Hole Cards Confessions Study Group: Exploiting a Range

#1 22nd January 2012, 9:18 AM

Welcome to week 2 of the Cards Chat study group of “Hole Card Confessions” by Drag the Bar instructor Owen Gaines. Each week we will be covering two sections of the book and Owen will be joining us in the threads to answer questions.

I will be posting brief summaries of the material to be discussed in the OP of each thread. I will not be regurgitating the whole book so people don't have to read it. I will not be quoting long sections of copyrighted material. The goal is to give each thread a starting point; not to reproduce the book for free for anyone who finds the thread.

If you haven't already gotten your copy of “Hole Card Confessions” you can purchase it at Owen's site. http://qtippoker.com/

This thread is for pages 79-103 and will cover:

1. Relativity Strikes Again
2. Cumulative Information
3. Range Responses

#2 22nd January 2012, 10:44 AM

I think this hand I played yesterday relates to this chapter the best, and was almost certainly a direct result of having just reread it ready for this week's discussion

Poker Stars $0.25/$0.50 No Limit Hold'em - 6 players

Hero (CO): $74.68
BTN: $50.00
SB: $39.28
BB: $50.00
UTG: $51.14 - reg, 20/17/3.6, cbet 76%, WTSD 20%, W$SD 66%, 2k hands.
MP: $79.39

Pre Flop: ($0.75) Hero is CO with Q ♣ A ♦
UTG raises to $1.50, 1 fold, Hero calls $1.50, 3 folds

Flop: ($3.75) 9 ♥ 4 ♥ 5 ♣ (2 players)
UTG checks, Hero checks

Turn: ($3.75) T ♣ (2 players)
UTG bets $2, Hero raises to $6.50, UTG calls $4.50

River: ($16.75) 3 ♠ (2 players)
UTG bets $6.50, Hero raises to $66.68 all in, UTG folds

Final Pot: $29.75
Hero mucks Q ♣ A ♦
Hero wins $27.82
(Rake: $1.93)

I overcall because the other players behind are nittish, so I figured I'd often be HU IP with a strong hand.

I won't bother going over all my thought processes during the hand. Let's skip straight to the river and refer to a modified version of Owen's letter from a nit/TAG to me:-

Villain: "I want to see a cheap showdown, or get you to fold your busted semi bluff FD because I've got nothing either."
Me: "I don't think so!"

My image to him is probably TAG/nit and he most certainly hasn't seen me 'caught out' in a move like this before (because I don't make a habit of it), so unless he specifically has a set of 3s here, he's folding a HUGE % of the time.

Do I get the Gaines' seal of approval?

#3 22nd January 2012, 2:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cafeman31

I think this hand I played yesterday relates to this chapter the best, and was almost certainly a direct result of having just reread it ready for this week's discussion

Poker Stars $0.25/$0.50 No Limit Hold'em - 6 players

Hero (CO): $74.68
BTN: $50.00
SB: $39.28
BB: $50.00
UTG: $51.14 - reg, 20/17/3.6, cbet 76%, WTSD 20%, W$SD 66%, 2k hands.
MP: $79.39

Pre Flop: ($0.75) Hero is CO with Q ♣ A ♦
UTG raises to $1.50, 1 fold, Hero calls $1.50, 3 folds

Flop: ($3.75) 9 ♥ 4 ♥ 5 ♣ (2 players)
UTG checks, Hero checks

Turn: ($3.75) T ♣ (2 players)
UTG bets $2, Hero raises to $6.50, UTG calls $4.50

River: ($16.75) 3 ♠ (2 players)
UTG bets $6.50, Hero raises to $66.68 all in, UTG folds

Final Pot: $29.75
Hero mucks Q ♣ A ♦
Hero wins $27.82
(Rake: $1.93)

I overcall because the other players behind are nittish, so I figured I'd often be HU IP with a strong hand.

I won't bother going over all my thought processes during the hand. Let's skip straight to the river and refer to a modified version of Owen's letter from a nit/TAG to me:-

Villain: "I want to see a cheap showdown, or get you to fold your busted semi bluff FD because I've got nothing either."
Me: "I don't think so!"

My image to him is probably TAG/nit and he most certainly hasn't seen me 'caught out' in a move like this before (because I don't make a habit of it), so unless he specifically has a set of 3s here, he's folding a HUGE % of the time.

Do I get the Gaines' seal of approval?

I approve this river message.

