I sat down at UB at the $1/$2 tables and had a very bad start. - 11 big bets or so in about 20 short hands. As I played I decided to see why I was down that much that quick. A few hands for you to critique. All comments welcome.


Ultimate Bet 1/2 Hold'em (10 handed)

Preflop: Hero is SB with :9h, :td.
UTG calls, 2 folds, MP1 calls, 4 folds, Hero completes, BB checks.

Flop: (4 SB) :9c, :5h, :7d (4 players)
Hero bets, BB folds, UTG calls, MP1 calls.

Turn: (3.50 BB) :6s (3 players)
Hero checks, UTG checks, MP1 bets, Hero calls, UTG calls.

Should I have folded right here?

River: (6.50 BB) :6d (3 players)
Hero checks, UTG bets, MP1 calls, Hero calls.

Final Pot: 9.50 BB

Results in white below:
Hero has 9h Td (two pair, nines and sixes).
UTG has Ac 9d (two pair, nines and sixes).
MP1 has 9s Ad (two pair, nines and sixes).
Outcome: UTG wins 4.75 BB. MP1 wins 4.75 BB.




Ultimate Bet 1/2 Hold'em (10 handed)

Preflop: Hero is Button with :tc, :ad.
2 folds, UTG+2 calls, 4 folds, Hero calls, 1 fold, BB checks.

Flop: (3.50 SB) :3c, :qs, :8h (3 players)
BB checks, UTG+2 checks, Hero bets, BB calls, UTG+2 folds.

All check to me, I bet. Is this wrong?

Turn: (2.75 BB) :6c (2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets, BB raises, Hero folds.

Should i have checked the turn or do I bet as I did to keep up the appearence of strength?

Final Pot: 5.75 BB

Results in white below:
No showdown. BB wins 5.75 BB.




Ultimate Bet 1/2 Hold'em (9 handed)

Preflop: Hero is UTG with :8d, :9d.
Hero calls, UTG+1 raises, 6 folds, BB calls, Hero calls.

Did not have enuf callers to call this. Sometimes I see a suited connector and reason goes out the window. UTG and I call. What am I thinking?

Flop: (6.50 SB) :3c, :9s, :2d (3 players)
BB checks, Hero checks, UTG+1 bets, BB folds, Hero calls.

Turn: (4.25 BB) :qc (2 players)
Hero checks, UTG+1 bets, Hero calls.

River: (6.25 BB) :2c (2 players)
Hero checks, UTG+1 bets, Hero calls.

Where were the mistakes made?

Final Pot: 8.25 BB

Results in white below:
Hero has 8d 9d (two pair, nines and twos).
UTG+1 has Qh Qs (full house, queens full of twos).
Outcome: UTG+1 wins 8.25 BB.




Ultimate Bet 1/2 Hold'em (10 handed)

I felt I had the pot odds to call this preflop and I definitely had the pot odds to call this postflop.

Preflop: Hero is SB with :8c, :jc.
1 fold, UTG+1 raises, UTG+2 calls, MP1 calls, 3 folds, Button calls, Hero calls, 1 fold.

Flop: (11 SB) :2c, :9s, :7d (5 players)
Hero checks, UTG+1 bets, UTG+2 folds, MP1 raises, Button calls, Hero calls, UTG+1 folds.

Turn: (9 BB) :td (3 players)
Hero checks, MP1 bets, Button folds, Hero raises, MP1 calls.

River: (13 BB) :kh (2 players)
Hero bets, MP1 calls.

Final Pot: 15 BB

Results in white below:
Hero has 8c Jc (straight, jack high).
MP1 has 9h Th (two pair, tens and nines).
Outcome: Hero wins 15 BB.


I settled down and am now up + 15 big bets,but I seem to go down quick early in my sessions. Am I perhaps too quick to call when i first sit down?

1) T9o in the SB for half a bet isn't necessarily a bad call, but you are playing a marginal hand out of position, so unless you're really comfortable post-flop, you're probably best off folding. On the flop, I like your bet...you would think that a 9 with a better kicker would raise you, though oddly they both called. Had you been raised, the best move is to call and fold the turn unless you improve. The turn is a pretty scary card, but I think I'd bet it again and fold to a raise. The river is a check-call based on how the hand played out.

2) ATo on the button is, I think, a raise against one limper. On the flop, your bet is fine, but I think you have to give it up on the turn and just check behind.

3) Only play suited connectors in LP and in unraised, multiway pots. I also share your love of suited connectors, but I've finally learned that they're only profitable in certain conditions.

After the flop: you flop top pair, which may be good against the raiser, or it may not. But you don't really give yourself a chance to find out. I'd say your best bet is to check-raise the flop. If he calls, you keep betting...but fold on the turn if he springs to life and raises you (and you haven't improved). If he 3-bets on the flop, you call and fold on the turn unless you improve.

4) I can go either way on your preflop call. In the BB, it's a definite call. In the SB...eh, I think it's probably a fold. But not an awful call, AS LONG AS YOU KNOW you're playing for a flush, a straight, two pair or trips...but not getting committed to a one-pair hand. On the flop, you're getting 8:1 to call trying to hit a gutshot or a backdoor flush. That might be good enough, but you don't know whether or not the preflop raiser is going to 3-bet. You definitely DO NOT want to call 3 or 4 bets on the flop with this hand, but that's an entirely possible outcome. Fortunately, it didn't happen. Turn and river are both fine.

I agree with your final comments. When you first sit down for a session, you should try to focus on playing very tight, only taking the easy situations and premium hands. Some of the above hands may be marginally profitable preflop, but I've found that it's best to avoid the close calls until I'm settled down a bit.

-TW

hand 1: I agree with TW. playing it from the sb is marginal but not bad since there are so many people but you don't want 1 pair, you are looking for 2 pair or a draw. On the flop, I bet out and see what happens but I check fold the turn. I don't expect to be pushing both people off the hand so I'm pretty sure i'm beat by that board and 2 callers. You can make a case for betting out but i'm out if thereis a raise and hate my hand if I get a call

Hand 2: raise that definitely in my opinion. Try to get heads up. Bet the flop and i'm done if called and I don't improve. Take the free turn card.

hand 3: fold preflop as TW said because to really play this kind of hand aggressively, you need a decent sized pot but more importantly, you NEED position or you are gonna have a very tough time. If i was in the hand like you on the flop, i check raise. If he 3 bets, i call and fold the turn with no improvement. If he calls, it would depend on the next card but if its not a A or K or maybe Q, I bet again.and fold if raised.

hand 4 - I fold that preflop but if I do play (which is definitely marginal IMO), I fold that flop because there is 2 bets to you for a gutshot and bd flush draw and as TW says, you don't know if there will be a 3 bet.

Hand