+18.( 2 players 66 chec"s, Hero chec"s. 'esults: Final pot0 S2E8 He had J I and &HI5 No#, on to the hand0 I put his pre%lop range at 3.F, JHF, 22F, and some sc@s. I #ould ha'e li"ely %olded to a cbet on this board, but he chec"s. I can@t stand a chec" raise and #ould li"ely chec" here #ith most hands (especially a set . 6ecause o% the pre'ious hand, I start to discount the chance o% him ha'ing a set or 3J here, although it@s certainly a

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possibility. I decide to ma"e a mo'e on a decent turn card and chec" behind. .he turn is another lo# blan" and he ma"es a bet, I go #ith my plan and ma"e it 222 to go, this sets me up %or a potsi!ed ri'er push #hich is the betsi!ing id use #ith the nuts or a set here. He calls and I start to #onder #hat his hand is, could he actually ha'e 3JO He chec"s it to me on a %airly blan" ri'er card. 3%ter he chec"s I immediately remo'e a set %rom his range, he #ould ne'er play it that slo# (he plays big hands %ast li"e most 2p2 style tags . I thin" his range is something li"e HH, II, 33, 3J. 7% this range I thin" they all %old to a ri'er bet. .he only hand o% those I can see loo"ing me up is 33, and I cant #in by chec"ing. No#, a betsi!e. Ho# much #ould I bet here #ith a setO I ma"e a roughly 218 pot bet and this #ay I sa'e some money #hen he has played a big hand snea"ily, and I thin" 22E and a push are the same #hen it comes to %olding out other hands. Full .ilt Po"er No Limit Holdem 9ing game 6linds0 S21S2 Stack si es: Hero0 S:<;.KE 660 SA8;.:E Pre,flop: (* players Hero is 4.5F2 #ith I H 4.5 calls, Hero raises to SK, . folds, 66 raises to S2<, 4.5 %olds, Hero calls. &lop: : 2 J (+-7( 2 players 66 chec"s, Hero chec"s. Turn: 8 (+-7( 2 players 66 bets S:E, Hero raises to S222, 66 calls. 'i-er: . (+.81( 2 players 66 chec"s, Hero bets S22E .his is getting to be longer than a Po"ey post, #hich means about 8 people are actually going to read it. Hope%ully it #as help%ul.

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)N .N!EL4E;)!L0 LONG G.4/E -O H)N/ *E)/4NG (Pokey)

So you('e got bottom set on a three)%lush board and your opponent ,ust chec")raised you all)in. Chat do you doO Cell, the %irst thing you do is you put your opponent on a hand. Hand reading is simultaneously the most important and the most di%%icult thing that a po"er player does. Some o% the best po"er players in the #orld ignore many (or all[ o% those other YrulesY in po"er, ha'e deadly)accurate hand reading s"ills, and ma"e mountains o% cash %or their troubles. 7ther players are e$Buisitely good at all the %undamentals but stin" at hand reading and there%ore struggle to consistently beat S;ENL. 4n%ortunately, there is no Ymagic %ormulaY %or hand reading= a%ter all, your opponents #or" 'ery hard to 3?7I- letting you "no# the cards in their hands. Ho#e'er, #hile there is a great deal o% artistry in hand reading, the basics are describable. 3%ter some thought I came up #ith these Fi'e /ommandments o% Hand 9eading (I had ten, but one o% the tablets bro"e #hen +&/ dropped it )) sorry, blame the mod to get you started. )* Kno6 th. numbers* So you "no# that your opponent #ho ,ust limped has a ?PIP o% 8EG= #hat does 8EG really &+3NO Ce "no# it(s loose, but are you really a#are o% #hat Y8EG o% all hands dealtY actually loo"s li"eO Here are some probabilities o% getting a hand in a particular pre%lop range0 Super)premiums0 33, JJ, II, 3J. .otal probability0 2.*G. Premiums0 33).., 3J, 3I, JI. .otal probability0 ;.KG. 3ny poc"et pair0 33)22. .otal probability0 ;.KG. 3ny t#o broad#ay0 .#o cards, both .F, including pairs. .otal probability0 2:.8G. 3ny suited ace0 32s)3Js. .otal probability0 8.*G. 4nsuited ace0 32o)3Jo. .otal probability0 2E.KG. Y&a$imum suited connectorsY0 H.s);:s. .otal probability0 2.2G. 3ny ace0 32oF, 32sF, 33. .otal probability0 2:.KG. 3ny t#o suited0 literally. .otal probability0 28.;G. 3ny t#o connectors0 82s)3Js, 82o)3Jo. .otal probability0 2:.;G. .o gi'e you a ?+9> broad %eel %or #hat di%%erent percentages translate into, here are some potential e$ample ranges0 ;G = Ypairs <<F, 3J, 3IsY or Ypairs KKF, 3J, 3I.Y 2EG = Ypairs **F, 3J, 3I, suited aces, JIs, IHsY 2;G = Yany pair, 3J, 3I, JI, suited connectors ;:F, any suited aceY 2EG = Yany pair, any t#o broad#ay, any suited aceY 2;G = Yany pair, any suited broad#ay, any ace, any suited connectors ;:sF, JIoY 8EG = Yany pair, any ace, any suited "ing, any suited broad#ay, any suited connectors ;:sF, J.oF, IHoY or Yany pair, any ace, any suited "ing, any broad#ayY :EG = Yany pair, any ace, any "ing, any t#o broad#ay, any suited connectors 82sFY ;EG = Yany pair, any t#o suited cards, any ace, any t#o broad#ay, J;oFY 3gain, remember to use the rele'ant range0 a player #ho is *;12E is looser than the ;EG range #hen he limps but has a rather tight range i% he actually raises. 3lso reali!e that some players #ho are loose and passi'e #ill raise #ith S+/7N-)best hands li"e AA)

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HH, 3H, JI, and ;:s)H.s, but N7. the ultra)premiums li"e IIF, 3J, and 3I )) those they #ill slo#play to disguise their hands. Catch these %ol"s at sho#do#n to try and %igure out ho# they play their really big hands. Post%lop aggression numbers also re'eal much about a player. Chen a player #ith an a'erage aggression o% A raises pre%lop and then chec"s to you, suspect a trap0 this is 'ery o%ten a strong hand that(s going %or a chec")raise. Chen you get that same pre%lop bet and %lop chec" %rom a player #hose a'erage aggression is 2.8, that(s more li"ely to be a player #ho missed and is gi'ing up. Chen that same play comes %rom someone #ith a post%lop aggression o% E.:, you gain no in%ormation %rom the chec" )) chec"ing is ,ust #hat this player does. &entally split players into three groups )) high aggression, medium aggression, and lo# aggression )) and then ad,ust accordingly. 6e ?+9> a%raid #hen a player is playing out o% character0 the passi'e post%lop player #ho leads and raises almost al#ays has a monster, and you can %old #ithout a #orry. .he ultramaniac #ho chec"1calls t#o streets also has a monster, and is #aiting to beat your brains out. -on(t %all %or it. 3ll o% this leads us to our second commandment0 +* Kno6 th. enem.* 3 leopard ne'er changes its spots, especially at uNL sta"es. .ogether, the H4- trinity (?PIP, PF9, and a'erage aggression tell us much about a player. Loose players play loose= tight players play tight. 3ggressi'e players play aggressi'ely and passi'e players play passi'ely. /ategori!e your opponents on three separate measures0 Preflop looseness0 a loose pre%lop player has a ?PIP o'er :EG (I made up the number, but you get the general idea . .hese guys ha'e crap pre%lop, and any hand you(re #illing to play is beating their range. 6e#are o% these %ol"s post%lop, ho#e'er )) there(s no %lop that de%initely missed your enemy. 6e prepared to play #ith caution #hen you don(t ha'e a monster. .hat(s not to say you should be chec")calling= rather, e$pect to be ahead and bet consistently #ith your made hands, but "eep the bets small and try %or pot control. 3lternati'ely, raise light and raise strong pre%lop #hile your hand dominates your opponent(s range. His mista"e is playing too many hands )) e$ploit this mista"e by hammering him pre%lop #hile you(re #ay ahead. 7n the other hand, a tight pre%lop player has a ?PIP under 2EG. .hese %ol"s #on(t enter into a hand unless they('e got something #orth pursuing. .hey aren(t really ma"ing a ma,or mista"e pre%lop, and the only #ay you can really ta"e ad'antage o% this characteristic is by stealing their blinds remorselessly (though you(ll ha'e to insta%old i% they catch you stealing and you don(t ha'e an honest hand . Preflop aggresssion0 a passi'e pre%lop player has a PF9 under a Buarter o% their ?PIP. .hat means that this is a %loating scale0 #hile 2EG PF9 is passi'e %or a player #ho has a ?PIP o% ;;G, it is aggressi'e %or a player #ho has a ?PIP o% 2;G. 3lternati'ely, an aggressi'e pre%lop player #ill ha'e a PF9 o'er hal% o% their ?PIP. Chen #e(re trying to decide a player(s pre%lop holding, #e should use their ?PIP and their PF9 to come to a conclusion. Say a player has a ?PIP o% :EG and a PF9 o% 2EG and they limp in %ront o% you. Chat sort o% holdings do you e$pect them to ha'eO Cell, #e "no# the player is #illing to play #ith :EG o% his hands= our sample range %or this loo"ed something li"e Yany pair, any ace, any "ing, any t#o broad#ay, any suited connectors 82sF.Y 6ut #e can already re%ine this range some more0 #e "no# that #ith 2EG o% those hands, 'illain #ould ha'e raised, and here he didn(t. I% #e assume that 'illain raises #ith his top 2EG, our sample range %or that loo"s something li"e Yany pair, any t#o broad#ay, any suited ace.Y So ta"e .H7S+ hands out o% his current range0 ,ust li"e you discount <2o #hen a nit is in the hand, you discount II #hen a maniac limps. 3 li"ely range here is going to be the di%%erence bet#een the t#o ranges, or Yany unsuited ace, JKs or #orse, JKo or #orse, .Ks or #orse.Y .hat(s a much easier range to play against. 6e sure to #atch this

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opponent(s sho#do#n hands, ho#e'er )) you(d really li"e to "no# i% your assumption about him raising the top 2EG o% his range is correct or not. I% you ha'e a tric"y opponent #ho raises his middle 2EG and limps the top 2EG and bottom 2EG, your range #ill be signi%icantly #rong, and you(ll be in a good deal o% trouble #ith your hand reading. 7ne huge #ord o% #arning0 people o%ten loo" at a player(s ?PIP and conclude that the player is a loose idiot. .hen they call his raise and are shoc"ed #hen they %ind out at sho#do#n that he had roc"ets. 9emember, i% you are raised pre%lop by a *;1;, he has roughly the same hand range as #hen you(re raised by a 221;. -on(t mista"e his typical pre%lop looseness #ith a #ide range #hen he raises.... Postflop aggression0 a%ter the %lop, a ne# game begins. People o%ten ma"e the mista"e o% assuming that a tight pre%lop player is tight post%lop, or that an aggressi'e pre%lop player is aggressi'e post%lop. .his can only be disco'ered by obser'ation. I #ill tell you that e'ery combination o% pre%lop and post%lop playstyles is possible, and none are terribly uncommon. .he true .31.3 (tight)aggressi'e pre%lop, tight)aggressi'e post%lop and LP1LP (calling station pre and post is only one %orm o% opponent. 3nother 'ery common player is the .31L30 al#ays aggressi'e and solidly tight pre%lop, this opponent plays hands so in%reBuently that #hen he %inds something )) 3N>.HIN5 )) that he(s #illing to play pre%lop he cannot bring himsel% to let it go. He turns into a maniac post%lop, relying on %olding eBuity and a better starting hand range to #in money. 3nother common player is the .P1.3, #ho goes %rom nit pre%lop to aggro)mon"ey post%lop. I% they miss, they(re out o% the hand, but i% they hit the hand they(re going to hammer e'ery street and try to get all)in by the sho#do#n. Less common at uNL, but increasingly common at higher le'els (and deadly)dangerous #hen they do it right is the LP1.30 this player is a total calling station idiot pre%lop. >ou(ll o%ten see pre%lop numbers o% <;122 or *A1* %or these %ol"s. -on(t %all %or it[ It(s a ruse. .hese %ol"s are splashing around in as many pots as they can as cheaply as they can, and then post%lop they play P7J+9. .hey(ll be %olding a tremendous %raction o% the time on the %lop, escaping %or 2 66, but #hen they hit it #ill be #ith something snea"y)as)hell and solid)solid)solid. .hey then go into aggro mode, betting incredibly hard and relying on unobser'ant .35s to call them do#n lighter because Yhey, this idiot is <21<, my .P8J dominates his range.Y .hey stac" more .35s than you and I could e'er hope to, because their image gets them mad phat post%lop action. So the rule is0 post%lop is a ne# game= e$pect people to play a di%%erent style post%lop %rom pre%lop, and try to Buic"ly %igure out 67.H o% these styles. No#, once #e(re on the %lop and beyond #e need to use a'erage aggression and post%lop tightness to decide #hat a player(s holdings are, re%ining our original range based on their pre%lop play. .his leads us to the third commandment0 #* Kno6 th. board* Flops ha'e di%%erent Yte$tures,Y and those te$tures can be much more or much less scary, depending on your holdings and your opponent(s range. &ore importantly, di%%erent people respond in di%%erent #ays to di%%erent board te$tures. 7n a dra#)hea'y board, i% a loose and aggressi'e player is chec")calling you can e$pect him to ha'e the near)nuts, but i% a loose and passi'e player is chec")calling you can e$pect him to ha'e ... #ell, any damn thing. Chat a%%ects the te$ture o% a boardO Cell, let(s start #ith the %lop. Suitedness0 %lops can come Yrainbo#Y (three di%%erent suits , Yt#o)suitedY (t#o o% one suit and one o% another , or YmonochromeY (all three cards in the same suit . .he more YsuitedY a %lop is, the bigger the hand most opponents #ill need to call. Ho#e'er, note that many hyperaggressi'e opponents #ill be more li"ely to bet out, chec")raise, or Y%loatY (smooth)call on the %lop #ith the intent o% ta"ing the pot on the turn #ith either a pure blu%% or a semi)blu%% (dra# on these types o% boards. I% you are %irst to act, you can o%ten steal these pots %or a reasonably small (218rds)pot bet= i% you are called, be#are