#4 22nd January 2012, 3:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cafeman31

I think this hand I played yesterday relates to this chapter the best, and was almost certainly a direct result of having just reread it ready for this week's discussion

Poker Stars $0.25/$0.50 No Limit Hold'em - 6 players

Hero (CO): $74.68
BTN: $50.00
SB: $39.28
BB: $50.00
UTG: $51.14 - reg, 20/17/3.6, cbet 76%, WTSD 20%, W$SD 66%, 2k hands.
MP: $79.39

Pre Flop: ($0.75) Hero is CO with Q ♣ A ♦
UTG raises to $1.50, 1 fold, Hero calls $1.50, 3 folds

Flop: ($3.75) 9 ♥ 4 ♥ 5 ♣ (2 players)
UTG checks, Hero checks

Turn: ($3.75) T ♣ (2 players)
UTG bets $2, Hero raises to $6.50, UTG calls $4.50

River: ($16.75) 3 ♠ (2 players)
UTG bets $6.50, Hero raises to $66.68 all in, UTG folds

Final Pot: $29.75
Hero mucks Q ♣ A ♦
Hero wins $27.82
(Rake: $1.93)

I overcall because the other players behind are nittish, so I figured I'd often be HU IP with a strong hand.

I won't bother going over all my thought processes during the hand. Let's skip straight to the river and refer to a modified version of Owen's letter from a nit/TAG to me:-

Villain: "I want to see a cheap showdown, or get you to fold your busted semi bluff FD because I've got nothing either."
Me: "I don't think so!"

My image to him is probably TAG/nit and he most certainly hasn't seen me 'caught out' in a move like this before (because I don't make a habit of it), so unless he specifically has a set of 3s here, he's folding a HUGE % of the time.

Do I get the Gaines' seal of approval?

You maniac! I assume that you planned to shove most rivers when you raised the turn?

#5 22nd January 2012, 3:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by QTipDTB

I approve this river message.

I got it in writing! Thanks

Quote:

Originally Posted by WVHillbilly

You maniac! I assume that you planned to shove most rivers when you raised the turn?

Yep. I suppose it started from the flop though. He cbets a reasonable amount, but not like crazy. He is a 4 tabling thinking player, and as I said, the table was playing tight. So, it's not unreasonable for him to open up his opening range even from UTG. All sorts of stuff is probably getting in there, QTs etc. When he didn't cbet that flop I immediately wondered why, and hatched my plan. Maybe he doesn't want to get raised on his draw? Maybe he has 88? Who knows, but I figured it couldn't stand much heat unimproved. By the river it still looked like a hand that was marginal at best (blocking bet), so I made my move.

As I say, this is not something I make a habit of doing, I am far from a maniac. In fact if anything, putting pressure on weak/marginal ranges especially when you can see they like to have it at SD is something I don't do enough.

#6 22nd January 2012, 6:25 PM

Yeah my default there is to bet about 95% of the time when the PFR checks the flop. Yeah they'll often call the flop bet but generally they ch/fold the turn.

#7 23rd January 2012, 5:57 AM

We don't have to be bluffing to exploit our opponent's range. Played this one yesterday and knew I would be posting it ITT.

Merge - $0.10 NL - Holdem - 8 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 3

MP: $9.75
MP+1: $8.72
CO: $12.82
Hero (BTN): $11.15
SB: $9.84
BB: $17.66
UTG: $20.01
UTG+1: $2.65

SB posts SB $0.05, BB posts BB $0.10

Pre Flop: ($0.15) Hero has 8♦ 8♥

fold, fold, fold, MP+1 calls $0.10, CO raises to $0.45, Hero calls $0.45, fold, BB calls $0.35, MP+1 calls $0.35

Flop: ($1.85, 4 players) 7♠ 9♦ J♠
BB checks, MP+1 checks, CO checks, Hero checks

Turn: ($1.85, 4 players) 8♣
BB checks, MP+1 checks, CO checks, Hero checks

River: ($1.85, 4 players) 7♣
BB checks, MP+1 bets $0.92, fold, Hero raises to $10.70 and is all-in, fold, MP+1 calls $7.35 and is all-in

Hero shows 8♦ 8♥ (Full House, Eights full of Sevens) (Pre 51%, Flop 66%, Turn 23%)
MP+1 shows Q♣ T♣ (Straight, Queen High) (Pre 49%, Flop 34%, Turn 77%)
Hero wins $17.48

Comments on turn check?

