Hand History Review: PattyR

I started a thread in this section offering to do some hand history review. PattyR wanted to take me up on it.

First off, Patty isn't quite the type of player that I had in mind for this 'cause he's already winning and does already ask for advice, so he's ahead of the players that I had intended this for. But we can all learn from review and discussion, so,

- you do seem to already know the value of hands in general
- you do seem to have some understanding how the value of hands changes with position
- you do know to cbet most hands
- you do know the value of raising. I think your stats from the small sample that I looked at had the VPIP/PFR almost the same

You said that you think that you have problems with small pairs, and from the sample you sent it looks as if you open raise all small pairs from almost, not quite, all positions. That's something that I do as well, but if you do so you have to be comfortable when you have to play postflop and there are overcards. From what I looked at you did fine, but if you're not comfortable, take a look at your database for the medium and smaller pairs from early and middle position and see if you're winning or not. I can't tell that from the sample. Not everyone open raises all pairs and if you aren't winning or don't feel comfortable, don't do it.

I think you 3 bet more times than you called in the sample that you sent. I was surprised. The 3 bets that you did were fine, but I didn't expect them given that you play a pretty tight game.

But I think you can call more often, especially at this level. Here's on that stuck out to me:

Party Poker - $0.05/$0.10 No Limit Holdem (9 players)
Party Poker Hand Converter Tool from CardsChat.com

SB: $9.84
BB: $12.25 (sitting out)
UTG: $4.20
UTG+1: $9.69 (sitting out)
MP: $10.37
MP+1: $1.78
MP+2: $22.26
CO Hero: $11.28
BTN: $10.40

Pre-flop: ($0.15) Hero is CO and dealt
UTG raises to $0.20, 2 folds, MP+2 calls $0.20, Hero folds, SB folds


I dunno why our converter thinks you're playing at PartyPoker, but anyway, you've got a hand that wants a multiway pot, you've got a small raise to call, you've got one caller, you've got a shortie but also a deep stack involved, and you've got position. Unless you really think someone behind is going to squeeze, this is ideal for flatting and seeing how they react to the flop.

There were a couple other times I would have opted to flat as well, but that was the most extreme. You'll find some players who play fit or fold on the flop and you can call their raises in position with a wide range with the plan of taking it away postflop on most boards.

The biggest thing that I'd recommend to you is to realllly open up your stealing range. You folded KT, 76, J8 from the button and more, and QJ from the cut off.Those are not power hands, but 3 or 4 handed with position I'd open far more, especially since you do seem to know how to follow up with cbets when called. The only thing to look out for is extreme calling stations, especially the ones who like to get aggressive postflop if you don't keep betting, or those few players at this level who 3bet steals frequently.

I didn't see a lot of postflop problems so I don't have a lot of hand histories to post here like I was planning to do. There were a few situations that I'd question, like firing two barrels with an underpair out of position even though the flop was fairly dry, and some hands that I'd consider opening like ATs from middle position and a couple others, but those AT and others are on the edge of personal taste I think, so folding is also okay.

Unfortunately I couldn't get the replayer to be nice and keep things in sequence so I didn't get any sense of table dynamics, though I did have the small sample of stats, but not enough to make useful comments about playing any specific players or to be able to tell if your folds on the button had to do with bad blinds to steal from.


But, open a wider range from the button! You'll collect more blinds, collect some more from cbetting. You'll also lose a few to 3 bets, but also find yourself with a unexpected two pair on the flop and stack some who doesn't 3 bet their AA/KK/QQ.

wowzers dude!!

Great fricken advice in here, alot of it.

First off, your right about i have a tight game. When i started out last month i was running like 14/10. Over the last 25K hands i've probably been playing closer to 10/8 (last session i ran was 8.9/5 lol)

That 7 8s hand is weird, especially given that there was a caller followed by the original raise, honestly have no idea wtf i was doing, clearly should have called.

I was raising with small pairs from every position, but that led to lots of 3bets and i was calling those 3bets which i just learned about 3 weeks ago is BAD. So since than i really only open small pp from mid to late position and sometimes just late position but i may change that. I just have being OOP with a small pp when there are overs to the board. Do i just fold most flops? i mean obviously is villain dependant but still, lots more to think about than if i just fold and open small pp from mid to late. Makes my thinking easier but also may lower (or raise?) my winrate.