o% the %lush dra#[ 7ne small bit o% math0 let(s say that the %lop comes #ith three spades and you ha'e none in your hand. .he odds that your single opponent %lopped a made %lush are 8.8G and the odds that he %lopped a %lush -93C are 2;.AG. I% you('e hit a solid hand (say, .P.J -7 N7. P3NI/ 3N- S.39. /3LLIN5[ 6et out and protect against the dra# that is :.<; times more li"ely than the made %lush that has you "illed. 6esides, i% your opponent actually has a second)best hand, he(ll be more li"ely to pay o%% a bet on a monochrome %lop than he #ill to pay o%% a bet #hen the turn has F749 spades (assuming he doesn(t ha'e one . 6et #hile your hand is best and charge him #ell to try and outdra# you. Incidentally, i% your board has three spades and you ha'e one in your hand, the odds that your opponent has t#o spades drops to 2.*G and the odds that he has one spade drops to 2:.:G, so the odds that your opponent is dra#ing to a %lush are no# ;.* times higher than the odds that he %lopped the monster. 6et and protect[ $onnectedness0 here #e(re tal"ing about ho# many cards to a straight the board has. 3 monochrome %lop o% H).)K is &4/H more dangerous than a monochrome %lop o% H)<)2. 3l#ays be a#are o% straight dra#s )) they(re a gold)mine to the sa''y po"er player because so many people miss them. Chen the %lop comes 3)J)I, the player holding H.s ,ust stac"ed the pre%lop raiser holding 3J. Chen the board is connected, you need to be#are o% t#o separate possibilities0 your opponent might ha'e t#o pair and your opponent might ha'e an open)ended straight dra#. 7%ten, t#o pair is the scarier e'ent, because your #ea")but)made hand is o%ten dra#ing 'ery thin against it. 3 straight dra# can become an almost unbeatable monster, but it has to 5+. there %irst. .#o pair is already there. 3t small sta"es games, many players #ill play 'ery passi'ely #ith a dra#, chec"1calling in the hopes o% impro'ing, but they #ill play aggressi'ely #ith t#o pair. >our more aggressi'e opponents #ill bet 67.H hands strongly. Chen someone plays bac" at you on a %airly connected board, you need to decide i% they(re li"ely dra#ing or i% instead they('e %lopped some po#erhouse hand. .hen you(ll proceed based on the strength o% your hand in relation to the range you thin" is li"ely %or your opponent. &uch li"e a suited board, a connected board can o%ten be used as a po#er%ul blu%%ing or semiblu%%ing tool. Say your 8E12218 opponent raises pre%lop %rom &P and you call in position #ith 88. Heads)up, the %lop comes <)*);. .his is a 9+3LL> good %lop %or attac" aggressi'ely0 considering your opponent(s stats, the raise ma"es o'ercards much more li"ely than usual, so the odds that this %lop has completely missed your opponent are higher than usual. 3 %lop raise or a %lop %loat can pro'e e$tremely 'aluable to you. In this analysis I(m completely ignoring your inside straight dra# )) that(s 'irtually #orthless since it(s highly unli"ely to happen and also highly unli"ely to get paid in any signi%icant #ay by your opponent #hile still being the best hand. No, I(m saying that this %lop is a good one %or you because it is unli"ely to ha'e impro'ed your opponent in any meaning%ul #ay. Pressing bac" hard should #in you this pot Buite o%ten CI.H74. getting to a sho#do#n. =igh $ard Dalue0 your opponents lo'e playing high cards. Sure, you('e outgro#n calling raises #ith JHo and 3Ko (you H3?+ outgro#n that, rightO but they ha'en(t. Playing these easily)dominated hands #ill pro'e 'ery e$pensi'e %or your inattenti'e opponents, but reali!e this general rule0 a %lop that is high)card hea'y is much more li"ely to ha'e connected #ith your opposition than a %lop that is high)card light. I% an ace hits the board in a multi)#ay pot and I don(t ha'e 3. L+3S. 3I, I(m usually done #ith the hand. 7pponents lo'e nothing more than playing aces, and #hen those aces hit the board your opponents #ill hang on to their aces li"e they #ere made out o% solid gold. Corse yet, a pair o% aces #ith a H)or)#orse "ic"er is going to be in oodles o% trouble unless that "ic"er connects, too. .hin" about this0 say you ha'e 3H on an ace)high board. .he ne$t highest board card is a .. I% one other player has an ace, #hat are the odds that his hand beats yoursO Cell, 3J and 3I ob'iously ha'e you out"ic"ed, and the unli"ely 33 has you decimated. Ho#e'er, there are %our 7.H+9 aces that beat you )) the ones that ha'e made t#o pair.

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.hat means you(re behind about as o%ten as you(re ahead in this situation, and that(s e'en assuming that your opponent YonlyY has an ace[ >ou thro# in the other random t#o)pair and set hands and your hand #ill #in at sho#do#n less than hal% the time. Corse yet, most opponents #ill get the message and %old their aces #ith #ea" "ic"ers, but they(re unli"ely to %old any hand that beats you. .he odds are that i% you someho# create a big pot, you(re e'en &79+ li"ely to be behind. In short, proceed #ith great caution on ace)high boards, e'en i% you ha'e an ace. Jing high boards are pretty dangerous, too, because the looser opponents #ill play many "ings, especially suited ones. I(s and H(s are less scary as a player(s high card, but ?+9> dangerous as a player(s L7C card. Someone #illing to play JHo pre%lop is 'irtually ne'er going to %old that hand on a H)high %lop. 9ecogni!e that the odds that your opponent has missed the board are highest on lo#) card boards, and much lo#er #hen the board has high cards. .his is especially true i% the board has more than 7N+ high card. 7ne ma,or e$ception to this rule0 i% you 93IS+pre%lop, don(t gi'e up #hen the %lop comes #ith a high card, especially i% that high card is an ace. .his is a %antastic chance to steal the pot. Statistically spea"ing, 'irtually any opponent you could %ace has a less)than);EG chance o% ha'ing an ace in this situation, but i% you bet the %lop they #ill assume you -7 ha'e one. 3 standard continuation bet #ill #in the pot a surprisingly large %raction o% the time. I% they play bac", %old and mo'e on to the ne$t hand. Paired (oards0 usually, a paired board is a cause %or celebration. ChyO 6ecause #ith an unpaired board there are nine separate cards in the unseen dec" that could gi'e an opponent a pair. Ho#e'er, #ith a P3I9+- board, that number %alls to only FI?+ cards. In other #ords, it(s no# almost ;EG less li"ely that an opponent has made a hand good enough to #ant to continue. >ou should use this against them i% it is reasonable %or you to do so. &ind you, i% you limped pre%lop and the board is 33J, you can usually chec") %old, because your opponent is not going to belie'e that you ha'e the goods. Ho#e'er, i% you raised pre%lop and the board comes AA: a bet in a heads)up pot is 'irtually &3N-3.79>0 your opponent #ill reali!e he(s missed, assume you ha'e a poc"et pair, and %old e'en more o%ten than he #ould %old to a typical continuation bet. Paired boards are per%ect %or continuing pre%lop aggression. 3lso, reali!e that most aggressi'e players "no# this, so i% you happen to be in a pot that someone else raised, the %lop comes paired and you('e got a snea"y monster, consider a slo#play li"e a %lop chec") raise or e'en a Ychec"1call %lop, chec"1raise turn.Y >our aggressi'e targets #ill %ire o%% a continuation bet Buite o%ten, and you can then Ysnap o%% a blu%%Y and #in a bigger pot than you other#ise #ould. 7b'iously, this #ill be opponent)speci%ic, but "eep your eyes peeled %or such opportunities. 7n the turn and ri'er, similar issues #ith connectedness, suitedness, high card 'alue, and board pairs #ill continue to pertain, and #ill de%ine the Yte$tureY o% the board. 3s a general rule, a tight opponent #ill continue on Y#etY (highly coordinated boards #hen he has a strong hand or a strong dra#, but a loose opponent may continue #ith as little as top pair. 3n aggressi'e opponent can bet Y#etY boards #ith a dra#, a Ycombination dra#Y (straight and %lush , or a pairFdra#, and may e'en bet these boards on a pure blu%%. 3 passi'e opponent betting into a Y#etY board usually has the goods )) these %ol"s rarely bet their dra#s. No#, to start to put this all together, let(s mo'e on to the ne$t rule0 9* Kno6 th. hand histor.* Here #e(re discussing ho# this particular hand has played out0 #ho bet #hen and ho#

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muchO Start loo"ing %or betting patterns, as di%%erent people #ill ha'e di%%erent patterns. 3 %e# general issues0 $heck,raises0 #hen an opponent chec")raises, he is sending the message that his hand is unusually po#er%ul. He "no#s you are betting and he doesn(t care. Chat(s more, he #as con%ident enough to ris" your chec"ing behind in his Buest to get more money in the pot. .hese types o% bets #ill usually mean one o% three things0 either your opponent #as monsterously strong and slo#played an earlier street, or the last card ,ust helped your opponent in some #ay, or he is blu%%ing in a situation #here he thin"s he can scare you o%% your hand. 3s a general rule, trust chec")raises %rom passi'e players. /ompletely. I% you don(t ha'e a snea"y &7NS.+9 (and I mean &7NS.+9 #ith a capital Xe'erythingX you should be %olding to this raise. People o%ten as" Ycan I e'er escape %rom poc"et acesOY .his #ould be one situation #here escaping #ould be easy. 3nother general rule is that the more aggressi'e a player is, the more li"ely a chec")raise is a blu%%. I #ould say that until an opponent has an aggression %actor o% at least 2 you shouldn(t #orry much about a chec")raise semi)blu%%, and until he has an aggression %actor o% at least : you shouldn(t #orry much about a chec")raise blu%%. People are 'ery Buic" to put a player on a blu%% #hen he chec")raises= I belie'e this e'ent is much rarer than most people thin". 7ne ca'eat to this0 chec")raises on the %lop are %ar more li"ely to be blu%%s or #ea" hands than chec")raises on 3N> other street. 7n the %lop, people #ill o%ten ta"e a chec") raise line against a %reBuent c)bettor, e'en #ith hands li"e Ybottom pair, no "ic"erY because they "no# that their opponent #ill %reBuently ha'e pure air. So0 a chec")raise on the %lop usually means YI can beat ace)high,Y but a chec")raise on a later street usually means YI can beat >74.Y $heck,calls0 this play is highly player)speci%ic. 3gainst a passi'e calling station this means YI ha'e t#o cards. Loo"[ Spades are pretty. I li"e pie.Y 3gainst a tight and moderately aggressi'e player this o%ten means YI(m on a dra#.Y 3gainst a highly aggressi'e player this o%ten means YI ha'e a monster and I(m going to let you bet yoursel% to death.Y /hec")calls are precursors to chec")raises on later streets %rom 'ery aggressi'e players= %rom 'ery passi'e players, they ,ust precede more chec")calls. 3onkbets0 a Ydon"betY is #hen someone #ho does N7. ha'e the betting lead ma"es an une$pected bet. For instance, i% a player called your pre%lop raise but then leads into you on the %lop, that #ould be a don"bet. Similarly, i% a player calls your %lop bet but then leads on the turn, that #ould also be a don"bet. 3t these stages, a don"bet should be interpreted as saying Ythat card helped me.Y .he more passi'e your opponent, the more straight%or#ard this interpretation is. Chen a passi'e player comes ali'e on a third straight card, or a %ourth %lush card, or a pairing o% the board, or some odd)loo"ing random card, you should e$pect that the card has helped his hand out and he is no# 'alue)betting. 7% course, ho# strong his hand is remains to be seen, but the card has impro'ed him. -on(t e$pect that this means he has the nuts0 I('e seen passi'e players #a"e up and bet the %ourth heart...because it ga'e them t#o pair. 7n the other hand, 'ery aggressi'e players lo'e to don"bet on scare cards. .his is a cheaper blu%% than a chec")raise but it #or"s ,ust as o%ten at these le'els, and many aggressi'e players #ill ta"e ad'antage o% a turn ace or a third1%ourth club, or a board pair to try and steal the pot. 6e a#are o% this. Une0pected checks0 a player #ho has been betting steadily in the hand suddenly starts to chec". Chat does this meanO Cell, one ob'ious interpretation is that he has been blu%%ing and has no# gi'en up on the hand. &ost players are straight%or#ard enough that this #ill be the case. 3gainst a medium)aggressi'e opponent, this #ill o%ten be a good opportunity to bet #ith any t#o cards, since your %olding eBuity #ill be through)the)roo%. 3nother common situation is that a player %lops a decent hand )) say top pair on a .)high board )) and then slo#s #ay do#n #hen the turn brings a J. .hey are #orried about the o'erpair, and so ha'e stopped betting. .hat does not necessarily mean they are ready to %old= some players #ill go %rom betting1raising to chec"1calling all the #ay to sho#do#n.

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Ho#e'er, #hen an aggressi'e player stops being aggressi'e, that(s usually a sign that your situation is not as dire as you thought it #as. 6e#are o% the hyperaggressi'e opponent #ho une$pectedly chec"s, +SP+/I3LL> i% he chec"1calls a scare card. For some reason, these players ha'e ta"en the Ystrong = #ea", #ea" = strongY philosophy to heart, and #ill o%ten bet #ith little or nothing but immediately slo#play the moment they get a hand. Catch your opponents care%ully to see i% the turn chec" usually means they are gi'ing up or i% it usually means they are trapping you. (et,check,bet0 a strange)loo"ing but rather common three)street line is Ybet the %lop, chec" behind on the turn, bet the ri'er,Y #here the opponent has chec"1called the #hole #ay. 3gainst an aggressi'e opponent, this ri'er bet is o%ten #hat #e call a Ydesperation blu%%.Y .he hand has no sho#do#n 'alue so the 'illain bets in the hopes that you #ill %old the best hand. Since you('e sho#n little or no strength the #hole hand through, they %eel they ha'e strong %olding eBuity (#hich is true , and they are no# attac"ing in a last)ditch e%%ort to scoop up the pot. Ho#e'er, you need to be a#are o% #hat the board loo"ed li"e. 3nother common reasoning behind this line is that the %lop bet #as #ith nothing, the turn ga'e the opponent a dra#, and the ri'er either made the dra# or missed. I% an ob'ious dra# arri'ed on the end, you #ould really need to "no# more about your opponent be%ore you "ne# i% this #as a blu%% or not. /alling against some opponents #ill be e$tremely F+? e'en #ith bottom pair= against other opponents it #ill be )+? #ith anything short o% a po#erhouse. 3gain, #atch your opponents and ta"e notes on #hat their lines mean. 7ur %i%th and %inal commandment ties in to e'erything #e('e already discussed0 :* Kno6 th. image* YImageY is ho# the other players at the table percei'e >74. 3gainst some opponents, this #ill be the 'ery most important commandment. 3gainst others, it #ill not matter at all. It all depends on ho# attenti'e your particular opponent is. Ho# do #e start to %igure out our imageO %nl. 6orr. about image 6ith second,le-el thinkers* For some o% you, this is your %irst segue into third)le'el thin"ing. First)le'el thin"ing is as"ing, Y#hat is my handOY Second)le'el thin"ing is as"ing, Y#hat is my opponent(s handOY .hird)le'el thin"ing is as"ing, Y#hat does my opponent thin" my hand isOY 7b'iously third)le'el thin"ing is irrele'ant against a %irst)le'el thin"er. Ho#e'er, most opponents #ill at least ma"e some to"en e%%ort to guess your hand, so against your better opponents understanding your image #ill be important. Chen you ha'e a complete idiot #ho ne'er loo"s past his o#n hand #hile playing the game, don(t #orry about image )) you(ll ,ust be #asting your time and e%%ort. ;our cards onl. affect .our image 6hen .ou S=%4 them* In the last %i'e straight hands you('e had 33, JI (%lopped trips , II, H. (%lopped straight , and ;; (%lopped set . >ou #on all %i'e hands be%ore sho#do#n, and you ne'er sho# your hands #ithout being %orced to do so. 9ecogni!e that your table image is no# absolute /93P. >es, you had the goods. Sure, your hands #ere actually po#erhouses. 7% course, your starting hand selection is tight. None o% that matters. 3ll your opponents ha'e seen is you betting and raising e'ery hand. .hey doubt you, and they(re 'ery Buic"ly going to get sic" o% your crap and start loo"ing you up. .his is N7. the time to get cute #ith IHs or 88 )) this is the time to play sBuea"y)clean po"er as tight as you "no# ho#. 3lternati'ely, i% each o% those %i'e #ent to sho#do#n and you displayed to the table your po#erhouse #inners, your %olding eBuity #ill be HI5H+9 than usual, because people #ill begin to belie'e that you don(t get in'ol'ed #ith a hand unless you('e got the goods. 6e a#are o% this. 'ecent histor. matters more than ancient histor.* ?ery %e# o% your opponents

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actually ha'e Po"er .rac"er. 3s a result, their image o% you #ill be determined by their o#n personal obser'ations. &ost people ha'e a relati'ely short memory, so concentrate most on your actions in the last t#o orbits. I% your table image has %allen apart and your blu%%s ha'e gotten pic"ed o%% se'eral times in a ro#, tighten up and %old %or the ne$t t#o orbits )) in that short period o% time you #ill rebuild most or all o% your table image and you can then go bac" to doing your nasty deeds. /on'ersely, i% you('e been at the table %or three hours playing a 221A game but you('e gotten in'ol'ed in 2E o% the last 22 hands, people #ill thin" o% you as a maniac, and play bac" at you #ith all sorts o% crap. It(s the recent history that counts, so remember ho# your last t#o orbits loo"ed at the table. Personal histor. matters more than table histor.* 3 player may not remember that you blu%%ed Seat 8 o%% his hand %i'e times in a ro#, but he CILL remember that you blu%%ed HI& o%% his hand once an hour and a hal% ago. People ha'e much longer memories %or hands that in'ol'ed them personally. I% you stole a player(s big blind three times in the last %our orbits, he(s going to "no# that, and he(s going to play bac" at you #ith any reasonably strong hand. >our %olding eBuity on a steal #ill be particularly lo# against HI&, but #on(t be lo# at all against the other players at the table. %pponents 6ill usuall. assume that .our lines al6a.s mean the same thing* I% you bet 81:ths pot on a ri'er scare card #ith the nut %lush, then the ne$t time you are in a pot against that opponent and the ri'er comes #ith a three)%lush (not yours , bet 81:ths pot[ >our %olding eBuity #ill be tremendous. 3lternati'ely, i% the %lush card -Ihelp you, bet a -IFF+9+N. amount )) push all your chips in, or bet 212 pot, or do something else. Chen you #ant a call, don(t do #hat you did the last time he sa# you #ith the nuts. Chen you #ant a %old, do e$actly #hat you did the last time he sa# you #ith the nuts. People #ill remember these things.