#8 23rd January 2012, 8:21 AM

I'd bet the flop instead of the turn, but I think checking both is fine.

#9 23rd January 2012, 2:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by baudib1

I'd bet the flop instead of the turn, but I think checking both is fine.

Yeah, I actually considered it but just figured I wouldn't get enough folds to justify it. Well that and I knew the turn/river were going to be the best 2 cards in the deck.

#10 23rd January 2012, 2:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WVHillbilly

Comments on turn check?

Yours or his? lol

His: terrible, just terrible.
Yours: fine.

#11 23rd January 2012, 2:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cafeman31

Yours or his? lol

His: terrible, just terrible.
Yours: fine.

Well yeah I know he's bad though. I still have delusions about myself!

#12 24th January 2012, 1:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WVHillbilly

We don't have to be bluffing to exploit our opponent's range. Played this one yesterday and knew I would be posting it ITT.

Merge - $0.10 NL - Holdem - 8 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 3

MP: $9.75
MP+1: $8.72
CO: $12.82
Hero (BTN): $11.15
SB: $9.84
BB: $17.66
UTG: $20.01
UTG+1: $2.65

SB posts SB $0.05, BB posts BB $0.10

Pre Flop: ($0.15) Hero has 8♦ 8♥

fold, fold, fold, MP+1 calls $0.10, CO raises to $0.45, Hero calls $0.45, fold, BB calls $0.35, MP+1 calls $0.35

Flop: ($1.85, 4 players) 7♠ 9♦ J♠
BB checks, MP+1 checks, CO checks, Hero checks

Turn: ($1.85, 4 players) 8♣
BB checks, MP+1 checks, CO checks, Hero checks

River: ($1.85, 4 players) 7♣
BB checks, MP+1 bets $0.92, fold, Hero raises to $10.70 and is all-in, fold, MP+1 calls $7.35 and is all-in

Hero shows 8♦ 8♥ (Full House, Eights full of Sevens) (Pre 51%, Flop 66%, Turn 23%)
MP+1 shows Q♣ T♣ (Straight, Queen High) (Pre 49%, Flop 34%, Turn 77%)
Hero wins $17.48

Comments on turn check?

Anything on villain?

#13 24th January 2012, 2:19 AM

Just that he's bad. Less than 100bb. 32/3 or something close. Limp/calls most of his hands. CO who iso'd preflop was weird tight (7/3 or something).

#14 24th January 2012, 10:02 AM

In reverse!

Poker Stars $0.25/$0.50 No Limit Hold'em - 5 players

Hero (BB): $50.25
UTG: $50.41
CO: $55.75
BTN: $62.32
SB: $50.00 - winning reg, 22/18/4.5, 3bet 7%, f3bet 69%, 2.7k hands.

Pre Flop: ($0.75) Hero is BB with A ♦ Q ♥
3 folds, SB raises to $1.50, Hero calls $1

Flop: ($3.00) Q ♦ 7 ♥ 5 ♠ (2 players)
SB bets $2, Hero calls $2

Turn: ($7.00) 8 ♣ (2 players)
SB bets $4.75, Hero calls $4.75

River: ($16.50) 2 ♦ (2 players)
SB bets $20, Hero calls $20

Final Pot: $56.50
Hero shows A ♦ Q ♥ (a pair of Queens)
SB shows K ♦ 9 ♥ (high card King)
Hero wins $53.50
(Rake: $3.00)

I've made a note that almost certainly the next time he overbets the river vs me, he'll most likely have a strong hand!

#15 25th January 2012, 2:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WVHillbilly

Just that he's bad. Less than 100bb. 32/3 or something close. Limp/calls most of his hands. CO who iso'd preflop was weird tight (7/3 or something).

I'd like to hear why you checked the turn.

#16 25th January 2012, 3:15 PM

Well at the time I didn't think there was any value in it but looking at it now I think differently. I can get called by some draws/2pair type hands on the turn and the chances of any of these guys ch/raising is pretty remote (not that the fear of getting ch/r is a reason not to bet in the 1st place).

#17 25th January 2012, 10:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WVHillbilly

Well at the time I didn't think there was any value in it but looking at it now I think differently. I can get called by some draws/2pair type hands on the turn and the chances of any of these guys ch/raising is pretty remote (not that the fear of getting ch/r is a reason not to bet in the 1st place).

Yeah, that's what I'm thinking.

#18 25th January 2012, 11:01 PM

Well thanks for making me take a second look.

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