Slowplaying sets = puke
People that slowplays sets (I'm talking FL here, although it probably applies at times in NL as well). It drives me insane. I guess I should thank my opponents, but well, whatever. Just because you flop a hand that's strong enough to slowplay doesn't mean you should.
Case in point: Villian is a little loose, fairly aggressive, and seems to go to SD a bunch.
PokerStars 3/6 Hold'em (6 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from http://www.flopturnriver.comFlopTurnRiver.com (Format: Plain Text)
Preflop: Hero is BB with 9h, 9s.
1 fold, MP raises, 3 folds, Hero 3-bets, MP calls.
Flop: (6.33 SB) 7d, 9c, 4h (2 players)
Hero bets, MP calls.
Turn: (4.16 BB) Qs (2 players)
Hero bets, MP raises, Hero 3-bets, MP calls.
River: (10.16 BB) Qc (2 players)
Hero bets, MP raises, Hero 3-bets, MP calls.
Final Pot: 16.16 BB
I see people that for whatever reason will 3 bet and then check the flop here when they flop top set. Why? This gives WAY more information than simply betting out. You 3 bet vs. his steal, he expects you to bet. Checking should signal alarm bells if the player is paying attention at all.
People will argue that "I want to let my opponent catch up a bit", clearly there are few cards that should hurt on the turn and if he has overs we want him to hit one.
Guess what? Showdown bound lags aren't folding a pair here. They aren't folding overs here, heck, they aren't folding just about anything on this flop. So bet. And hope they hit something on the turn (you'll even get people that will bluff raise the flop or turn). Worse still is slowplaying if you're lucky enough that your opponent managed to flop an underset. Please, play sets fast, lags know you're bluffing anyways and need to keep you honest or bluff you off your UI AK here, so let them raise, they won't buy that you have a hand anyways until they become pot committed to it.
Another: Villian seems TAGish (28/15/1.2)
PokerStars 3/6 Hold'em (6 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from http://www.flopturnriver.comFlopTurnRiver.com (Format: Plain Text)
Preflop: Hero is CO with Tc, Ts.
1 fold, MP raises, Hero 3-bets, 3 folds, MP calls.
Flop: (7 SB) Td, 5d, 4s (2 players)
MP checks, Hero bets, MP calls.
Turn: (4.50 BB) Ah (2 players)
MP checks, Hero bets, MP raises, Hero 3-bets, MP calls.
River: (10.50 BB) Th (2 players)
MP checks, Hero bets, MP calls.
Final Pot: 12.50 BB
Another: Villian is spastic and bad (49/37/3). I could have probably CR'd somewhere for value, but heck when a find a maniac like this I get greedy and hope to bet/3bet.
PokerStars 3/6 Hold'em (6 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from http://www.flopturnriver.comFlopTurnRiver.com (Format: Plain Text)
Preflop: Hero is SB with 3c, 3h.
3 folds, Button raises, Hero 3-bets, 1 fold, Button caps, Hero calls.
Flop: (9 SB) 8s, 3s, Th (2 players)
Hero bets, Button calls.
Turn: (5.50 BB) 7c (2 players)
Hero bets, Button calls.
River: (7.50 BB) Qc (2 players)
Hero bets, Button calls.
Final Pot: 9.50 BB
Yes, I know sets are easy to play, and it's the marginal hands that are more fun, but don't suffer from FPS against aggro opponents. Just jam, it's easier and wins you bigger pots anyways (regardless of whether your opponent has a hand on the flop or not).
Case in point: Villian is a little loose, fairly aggressive, and seems to go to SD a bunch.
PokerStars 3/6 Hold'em (6 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from http://www.flopturnriver.comFlopTurnRiver.com (Format: Plain Text)
Preflop: Hero is BB with 9h, 9s.
1 fold, MP raises, 3 folds, Hero 3-bets, MP calls.
Flop: (6.33 SB) 7d, 9c, 4h (2 players)
Hero bets, MP calls.
Turn: (4.16 BB) Qs (2 players)
Hero bets, MP raises, Hero 3-bets, MP calls.
River: (10.16 BB) Qc (2 players)
Hero bets, MP raises, Hero 3-bets, MP calls.
Final Pot: 16.16 BB
I see people that for whatever reason will 3 bet and then check the flop here when they flop top set. Why? This gives WAY more information than simply betting out. You 3 bet vs. his steal, he expects you to bet. Checking should signal alarm bells if the player is paying attention at all.
People will argue that "I want to let my opponent catch up a bit", clearly there are few cards that should hurt on the turn and if he has overs we want him to hit one.
Guess what? Showdown bound lags aren't folding a pair here. They aren't folding overs here, heck, they aren't folding just about anything on this flop. So bet. And hope they hit something on the turn (you'll even get people that will bluff raise the flop or turn). Worse still is slowplaying if you're lucky enough that your opponent managed to flop an underset. Please, play sets fast, lags know you're bluffing anyways and need to keep you honest or bluff you off your UI AK here, so let them raise, they won't buy that you have a hand anyways until they become pot committed to it.