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-aking Notes 9 Making *ea&s )$ti"le (4) (F$eak/a&&y)

I ha'en(t posted any articles on here since my /ontinuation 6et article Buite some time ago, so I thought I(d share another #ith you, since the others ha'e had such popular responses. 3s al#ays, i% you ha'e any comments or suggestions, don(t be shy. Hope you en,oy. Playing good po"er is more than ,ust playing your cards and perhaps your opponent@s cards. It@s really about playing the opponent you@re up against. Chat that means is that #hile the cards are important, you can #in a lot more pots i% you pay attention to ho# your opponent plays the game. Chen you pay attention by ta"ing good notes, you can apply this in%ormation to sometimes #in #hen you don@t ha'e the best hand. In some cases this in%ormation can also be used to get a#ay %rom a good but ob'ious second)best hand, push a marginal hand, or ma"e a bold blu%% that you #ouldn@t normally ma"e against most opponents. In this three)part article #e@ll %ocus on #hat "ind o% notes to ta"e on your opponents and ho# to apply these notes in order to ma"e good reads on your opponents. .he reads you ma"e in%luence the action you should ta"e on your hand. Ce@ll discuss ho# your reads translate into ma"ing the best play in order to ma$imi!e the 'alue o% your hand and minimi!e your losses. T.pes of 8otes to Take 7ne o% the biggest ad'antages o% playing online %or the good po"er player is the amount o% data and notes you can ta"e on an opponent seemingly instantly. &ost sites o%%er an area #here you can clic" on an opponent@s name and type in some notes about that player. It@s not Buite as easy to do in li'e play, and #hen you do this in li'e play people "no# that you are a#are o% that hand and ho# it #as played. In online play, no one "no#s i% you@re #atching .? or intently #atching e'ery hand and ma"ing pages o% notes. It@s best to 'ie# ta"ing notes on your opponents as the Q#or"R aspect o% playing pro%itable po"er. Chile it@s possible to play pro%itable po"er #ithout ta"ing notes, it #ill ine'itably be more pro%itable to ta"e as many notes as possible %or the %ollo#ing reasons0 2. Chen a similar situation or hand arises, you@ll ha'e more in%ormation a'ailable that can help you ma"e the best decision possible. 2. It #ill help you in getting an o'erall read on ho# your opponent is playing. 8. +'en i% you ne'er play against that particular opponent again, it #ill help you in understanding ho# to play against a similar player in the %uture. Ce@re going to begin by outlining some o% the general things you should loo" %or #hile playing po"er. +ach type o% play #ill ha'e an abbre'iation that you can use #hich #ill help i% you are multi)tabling and only ha'e a couple o% seconds to ,ot in a note. >ou can e$pand these and1or type in the entire meaning o% the play #hen you actually ma"e your o#n notes during play. List of Abbre-iations ((rief %-er-ie6) AT$ (Pla. an. t6o cards) T Chene'er a hand goes to sho#do#n it@s al#ays good to note #hat hands your opponent #as playing and %rom #here. .his al#ays pro'ides a lot o% insight into ho# he thin"s about the game. Chen you see someone play K;o %rom

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middle position, you can label him as 3./. .he more you see this %rom him, the more solid your read #ill be. &$ (&lush $haser) T 3 lot o% opponents lo'e to chase %lushes. Chen you see someone calling large %lop and turn bets #ith an ob'ious %lush dra#, but he %olds to a small ri'er bet, you can be pretty sure he #as chasing his %lush. 3lso, i% you see an opponent calling large bets and then connecting #ith his %lush, you@ll #ant to note this. It@s also important to note #hether he /H+/J+- his %lush on the end or bet it. S%%T (Likes to pla. an. t6o suited cards) T .his is similar to F/ e$cept there are some players #ho also li"e to play any t#o suited cards %rom nearly any#here. Chen see opponents play J:s %rom early position, or H*s %rom middle position, you can be pretty sure they@re a suited player. .his is good to "no# i% there@s a %lush dra# on board and you ha'e a marginal hand, but they@re still calling large bets. It@s also good to note i% they call raises #ith these hands too. Some people #ill call large raises #ith IAs thin"ing that they #ill bust you i% they hit their %lush. Ce lo'e to play against these types o% opponents. AK (4ill bet turned unimpro-ed) T Nearly e'eryone #ill bet the %lop #ith any t#o cards i% they raised be%ore the %lop. Not e'eryone, ho#e'er, #ill bet the turn unimpro'ed. .his is 'ery good to "no# i% you@re holding a marginal hand and your opponent is still %iring. .his read #ill be a bit harder to ma"e, because you de%initely need to see a %e# sho#do#ns to con%irm this %or sure. $'4 ($alls raises 6ith 6eak hands) T .his opponent #ill call large raises, %or e$ample, #ith I. out o% position, or perhaps e'en a re)raise #ith JH or some other dominated hands. He could also call a large raise #ith 3:o or e'en a more speculati'e hand li"e HAo. LA& (4ill lead into pre,flop raiser and fold to a raise) T Some opponents #ill call raises out o% position #ith the intention o% betting the %lop to steal the pot. Some opponents #ill do this #ith small poc"et pairs, and some #ill do it #ith air. I% you get a chance to ma"e the distinction bet#een the t#o, it #ill be 'ery help%ul #ith your %lop play. Ho#e'er, #hen you see someone do this, then you@ll #ant to ma"e some generous raises on the %lop #hen you ha'e a hand, and sometimes #hen you don@t ha'e a hand. A0 (4ill pla. an. ace from an.6here) T 3 lot o% opponents %all in lo'e #ith the 3ce. I% you see someone playing 38 %rom early position or 3A to a raise, or a hand li"e 3K out o% position to a raise, then you ha'e an 3$ player. .his ,ust adds more insight %or you as to ho# your opponent understands the game, and you can also get a#ay %rom your poc"et "ings i% this opponent is stic"ing around on an ace high %lop because he@s not %olding his #ea" ace. 8P' (4ill raise a non,premium hand) T Some opponents #ill raise a non)premium hand %rom any#here. .he range #hich they ta"e this to the e$treme #ill let you "no# ho# loose and aggressi'e they are. 7pponents #ho raise a hand li"e JI %rom late position are good to "no#, but not as loose and aggressi'e as someone #ho raises IKs %rom middle position. L'' (4ill limp re,raise big hands) T Some opponents limp re)raise e'ery once in a#hile, and some do it habitually. 3nytime you see someone limp re)raise #ith JJ or 33 %rom +P ma"e a note and "no# that it@s unli"ely he is ma"ing a play i% he comes bac" o'er the top o% your raise. LA (Look,up artist) ) .his is a 'ery pro%itable opponent to play against. He #ill typically call nearly any %lop bet you ma"e but #ill %old to %urther aggression. He tends to li"e to see ho# you@ll react a%ter he calls your %irst bet, but %olds a large percentage o% the time

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to a second bet. Appl.ing .our abbre-iated reads to situations No# that #e ha'e an idea o% some o% the things to loo" %or, let@s loo" at ho# to use this in%ormation in a real money game. Ce@re going to ta"e the abo'e abbre'iated notes, e$pand them a bit more, and sho# ho# they@ll apply in actual hands. AT$ (An. t6o $ards) Players #ho literally play any t#o cards are di'ided into three types o% players, and you need to be a#are o% the di%%erences bet#een these players. .he commonality to #hich you see all o% these 'ariations #ill depend on the sta"es you are playing. .ypically, you #ill only see 3./ 2 Z 2 at small and mid sta"es. 3./ 2 (No grasp o% hand strength T .he %irst group o% players #ho play any t#o cards really has no solid grasp o% hand strength, position, or #hy to play certain hands in some situations and not others. .hese players are commonly called Q%ishR because they@ll put in too much money #ith #ea" hands and pay o%% against dominated hands. >ou should li"e playing #ith them, but you need to be a#are that i% you miss the %lop, they may ha'e hit it, and they may also call you do#n #ith any piece o% it. So you don@t normally #ant to blu%% players in this category unless you see them %olding a lot to a second bet (or third . >ou do, ho#e'er, #ant to 'alue bet your made hands against them as they #ill nearly al#ays pay o%% #ith #ea"er hands or dominated hands. 3./ 2 (Some grasp o% hand strength T >ou@ll see a lot o% these players primarily in short)handed games, but they also sho# up in %ull ring games. .hese players #ill play any t#o cards, but they generally #on@t in'est too much into the pot unless they ha'e a good hand a%ter the %lop. .hey@ll commonly call raises #ith a hand such as J*o on the button (note0 this is di%%erent than /9C T see abo'e #ith the intention o% either blu%%ing you out o% the pot or nailing a big hand hoping to bust you #ith your large poc"et pair. .hese players #ill be 'ery 'isible, because they@ll be in'ol'ed in a lot o% pots, and they@ll usually be %airly aggressi'e. I% they ha'e some "ind o% hand strength, then they are getting in'ol'ed in a lot o% pots %or a reason, and that reason is usually because they belie'e they can blu%% you out o% the pot, or bust you #ith their unusual .:o hand. .hese opponents can be more dangerous, but a lot o% times they #ill still go too %ar #ith a top pair hand, thin"ing you@re blu%%ing (e'en though you ha'e a better "ic"er than they do . >ou #ant to bet into them #hen you ha'e a strong hand and hope they don@t belie'e you and ma"e a mo'e in the #rong spot. &a"e your bets big and strong against these opponents, because they tend to not belie'e people betting into them. >ou really don@t need to slo#play against these opponents. 3./ 8 (5ood grasp o% hand strength T .hese opponents are almost non)e$istent at small sta"es, you #ill sometimes see them at .;12 NL and abo'e at * ma$. .his player can legitimately be called a solid L35 (loose)aggressi'e player. .hese players #ill play nearly any t#o cards, because they "no# ho# to read situations #ell and #in a lot o% hands e'en #hen they ha'e the #orst hand. .hey can also read #ell #hen they ha'e a good second)best hand and minimi!e their losses. Playing this style reBuires e$cellent hand reading and ma"ing a lot o% di%%icult decisions. For these reasons you@ll typically run into a lot o% people that are o% the %ormer t#o types o% 3./@s described. Some #ill be 3./@s that ha'e some concept o% hand strength #ho thin" they are good L35 players but really they aren@t. So, #hen ta"ing notes, ma"e sure you "no# #hat type o% 3./ you are %acing. &a"e the appropriate additional note. Chen you are playing against an 3./ 2, you "no# this opponent is ,ust basically Q%ishyR (bad player . Chen you are against 3./ 2, this player tends to be more on the aggressi'e side. He is usually in a lot o% pots because he is

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impatient and is an Qaction ,un"ieR. I% you happen to be unluc"y enough to see an 3./ 8, ,ust try to stay out o% pots #ith them unless you ha'e a good hand until you@'e de'eloped your post)%lop s"ill to a high le'el. /S)

In the abo'e e$ample, you and your opponent both started the hand #ith 2EE66. It #as %olded to you and you raised ;$ the 66 %rom &P2 #ith 3cIc. .he action %olded to the button #ho called the raise and the blinds %olded. >ou loo" at your notes, and you notice that you put do#n that your opponent #as an 3./ 2. >ou don@t ha'e any other notes beyond that, and you@'e only played eight rotations #ith this opponent. .he %lop comes0 <c,8d,.c and you ma"e a \ si!e pot bet #ith your nut %lush dra# and t#o o'ercards. >our opponent then mini)raises you on the %lop, and you call the raise. .he turn comes the *c, gi'ing you the second nuts. -o you slo# do#nO No[ >ou should continue to bet this hand aggressi'ely against this type o% opponent. It@s 'ery li"ely that he may try to represent the %lush by raising your bet. >ou don@t ho#e'er, #ant to bet too aggressi'ely in this particular situation. 3 hal%)si!e pot bet #ill in'ite a possible raise)#hich is #hat you #ant. 5i'e your aggressi'e opponent a little room to hang himsel%, but don@t get %ancy and chec". Hust continue to bet into this type o% opponent. &$ (&lush $haser) 3 lot o% No)limit .e$as Holdem players ,ust lo'e to ma"e %lushes. .here@s something about loo"ing do#n at HAs that loo"s so much better than HAo to a lot o% opponents at small and mid sta"es. Ce "no#, ho#e'er, that the suited cards only out per%orm their o%%)suit counterpart by 2G (i% all the money #ent in , but our opponents don@t seem to

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mind, or more accurately, don@t "no# that. No#, let@s not get con%used bet#een the F/ player and the S77. player. .he F/ player li"es to chase his %lush, but that doesn@t mean that he@ll play any t#o suited cards. >ou may ha'e an initial read o% F/, and then later %ind out that the player is really more o% a S77., but ma"e sure that you ma"e the distinction because it matters. &ost F/ players #ill still play reasonable cards, but they@ll call large %lop bets (pot)si!e or more #ith their %lush dra#s, #hich isn@t terrible on the %lop. 6ut they #ill also typically call large turn bets #ith their dra#s, #hich is bad. It@s bad %or them, but good %or you. Chen you see a person chec"ing and calling and then chec"1%olding the ri'er to a bet, you can be pretty sure he #as chasing, and you can ma"e a note o% it (I suggest putting a Buestion mar" ne$t to the read meaning it@s not con%irmed yet, but you suspect this to be the case . I% you are luc"y enough to get to see a sho#do#n and their cards, then also ma"e a note #hether they chased #ith a %lush that had li"ely o'ercard outs, or they chased #ith ,ust a %lush dra# that li"ely had no o'ercards. 3n e$ample o% this #ould be i% they held AdKd, and the board on the turn read 3c.d:d2h. I% they are calling large bets on those "inds o% boards #hen they only ha'e as many as nine outs, then you can put an e$clamation on their F/ note because they are a de%inite %lush chaser. S%%T (Like to pla. and t6o suited cards) >ou@ll run into these opponents a lot at small sta"es, but there are some at e'ery buy)in le'el. .hese opponents ha'e so %allen in lo'e #ith the %lush that they@ll play any t#o suited cards, and o%ten %rom any position. I% you happen to see someone sho#do#n a H:s %rom early position, you can rest assured you@'e %ound one o% these opponents. I% you get in'ol'ed in a hand #ith a S77., and there are %lush dra# possibilities, bet the hand hard. Sometimes e'en o'erbetting the pot (on %lop and turn is appropriate, i% you ha'e a strong hand. -on@t be a%raid o% chasing him a#ay, he@ll continue on i% he has any hope i% hitting his %lush. I% you ha'e a marginal hand, bet the %lop and turn harder than normal, but al#ays ma"e sure not to go too cra!y. Hust because you@re in a hand #ith a S77., and there@s a %lush dra#, doesn@t mean he absolutely has a dra#. &a"e sure to al#ays e$ercise caution, but loo" %or the telltale signs o% a dra#, such as your opponent chec"ing and calling. Chen you ha'e position on a S77. #ith a good hand, and he@s limped in %ront o% you, ma"e sure you QpopR the pot pre)%lop #ith a nice raise. >ou #ant to ma"e him pay as much as possible %or trying to hit his improbable hand (a player %lops a %lush less than . EAG o% the time . S77. players are al#ays %airly loose, so you #ant to ma$imi!e your ad'antage by getting in a nice raise be%ore the %lop. 3lso i% you@re in'ol'ed in a hand #ith a S77., and a %lush dra# comes in, don@t pay it o%%. He #on@t "no# that you ha'e this "ind o% read on them, so they li"ely #on@t be blu%%ing you. 3gain, i% your opponent is chec"ing and calling and a %lush dra# completes, and he suddenly bets or chec")raises, you should %old. Same thing i% you@re out o% position and he@s been calling your bets, and a %lush dra# completes on the ri'er, it may be best to consider %olding, unless he bets a 'ery small amount. /S+ 6oth opponents start #ith e'en stac"s o% 2;E66

