Improving turn play & (suited) connectors/gap connectors

Hi,

I'm looking at my PT stats to find leaks in my game. I think I found some that need plugging. I've started playing again since september after a long break from poker. I'm doing great, cashed 3k in a MTT and started playing $20+2 SnGs. 20% ROI from SnG (in roughly 400 games). I noticed in my stats that my aggressiveness on the turn significantly falls behind preflop, flop and river aggression. I'm not sure what's considered normal, but here's my aggro factor according to PT:

Pre-Flop: 2.10
Flop: 3.03
Turn: 1.67
River: 2.36
Overall: 2.49
Vol. put in pot is 21.42%

I generally don't call, but either raise or fold. It seems I get scared on the turn alot. I would like your input on your interpretation of these stats and suggestions. I'll be happy to supply you with more stats if you need em.

Another thing my stats show is that I make EV- suited/offsuit connector / gap connector plays. A lot of my -BB hands are of those kind. My small pocket pairs are big winners. Should I play (suited/gap/offsuit) connector type of hands similar to for example pocket 3s ? (In position, cheap, multiway, deep stacked opponents, with lots of implied odds ).

Do you have implied odds or just deep stacks?

If your opponent doesn't regularly play for stacks then you don't have implied odds.

With small pocket pairs I generally try to find situations where a deep stacked TAG opponent is the preflop raiser, preferrably with one (or more) callers behind him and me being in late position. I love pots where the TAG raised and a calling station called TAG's bet and I spike my set. Often the initial raiser has the second best hand, and the CS connected with the flop somehow. I found myself in a lot of situation where TAG C-bets the pot, CS re-raises all in, and I end up stacking both of them.

All my pocket pairs, with the exception of 66, are firmly in the green (0.5PTBB/hand or higher). So I think I play them consistently correctand in the correct situations. The contrary however is true of connectors (suited and offsuit) and gap connectors.

It looks like you have a C-bet problem. (just guessing from the percentages)

I would suggest losing the whole "One and done" style and only c-bet if you have a plan, because then you can fire on all three barrels.

****KNOW THIS****
Most online players will usually c-bet the flop up to 75% of the hands they raised pre-flop, in addition they will also call up to 80% of the flop c-bets that they called a pre-flop raise with. So C-betting just to "see where you are in the hand" is generally a useless tactic unless you know that opponent is not one of those in that group.

Think of what your main goal is when you place your c-bet and stop c-betting in bad places; i.e., multiday pots, drawie boards, or against players that you know simply will not fold.

Your goal on a c-bet generally should be for one of 2 things.......
1) to get your opponent to fold.
2) to raise the pot and start building it because you have a good hand.

The main factor in whether or not you should fire a C-bet is fold equity. The greater your fold equity is, or the greater the chances that your opponent will fold, the more you should c-bet.

Once you lose your fold equity, C-betting ceases being profitable.

Other tips for this can be found in these recent threads.....
How often do you CBet a flop that you opened PF?
and
When to stop the continuation bets?

20% ROI at $20+ 2's don't change a thing.

I've been working on my late position play a lot lately. It took some adjusting, but it paid off in terms of bankroll. I still make plenty of mistakes. I'm just lucky they don't get consequently punished at $20+2. Eventually I'll want to move up in limits and be ready for it.

@Emerald, thanks for the links

we have a micro SNG thread if your interested. and there is an interview with Collin Moshman coming uo as well. i know my game has some huge holes right now and would love to hear how you plugged LP play. i know this is a problem for me. i fold everything and know i'm folding lots of value just to avoid tricky spots.

BTW Toor.........

I didn't mean to imply that you even have a problem. At 20% ROI you are sitting pretty. However the post I gave was to support your effort to improve your Turn play.

I just finished reading through both threads and Daniel's article. Very interesting reading. Much appreciated

this is the sng thread.


$$$ October Micro SNG Thread $$$


and this is the Collin intereview thread. the turn play might be a good question for him.

Interview Questions for Collin Moshman (author of "Sit 'n Go Strategy")

In a nutshell:

I vary steals. BTN, CO, and sometimes CO-1 if CO is a complete nit. I do observe the villains to my immediate left carefully. If you have complete fish with position on you you're out of luck. I widen my steal range to any ace, any king, connectors (down to 78), and any pair. I don't vary my raise size. E.g. I play my AA from LP the same as 89. Stealing is not an option when there's too many limpers before you, in my experience it only leads to a call cascade. I c-bet most of the time if it's checked to me, depending on villain and the flop. I mix stealing with folding the button, SB, etc. quite a bit. It shouldn't appear like a habit to the table. When the blinds start letting their clock tick away and fold you know they're getting pissed off at you for robbing them of their monies. They'll start playing back at you. I don't always feel obligated to punish limpers with a stealing hand. You become predicable if you do it too frequently. Sometimes I punish the limper punisher when the punisher is OOP. If you balance late position stealing well it's a guaranteed EV+ move. Just don't put your stack at jeopardy.

Perhaps you are playing suited connectors too much. I play them on occasion, maybe a third or less of the time they arrive in position. I do not normally play them against a group of limpers nor out of position, and usually fold them to a preflop raiser. I do raise preflop (standard) if it's folded to me, because I feel strongly that is a good strategy generally.

I used to play suited connectors a lot more -- and it lost me a lot of money. Once I cut back, I did better.

Yes, they can be very powerful, if they hit. But they hit rather seldom. I've found it best not to overdo.

Earlier today, despite having agreed to improve my connector plays, I suddenly felt naughty and 3xBBed JQs UTG. A big stack calls behind me and I flop the nuts versus his TPTK. I'm running so hot at the moment it's scary.

Ewww dude, that's nasty.