Another: Villian seems TAGish (28/15/1.2)
PokerStars 3/6 Hold'em (6 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from http://www.flopturnriver.comFlopTurnRiver.com (Format: Plain Text)
Preflop: Hero is CO with Tc, Ts.
1 fold, MP raises, Hero 3-bets, 3 folds, MP calls.
Flop: (7 SB) Td, 5d, 4s (2 players)
MP checks, Hero bets, MP calls.
Turn: (4.50 BB) Ah (2 players)
MP checks, Hero bets, MP raises, Hero 3-bets, MP calls.
River: (10.50 BB) Th (2 players)
MP checks, Hero bets, MP calls.
Final Pot: 12.50 BB
Another: Villian is spastic and bad (49/37/3). I could have probably CR'd somewhere for value, but heck when a find a maniac like this I get greedy and hope to bet/3bet.
PokerStars 3/6 Hold'em (6 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from http://www.flopturnriver.comFlopTurnRiver.com (Format: Plain Text)
Preflop: Hero is SB with 3c, 3h.
3 folds, Button raises, Hero 3-bets, 1 fold, Button caps, Hero calls.
Flop: (9 SB) 8s, 3s, Th (2 players)
Hero bets, Button calls.
Turn: (5.50 BB) 7c (2 players)
Hero bets, Button calls.
River: (7.50 BB) Qc (2 players)
Hero bets, Button calls.
Final Pot: 9.50 BB
Yes, I know sets are easy to play, and it's the marginal hands that are more fun, but don't suffer from FPS against aggro opponents. Just jam, it's easier and wins you bigger pots anyways (regardless of whether your opponent has a hand on the flop or not).
Comments
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCoC00MRnL8&mode=related&search=
I don't know if I play it much differently actually. When he flat calls the flop he either has an UI AK or AQ, or a big pair that he wanted to pop the turn with. Either way I lead out hoping for a raise (I can't count on the AK or AQ to bet there since they likely take the free card, and CRing the AA or KK is more apt to arouse suspicion IMO than just betting) AA MIGHT 3 bet a CR, but KK almost certainly isn't because he should worry a bit about AA.
CRing the flop is tempting I guess (since he knows I expect him to bet and thus he may think that I think he's following through with an UI AK or AQ). But I almost never CR sets (not on the flop anyways) It just seems wrong.
Of course there's the standard C-C flop and C-R turn line but since that announces you have a monster I usually don't use it.
I guess I play a solid player fast here because his cap is more apt to mean a strong hand to begin with. Against a bad player the cap means much less, but I know my opponent will HATE to fold after capping and is looking to splash around with junk and possibly bluff me off a hand, hence I usually play fast as well, just for slightly different reasons.
And FWIW, if a really tight player is opening there I'll sometimes just fold the small pair (I'd call in the BB). Against a loose raiser I'll try to knock out the BB and get some dead money into the pot though. In general I'm not looking to play marginal hands against tighter openers OOP unless I have a read that I can get them to fold fairly easily post-flop.
My thoughts exactly. Just wondering if you had a different opinion for SH play. Thanks.
(Disclaimer: I Play NL 6-max)
It is very seldom to play many raised pots in these games with more than 3 to the flop. It is usually Heads-Up.
Say $50NL where cut-off opens for a standard raise of 4 X BB of $2. I call on the button with 5d 5h and blind both fold. To the flop with $4.75 in the middle.
First a few basics. I will flop a set 1 in 8 times here. Most of the time I will fold to a C-bet and wave goodbye to my $2 speculative call. Therefore, it will cost me $16 to make this call 8 times and only once I will hit my set so I have to make a minimum of $16 the times I flop a set to break even on this proposition.
Flop is 5s 9c Ac.
I immediately get a semi because the original raisers range is chock full of Aces. The CO makes a standard C-Bet of roughly half the pot and bets $2.50. What should my thought process be here????
1.[FONT="] [/FONT]How much is in the CO’s stack. And what sequence of bets would get it all in the middle?
2.[FONT="] [/FONT]What line will arouse the least amount of suspicion that I have a monster.
3. There is two to a flush on board and if a club falls my action going to dry up if I just call here and make my hand look like a draw.
4. Who is that chick pictured in his avatar? Would I or would I not give her a pearl necklace.
Now, if I assume the he will continue to make ½ pot bets through to the river if no clubs fall. He will bet roughly $5.00 on the turn and $10 on the river. This will create a pot of roughly $40 and me netting $20, which is only $4 more that what I need to make to break even here. This is pretty marginal considering that 1/3 of the time the flush will hit my action will dry up and, not every villain is going to fire three bullets here.
What if I am out of position and I check to him. He only has to check one street and I am suddenly not making enough $$$ to justify the call.
You MUST raise here and I would raise the flop a very, very, large %age of the time.
Verdict is that anyone who slow plays sets should be shot and pissed on.
[FONT="]Word to your mother.[/FONT]