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In the e$ample, a noted S77. limps into the pot and you pic" up 3dIh in the /o and raise to *66. +'eryone %olds bac" to the limper #ho calls the raise. .he %lop comes as sho#n0 2cKhIc. .he S77. chec"s to you and you bet 2E66. .he S77. calls and the pot is no# 8866. .he turn comes the <d. .he F/ against chec"s and you bet 2;66. .he F/ calls and the pot is no# A866. .he turn no# comes the 8c and the F/ bets ;E66. >ou should %old. I% this #ere any other "ind o% player, you may consider calling. Since you "no# ho#e'er that this opponent plays a lot o% suited cards and he #as chec"ing and calling the entire #ay until the %lush hit on the ri'er, you should let it go. It@s 'ery unli"ely that H+@S 3C39+ that you "no# he plays a lot o% suited cards. It@s also unli"ely that he chec"ed and called all the #ay #ith some #ea" hand li"e IH or #orse and no# decided to ,ust represent the %lush and lead the ri'er. Chen you ma"e a read, trust it and go #ith it. >ou #ill sa'e yoursel%, and also ma"e much more money in the long run. AK (4ill bet turn unimpro-ed) Nearly all opponents #ho raise be%ore the %lop #ill %ollo# it up #ith a continuation bet on the %lop. Not all opponents ho#e'er #ill %ire the second bullet #ith an unimpro'ed hand. Chen you get a rare chance to see a sho#do#n #hen someone bets the turn #ith an unimpro'ed hand, you should ma"e a note o% this and most importantly, #rite do#n #hat the bet si!e #as in proportion to the pot si!e. Noting that your important #ill %ire multiple bullets #ith a non)paired hand is important, but it #ill be rare that you@ll be able to see them sho#do#n a hand o%ten enough to "no# the rate they do this. 7% course i% they %ire multiple bullets in nearly e'ery pot they@re in'ol'ed in, then you can be Buite sure they ma"e this play o%ten. .he most important thing that you can ta"e a#ay as a read #ithin a short session against an opponent is ho#

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he bets his made hands 'ersus his blu%%s. Some opponents #ill ha'e a 'ery de%initi'e pattern here. So, i% you get to see an 3J opponent go to sho#do#n #ith an unimpro'ed hand, and then get to see them go to sho#do#n #ith a made hand, you #ant to note the di%%erences in ho# they bet these t#o hands. 3 lot o% opponents (especially at small sta"es are not 'ery balanced in ho# they bet their blu%%s 'ersus their made hands. Note e'erything you see about the di%%erences, and try and relate their betting pattern to a ratio o% the pot si!e. For e$ample, i% you see someone bet an unimpro'ed hand on the %lop %or a d si!ed pot bet on the %lop, but they bet a made hand %or a %ull si!ed pot bet on the %lop, this #ill li"ely be a pretty reliable betting tell. I% you get to see it more than once, you can almost in" is, as again, a lot o% opponents don@t thin" to alter their play. >ou@ll "no# in this e$ample #hen your opponent is betting #ea", they@re #ea", and #hen they bet strong, they@re strong. >ou might %or e$ample, see the opposite o% this, or any other combination o% betting patterns, and di%%erent ones also on the turn. So don@t only note that this opponent is an 3J, but ho# they bet their hands as #ell (you should do this #ith all opponents o% course, but especially true #hen you see opponents #ho are %iring multiple bullets . .he best thing to do i% you are up against an 3J player is to raise the %lop i% you ha'e some "ind o% hand modest hand, or lead the turn. >ou don@t #ant to in'est too much #ith mid pair or an under pair to the board, unless you %eel ?+9> con%ident in your read. I% you hit the %lop hard and ha'e position it@s best to call their %lop bet and raise the turn #hen they bet again. 7ther#ise you can chec" and call out o% position and chec")raise the turn. /S# 6oth opponents start #ith e'en stac"s o% 22E66

In the abo'e e$ample a noted 3J raises to ;$66 pre)%lop. .he action %olds to you in the

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/7 and you decide to call the raise #ith 3sHs. +'eryone else %olds and the %lop comes0 3cKhHd. .he 3J player ma"es a bet o% <66 and you call the bet (pot is no# 2;66 . .he turn comes the *h and your opponent ma"es a bet o% 2;66. No# is #hen you should raise and commit them to the pot. It doesn@t need to be a pot si!ed raise as they may call #ith top pair. Pushing is also an option here, but bet#een the t#o ma"ing a nice raise on the turn is the best play. .he "ey to this hand against this type o% opponent though is #aiting until the turn to raise. 9emember that because #e(re labeling them 3J, doesn(t mean that they ha'e only 3J, but that this type o% opponents Ydouble barrellsY a lot. 3gainst a lot o% opponents it@s usually best to raise the %lop so that you can easily get all the money in as soon as possible. 3gainst an 3J opponent it@s best to #ait until the turn since you "no# they are aggressi'e and may %ire again #ith nothing. >ou might as #ell #ait in case this is true so that you can pic" up the e$tra bet. 7n this particular %lop, #e hope they do ha'e something and #ill be #illing to go too %ar #ith it. $'4 ($alls raises 6ith 6eak hands) 3gainst opponents #ho #ill call raises #ith #ea" hands, you #ant to do your best to see ho# much they@ll call be%ore the %lop and ma$imi!e your edge by raising as much as they@ll call. >ou@ll see some players that #ill call *$66)22$66 and occasionally e'en more #ith #ea" hands in the hopes o% catching some %lu"e %lop and busting you. In order to ma"e their play as unpro%itable as possible, you #ant to raise continually #hen they@re in a hand #ith you, especially i% you ha'e position. .here are a lot o% /9C players that #ill limp and call large raises #ith #ea" hands li"e HKo, .<o, ;*o, etc.. Chen you notice that a player is calling a lot o% raises, pay particular attention to the hands they sho#do#n and note ho# much they called #ith those hands. Chen you ha'e a big hand and raise, continually try an increase the si!e o% that raise until you can %ind a si!e that #ill %old them out. .hen do your best to stay #ithin the range that #ill "eep them in the hand #ith you. &ost importantly, ,ust ma"e sure you are a#are o% this type o% player and "no# that they #ill ha'e a #ide range o% hands that they@ll play in missed %lops. .hat means that i% you raise #ith 3J and miss, and the %lop comes something li"e0 HA8. It@s li"ely that it may ha'e hit your opponent. I% they ha'e position on you, it@s still 7J (i% it@s heads up to ta"e a stab at the pot, but shut do#n i% you@re called. 3nother ma,or ad'antage you@ll ha'e o'er this type o% opponent is that they@ll commonly go too %ar #ith top pair and sometimes middle pair hands. .hey tend to be some#hat on the more aggressi'e side generally, and also don@t belie'e opponents ha'e the hands they@re representing. I% you hit a nice %lop, you can pummel them #ith big bets and #in a nice si!ed pot. +'en top pair and top "ic"er is good enough to get a good si!ed pot %ormed against them. LA& (4ill lead into pre,flop raiser and fold to a raise) .hese opponents aren@t 'ery easy to spot. >ou ha'e to pay special attention (#hich you should be doing to the particular dynamics o% the hand that@s occurring and note #hy they might be ma"ing the play they@re ma"ing. 5enerally ho#e'er there are t#o types o% L3F@s i% you are "een enough to spot them. .hey are0 L3F 3 T .hese opponents tend to be some#hat aggressi'e and li"e to apply the pressure to their opponents by leading into them and seeing i% they can QstealR the pot %rom them. .hey tend to "no# that since most opponents #ill miss the %lop a ma,ority o% the time, they@d rather ta"e the initiati'e being out o% position and see i% they can ta"e do#n the pot #ith a bet. .hey are only some#hat aggressi'e because they #ill nearly al#ays %old

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to a raise unless they ha'e a big hand. L3F P T .hese opponents tend to be a bit more passi'e, but #ill ta"e stabs at the pot #ith their mid poc"et pairs or middle pair type hands. .hey #ill %old instantly to a raise ho#e'er %earing the #orst o% their opponent@s hands. 6oth o% these opponents present a uniBue opportunity %or you to pic" up some e$tra big bets. Chen these players bet on the %lop, you should raise #ith nearly any t#o cards. >ou don@t #ant to completely o'erdo this concept, but you do #ant to apply as much pressure as possible to these opponents. Since they tend to be able to %old their #ea" hands, you #ant to test them as see ho# much they really li"e their hand and ho# %ar they@ll be #illing to go #ith it. Hust ma"e sure that i% you do o'erdo this concept that you are attempting to set them up %or a raise #hen you ha'e a really big hand hoping that they@ll be ripe to Qta"e a standR against you and re)raise. 3nytime that you see someone put a bet in on the %lop and %old to a raise, ma"e a Buic" note o% it. Hust because someone does it once or t#ice doesn@t ma"e them a L3F. .hat@s #hy these types o% opponent@s tendencies are much harder to pic" up on. In only one session, you may not really "no# %or sure i% someone is a L3F. .his is much more o% a long term read that you may ha'e to ma"e against a regular player. .here are times ho#e'er #hen you #ill be able to ma"e this read #ithin a session, and it #ill be Buite ob'ious #hen that time occurs. A0 (4ill pla. an ace from an.6here) .here are many opponents at small and mid sta"es that #ill play 3 (and any other card %rom any position. .hey@ll limp 3:o %rom early position, or call a raise #ith 3*o out o% position. .hey@ll also tend to be Qstic"yR to these top pair hands i% an ace %lops. .hese players you #ant to note %or a couple o% reasons. 2. It #ill gi'e you some insight into ho# they thin" about the game. &eaning you "no# this opponent is o'er 'aluing hands that really aren@t that strong. So #hen you ha'e a modest hand, and they are still in'ol'ed in the pot #ith you, there@s still a 'ery good chance you ha'e the best hand. 2. I% you@re in a pot #ith them and ha'e a high poc"et pair, but an ace %lops and they gi'e you action, you can be nearly 2EEG sure you@re beat. 8. Chen you %lop an ace #ith a good "ic"er, you@ll "no# that they@ll pay you o%% #ith a #ea"er "ic"er, so get a lot o% 'alue bets in. 6e a#are o% these opponents and ma"e sure to steer clear o% them i% there@s an ace on the %lop. 3t the same time, i% there@s an ace on the %lop and you hit a nice hand li"e t#o pair or better, ma"e sure to do your best to %ormulate a plan to get all the money in the middle. 9emember, opponents #ho play #ea" aces a lot tend to be in lo'e #ith these hands. .hey are playing them %or a reason, and that reason is primarily because they belie'e that i% they %lop top pair they@ll ha'e the best hand. /09 6oth opponents start #ith e'en stac"s o% 2EE66

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In the e$ample, a noted 3$ limps into the pot and you pic" up the JhJd in late middle position and raise *$66. .he rest o% the table %olds to the 3$ opponent #ho calls the raise. .he %lop comes 3s<d*h. >our opponent chec"s to you. >ou should ma"e a small stab at the pot (you don@t need to ma"e a big bet . +ither they@ll ha'e the 3ce and call or %old. It@s plausible they may call #ith some sort o% straight dra#, but the 3ce is the biggest concern against this type o% opponent. >ou can ma"e a %lop bet as small as ; or *66 and that #ill accomplish the tas". I% you are called, and your opponent chec"s the turn then you should de%initely chec" the turn. I% your opponent leads into you on the turn, then it@s best to ,ust %old >ou #ant to get to sho#do#n as cheap as possible and calling the turn usually means you@ll ha'e to call a ri'er bet too. I% your opponent has chec"ed the turn and you@'e chec"ed as #ell, and no# your opponent %ires on the ri'er I #ould hea'ily lean to#ards %olding. I% it@s a pot si!ed bet, then de%initely %old. 3ny other si!ed bet #ill really depend on other reads you ha'e on your opponent. I% they are o'erly aggressi'e and a noted 3$, you may consider calling. >ou ha'e to consider three important things on this "ind o% hand. 7ne, it@s 'ery li"ely you #ere out %lopped against an opponent you "no# #ill call #ith any ace in their hand. Second, your opponent called a %lop bet on a 'ery non)descript board. It is possible that they are calling #ith some "ind o% small pair or dra#. >et #hen you ha'e a good read, you should trust it. .hird, your chec" on the turn indicated #ea"ness. I% your opponent is 'ery aggressi'e, they may ta"e that as a sign to steal the pot on the ri'er. So you ha'e to balance all o% these things #hen ma"ing a decision about calling a ri'er bet.

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-aking Notes 9 Making *ea&s )$ti"le (44) (F$eak/a&&y)

Cith al the changes to the %orum, I thought I should #ait a couple o% days be%ore posting this. 8P' (4ill raise a non,premium hand) 3n opponent #ho #ill raise #ith a #ider range o% hands ma"es it a bit more di%%icult to put them on a hand. .his is primarily the reason you should loo" %or situations that you can also raise some non)premium hands so that you can "eep your opponents guessing (more on this in other modules . .here are typically three di%%erent types o% NP9@s, so let@s ta"e a loo" them. NP9 (maniac T .his opponent #ill ,ust raise any t#o %rom any#here at any gi'en time Buite e$cessi'ely. .hese opponents #ill ha'e little rhyme or reason to #hat they@re doing, but they belie'e that this #ill bene%it them #hen they do ha'e a real hand and can get someone to Qstand upR to them #ith a #ea"er hand. .hese opponents #ill be Buite easy to spot and you need to ma"e sure that #hene'er you ha'e position and a decent hand against them that you are re)raising them. .he thing an aggressi'e opponent hates most is someone #ho comes bac" o'er the top o% them. NP9 (%ish T I say this opponent is a %ish because they #ill raise a non)premium hand such as IH, or JH, 38o or a similar hand out o% position because they ,ust don@t understand hand 'alues or that usually only a better hand #ill call them. .hey aren@t really playing to be o'erly aggressi'e and outplay opponents, they are ,ust raising because they belie'e this is the correct thing to do. 3gainst these opponents you ,ust #ant to ma"e note #hat hand they raise, #hat position they #ere in, and ho# much the raise #as %or. In %uture hands you@ll "no# that that i% you@re in a raised pot against these opponents, the %lop te$ture is much #ider %or ho# hard it hit them. So you@ll either ha'e to be cautious, 79 ma"e them pay %or their #ea"er hands. NP9 (s#itch T .hese opponents #ill occasionally s#itch up their game and incorporate some non premium hands in pro%itable situations %or them. For e$ample they@ll raise a hand li"e IKs #ith the button a%ter a couple o% limpers. .hey may also raise some connected cards in early position, or occasionally re)raise almost any hand %rom the blinds. Hust ma"e note and be a#are that you ha'e an opponent that@s capable o% ma"ing such a play. .here@s not much you can do but "no# that you may #ant to raise them i% they bet into you on the %lop (because they could ha'e any t#o or bac" a#ay i% they "eep %iring on a ragged %lop. .hat@s #hat ma"es this "ind o% play di%%icult to play against, and #hy it@s something you should loo" to incorporate in your o#n game. >ou #on@t run into these opponents that o%ten at small and mid sta"es, but you #ill %rom time to time. Cith any "ind o% NP9, the %irst thing to do is ,ust ma"e a note that you sa# them raise a non)premium hand. .he second identi%ication stage #ill be to see i% they are smart (a s#itch , not so smart (a %ish , or ,ust plain cra!y (maniac . .he maniac #ill be noticeable pretty Buic"ly. .he other t#o #ill be a bit more subtle, so you@ll really ha'e to analy!e the situation and decide i% the raise made sense considering the circumstance. L'' (4ill limp re,raise big hands) 3 good portion o% opponents #ill do this %rom time to time. .here are some opponents #ho #ill do this almost al#ays though. .his is one o% those reads that you need to ,ust ma"e a note o%, but o% course, i% you see anyone limp re)raise %rom early position, the alarm bells should be going o%% %or you. Nearly all opponents #ill only do this #ith big

