You're Playing Too Tight (part two)

[EscapePlan9]

(continued from )

In these loose low-limit games, you will often be called by marginal hands and marginal draws. This part drives some people mad and they begin to think "if only they respected my raises and folded, I would crush these games." They don't realize that since these players are playing their marginal hands so far, they can capitalize off this. Bet and bet and bet when you think there's a good chance you're ahead. Even with their terrible draws combined, you still will win more often than not and collect all their bets in the process.

I'll give a good assortment of examples here. For more detail, read Small Stakes Hold'Em's chapter on River Play and Betting Marginal Hands For Value.

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Two examples with 88:

Party Poker 0.50/1 Hold'em (9 handed)

Preflop: Hero is MP2 with , .
3 folds, Hero raises, 2 folds, Button calls, SB calls, BB calls.

Flop: (8 SB) , , (4 players)
SB checks, BB bets, Hero raises, Button folds, SB calls, BB calls.

Turn: (7 BB) (3 players)
SB checks, BB checks, Hero bets, SB calls, BB calls.

River: (10 BB) (3 players)
SB checks, BB checks, Hero bets, SB folds, BB calls.

Final Pot: 12 BB

An odd situation occurred at this table - I ended up being first in. I'll nearly 100% of the time raise here with 88+, and usually raise with 77. I raised fully aware I'd still be called by a few players, but raising here puts me in control of the hand and builds up a pot where I'm likely ahead.

Re-raising on the flop has numerous purposes. I probably had the best hand at the moment and re-raising would face two people with calling two bets cold instead of one. When you have an extremely vulnerable overpair like 88, you certainly want to make people with overcards fold.

Many people would shut-down when that turn card hit. But here you have to think, what is everyone calling with? It's extremely likely they have a A, 6, 5, or low-pair. It's highly unlikely any of them has a T of any sort. Throw out a bet on that turn and bet the river if no A, 6, or 5 surfaces.

Another thing to remember... when everyone checks to you on an overcard after you bet the previous round with top-pair or an overpair (at that time), go ahead and bet again. Do not fear the check-raises.

Party Poker 0.50/1 Hold'em (8 handed)

Preflop: Hero is BB with , . CO posts a blind of $0.50.
UTG calls, 3 folds, CO (poster) checks, Button calls, 1 fold, Hero raises, UTG calls, CO calls, Button calls.

Flop: (8.50 SB) , , (4 players)
Hero bets, UTG folds, CO calls, Button calls.

Turn: (5.75 BB) (3 players)
Hero bets, CO calls, Button folds.

River: (7.75 BB) (2 players)
Hero bets, CO calls.

Final Pot: 9.75 BB

Okay, pre-flop raising this from the BB isn't a great play or a terrible play. Ignore that part. Some people might argue you most likely have an equity edge with the 88 here against the crap these players usually play, and I wouldn't disagree with them. Either way, I don't always raise 88 and 99 from the BB. I do raise TT from the BB 100% of the time though.

Once again, the turn and river seem like scare cards, but they really weren't. It was very likely he only had a small pair, a flush draw, or a straight draw and it's highly unlikely the Q or 9 helped him. He ended up calling down with a busted straight draw and ace-high (A7).

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An example with T3o:

Party Poker 0.50/1 Hold'em (9 handed)

Preflop: Hero is BB with , .
UTG calls, UTG+1 calls, 1 fold, MP2 calls, 1 fold, CO calls, 1 fold, SB completes, Hero checks.

Flop: (6 SB) , , (6 players)
SB checks, Hero bets, UTG calls, UTG+1 calls, MP2 calls, CO raises, SB folds, Hero 3-bets, UTG calls, UTG+1 folds, MP2 folds, CO calls.

Turn: (8.50 BB) (3 players)
Hero bets, UTG folds, CO calls.

River: (10.50 BB) (2 players)
Hero bets, CO calls.

Final Pot: 12.50 BB

On the flop I had no idea who would bet, if anyone, so checking is too risky. If it were raised before the flop, I'd have a good idea. (Then again, if it were raised before the flop, I would have obviously folded T3o.) Bottom two-pair should almost always be played fast. Make people face two bets cold if possible (as I did when CO threw in a raise). If not, calls aren't terrible - you're probably way ahead!

Although the turn completed one of the draws, there's still a good chance none of them had it. With only two other players in the pot, there's a much smaller chance. If there were still five others, then a check-call would probably be better. You can still make a boat, afterall.

The river opened up a possible straight. There now was a two-card straight and two-card flush possibility. Still, do not automatically give credit to someone having either. Plus, here it was with the CO who raised me on the flop announcing he had TPGK.

[Tiburon]

[EscapePlan9]

[EscapePlan9]

Don't miss out on those value bets!

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Party Poker 0.50/1 Hold'em (9 handed)

Preflop: Hero is MP1 with , .
1 fold, UTG+1 calls, Hero calls, MP2 calls, 4 folds, BB checks.

Flop: (4.50 SB) , , (4 players)
BB checks, UTG+1 bets, Hero raises, MP2 calls, BB folds, UTG+1 calls.

Turn: (5.25 BB) (3 players)
UTG+1 checks, Hero bets, MP2 calls, UTG+1 folds.

River: (7.25 BB) (2 players)
Hero bets, MP2 calls.

Final Pot: 9.25 BB

Once again, with no reason to think otherwise, assume your tens are good here. If someone had a K or 3, you'd probably have heard about it by the turn.

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Party Poker 0.50/1 Hold'em (10 handed)

Preflop: Hero is Button with , .
UTG calls, UTG+1 calls, UTG+2 calls, MP1 calls, 1 fold, MP3 calls, 1 fold, Hero raises, 2 folds, UTG calls, UTG+1 calls, UTG+2 calls, MP1 calls, MP3 calls.

Flop: (13.50 SB) , , (6 players)
UTG checks, UTG+1 bets, UTG+2 calls, MP1 calls, MP3 calls, Hero raises, UTG folds, UTG+1 calls, UTG+2 calls, MP1 calls, MP3 calls.

Turn: (11.75 BB) (5 players)
UTG+1 checks, UTG+2 checks, MP1 checks, MP3 checks, Hero bets, UTG+1 calls, UTG+2 calls, MP1 calls, MP3 calls.

River: (16.75 BB) (5 players)
UTG+1 checks, UTG+2 checks, MP1 checks, MP3 checks, Hero bets, UTG+1 calls, UTG+2 folds, MP1 calls, MP3 folds.

Final Pot: 19.75 BB

Don't be afraid your one-pair hand won't hold up against five other players. With no indication otherwise, assume your TPGK hand is still best and bet that river. I would have played it the same UTG.

[EscapePlan9]

Most of my advice would be found just by reading SSHE. Still, I usually find it helpful to see more examples. Hopefully someone benefits from any of this.

I cannot think of many other topics deserving of attention for adapting to extremely loose low-limit play.

Lately I've been working on calling down with a-high and k-high in certain situations. You can read about my progress (including hand examples) here:

[BKAZ]

Nice Post Escape,