On stealing, my steal is 28% over 47K hands. I'm not too sure if that's high...i'm thinking it may be just a tad above average but not positive. I really only like raising late position ( CO and Button) if i have tight nits to my left. I just hate raising with K J, A10, or some other marginal hand and than a 26/15 calling station calls my raise and every cbet i make on dry (and wet) boards. So now again it's all villain dependent in that area. I dunno if it's bad or what but that's what i have switched too.

A big leak i do have is firing to many barrels when i should just give up the whole freaking hand after at least one barrel if not any. Some wet boards i just like betting to get the pot, i hate losing pots im in so when people check to me i like to bet to take it. So many stupid calling stations.

Great advice again though NineLions. You didn't have to do it, but i'm more than happy you did. Really appreciate it man. This is probably the longest post i've had on CC in my life LOL.

I think i need to stick to being 10/8 or around there. Last 2 sessions were miserable running 16/12

I'm assuming from the hand posted and those stats, you're playing strictly FR? 16/12 or maybe a little higher is probably around where I was in FR. 10/8 is definitely too tight for my tastes unless I'm maybe 9+ tabling. I'm just an action junkie and look for spots to see flops and run over the passive players.

I'm trying to ease back into cash games after a long hiatus (a couple years at least). Playing 4-6 tables of 6-max 50NL now, may take a stab at 100NL since Revolution seems so soft. I can't check my stats from here but I expect over my last few hundred hands I'm probably running 25/21 or thereabouts, maybe even a bit higher.

I'm planning to throw myself at the mercy of the cash game players here to tighten up a few things as well, so I'm taking a bigger interest in these types of threads. Keep 'em coming and good HA 9L!

Yea bro i'm strictly FR. Like you i also was on a loooong hiatus from poker. Solid 2 years i think. Only been back and playing for month and a half now.
Tight is right for me. Hate marginal spots and Merge is just full of regs at 10NL. Same people almost every night i'm on.

Welcome back to the land of cash games btw

I remember a 99 that you opened, got called, and then squeezed from the blinds. I think you folded but your caller called. But yeah, unless your stack sizes are both really deep you don't have implied odds to be playing low pairs versus a 3 bet.


When I open small pairs and get called, I cbet almost all flops. Wet midrange flops or flops with two broadways are the ones I'll tend to not cbet because I'm not expecting many folds, especially OOP. Low boards I might not cbet either because those are the few boards that players tend to not believe when I bet, plus I might have some straight draw equity there and I don't want to be blown off by a raise. I might check/call someone with high aggression. On the other hand, if I have 77 and the board is all under, I'd like to protect against the overcards my opponent has.

When you cbet low pairs OOP you're mostly turning your hand into a bluff. If you get called, then you have to decide whether your small bit of showdown equity is good (and it will be sometimes) or if you still have some fold equity, and that's board and opponent dependent.

Right on.

I think for me personally and my play type that i feel more comfortable just playing small pp's from mid to late range. Like i said above it just makes decisions much easier to make and i can quickly fold and move to another one of my tables i have running. To each there own in that regard.

Anyone else got stats for FR to offer? I'd agree that you're probably above average too, but I'd also guess you're low for the winning players. I'm not at my poker computer but I think my total steal is running over 40%, highest from the button but even HJ I think is around 30%. I may be misremembering so I'll check.

Jurn, Hillbilly, TB, any FR stats to offer?

Your probably dead on. I have a couple regs that i have over 3K hands on that play 12/9 and there steal is 45 - 49%.

i am def a little low for the winning players i'd presume, but like you and i agreed probably above overall average.

Ill be back home tomorrow, ill chime in after work when i get HEM2 fired up.

K, in my own post-Zoom database (which is a small sample but the most recent) I'm stealing 32% from CO, success rate of 49%. Button, 60, 52 success, SB 50, 58 success.

Basically, you're 3 or 4 handed, which implies that you already have a 1 in 3 or 4 chance of having the best hand anyway. And, you're going to be in position post-flop. Steal!

Ok, Ok! lol i'll steal more!