5NL tuff spots for beginners

I've searched the forum, looked up on the internet and found lots of answers to all my questions. They are however to complex for me to implement at my level.

Let me explain better. I used to play poker a few years ago and I have just started again, I'm doing ok at 5NL( not crushing anything but with a positive bb/100 for now), but the game is fast and I don't have the skills to clearly put my opponents on a correct range and sometimes I'm just confused on what to do.
The tuff spots are the following:

-I've got a set and there is a possible straight.
-I've got a big hand (like a set or a straight) and there is a possible flush.
-TP/TK and the opponent is a reg and goes all-in.

I know that it always depends on the situation, the stack size, the opponent etc... but as I said before, I don't have the level, for now, to evaluate all these variables on the go. So what should I do?

So far I played those hands aggressively and lost many BI finding myself on the bitter end of those hands.

Should I pot control and fold against aggression? Sets and Straights don't come so often!

I also forgot, flush when the board is paired

Thanks for helping out

Look for when your opponents are betting/showing strength, or checking/showing weakness. This will tell a story. Just because you do not have the nuts (aka something is out there that has the possibility of beating you), does not mean that your opponent has the nuts. If they are telling a story that makes you believe they have the better hand, fold. Otherwise, bet and get value. If they randomly show up with a better hand when it should not have been in their range at all, either figure out why you did not include the hand in their range, or know that if they continue to play how they are playing, you will win their money in the long run

PokerWahoo said:

Look for when your opponents are betting/showing strength, or checking/showing weakness. This will tell a story.

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Got you, but how should I act :

Whenever it is at the flop, turn or river... (it is 5NL so anything goes)

I'm IP and villain bet, should I call or raise/fold or fold vs shove.
OOP, bet/call, bet/fold chek/call, check/fold (I can't ) check/raise and fold if re-raised

I know poker is more subtle than this, but I need to start from somewhere

Let me put his last hand:

Hero CO (98bb) dealt QhKs
Villain BTN(80bb)

action fold to hero and bet 3bb
Villain call, sb an bb fold

flop: 8h Jh Qc (pot 11,4 bb)

Hero Bet 4bb
BTN call
Turn: 10d

Hero bet 8bb
Villain raise to 18bb Hero calls
River is Qd (pot is 51bb)

Hero check (I don't remember why)
Villain bet 27 bb
Hero calls
Villain shows 89c

I don't think I have it in me to fold on that last bet

carpoRotto said:

Let me put his last hand:

Hero CO (98bb) dealt QhKs
Villain BTN(80bb)

action fold to hero and bet 3bb
Villain call, sb an bb fold

flop: 8h Jh Qc (pot 11,4 bb)

Hero Bet 4bb
BTN call
Turn: 10d

Hero bet 8bb
Villain raise to 18bb Hero calls
River is Qd (pot is 51bb)

Hero check (I don't remember why)
Villain bet 27 bb
Hero calls
Villain shows 89c

I don't think I have it in me to fold on that last bet

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As played here, I think pre and flop are fine. When you are raised on the turn, you have to look at what hands make that raise the you realistically beat. I feel that even KK AA will not do this raise, and the lowest he does it with are 2pair+ made hands, which all have you beat. It is unlikely he is still drawing on a flush draw, and the straight got there. I would fold the turn since you have to deal with another round of betting on the river. As played, I think I am calling on the river and know that I will not be winning the hand often

carpoRotto said:

Let me put his last hand:

Hero CO (98bb) dealt QhKs
Villain BTN(80bb)

action fold to hero and bet 3bb
Villain call, sb an bb fold

flop: 8h Jh Qc (pot 11,4 bb)

Hero Bet 4bb
BTN call
Turn: 10d

Hero bet 8bb
Villain raise to 18bb Hero calls
River is Qd (pot is 51bb)

Hero check (I don't remember why)
Villain bet 27 bb
Hero calls
Villain shows 89c

I don't think I have it in me to fold on that last bet

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bet bigger on the flop. Pot is 11.4bb and you bet 4bb. No sense. Bet at least 8big blinds because you have top pair, good kicker, there are possible draws and you want max value from his draws, 2nd pairs etc. Turn is just check/fold. 9x hits a straight and also he could have possible two pairs. No reason to bet it again. From what hand do you want a value? you just turned your hand into a bluff.

You need to slow down. Throwing money away is stupid. Refresh your memory skills and knowledge. They didn't go anywhere. They just need to be remembered. You won't find the answer to your questions here. And the solution to your problem is to resume the game. Need practice and the answers will come by themselves.

