Mastering Value Betting: A Set of Eights on the Button in Microstakes NLHE

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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 play it in position is to call. We're aiming to hit a set (three of a kind), which gives us a strong chance to win big pots, especially if the villain is holding an overpair or a hand that connects well with the board.

Our equity against the given range is 50.4%.



Flop Action: 3♥ 9♦ J♠

  • Pot Size: Approximately 6.5bb (assuming no other players are involved)
  • Villain’s C-Bet: 4.3bb (2/3 of the pot)

The flop comes 3♥ 9♦ J♠, which gives us about 47% equity against the villain's range with our pocket eights. This is not a strong hand on its own, but we do have the potential to improve to a set of eights on the next streets. Also, the board is somewhat coordinated, and the 9♦ J♠ combination creates the possibility of a straight (for example, 7-8 or T-8).

  • Possible Straight Draws: If the villain holds something like T-8 or 7-8, they’re now drawing to a straight.
  • Overpairs: The villain could also have overpairs such as JJ, 99, or even QQ, which are ahead of our middle pair.  The Jacks of course have a set which gives the villain a very strong hand though on a dry-ish board we would have to consider that they might slow play this hand.
  • Top Pair: Hands like Jx or 9x are also part of the villain’s range and could be ahead of us.

The villain’s c-bet of 2/3 pot (4.3bb) is standard, and since we have middle pair, it’s reasonable to continue. Calling allows us to see the turn and keep our range wide without committing too much to the pot just yet.

Turn Action: 6♦

  • Turn: 6♦
  • Villain’s Check: The villain checks after the turn.

The turn brings the 6♦, making the board 3♥ 9♦ J♠ 6♦. This card is somewhat neutral for us, but it is also neutral for the villain. 

Let's go through the hands that they might have.

Over pairs. QQ+ are still in the villain's range. Whilst it possible that they might check for pot control with a single pair, the board has some draw potentials that we could be drawing to. As such, it seems most likely that they would still be betting these hands.

High cards that haven't connected. Hands such as ATs, AQs, might be worth betting with diamonds since the draw could come good but many of the other hands in this category might fit a check.

Sets. 99, 66, JJ are in the range. It seems unlikely that these would be checked.

Two-pairs. J9 gives a villain two pairs. Again, with potential draws in our range it seems unlikely that these would be checked.

Straight Draws. T8, 87, Q10 are all potential draws. It seems likely that these would be bet.  If the draw is missed on the river then we need to determine whether the villain is going to bluff the river or give up.  And are we happy to call a river bet if the draw is missed?

Flush Draws. With two diamonds now on the board, there are a good few draws that are in villain's range and that could be better. 

Jx These hands have top pair but if the kicker is weak then the check might be an attempt to control the size of the pot.

So, with all this consideration, we decide whether we want to check behind or bet.

I feel a bet of 50%-70% of the pot is the right amount here. We want to protect against free cards (especially for straight draws), and get value from weaker hands that may still be calling.

River Action: 8♠

  • River: 8♠ (Now we have a set of eights)
  • Board: 3♥ 9♦ J♠ 6♦ 8♠

The river brings the 8♠, which gives us a set of eights (8♥ 8♦ 8♠). This is a very strong hand now, but it’s still important to consider the possible hands that the villain could have.  Give that they called our turn bet we now have information that they don't have nothing (unless they are going for an elaborate river play).

  • Jx and 9x Hands: The villain might have J-9, J-6, or 9-6, which are now two-pair hands, but they are behind our set of eights.
  • Straight Hands: If the villain was holding something like T-8 or 7-8, they would now have a straight, and that’s a hand we need to worry about.
  • Overpairs: If the villain has overpairs like QQ or KK, these are also now behind our set of eights.

What Should You Do Now?

On the river we need to decide how many hands the villain might check with, how many they might call a bet with that we beat, and how many they might call a bet with that beat us. We also need to be mindful of any potential check-raise and consider whether we would call a check-raise.

  1. If the Villain Checks:

    • This is a good opportunity to bet for value. The villain likely has hands like Jx, 9x, or possibly a weaker two-pair (like J9 or 9-8). These hands could be willing to call a value bet. Given that the villain checked, they might not bet themselves, so it’s up to us to build the pot and get paid by worse hands.
    • A bet of 50%-70% of the pot is optimal here. You want to get value from weaker hands, but you don’t need to go too large and risk scaring them off.

  2. If the Villain Bets:

    • If the villain makes a small bet, you should consider raising. A hand like J-9, 9-8 is still behind, and a raise of 2-3x their bet is appropriate to extract more value.
    • If the villain bets large, it could indicate a straight (like T-8 or 7-8), in which case, you should call. We’re still ahead of many hands in their range, but if the bet is very large, we need to be cautious. 

Conclusion:

In this hand, we navigated from middle pair on the flop to a set of eights on the river. The key takeaway is the importance of extracting maximum value from a strong hand like a set. Here’s the breakdown of our actions:

  • Preflop: We call with pocket eights, hoping to hit a set.
  • Flop: We call the c-bet, as middle pair is worth continuing with, especially with set-mining potential.
  • Turn: We bet for value, targeting missed draws and ensuring that we don't give free cards to broadways that haven't matched but might on the river.
  • River: We bet for value with our set of eights, extracting value from Jx, 9x, and weaker two-pair hands.

By understanding the villain’s likely range and betting for value at each street, we were able to maximize our winnings from a strong, but vulnerable, hand.

How would you have played this hand? Let us know in the comments below!

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