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hands. .hat@s #hy it@s %un to sometimes do this #ith a #ea" hand, or a small poc"et pair yoursel%. Primarily big pairs include II)33. 3 lot o% opponents #ill limp this in early position in hopes that someone #ill raise so they can re)raise, or sometimes e'en ,ust call and trap their opponents. Some opponents #ill also mini)raise these big pairs in early position and re)raise. Hust ma"e a note, and "no# that they are prone to ma"e this play so that you can ma"e the appropriate play (#hich is %old unless you ha'e a big hand yoursel% . I% you happen to see someone do this #ithout a big hand, then you "no# you ha'e a di%%icult and thin"ing opponent, and you@ll #ant to ma"e a note o% that as #ell. LA (Look,up artist) 7ne o% my %a'orite opponents to %ace is the loo" up artist. .hey@re an opponent #ho #ill call a %lop bet (usually in position in the hopes that you #ill chec" the turn %or them so they can steal the pot. .his is sometimes also re%erred to as Q%loatingR the %lop. .hese opponents #ill not be readily easy to spot, so they ta"e some concerted e%%ort to pinpoint. >ou@ll ha'e to pay attention to the opponents #ho are calling a L7. o% %lop bets, but they@ll %old to a second bullet (or they@ll bet #hen chec"ed to them nearly al#ays . 7nce you belie'e you ha'e disco'ered a loo" up artist, try and e$ploit their #ea"ness by doing the %ollo#ing0 D I% you raise #ith an unpaired hand be%ore the %lop and miss the %lop, you can ma"e a standard continuation bet, but try and ma"e it on the smaller side. .hen be prepared to %ire a second bullet T but ma"e sure that you are al#ays thin"ing about ho# the te$ture o% the %lop %its your opponent@s hand, and #hether you can represent properly the hand you@re trying to represent. D Secondly i% you %lop a big hand, ma"e a continuation bet, this time on the slightly larger side, and then chec" the turn to them (i% they ha'e position . I% you ha'e t#o pair or better you can either call their bet on the turn, or i% the %lop te$ture has some probable dra#s or potentially could get ugly, then come in %or a nice pot si!ed chec" raise. I@d recommend that i% you only ha'e top pair to ,ust chec" and call and then ta"e the lead on the ri'er again by ma"ing at least a 218 to d si!ed pot bet. &a"e sure that i% you@'e made these plays more than once against the same opponent that you occasionally mi$ up your play because they@ll ob'iously start to become a#are o% #hat you@re doing. .his is particularly true o% ho# you are si!ing your %lop bet. I% you bet on the light side #ith your missed hand, and larger #ith your connected hands, then ma"e sure one time you s#itch these up. 7b'iously i% opponents are loo"ing to call a lot o% bets (particularly in position on the %lop, then they are thin"ing about the game and #hat you@re doing. .hin"ing opponents are a#are and may get a read on your play. 3 ma,ority o% L3@s #ill be ma"ing these plays #hen they ha'e position on you. Sometimes though there are some really bad L3@s that #ill do this out o% position #ith almost any t#o cards (usually #ith ace high . I% you notice that an opponent #ill also call %lop bets out o% position, but %old to a turn bet, then ma"e sure you %ire second bullets liberally #hen you ha'e position. /S: T 6oth opponents start #ith e'en stac"s o% 2EE66

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In the abo'e e$ample an early position limper called the big blind and you pic"ed up 3hIh and raised to ;$66. .he player in the /o, a noted L3 called the raise. .he rest o% the table %olded including the limper. .he %lop came0 Jd;hKd. >ou made a continuation bet o% <66 and your opponent called the bet (pot no# 2;66 . .he turn comes the :c. >ou should no# %ire a second bullet. >our opponent #on@t ha'e a strong enough hand to continue most o% the time. I% you@'e been playing a solid tight)aggressi'e game, then your opponent #ill ha'e a hard time continuing unless he has a J. /ombine this #ith the %act you "no# your opponent is a noted L3, and you should attempt %iring a second bullet in this spot. General pla.er t.pe models .he most general #ay to describe a person@s playing style is to attribute ho# they play be%ore the %lop, and combine that #ith ho# they play a%ter the %lop. .his "ind o% characteri!ation creates : basic player type models. Ce@re going to loo" at these : basic models and analy!e ho# and #hy particular player types e$hibit certain playing tendencies that #e@'e described throughout the article (on the per'ious pages . Loose 2 Passi-e .he loose 1 passi'e player is typically called a Q%ishR. .hese opponents play %ar too many hands #ithout regard %or position, and play them %ar too passi'ely a%ter the %lop. .his is the most pro%itable "ind o% opponent to play against o% course, because they@ll pay o%% a lot o% second best hands, and allo# you to dra# out on them #hen they are ahead. >ou "no# that i% the loose1passi'e bets or raises, then you@re nearly al#ays beat, so they ma"e the game 'ery easy to play against them. !ost common attributes of a loose 2 passi-e: A)D O HD O JEE) - D>K

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Ho# to play against these opponents0 9aise pre)%lop to isolate T 3nytime you ha'e position on a loose 1 passi'e you #ant to raise #ith a some#hat #ider range o% hands than normal in order to buy yoursel% position and hope%ully see a %lop heads up #ith them. Since these types o% opponents are generally the #ea"est and ma"e the most mista"es a%ter the %lop, it only ma"es sense that you@ll #ant to do your best to play the most pots against them. Dalue bet marginal handsT &a"e thin 'alue bets against the loose 1 passi'e on the ri'er. .his doesn@t mean that i% you hold top pair and a marginal "ic"er to al#ays bet, but de%initely bet a top pair and top "ic"er or better hands i% it appears there@s a decent chance your opponent has some piece o% the %lop. loose 1 passi'e@s commonly call do#n #ith 'ery #ea" holdings, so you need to ta"e ad'antage o% this by betting at e'ery gi'en opportunity. 6e#are that because they are so passi'e that a lot o% times #hen most opponents #ould be raising #ith strong hands they only call. Sometimes you@ll run into big hands that you #ouldn@t e$pect seeing. -on@t ho#e'er let this slo# you do#n. &old if the. raise or bet T Since these opponents are so passi'e, i% they sho# any signs o% aggression they tend to ha'e a big hand. -on@t continue in the hand unless you ha'e a 'ery big hand yoursel%. "mplied odds are -er. high T Since loose 1 passi'es tend to o'erplay 'ery marginal hands, dra#ing hands such as suited connectors go up high in 'alue. >our o'erall implied odds are generally higher against this type o% opponent than any other player. So loo" %or situations #here you ha'e position and a good dra#ing hand. (et and raise T I% you ha'e a strong hand, ma"e sure to get as much money into the pot as possible by betting or raising. .here@s no need to get tric"y #ith your hand. Ho# not to play against these opponents0 3onJt (luff T Loose 1 passi'e opponents li"e to call. .hey@ll call #ith Jing high and they@ll call #ith bottom pair #ithout much regard %or the action. Sa'e your blu%%s %or opponents #ho ha'e a higher ability to %old. .his doesn@t mean that you can@t occasionally semi) blu%%, but "eep your blu%% to a bare minimum. 3onJt get Lfanc.M T Play your hands in a straight %or#ard manner. .here@s no need %or deception o% any %ancy plays against these opponents. It #ill be completely lost on them, so ,ust bet your hand %or 'alue, re)raise and bet #hen appropriate. Loose 2 Aggressi-e .he loose and aggressi'e opponent can at times be the most di%%icult opponent to play against. Since they are loose #ith their starting hand selection be%ore the %lop it@s hard to tell i% a %lop hit their hand or not. .hey %ollo# this up by being 'ery aggressi'e a%ter the %lop, and it can put you into situations #here you@ll be ma"ing di%%icult decisions. In any %orm o% po"er you #ant to continually apply the pressure to your opponents and %orce them into di%%icult decisions, #hile ma"ing as %e# di%%icult decisions as possible %or yoursel%. 3t small and medium sta"es, there are 'ery %e# really good loose and aggressi'e opponents. Some opponents that you@ll %ace in this category #ill range all the #ay %rom the total lunatic maniac (#ho #ill raise #ith any t#o cards and blu%% o%% all his chips #ith * high to the %airly tric"y loose and aggressi'e player that has some hand reading s"ills. >ou@ll ha'e to Buic"ly deduce #hat "ind o% opponent you@re up against and ma"e the correct ad,ustments against them. .ypically you@ll ,ust #ant to sit bac" and set some

)3=

traps %or the maniac and let them gi'e you their chips. Chile the Qtric"ierR player you@ll #ant to play bac" at them occasionally by applying the pressure bac" on them.

)3

H)N/ *)NGES (Me$"man5JK)

Plain and simple, po"er is about putting your opponent on a hand and acting accordingly. >ou stand to bene%it #hen you bet or raise hands that beat the ma,ority o% your opponents holdings at sho#do#n (or #ill %old out their holdings that #ill beat you , and calling #hen the G o% hands in his range that you beat is greater than the pot odds1eBuity you are getting. I am going to e$plain the dynamics o% hand ranges. &irst7 " 6ill begin on Le-el %ne: .his is #hen your opponent is only #orrying about ho# strong his o#n hand is. Ne#bs, this is li"ely to be the game you(re playing in. Against a le-el one thinker7 .ou simpl. determine 6hat hands .our opponent considers to be good ones7 and bet2 call or raise 6hen .ou beat the majorit. of those hands )))) I% they thin" 2nd pair or better is a YgoodY hand, than you simply bet or call #hen you ha'e 2nd pair beat. .here is one ca'eat, ho#e'er. Jeep in mind that o%ten e'en %or bad players, their range %or calling a raise #ill be smaller than calling a bet or betting themsel'es. So #hen you are deciding to raise, remember that although a player thin"s 2nd pair is good enough to bet #ith, they might not call a raise #ith less than top pair good "ic"er. So your raising range should lessen accordingly. %n the ne0t le-el7 an opponent is tr.ing to put .ou on a hand* ;t does not matter $hat your range really is at any point against these players( it only matters $hat they )";@K your range is . .oo many times I see someone as" a player Buestioning his blu%% YCould you play 33 that #ay.Y Chat they really should be as"ing is Y-oes he .HINJ you #ould play 33 that #ay.Y 7% course, #e al#ays care about an opponents actual range. .here are se'eral theorems that can be deri'ed %rom this concept. )))) 2. 4hen .our percei-ed range has 6idened7 it is likel. that -illain5s range 6ill 6iden too* 4hen .our percei-ed range has narro6ed7 it is likel. that -illain5s range 6ill narro6 as 6ell* Since a player thin"s you are betting #ith #ea"er hands #hen you ha'e a #ide range, he #ill be more inclined to call #ith #ea"er hands. 4se this to your ad'antage. ))))) 2. ;ou 6ant .our range to be percei-ed as 6ide 6hen .ou are betting for -alue7 and .ou 6ant .our range to be percei-ed as narro6 6hen .ou are bluffing Manip(lating 0o($ Pe$"ei'e& *ange 4e can decei-e our opponent b. acting as the. belie-e 6e 6ould if 6e 6ere 6eak 6hen 6e are actuall. strong7 and b. acting as the. think 6e 6ould if 6e are strong 6hen 6e are actuall. 6eak* It is important to note that di%%erent players ha'e di%%erent schemas o% #hat constitutes #ea" and strong play. 2. Ce may #iden our range through se'eral di%%erent courses o% action. .he most basic is playing the hand itsel% #ea"ly. 3n e$ample o% this is betting #hen you %lop .P.J, chec"ing the turn, and betting the ri'er a%ter the %lop gets chec"ed through. 7ur opponent belie'es that because #e ha'e chec"ed the turn, our hand can(t be that good, so he #ill call the ri'er #ith #orse hands than he normally #ould. 2. 6etting paired boards #ith trips against YPoliceman.Y .hey thin" you #ould N+?+9 bet #hen you actually ha'e trips, and #ill try to call you do#n or push you o%% your hand. Sometimes7 acting o-erl. strong ma. cause .our opponent to think .ou are 6eak* 8. .able image can also a%%ect ho# #ea" or strong an opponent percei'es you in a gi'en hand (and thus a%%ect ho# #ide or narro# their betting and calling range #ill be . 3%ter all, you(re raising 212 the time and betting tons o% %lops, so you must be #illing to dump your stac" #ith garbage, rightO 9emember though, image isn(t as pre'alent as #e

)3)

sometimes thin", and misconstruing #hat our opponent thin"s o% us is a good #ay to massi'ely lea" +?. :. Ce may narro# our percei'ed range by sho#ing continual aggression. Ce raise pre%lop, bet a < high board against a good player. .hey call or raise. Ce bet again on the turn. No# they are %orced to thin" #e hold either an o'erpair or 3J (#hich may or may not bet true , and can call #ith considerably %e#er hands than they could on the %lop. ;. 7r range narro#s #hen #e ha'e been playing tightly. 9emember this[ Sometimes #hen an opponent "eeps calling #hen #e are 'ery strong, it may be the case that he sees our range as 'ery narro#, and can beat the hands he puts us on (ca'eat0 sometimes they only put you on 3J and #ill call do#n #hen no 3 or J %lops . The danger of percei-ed range (or image)* Chen you('e been playing L35, you assume people see your range as being 'ery #ide. So by this reasoning, you ha'e to go to sho#do#n alot more. It is very di%%icult to accurately assess #hat an opponent thin"s o% you, and harder still to thin" they #ill react based on ho# they %eel. So you must be e$ceptionally good to play L35 because you are at the constant ris" o% calling and raising more than the opponents( range #ould dictate. >ou may thin" they are playing bac" #hen they ,ust caught a really good hand. 7r you may thin" they caught a good hand but are ,ust playing bac". )))).he danger o% playing .35, on the other hand, is that opponents #ill be more li"ely to %old. Chen they don(t %old, you(re not really sure i% they are pushing bac" because they thin" your range can(t ma"e it to sho#do#n (li"e #hen you raise pre%lop and the %lop comes <AK #ith a %lush dra# , or actually ha'e your percei'ed range crushed. .he %ormer happens rarely, so it is not a ma,or point o% concern, and you get good hands much less %reBuently than bad ones, so you stand to ma"e %e#er errors playing .35. .hat(s all %or no#. I considered third le'el thin"ing, but that #ould be hard to e$press and thin" it(s beyond the scope o% this single post. Please let me "no# i% you thin" I ha'e made an errors or ha'e anything to add.