Just playing with ideas here, unfortunately no answers.
“-I've got a set and there is a possible straight.”
-I've got a big hand (like a set or a straight) and there is a possible flush.”
These are same than: “I've got a medium strength hand”

Obviously, a bit overemphasizes is used =) But both cases should fit under the fundamental rules: Bet if villain can call with worse (bet for value). Secondary rule is: Bet to deny equity in future streets (bet for value for current street). Now how to implement these basic rules is called poker skill where opponents tendencies are the most important factor.

With set, you always have equity, so bet/calling is always possible otf and ott so it’s hard to do a big mistake with this hand, however with straight one must be a little bit more careful given there are no redraws left for better.

I think you answered your question on your own.

So far I played those hands aggressively and lost many BI finding myself on the bitter end of those hands.

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The thing about being very successful at poker has a lot to do with playing cautiously. I recommend watching youtube videos made by Lex Veldhuis where he goes through his hands that are several years old. He makes very good explanations as to why what he did back then, was bad and not applicable today. One of the things he is talking about the most is preserving chips at all times.
That includes not valuing every river because you may not have it all the time, also making your bets smaller in particular spots because of the range that can call/shove/fold to the bet you are making (for example, your opponent's actions will not differ if you placed a 70% or a 50% of the pot bet).

This sort of thinking comes natural for tournament players but is also applicable on cash games in general.

Bozovicdj said:

I think you answered your question on your own.
The thing about being very successful at poker has a lot to do with playing cautiously. I recommend watching youtube videos made by Lex Veldhuis where he goes through his hands that are several years old. He makes very good explanations as to why what he did back then, was bad and not applicable today. One of the things he is talking about the most is preserving chips at all times.
That includes not valuing every river because you may not have it all the time, also making your bets smaller in particular spots because of the range that can call/shove/fold to the bet you are making (for example, your opponent's actions will not differ if you placed a 70% or a 50% of the pot bet).

This sort of thinking comes natural for tournament players but is also applicable on cash games in general.

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In cash games, wouldn't I want to be taking every edge possible? If I lose, I can always top up my stack

PokerWahoo said:

In cash games, wouldn't I want to be taking every edge possible? If I lose, I can always top up my stack

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I agree, however, you shouldn't risk too much to gain that edge.

To get the sense of what I am saying, check this video out, listen what people are saying here, regarding that 137K bet in the end.

I do not want to rain on any1s parade with all the fancy explanation and stuff, but I was in the same situation as the OP a few months ago and guess I can contribute.

You play 5NL, meaning you have a mix of recs and people like you. I play 6Max only, but I guess you play 9 handed?

1. Before you ever try to think about playing your first hand, categorize the players on your table. Who is a rec and who knows a little bit about poker. And this is easy: does he check raise, limp reraise, does he use odd betsizes (like 5x UTG and 2.5x CO,BTN)? He probably read a book or two -> avoid.
Does he open J9s from UTG,call a shove with medium pair to "keep every1 honest"? -> this is your man.

2. Do not get yourself into trouble by fancy play. Only play premium broadways from UTG, from late either set mine or play suited connectors. If this is too boring for you, open another table. At this level you can play like a robot because nobody is paying attention. So if you pay attention -> profit (see 1.)

3. Most important rule of everything at micros RESPECT.THE.RAISE!
If anyone raises and you don't have the nuts: FOLD. Period.
If you have a set, some idiot calls your potsized raise, the flush comes up on the river and he shoves: FOLD. When you get check raised: FOLD, When you get 3bet or 4bet: FOLD.
FOLD, FOLD, FOLD, don't even think about your range vs his range or how much equity you have, just FOLD.

Nobody in the micros is good enough to 4bet bluff or check raise bluff, so when you see stuff like that, chances are almost 100% that there's a decent hand behind it. And even IF you happen to also have a decent hand that isn't the nuts: just FOLD. There are so many other spots to pick up money from that it's not worth tinkering. Fold, next hand.

Pressure the recs, avoid the regs, play tight and bet for value...and fold to any raise.
Now put a post it on your screen and write "fold to any raise" on it. See you in 25NL in a few months.

Thank you all for your answers, they make a lot of sense. :top:
I think I was not betting for the correct reasons.

For now, I'm going to go with Spewster and tattoo to my arm "fold to any raise" (at 5nl).
Thanks again.