some hands at $0.1/$0.2NL 6max

well i usually play at these $0.1/$0.2 games online and usually opening 4 tables at a time. im generally a loser with rake, but a very slight winner if there was no rake, and i seem to have been stuck here for ages! i really want to try and improve and move on to higher limits, but i thought id try to turn a profit before doing so!

ive got some hands here which i played earlier (which i thought i made some terrible mistakes) and i would really appreciate it if some one who has already beaten these limits can help me identify some mistakes (i know i played badly)

it was a 3 handed situation where the button called, i was in the SB with 66 and i raised to $0.6. both players called. flop was 392 with 2 clubs. i was first to act so i cbet £1.35 into a pot of $1.80. an agressive player on the BB raised me to $4.05. ive been 3bet by him many times preflop and this time i decided to call, thinking he is bluffing. the turn card was the 3 of spades which does not bring in another flush draw. i check and he bets 2/3 of the pot. i dont think the 3 would have changed the situation at all, unless he happened to have a single 3. so i decided to call, thinking that i dont believe you have a set, maybe a flush draw. if he had a premium pair he would have 3bet definately since his recent wild 3betting image. the river was a Qs and he shoved his last $11 in the pot. i was getting about 2 to 1 to call. so i decided to call and he turns over a pair of 2s and eats me for a buy in.

ive noted that my showdown percentage is very high, usually in the 35%ish mark.

can anyone give any tips on when to call or when to fold? is these one of those marginal situations where there isnt a definate right or wrong answer? or was it a obvious fold on flop/turn/river?

thanks

http://www.handconverter.com/

Since you're new, I'll try to be nice (but I typically hate reading unconverted hands). So let me convert this to a format I can read....

No-Limit Hold'em, $0.20 BB (3 handed)

Button ($????)
Hero (SB) ($????)
BB ($????)

Preflop: Hero is BB with 6, 6
BTN calls $0.2, Hero raises to $0.60, 2 calls

Flop: ($1.80) 3♣ 9♣ 2♦ (3 players)
Hero bets $1.35, BB raises to $4.05, BTN folds, Hero calls.

Turn: ($9.90) 3♠ (2 players)
Hero checks, BTN bets $6.60, Hero calls.

River: ($16.50) Q♠ (2 players)
Hero checks, BTN bets $11 and is all in, Hero calls.



Okay, here's the moral of this story: You call too much, you likely go to showdown too much. By calling the flop, you essentially are putting yourself in a situation where he's going to take your stack when he's not bluffing, and you're going to make like $5 or whatever when he is bluffing. So he'd have to be bluffing like 4 times more often than he's value betting in order for that to be profitable.

There's a rule out there called "The Fuzz Rule", written by a guy on 2+2. And it pretty much just means that at microstakes on most flops when someone raises the flop, top pair doesn't look so hot, and you should pretty much just insta-muck everything else.

thx for the tip. could this be exploited by more skilled players at these stakes knowing people here will know to fold to a flop raise?

The problem with that, is even if you're 66 is ahead on the flop, and he has a draw, you're not the much of a favorite usually. A lot of times, you're crushed, or you're barely ahead. Fold to the flop raise, and find a better situation.

Also, if you're 3 handed, you should be able to pick a different seat. Never sit directly to the right of an aggressive player.

If you're losing at $.10/.20, move down stakes, and learn to beat the lower stakes. Try again at the higher stakes once that happens.

I used to take pairs to showdown. I got a nice piece of advice about small pocket pairs: if I don't have the highest pair or didn't hit the set, I'm done with it.

As far as I go is to cbet. If I get called it's check check or fold unless I hit my set. With the exception of 22, 33 and 44 (that amazingly have not hit a set since I started doing this) all my pocket pairs are protifable.

Most of the times I play a low pocket pair i wont pay a re-raise unless I hit the set.
It didnt look like he was bluffing, so you may have folded this time.

It was a bad hand against top pair or draws, so betting the flop i think is not a good move

yes i keep thinking my ops are bluffing me with hands like AK AQ which i think they are capable of emptying the clip on me. ill definately save myself alot of money by folding as the times i catch people bluffing is outweighed by the times he isnt, and i lose more if he isnt.

i will need to think of table selection more, but the better tables always have a long waiting list, so i always find tables that are 5/6. i dont even think about the seats i choose

Not really, because most of your opponents at these stakes are terrible, and don't fold enough to flop raises. The players who are good enough to exploit you this way won't stay at these stakes long enough to be a problem.

There are no skilled players at these stakes.

All you have to do is value bet eveytime its possible to value bet and fold if they raise!

Don't be afraid to start a table. It will fill up with fish quickly.

Ouch.

from the mouth of ungar, who would disagree
the only suggestion I could add would be to have raised a little bigger in pre. the added pre flop aggression may have allowed you to rep higher on the flop and maybe get respect for the cbet