)33

*)NGES (s(p5it#3ates)
.o celebrate t#o things, one o% #hich is my ban"roll %inally e$ceeding my postcount, and the other o% #hich is my becoming a poobah, I('e decided to share some musings #ith my %ello# uNLers. 3s e'eryone "no#s, the concept behind hand reading in po"er is putting your opponent on a range o% hands gi'en the line he ta"es. 3ba2E1S69ugby recently #rote an article in card player maga!ine on the sub,ect that can be %ound here. 9eading hands can sometimes be di%%icult at the microlimits. 7%ten you(ll see people thro# out stupid 'aluebets #ith hands li"e 22 unimpro'ed on the ri'er, that ne'er gets called by a #orse hand but that has sho#do#n 'alue gi'en the #ay the hand #as played. Such bets %rustrate me because they are essentially a blu%%, e'en i% not intended to be one, and reBuires a certain degree o% ad,ustment to deal #ith it. 6ut e'en against bad opponents, you can put them on a range, although it #ill generally be much #ider than against a good thin"ing opponent (and not ,ust because they(re looser . .he ma,or %actors in%luencing your opponent(s range are his holdings, the #ay the board comes out, and his %eelings on your possible holdings. .his last concept is one that I thin" isn(t stressed enough0 ho# a 'illain(s range o% hands is de%ined by the #ay that #e(re playing our hand. I generally separate this into t#o di%%erent themes0 the lines you ta"e on any gi'en hand indi'idually, and metagame. .hin" o% it this #ay0 ?illain is a <E1E1E loose passi'e station that you could say Yne'er %oldsY. Ho#e'er, i% you open sho'ed into him, he(s muc"ing a lot more than <EG o% his hands. No matter ho# bad your opponent is, his holdings #ill al#ays be de%ined largely by ho# you are playing your hand. .his doesn(t mean you can get him to %old second nuts, but it does mean that through decepti'e play you can increase his range o% hands so that his range is #ide enough to include a lot o% hands that are much #orse. 7ne e$ample o% ho# to use this concept to your ad'antage #ould be #hen deciding ho# to play a set on the %lop against an aggressi'e pre%lop raiser. -o you lead out, chec"1call, chec"1raiseO I% you #ere to chec"1raise, you('e de%ined your hand as strong in your e%%ort to build a pot. I% you lead out, ho#e'er, you(re li"ely to "eep your opponent on a #ider range o% hands going to the turn)))he might e'en decide to blu%%1raise you #ith air[ I% he then impro'es on the turn to a second best hand that #ill pay you o%%, you('e pro%ited by manipulating your opponent(s range. 3nother rele'ant point is Yraising %or in%ormation.Y 6y de%inition, an in%ormation raise has little 'alue in %orcing a mista"e %rom your opponent, but instead protects you %rom ma"ing a larger mista"e later on by %orcing your opponent to de%ine his hand. 6y actually tightening the range o% hands your opponent could be holding, you('e narro#ed the number o% hands you beat, but allo# yoursel% to play more per%ectly against those hands, thus sa'ing you money in the longrun. So no# #e mo'e on to metagame. For my purposes today, I(m going to de%ine metagame as an amalgamation o% your o'erall playing style and the #ay that you are 'ie#ed by the other players at the table. 6y playing aggressi'ely, you e'entually #ill %orce opponents to ad,ust by #idening the range they play bac" at you #ith. 9e%erring bac" to the e$ample %rom be%ore, i% you(re playing a normal .35 game and suddenly open sho'e %or 2EE66s, discounting the possibility o% a misclic" you(re not going to get called do#n lightly. Ho#e'er, ta"e the same line %or 22 hands in a ro# and you(ll %ind that smarter opponents #ill be #illing to gamble a bit and call #ith a #ider range)) instead o% ,ust 33 and JJ, they(ll call #ith 3HF <<F, %or e$ample. &etagame is all about creating an illusion, and con%using opponents by playing a #ide range o% hands the same #ay. .a"e an e$ample in #hich you are the 6ig 6lind, and it(s %olded to the small blind

)3:

#ho limps. I% you start raising a 'ery #ide range here, you #ill generally either %orce your opponent to gi'e you more #al"s, or to play bac" at you #ith a #ider range. 6ecause you ha'e position throughout the hand, the betting impetus, and the disguise a%%orded by aggressi'e metagame, this creates a 'ery pro%itable situation because your opponent #ill call you do#n lightly thin"ing that they(re ahead o% your range. 3s a closing note, I thin" that many uNLers are as"ing themsel'es the #rong Buestions #hen they e'aluate a hand. 3%ter they lose a hand #here they %lop top pair top "ic"er or an o'erpair or #hate'er and get played bac" at and are %elted by a better hand, they start to Buestion, Y3m I e'er ahead hereOY .he better Buestion to as" is, Ydid I play my hand in such a #ay up until this point that #ould allo# me to be ahead o% this opponent no# that he(s playing bac" at me.Y 3lthough the range 'aries %rom person to person (and again, depends on ho# you play your hand and ho# the board comes out , most players ha'e a range o% hands that they #ill be #illing to %elt, #hether it(s .P.JF, o'erpairs, t#o pair, #hate'er. I% you(re at the bottom o% that range o% hands, it ma"es little sense to be trying to play %or stac"s because you(ll be behind more o%ten than you(re ahead. Instead, you should %ocus in these situations on "eeping your opponent interested #ith a #ide range #hile still protecting your hand and e$tracting 'alue.

)35

-#e t#o(g#t p$o"ess &($ing a #an& (Nogasti$a)

96m going to explain #o; 9 go t$o(g# #an&s ;#ile 96m playing5 t#ings 9 look o(t fo$5 t#ings t#at #elp me na$$o; &o;n t#ei$ #an&$ange an& ot#e$ little t#ings t#at make me a7le to play mo$e p$ofita7le against "e$tain people. 9 #ope t#is ;ill 7e (sef(ll fo$ some people5 "a(se it took me some time to ;$ite it all 2sing yo($ H23

1#is is ;#at my H23 layo(t looks like. 96m going to explain ;#at all t#ese n(m7e$s a$e an& #o; yo( "an (se t#em. ) p$eflop D090F0,-F+, 9 ma$ke& t#ese stats t#e p$eflop stats. 1#ese a$e t#e 3 n(m7e$s yo(6ll see ;#en people a$e posting #an&s. 9n t#is example 'illain is 6F =F). . D090A 1#is is t#e total amo(nt of #an&s people a$e playing. 35T is often a 7a& playe$5 playing too many #an&s 6- is a tig#t playe$5 if #e6s in t#e pot5 t#en #e6ll often #a'e a st$ong #an& 0,-A 1#is goes #an& in #an& ;it# t#e D090. 8T expe"t t#ese playe$s to 7e $aising on t#e lig#t si&e f$om any position. 1#ey ;ill 7e opening s(ite& "onne"to$s e'e$y no; an& t#en f$om 21G as;ell an& t#ei$ ?O an& 7(tton $ange ;ill 7e p$etty ;i&e. 4o($ #an&s go (p in 'al(e against t#ese playe$s. 4o( "an play

)36

#an&s like /O against t#ei$ $aises 7e"a(se yo( ;on6t 7e &ominate& so often. )- t#ese a$e tig#t $aise$s5 yo( s#o(l& 7e fol&ing #an&s like /O against t#ese type of playe$s 7e"a(se t#ey ;ill #a'e yo( &ominate& mo$e often +,A 1#e total ag$ession fa"to$. 0$o7a7ly o'e$(se& a 7it sin"e it &oesn6t say 6t#at6 m("# a7o(t #o; ag$essi'e a playe$ is. 0eople ;it# a #ig# +, mig#t E(st 7e playing a $aise o$ fol& style an& t#e$efo$ ;ill #a'e a #ig# +,. 3o noti"e t#at t#is goes #an& in #an& as;ell ;it# D090. Hig#e$ D090 ;ill $esol(te into a lo;e$ +,. ,o$ exampleA someone ;it# ) F *F3 stats is less ag$essi'e t#en someone ;it# 35F3)F3 stats. )) s#o;&o;n .1S3 F .JS, 1#ese stats ;ill tell yo( #o; often 'illain is going to s#o;&o;n an& #o; often #e6s pi"king (p pots. NoteA yo( nee& a la$ge samplesiMe fo$ t#ese stats to 7e some;#at a""($ateH .1S3A .ent 1o S#o;3o;nP D090 #as a st$ong effe"t on t#is one as;ell. Someone ;#o6s playing a lot of #an&s ;ill p$o7a7ly go to s#o;&o;n less often. 9t also &epen&s on t#e playe$s style. 1#e kin& of 'illain t#at likes to "#e"k to in&("es 7l(ffs on t#e $i'e$ ;ill #a'e a #ig#e$ ;ts& 7e"a(se #e ;ont 7e 7etting 'illain o(t of t#e #an& on t#e $i'e$. )=- yo( "an 7l(ff t#ese 'illains mo$e often5 t#ey ;ont see t#e $i'e$ too often 3=T "alls a 7it loose$ on t#e $i'e$ an& yo( s#o(l& 7e making t#inne$ 'al(e7ets against t#em .JS,A .on money ;#en Sa; ,lop 1#is is p$o7a7ly 7est applie& to 1+Gs an& $eg(la$s sin"e yo( nee& a 7ig sample fo$ it as;ell an& 7a& playe$s ;it# a #ig# 'pip ;ill a(tomati"ally #a'e a lo;e$ ;Jsf. 38- t#ese people play st$aig#tfo$;a$&5 ;ont 7e $eally 7l(ffing o$ taking s#ots at pots :3T mo$e ag$essi'e 'illains5 taking s#ots at pots5 37ets p$eflop5 $aises o$ floats "-7ets5 7ets ;#en "#e"ke& to5 .. 3) postflop ?!E1flopF?!E1t($nF?-flop 1#ese stats a$e (sef(ll fo$ na$$o;ing &o;n #an&$anges postflop. 1#is is of "o($se a key to soli& #an&$ea&ing an& making playsH ?!E1flopA 8=T t#ese people ;ill "7et too often so yo( s#o(l& 7e ;illing to "#e"kF$aise t#em mo$e often ;it# ;eake$ #ol&ings (7ottom pai$ ;it# top ki"ke$5 mi&&le pai$ ;it# a goo& 7a"k&oo$ &$a;5 ..) .#en t#ey "#e"k its often fo$ pot"ont$oll ;it# a #an& like /1 on a +/) flop. 1#ey mig#t #a'e "ompletely misse& as;ell t#o(g# ;#en t#ey "#e"k. 6=- is $at#e$ lo;. 1#ey6ll 7e "#e"king #opeless #an&s5 play fo$ pot"ont$oll mo$e often an& t#ey mig#t also slo;play t#ei$ 7ig #an&s. 4o( s#o(l& p$o7a7ly 7e lea&ing ;it# yo($ 7ig #an&s5 7l(ffs an& semi7l(ffs sin"e yo( "an6t expe"t t#em to 7e p(tting in money too often. ?!E1t($nA 1#is is ;#en 'illain 7ets t#e t($n ;#en "#e"ke& to5 gi'en t#at #e "7et t#e flop. 1#is n(m7e$

)3*

$eN(i$es a 'e$y la$ge samplesiMe. :=T is #ig#. 4o( s#o(l& 7e "a$ef(ll "alling t#e flop o(t of position an& yo( nee& to #a'e a plan fo$ t#e t($n 7efo$e yo( make t#e "all on t#e flop. 4o( "an slo;play yo($ 7ig #an&s against t#em 7e"a(se t#ey ;ill 7e p(tting in mo$e money ;it# 7a& #an&s. )5- is lo;. 1#e$efo$ yo( "an "all t#e flop a 7it lig#te$ an& expe"t mo$e f$ee s#o;&o;ns. ?-flopA On"e mo$e a n(m7e$ t#at $eN(i$es a s(pe$ 7ig sample siMe. 3- is lo;5 yo( s#o(l& 7e "-7etting mo$e often against t#ese playe$s 7e"a(se t#ey ;on6t 7e 7l(ffing yo( off ;it# a ;o$se #an&s. 4o( "an 'al(e7et OO on a /8* 7oa$& 7e"a(se yo( &ont expe"t to 7e $aise& off ;it# &$a;s o$ ;o$se #an&s. 6T is #ig# an& yo( nee& to #a'e a plan ;#en yo(6$e "7etting on #o; yo(6ll $ea"t ;#en t#ey &o "#e"kF$aise yo(. 4o( s#o(l& 7e playing fo$ pot "ont$oll mo$e often against t#em. 9t #as no (se to slo;play against t#em 7e"a(se 7y 7etting yo( gi'e t#em t#e "#an"e to 7(il& t#e pot e'en 7igge$ ;it# a "F$. 4o( s#o(l& also make notes on t#e type of #an&s t#ey "F$ yo( ;it#. Often 7a& playe$s ;ill 7e "F$ yo( ;it# 10./ #an&s an& goo& playe$s ;ill 7e "F$ yo( ;it# all kin& of &$a;s. :) stealingF&efen&ing +1S!F,ol& 77 to steal 1#ese stats a$e goo& to me$ge &o;n #an&$anges p$eflop an& ;ill of "o($se 7e (sef(ll post flop as;ell. +1S!A .#en a playe$ opens fo$ a $aise f$om eit#e$ t#e S!5 7(tton o$ "(toff5 t#en it "o(nts as an +ttempt 1o Steal !lin&s. He$e a$e some gene$al g(i&lines ;#en yo( a$e in t#e S! an& someone &oes an attempt to stealA if +1S! is 36TA "all ;it# po"ketpai$s5 +>sT5 s(ite& 7$oa&;ays an& yo( "an still 3-7et lig#t ;it# ;eake$ #an&s (8<sF1>sF..) if +1S! is )=-A "all ;it# po"ketpai$s5 +OT (an& e'en fol& +O if #is +1S! is $eally lo; 7e"a(se t#ey E(st &ont pay attention to t#ei$ position an& playing +O OO0 ;ill get yo( into t$o(7le against t#ese kin& of 'illains) He$e a$e some gene$al g(i&lines ;#en yo( a$e in t#e !! an& someone &oes an attempt to stealA if +1S! is 36TA "all ;it# po"ket pai$s5 s(ite& 7$oa&;ays5 s(ite& a"es5 s(ite& gappe$s5 s(ite& "onne"to$s (yo( &o #a'e to fin& yo($self in a position ;#e$e yo( kno; yo( #a'e a skill a&'antage o'e$ yo($ opponent5 7e"a(se E(st playing t#ese #an&s an& play fit-o$-fol& ;it# t#em ;ill 7e t#$o;ing a;ay money) if +1S! is )=-A "all ;it# po"ket pai$s5 s(ite& 7$oa&;ays5 +>T ,ol& 77 1o StealA 8=T is a tig#t 7lin& &efen&e$ an& yo( s#o(l& 7e stealing mo$e often ;it# ;eake$ #an&s. His $ange postflop ;ill most likely 7e po"ketpai$s o$ s(ite& 7$oa&;ays. *=- is a loose &efen&e$ an& yo( s#o(l&nt 7e stealing ;it# t$as##an&s. 1#is of "o($se also &epen&s on #o; 7a& t#ey play postflop.

)38

5) $esponse to "-7et -aise?! F ,ol&?! 1#ese stats ;ill also #elp on &es"i&ing ;eat#e$ yo( s#o(l& "7et o$ not. -aise?!A 3T is #ig# so ;#en yo( &o "7et yo( ;ant yo($ $ange to 7e st$onge$. Han&s like /O on a O8) $ain7o; flop go (p in 'al(e ;#en t#ey $e$aise. 8- is lo; an& yo( s#o(l& get ;o$$ie& ;#en t#ey $aise yo($ "7et. ,ol&?!A 55- a$e people ;#o play loose on t#e flop so yo( s#o(l& 7e "7etting m("# less. Han&s yo( no$mally "#e"k fo$ pot"ont$oll s#o(l& 7e 7et fo$ 'al(e no; t#o(g#. *=T a$e tig#t on t#e flop an& yo( "o(l& p$ofita7lly "7et ==S of yo($ $ange on most flops. .#en t#ey "all o$ $aise yo($ "7et yo(6ll nee& a 7ig #an& o$ &$a; to p(t any mo$e money in t#e pot. S(mma$y 1#ese a$e some gene$al t#ings 9 (se on my H23 to t$y to fin& t#e "o$$e"t line against t#e 'illain. 9t also #elps me to me$ge &o;n t#ei$ #an&$ange an& sometimes e'en p(t t#em on exa"t #an&s. On"e yo(6$e getting goo& at t#at5 yo( "an sta$t 'al(e7etting 'e$y t#in5 o$ "#e"k to in&("e 7l(ffs in "o$$e"t spots. E'e$y &olla$ "o(ntsH 9 #ope it ;as (sef(ll fo$ someone5 t#en at least my poo#-7a# post ;as some;#at goo&. 0ea"e o(t -Noga

)3<

P$ofiling opponents (sing P)H (s#5L)

