100 Poker Hands

  I recently lost a hand with a pair of Queens having faced a shove on the flop. Let’s break down the hand and assess my key decisions. Preflop Action Hero (playing from the HJ. 105BB): Dealt [Qc, Qh] Player1 (big blind. 190BB):  I know nothing else about this player but we are playing microstakes on a zoom game.  Preflop Analysis: I'm opening the action with a standard raise of $0.05, and Player1, sitting in the big blind, re-raises to $0.20.  I could flat Queens here. I think about possible ranges and assume that Player1 has predominantly value 3 Bets and some bluffs mixed in. I'm mentally assigning a range that looks like this: TT+, AJs+, A5s-A3s, KQs, T9s, 98s, 87s, 76s, AQo+ This gives some decent hands to 3 Bet but also some bluffs with the suited connectors and suited aces that could flop a strong hand.  Against this range my Queens are about 60%. I'm responding with a 4 bet to $0.62, an appropriate sizing given the strong pocket pair. Since Play...

When you’re playing at microstakes in No-Limit Hold'em (NLHE) , extracting maximum value from strong hands is essential to building your bankroll. In today’s post, we’ll break down a 6-max Zoom hand where we (the hero) hold 8♥ 8♦ on the Button against a villain who raises from early position (UTG). In this hand, we’ll focus on how to best maximize value from a set of eights , and understand the thought process from preflop to river . Preflop: Calling with Pocket Eights on the Button Hero’s Hand : 8♥ 8♦ Villain’s Raise : UTG raises to 2.5bb Villain’s Estimated Range : 55+, ATs+, KTs+, QTs+, J9s+, T8s+, 97s+, 87s, 76s, AJo+, KQo Stack Sizes : Both players have 100bb When the villain opens from early position (UTG) , we can estimate their range based on the given hands: strong pocket pairs (55+), suited connectors (ATs+, J9s+, T8s+), and offsuit broadways (AJo+, KQo). This range is pretty standard for an UTG open. Our hand, 8♥ 8♦ , is a solid pocket pair, and the best way to ...

It is of course part and parcel of the game.  Having a strong hand, or maybe even the nuts on that street, and someone coming along and hitting the one card that they need to make the hand that beats you. What do you do?  Swear and curse? Vow to get your vengenace?  Shrug it off like you know you should. Make a note and hope you play them in lots more hands yet. Of course I know that there have been times when I have had no right to be in the hand, or been too aggressive, and Lady Luck has shone on me and somebody else has the bad beat. Welll yesterday in one of my microstakes hands I felt the bad beat good and proper.  Here's the details. I'm fully stacked on  table full of unknowns and I find myself with AQ spades.  UTG bets 3bb and I make it a 3 bet.  The big blind calls and the player UTG folds.  The flop comes 5, 10, 2 all spades.  I've got the nut flush in position.  Just need to make sure I make some money. What does...

So in this hand I am happy with the play preflop and flop.  The flop is pretty good I think since I will get calls from lower pairs and flush draws. Betting the turn seems a good move too when the Jd hits.  The flush draw is still there, but weaker, and no overcards.  I am still going to bet out looking for value from lower pairs and charging the draws. I am sure that if the button has hit a set he would be raising the flop and if he hasn't done that he would almost certainly be raising the turn.  He doesn't so I think that I am still good. Then the river card comes. The cooler.  There is a big question as to whether the villain has got right the way to the river with just an over card, or possibly A2, A4, A8 or AJ I suppose.  Of course he might need to bluff the river with a busted flush draw. So I check on the river and see what he does..and he shoves.  Should I call or fold? PokerStars - $0.02 NL FAST (6 max) - Holdem - 6 players Hand conve...

So this hand has been bothering me a little bit. With 3 people entering the pot before me I was finding it difficult to think whether or not my 10s would be good. Being in the small blind and calling made it feel a little tricker because the big blind could have easily squeezed and pushed us all out of the pot. So, rightly or wrongly I called. BTN: 181.5 BB (VPIP: 30.77, PFR: 16.67, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 14) Hero (SB): 131 BB BB: 110.5 BB (VPIP: 0.00, PFR: 0.00, 3Bet Preflop: -, Hands: 1) UTG: 134.5 BB MP: 202.5 BB (VPIP: 14.29, PFR: 14.29, 3Bet Preflop: 20.00, Hands: 7) CO: 110 BB (VPIP: 44.44, PFR: 22.22, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 9) Hero posts SB 0.5 BB, BB posts BB 1 BB Pre Flop: (pot: 1.5 BB) Hero has T:club: T:spade: UTG raises to 4 BB , fold , CO calls 4 BB, BTN calls 4 BB, Hero calls 3.5 BB, fold Flop: (17 BB, 4 players) 8:heart: 3:spade: 2:spade: With this flop and so many callers it was hard to think what I could do first off so the check ...

Playing suited aces is always something that I have trouble thinking through. If I am in early position and playing suited aces would leave me out of position I usually fold them preflop unless AJs+.  Depending on who is at the table occasionally I have found that limping and then calling a raise has proven to be profitable but it certainly isn't a preferred play. Whenever I am with suited aces the flop isn't going to come good and I know that I am going to have to bluff with a continuation bet, but since the flop usually doesn't help my opponent I don't mind the continuation bet bluff.  I get in more trouble when an ace hits the flop because I need to decide if I am betting out or whether I am check calling or even check folding dependent on the opponent. Of course when playing suited aces leaves me in position I am a little happier since I can call, raise or take a free card when it is available to me. What I haven't yet done is pulled my stats from PokerTr...