&ost SSNLers #ill use po"ertrac"er and po"er ace hud, and there ha'e been many posts about ho# best to use them in the past. I belie'e, ho#e'er, that there is a lot o% interesting in%ormation you can gather that isn@t so ob'ious, and is in'aluable in ,udging ho# to play certain opponents. 3 lot o% this stu%% may be "no#n to some players, or be common "no#ledge, but I hope there are a %e# bits and bobs that #ill help people. It is %airly important to ha'e a %airly large amount o% hands on a 'illain be%ore #e can note any patterns, ideally abo'e 2EEE, but in some cases you can ma"e assumptions based on only a couple o% hundred hands. .he players I usually pro%ile are regulars, usually .35@s, that I #ill play #ith a lot. 9egs are the best people to pro%ile because you #ill be playing #ith them on a %reBuent basis, you normally ha'e a lot o% hands on them (usually datamined , and it isn@t normally ob'ious at a glance #hat their lea"s are. .here is little point doing any detailed analysis o% the game o% a <E1812 #ho you ha'e 2EE hands on, because it is incredibly easy to e$ploit them, and they aren@t gonna be around 'ery long any#ay, so it is pretty much a #aste o% time. .hese are the type o% Buestions I as" mysel% about a player0 a is he positionally a#are b does he raise lightly in late position c does he 8bet light out o% the blinds d does he play bac" at you a lot #hen he calls my raises e does he doublebarell a lot a%ter raising pre%lop % does he call do#n light, or blu%%catch the ri'er g does he /bet alot #hen you "no# the ans#ers to these Buestions, and you ha'e some reads about ho# the 'illain played certain hands, you can o%ten tear apart a pro%icient .35 #ho doesn@t realise the in%ormation you ha'e .he main point in my post is that you can gather general tendancies by combining P3H stats. Here I ans#er the Buestions purely using H4- stats. a i% the %old S6166 to steal are %airly high, both <EF, his attempt to steal is 2;F, it is 'ery li"ely that he is positionally a#are. .his is use%ul to use i% you are not sure #hether you are %acing a Lag or a Lagtard. .here are a lot o% people at lo# sta"es #ho ha'e 8;12K 'pip1PF9 or something similar and you are not sure i% they are good or not, #ell, using the combo stated abo'e, it is 'ery easy to tell. b this is ,ust using the attempt to steal stat. It is 'ery important to "no# this so you can 8bet a bit lighter 77P. 3gainst anyone #ho has a 8EF attempt to steal you can 8bet a lot o% hands %or 'alue, JI %or instance. 8betting JI (%or 'alue might not be such a good idea i% their attempt to steal is much lo#er (P2; c this is de%initely the most use%ul one. I% 'illains call PF9 G is lo# (* or lo#er is my general rule but their %old to steal G are also %airly lo# (<; or less then they are de%initely 8betting light. I% there is a 'illain #ith less than ; call PF9 and about <E ish %old to stealG I really attac" there 8bets, I #ill :bet #ith #hate'er trash I am raising straight a#ay, I can also call 8bets and sho'e in on tonnes o% %lops i% there /bet G is high. d i% a 'illain is raising my /bets more than 28)2:G o% the time, I #ill 8bet blu%% a lot

):=

against them i% they are not maniacs. I% it is as high as 2EG or higher, then you can stac" o%% a lot lighter on the %lop, especially on dra# hea'y boards. 3 lot o% aggro don"s ha'e 2EG or higher and you really should not %old good hands #hen they raise this o%ten. I% there is a reasonable player #ho raises /bets a lot, I also #ill start chec"ing behind more 'ulnerable hands, such as middle pair, but #ith %loaters it is best to bet the %lop #ith &P and .PNJ. Habitual %loaters are also easy to spot. Fairly lo# %lop 3F, call PF9 %airly %reBuently, and a slightly higher turn 3F then you #ould e$pect, as #ell as a %airly lo# %old to /bet G (less than <E . 7b'iously you #ant to doublebarell or c1r the turn against these 'illains. 3nother sign o% a 'illain #ho might play bac" at you is a high CSCSF. .he higher it is abo'e :EG, the more chance they are playing bac" at you. e i% someones turn 3F is pretty high (higher than 8 and so is their /bet %reBuency, and their go to sho#do#n is %airly lo#, you can be reasonably con%ident that this 'illain #ill double barell regularly. .his means you may #ant to raise %lops against them #ith 'ulnerable holdings that can@t ta"e much heat, or you can ,ust call do#n lighter. Li"e the last point, a high CSCSF is the sign o% a double bareller, #ho #ill try and ta"e do#n more pots. % there are a lot o% passi'e ri'er players out there. .here ri'er 3F #ill be less than 2, #ith pretty good hands they #ill c1c the ri'er a lot to blu%%catch. Here the "ey is #ent to sho#do#n, and ri'er 3F. Someone #ith a really high ri'er aggression %actor #ill be bet1%olding a tonne o% ri'ers #ith marginal holdings. 3gainst him, you can ob'iously blu%% raise the ri'er occasionally g here ,ust loo" at the /bet FG. any higher than AE and I start blu%% raising the %lop a lot. 3s you can see, there is a lot o% in%ormation to be gathered that helps a lot in your battles #ith the regs. 3n important thing to note is that a lot o% their mo'es #ill be aimed at you, there %ello# good player. .hey #ill play much more 36/ against the bad players. So some o% the stats #ill be more e$treme then they seem. For instance, a 'illain may /bet <EG o% the time on a'erage. 3gainst a %ello# .35, he is gonna be /betting closer to AE or KEG,and on some boards, he is gonna /bet e'ery single time. .he same goes %or stealing blinds, he is gonna steal a lot more against people #ho ha'e high %old to stealG, and the .35 is going to be the highest by %ar. So his attempt to steal being 8EG really means that #hen you are in the blinds he is gonna be stealing :E);EG o% the time. I #ill Buic"ly analyse the stats o% a random .35 I pic"ed out during my session this a%ternoon.

):

so this guy is a 2212;12.;, so a %airly solid player. ,ust %rom these 8 stats you can tell he isn(t really that aggro. his 'pip1PF9 ratio has a bit o% a gap, so he #ill be calling PF9(s or o'erlimping slightly more than a 2212A %or instance. his .3F is also less than 8 so #e can(t e$pect %ire#or"s e'ery time #e are in a pot #ith him. his opening range is %airly typical %rom a .35, #ith a 2AG attempt to steal, but i #ouldn(t come a%ter him 'ery light %rom the blinds, as he is hardly raping us. i thin" his /bet G o% *K is hard to e$ploit, so i #ouldn(t start c1r him alot #hen he has the betting lead. i may try and %loat him sometimes though, as his turn agression isn(t that high. there are some stats that #ill be use%ul #hen #e ha'e the betting lead. his %old to /bet is %airly lo# and so is his raise /bet, so i #ould be 'ery #ary i% he raised my /bet, but i thin" he might %loat a decent amount. i #ould doublebarell him alot, but he does ha'e a

):)

'ery high C.S-G o% 82 so i #ould be care%ul as he has some stationy tendencies as %or 8betting light (the most important thing to "no# #hen you play #ith a .35 , he does ha'e Buite lo# %old stats o% AE and <*, but also a 'ery slightly abo'e a'erage call PF9, so i thin" he is 8betting slightly light, but nothing too out o% line. i #ouldn(t be too upset about calling a 8bet # JI and stac"ing o%% on a J hi %lop, %or e$ample. .here are probably tonnes o% other things that I either %orgot to mention, or ha'en@t #or"ed out yet. 6asically, you can ,ust #or" out a lot o% things ,ust using common sense. None o% this in%ormation is #or"ed out mathematically, so the ranges I mentioned are ,ust a rough guide that seems to #or" %or me, you guy can ma"e up more accurate ranges i% you can be bothered. I thin" "no#ing this stu%% #ill impro'e your game a lot, as you can start ma"ing good money o%% the regs as #ell as the %ish, or at least a'oid getting 8bet to death #hen you open on the button. e'ery player should loo" at all the players they play #ith %airly regularly and do a Buic" pro%ile so they can react to the %lo# o% the game better, and ad,ust accordingly. i% they ta"e a %e# notes #ith 'illains tendancies based on the H4stats, it #ill sa'e alot o% time and e%%ort the ne$t time you play them, as you may ha'e %orgot #hat you concluded about them. %eel %ree to criticise my post, and also add some other use%ul stat combo(s...

):3

SOME GOO/ -O ,NO+ P)H./ S-.FF (Ni"k *oyale)

So 96m testing o(t "oa"#ing an& #a'e sta$te& 7y taking a (NL st(&ent. 1o get #im sta$te& 9 ;$ote a "ompilation o'e$ ;#at 0+ #(&-stats 9 fin& most (sef(ll an& #o; 9 p(t t#em into p$a"ti"e. 9 fig($e& 9 mig#t as ;ell post it #e$e 7e"a(se it mig#t #elp some of yo( g(ys o(t. 9 "onsi&e$ 2-"-5 -,( an& n+&0'( *, .and# stan&a$& to #a'e in yo($ #(&5 so 96m going to ass(me yo( all kno; ;#at t#ey a$e an& #o; to (se t#em.

D"#$%a"&'( ,"(#)< 3O NO1 12-N 9N1O + 0+ H23-!O1 1. Han&$ea&ing is al;ays t#e n(ts. 0+ #(& &oes not take t#e 7oa$& o$ p$e'io(s 7etting into "onsi&e$ation5 t#e$e6s no s(7stit(tion fo$ #an&$ea&ing. 2. Stats s#o(l& mainly 7e (se& in some;#at "lose sit(ations to tilt t#e &e"ision in eit#e$ &i$e"tion. Ex: 4o(6$e at t#e t($n fa"ing a sit(ation yo( "onsi&e$ p$etty ma$ginal to )n& 7a$$el. 4o( look at 'illain6s ;ts& (;ent to s#o;&o;n) an& it6s 36S5 so yo( gi'e it (p. 5. Stats a$e E(st n(m7e$s5 t#ey &o not kno; why t#ey look t#e ;ay t#ey &o5 it6s (p to yo( to fig($e o(t. ?onstantly keep taking notes. Ex: 4o( $ealise 'illain is a #a7it(al slo;playe$5 so &espite of #is $i'e$ af 7eing #ig#5 #e6s not 7l(ffing m("# on t#e $i'e$. 4. ?onsi&e$ yo($ image. Ex: 9f yo( #a'e a laggy image some opponents ;ill sta$t playing 7a"k at yo( lig#t. 9t6s yo($ Eo7 to spot t#ese opponents. Looking 7lin&ly at yo( 0+-stats ;ill ot#e$;ise fool yo(.

A11('##"*n a$)*( 4a,6 > A (bet + raise) call ratio postflop 9 &on6t (se t#is stat so m("# a"t(ally5 9 t#ink fo$ most sit(ations t#e$e a$e ot#e$ postflop agg$ession stats t#at ;ill 7e a 7ette$ #elp. 9t ;ill gi'e a &e"ent o'e$all #int on yo($ opponents postflop agg$ession t#o(g#. 9mpo$tant to "onsi&e$5 as 'pip in"$eases it 7e"omes #a$&e$ to maintain a #ig# af. + playe$ ;it# a 'pip of 6=S "om7ine& ;it# an af of ) is p$o7a7ly 'e$y agg$essi'e. 1#is is 7e"a(se #e plays "$appy #an&s5 "$appy #an&s $a$ely make 7ig #an&s an& yet #e manage to play t#ese #an&s agg$essi'e. A))'&-)'d )* #)'a% 0%"nd 9 4a)#06 > !ow often "illain raises first in from #$ button Mainly s#o;s #o; positional a;a$e t#e opponent is an& #elps (s fig($e o(t #o; lig#t ;e s#o(l& 3-7et #im in steal sit(ations. 9f a f$eN(ent steale$ is also a "alling station ;e still most often nee& a N(ality #an&s to $e-$aise any;ay. +s al;ays5 t#e 7est ;ay to play 's stations is to play goo& #an&s an& 'al(eto;n #a$&. )::

Sin"e ats7 is t#e same as pf$ f$om ?OF7tn fi$st in5 yo( "an get a N(ite goo& i&ea of ;#at #an&s yo($ opponent steals ;it#. Gene$ally an ats7 of 3=ST makes a N(ite f$eN(ent steale$5 my ats7 is a$o(n& 36-:=S. 0(t t#e n(m7e$s into 0oke$ Sto'e to get an i&ea of ;#at t#ose $anges in"l(&es.

C;0') 9 4$06 ; !ow often "illain c-bets C;0') )+(n 9 4$0)6 ; !ow often "illain %n& barrels 9f yo($ opponents #as a #ig# "7 7(t a lo; "7t it6s an opponent ;e "o(l& float an& plan to take t#e pot a;ay on t#e t($n5 (nless #e also #as a #ig# ;ts& (;ent to s#o;&o;n) sin"e it6sa sign #e6s a station. 9f 7ot# t#e "7 an& "7t is #ig# ;e6$e often 7ette$ off $aising t#e flop if ;e ;ant to 7l(ff #im (still5 &on6t t$y to 7l(ff a station o7'). +t t#e same time ;e s#o(l& 7e mo$e p$one to "all $at#e$ t#an $aise t#e flop ;it# o($ st$ong #an&s5 to "olle"t an ext$a 7et on t#e t($n. 9f t#e "7 stat is lo; ;e s#o(l& $ealise #e most often #as a st$ong #an& ;#en #e "-7ets an& t#(s ;e s#o(l& not "all as many "-7ets. 1#is is also an opponent ;e s#o(l& 7e mo$e in"line& to float p$eflop ip5 7e"a(se #e6s mo$e likely to play p$e&i"ta7le postflop. So ;#at6s a #ig# "-7et t($n f$eN(en"yL 9t #ig#ly &epen&s on #o; often 'illain 7ets t#e flop. Ex: 9f someone #as a "7 of <=S5 t#en a "7t of 5=S is #ig#. 9f someone #as a "7 5=S5 t#en a "7t of 5=S is p$etty lo;. 4o( nee& to (se yo($ o;n E(&gement to &$a; "on"l(sions. *%d )* $;0') 9 4,)$06 ; !ow often "illain fol&s to a c-bet Ra"#' $;0') 9 4($06 > !ow often "illain raises a c-bet ,t"7 is p$o7a7ly t#e postflop stat 9 (se t#e most. 9 E(st lo'e to 7e isolate limpe$s t#at #as a #ig# ft"7. 9t &oesn6t matte$ if t#e #e6s playing *=F = o$ )F55 all a$e playe$s t#at a$e playing in"o$$e"t f$om a game t#eo$y pe$spe"ti'e5 meaning ;e6ll make an imme&iate p$ofit f$om $aising any t;o "a$&s 's t#em an& "-7et t#e flop. +nyone #a'ing a fol& to "-7et of 65ST is p$o7a7ly a goo& ta$get. Of "o($se ;e nee& to $ealise t#e$e6s mo$e playe$s at t#e ta7le so if t#e $est of t#e ta7le is loose ;e "an6t isolate m("# any;ay. + #ig# ft"7 also means ;e s#o(l& 7e less in"line& to )n& 7a$$el (an& 'i"e 'e$sa)5 as #is $ange afte$ "alling a "-7et is $at#e$ st$ong. -"7 is t#e 'e$y most (n&e$estimate& stat imo. Some playe$s #a'e a $"7 of :S5 7(t playe$s #a'ing )=ST is p$etty "ommon. Nee&less to say5 t#e$e6s a #(((ge &iffe$en"e in t#e $ange yo( s#o(l& felt 's t#ose type of playe$s. + :Se$ (s(ally only $aises $eally st$ong #an&s o$ 'e$y5 DE-4 st$ong &$a;s. + )=STe$ is 'e$y likely to 7e "apa7le of $aising ai$5 f&Foes& an& may7e e'en ma$ginal tp o$ gs. 1#is stat is a g$eat #elp. -"7 is one of fe; postflop stats 9 #a'e "olo$ "o&e&. =- 5S X ;#ite. 5ST X $e&. + playe$ $aising 5S of t#e "-7ets a$e likely to &o so ;it# some &$a;sFai$. +gainst a )=ST 96m (s(ally ;illing felt any top pai$ fo$ ==775 7(t &o NO1 (se t#is as a $(le-oft#(m75 as it6s o7'io(sly &epen&ing on t#e 7oa$& an& t#e st$engt# of my tp. ?'n) )* #.*7d*7n 9 47)#d6 > !ow often "illain 'oes to s& when seein' a flop ?*n a) #.*7d*7n 9 47@#d6 > !ow often "illain wins at s& 9f a playe$ #as a #ig# ;ts& yo( s#o(l& 'al(e7et a ;i&e$ $ange an& 'i"e 'e$sa. 9t6s N(ite st$aig#t fo$;a$&5 if #e often goes to s&5 #e6s likely to "all yo( &o;n lig#t. On t#e flip ):5

si&e5 if 'illain #as a lo; ;ts&5 #e6s (nlikely to "all yo( &o;n5 t#(s a goo& ta$get fo$ a 7l(ff. .ts& is a g$eat stat. 9f a playe$ #as a #ig# ;ts& yo( s#o(l& (s(ally E(st "-7et an& gi'e (p5 may7e not e'en "-7et. Ds a playe$ ;it# a #ig# ;ts& an& a lo; ft"7 yo( s#o(l& mainly play st$ong #an&s an& ;ait (ntil yo( #it a #an& an& an& take #im to 'al(eto;n. + #ig# ;Ys& means is an in&i"ato$ t#at 'illain only takes $elati'ely st$ong #an&s to s&5 t#(s ;e s#o(l& '-7et #im ;it# a tig#te$ $ange. 9 also (se ;Ys& to &ete$mine t#e a""($a"y of t#e ;ts&-n(m7e$. 9f someone #as a #ig# ;ts& (Z3)ST) an& a #ig# ;Ys& (Z55ST) it6s a sign of #im $(nning #ot an& #e6s not ne"essai$ily a "allingstation.

B') ("2'( 9 40(6 > !ow often "illain bets the ri"er !$ is t#e 7est stat fo$ kno;ing ;#en to "all ;it# a 7l(ff"at"#e$ an& ;#en to "#e"k t#e $i'e$ to in&("e a 7l(ff imo. 9t6s also t#e stat 9 (se ;#en &e"i&ing ;#et#e$ o$ not to "#e"k t#e t($n t#$o(g# to in&("e a $i'e$ 7l(ff. Some of yo( mig#t (se $i'e$ af instea& of 7$5 pe$sonally 9 &on6t t#ink t#at6s a goo& i&ea5 at least not ;#en (se& to &ete$mine ;#et#e$ o$ not to in&("e a 7l(ff. 1#at6s 7e"a(se a playe$ "an easily get a #ig# af &espite "#e"king 7e#in& alot5 as "#e"king isn6t a pa$t of t#e af $atio. +lso5 $aises effe"ts t#e $i'e$ af an& $aises a$en6t $eally $ele'ant ;#en it "omes to 7l(ffin&("ing. Note t#at 7$ #as not#ing to &o ;it# #o; often 'illain raises t#e $i'e$5 9 p$efe$ going 7y feel ;#en $aise& on t#e $i'e$. + #ig# $i'e$ af "o(l& 7e t#e $es(lt of 'illain 7eing a #a7it(al slo;playe$5 ;#ile 7$ ;on6t 7e affe"te& as m("# (as a #a7it(al slo;playe$ is mo$e likely to p(t in a $aise5 not a 7et5 on t#e $i'e$).

C*&0"n"n1 #)a)#< 1#e$e a$e tons of info$mation to 7e a"#ie'e& 7y "om7ining &iffe$ent stats. 96m E(st going to gi'e a "o(ple of examples. !(t 7e;a$e5 it6s easy to mis-inte$p$et t#e stats an& ;#y t#ey look t#e ;ay t#ey &o an& en& (p spe;ing. + playe$ ;it# a lo; ft"75 a #ig# t($n af an& a lo; ;ts& is likely to 7e a #a7it(al floate$. + floate$ gene$ally "alls alot of flops (lo; ft"7)5 #e t$ies to take t#e pot &o;n on t#e t($n ;it# #is ;eak #an& (#ig# t($n af). + floate$ eit#e$ gi'es (p o$ 7etF$aise5 #e $a$ely "alls5 t#e &efinition of a #ig# af. +n& #e $a$ely goes to s& 7e"a(se #e eit#e$ takes it &o;n on t#e t($n5 o$ #e gi'es (p ;it# #is ;eak #an& (lo; ;ts&). + playe$ ;it# a fol& 7lin& to steal (f7ts) of *5S o$ less an& a "all pf$ of 5S o$ less is likely to 7e 3-7etting lig#t f$om t#e 7lin&s. He6s fol&ing too $a$ely against 7lin& steals in "ompa$ison #o; often #e "alls to not 7e 3-7etting lig#t 's 7lin& steals.

T.' #a&-%' #"A' "##+'< 4o( nee& to "onsi&e$ t#at most of t#ese stats nee& a &e"ent sample siMe to 7e a""($ate. Ho;e'e$ t#e$e6s no fixe& amo(nt of #an&s ;#e$e yo( "an sta$t to t$(st yo($ stats. +fte$ == #an&s most of t#ese stats E(st gi'es yo( a 'ag(e #int on #o; yo($ opponent is playing.1#is ):6

&oesn6t mean t#e stats a$e "ompletely (seless5 7(t yo( nee& to kno; t#ey mig#t 'e$y ;ell 7e ;ay off. +s t#e sample siMe in"$eases to )==5 3== et"5 yo( "an sta$t to t$(st t#e stats mo$e. 0assing === #an&s yo(6$e sta$ting to get a goo& i&ea of #o; yo($ opponents play5 7(t still t#e$e "an easily 7e fla;s in t#e stats.

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BLUFFING
!l(ffing assay (-#ePo$t(g(ee)
Here(s a sort o% essay i'e been playing #ith. I guess maybe Ill post it in theory later on. I ha'e no idea ho# interesting its going to be to you guys. I(m interested in the theory o% the blu%%. .his might turn out to be a lot o% incredibly standard stu%%, but here are my thoughts0 I thin" that understanding blu%%ing at its base helps to e$plain the concepts underlying one thing that most po"er players "no# to be true0 that blu%%ing is generally &4/H more e%%ecti'e a higher sta"es than lo#er sta"es. Chen #e as" oursel'es Y#hyOY I %eel as i% our standard response is ,ust to accuse small sta"es players (and %ish in general o% being calling stations, but ,ust doing that seems li"e something o% a cop)out. Chile it(s probably true, it doesn(t really try to understand #hat(s going on in the opponent(s head, to try to understand #hy your blu%%s, no matter ho# intelligent, are more li"ely to be called at smaller sta"es than higher ones. I thin" that understanding this Buestion o% #hy, apart %rom being something that(s interesting to do in general, #ould o%%er a ne# perspecti'e on #hat to cosnider #hile blu%%ing, and #ill thereby allo# you to do so much mroe success%ully. .he %irst obser'ation I ma"e in this regard pertains to #hat you(re trying to accomplish #ith a blu%%. 7b'iously #hen you blu%%, you(re trying to ma"e your opponent %old a hand that(s better than yours, and in order to do so you must ob'iously con'ince your opponent that the strength o% your hand is superior to his. 6eyond this, though, I thin" it might be #orth it to consider not ,ust ho# to ma"e your opponent %old the best hand, but also ma"e him happy about it. It should be an easy decision. .he Ystory you tellY #ith your blu%% should be ob'ious and con'incing, so that he %eels li"e his decision to %old is a simple, money)ma"ing play that he can %orget about. Chen #e discuss hands on these %orums, certain things seem ob'ious to us. YFold, becuase opponent only %ourbets there #ith aces,Y or Y'illain ob'iously hit his dra#,Y or Y'illain ne'er o'erbets #ithout a set or better in that spot.Y .hese are pieces o% ad'ice that #e dispense, o%tentimes, as i% it is ob'ious. 3s i% the only decision in that spot is to %old your hand))e'en though it is o%ten strong, and e'en though the 'ast ma,ority o% players (at least at small sta"es #ould not be able to %old it. It could be, though, that your opponent has e%%ecti'ely played a nothing hand in such a #ay taht not only are you %olding it, you(re insta%olding #ithout a second thought, in accordance, perhaps, #ith ad'ice recei'ed at this %orum. No# that(s brilliant, because no# you(re going to sit there thin"ing you did the right thing0 you ,ust %olded to his Y'alue bet.Y 3nd, e'en #orse %or you, you(ll do it e'ery time %eeling li"e a genius. .he ideal blu%%ing strategy, then, seems to be to play a hand in such a #ay that the 7NL> thing you can ha'e in that spot is the #inning hand, and this, I belie'e, is #hat the greatest po"er players, the ones #ho are %amous %or their blu%%s, do best0 #hether they do it consciously or intuiti'ely, the decisions they put you to lea'e you ine'itably belie'ing that you must be behind, and so you %old. No# #hen a player %olds a strong hand, there are a %e# things that ha'e to happen

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success%ully0 2 .he blu%%er has put you on a hand, and assessed its strength. 2 .he blu%%er has decided on #hat HIS H3N- IS. .his element is "ey, I thin", to greatness in the art o% the blu%%. I #ill concede that it is not al#ays a necessary step but I #ill discuss that in a moment. 8 .he blu%%er plays his hand the #ay someone #ith his 3LL+5+- hand #ould play it. : .he blu%%er(s prey %alls %or the ploy, and reali!es that the blu%%er &4S. H3?+ the hand that beats him. ; Prey %olds, blu%%er #ins pot. .he process seems ob'ious but I don(t thin" that(s ho# your a'erage player applies the concept, at least not in a conscious #ay. Im particularly tal"ing about step 2. I thin" that o%tentimes peopel #ill read #ea"ness at the po"er table and blu%%, and can e'en be success%ul. .his amounts to a 'ague and sort o% intuiti'e progression through steps 2);. 6lu%%er doesn(t "no# e$actly #hat he(s representing, but he does basically thin" you ha'e a hand you can %old, and that sho#ing strength #ill con'ince you o% his o#n hand(s strength. In this #ay, he sort o% lea'es it to you. he sho#s some generic strength and %igures that you(ll ma"e up your mind that your hand is too #ea" to beat #hat he has)) #hate'er it may be. .his might be o%ten e%%ecti'e, but this, thin", is #here #e see Ygreat calls,Y because o%tentimes a player can thin" through this display o% Ygeneric strengthY and ma"e a call reali!ing that the only thing that ma"es sense gi'en the line is a blu%%)) since the line isn(t consistent #ith any o% the hands that #ould be #inning. Chile it is di%%icult, supplementing the intuiti'e process o% displaying generic strength in the %ace o% percei'ed #ea"ness #ith rational thought seems li"e a great #ay to impro'e the success rate o% blu%%s at di%%erent points. .his might also o%%er rationale at the table not to pull the trigger and %ire an e$pensi'e bullet at the #rong time. Perhaps #hat #e should be doing at any point is "eeping in mind all the possible hands #e can ha'e in a gi'en situation. Say your opponent raises pre%lop, and you %lat call %rom position. .his implies a range o% holdings. For a .35 this range is narro#er and is dominated by stronger holdings. For a more L355> player the range is much #ider, and potentially includes all manner o% connected, suited cards, etc. No# let(s say you miss the %lop and your opponent thro#s out a c)bet. No# this might marginally narro# your opponent(s range but not much. 6ut i% your opponent is a .35, he(s still li"ely to ha'e a strong PF hand. +'en i% he missed the %lop, too, #hich is no guarantee, he can still ha'e an o'erpair or outs to .P.J or better. Still, as most PF raisers #ill bet most %lops, you dont ha'e a #hole lot more in%ormation than you did be%ore. Let(s say you %lat call. 3t this point in the discussion it probably ma"es sense to discuss a sample %lop. Let(s say <h Kh 8d. Note that your holding at this point is irrele'ent, because as the blu%%er you(re going to ma"e up your mind #hat you ha'e later. Ce(re actually assuming you ha'e air, so let(s say your hand adapts to be the antinuts no matte r#hat the board. 6ut #hen you %lat call that %lop c)bet %rom your 'illain, the range o% hands you can credibly ha'e narro#s. No# you ha'e to be thin"ing Y7"ay, I(m representing #hatOY .he ans#er, here, is .$A$, .hAh, $$hearts, *$A$, *hAh, <<, KK, 88, <K, though arguably, you might ha'e raised a lot o% those hands. 3nd yes, some opponents #ill be a#are that you(re %loating. No# the turn comes a blan", say the :c. >our opponent bets again. No# #e ha'e to %igure out #hat #e ha'e, and #aht the opponent has. .his is a dra#y

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board, so opponent is probably correct to %ire t#o barrels #ith an o'erpair, #hat can #e doO 3t this point, it(s probably time %or a set to raise. 3 set might %lat call but he, too, needs to be #orried about possible dra#s against some opponents and the pot has been in%lated Buite a bit. I% you raise, you(re representing a set or t#o pair, I&7, and hoping you can %old your opponent(s range. >ou dont thin" he has a set, but you thin"1hope that gi'en your line, he can %old hands li"e II. 6ut, then again, it might be hard. It(s not out o% the Buestion that you(d play a dra# that #ay, and gi'en the presence o% dra#s many players can tal" themsel'es into calling. >our optimal play on this board might be to call and hope a dra# gets there, then ma"e a con'incing ri'er bet i% he chec"s, scared. I% you smooth call, though, you 3/.43LL> 39+ -93CIN5 %or credibility, and you(re assuming that you can ma"e him chec"1%old i%, say, a heart comes. No# i% the heart comes and he chec"1%olds, then he(s probably doing it happily, becuase once you call on the turn and push the ri'er, it ,ust doesnt ma"e sense %or you to ha'e anything other than a %lush. So he can %old))he can e'en do it happily, #ithout e'er #orrying about it again. &aybe a better time to try to Yha'eY a set is on a board o% K;2 rainbo#, #here you %lat call a %lop bet then ma"e a substantial turn raise. .hat(s ho# you(d play a set rightO &aybe not all the time, but that(s ho# a lot o% people at any sta"es might play a set on such a dry board. No# all that is a long #ay o% %leshing out the point I'e been tryign to ma"e about "eeping trac" o% your range. +'en i% you ha'e soething li"e a speculati'e pair or #ea" o'erpair in the hole, you could theoretically YchangeY that holding later on i% you thin" (a you(re actually behind, and (b your line up to that point in the hand is also consistent #ith a monster, and that a monster #ould suddenly pipe up #hile your actual hand should really be chec"ing or %olding. .he ability to do this con'incingly, #hether #e(re conscious o% it or not, is #hat #e need e'ery single time #e ma"e a blu%%, because not only do #e need to be con'inced o% the #ea"ness o% our opponent(s hand, .H+> need to be con'inced o% the S.9+N5.H o% ours. No# #e can ta"e this idea (#hich might seem ob'ious I suppose and e$plain #hy blu%%ing is generally less success%ul at lo#er sta"es than higher sta"es. .he reason is simply that most o% our opponents aren(t bothering to thin" about #hat our holdings might be. .hey don(t care #hat #e ha'e, only #hat they ha'e. No# that(s a standard obser'ation but ta"en in the conte$t o% the constant discussion about #hether to bother blu%%ing Small Sta"es players it o%%ers something tangible in the #ay o% an e$planation. .he Yblu%%sY that are success%ul at smaller sta"es ta"e all this 6S into account, but the e%%ect is somethign substanti'ely di%%erent than blu%%ing a thin"nig opponent o%% o% a good hand. Chen you success%ully Yblu%%Y a small sta"es player, you are generally ma"ing him %old 'ery #ea" hands, li"e #hen you c1raise 3J unimpro'ed, c)bet a missed %lop a%ter raising, or ma"e a big turn bet in position a%ter it(s been chec"ed to you t#ice. Chile, in many cases, your opponent is %olding a hand that is technically better than yours, they(re more concerned #ith the C+3JN+SS 7% their o#n hand, rathern than the S.9+N5.H o% >749s. It amounts to one high card ma"ing anohter, slightly better high card %old. .his is a "ey distinction, because #hat it tells us about small sta"es H+ is that i% you assess your opponent(s holding to be one o% e'en moderate strength, you must resign

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yoursel% to #inning the pot only #hen you ha'e a hand o% greater strength))ie, you(re only going to #in at sho#do#n. 3t higher sta"es, it becomes more li"ely your opponents are concerned not only #ith their o#n cards but #ith #hat yours might be in ma"ing their decisions, and this is #hat you use to your ad'antage. .his is #hen you can start ma"ing o'erpairs %old, becuase you simply &4S. ha'e a set gi'en a certain line. .he YbrilliantY antics o% mahatma and others #ith #hich many o% us are so %amiliar simply don(t ha'e the same place in our game as they do in his. &any o% his most intelligent blu%%s #ould simply be instacalled not because the indi'idual is ma"ing a brilliant read o% mahatma(s hand, but precisely the opposite0 becuase he hasn(t really e'er thought about mahatma(s hand, or else he #ould ha'e bothered to reali!e that he (mahatma &4S. ha'e the best o% it (e'en though he actually doesn(t . .his is a long e$planation o% a simple concept, but I(m trying to %lesh out some o% the ideas underlying #hat #e all "no# to be true0 that you ha'e to ad,ust to the Buality o% player, and that, corollary to this idea, blu%%ing at small sta"es in big pots is generally less e%%ecti'e.

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