$10 NLHE 6-max: Isolating the SB

JimmyBrizzy

JimmyBrizzy

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$10 NL HE 6-max: Isolating the SB

poker stars $0.05/$0.10 No Limit Hold'em - 5 players
The Official 2+2 Hand Converter Powered By DeucesCracked.com
CO: $14.05
BTN: $10.50
SB: $6.80
BB: $10.35
Hero (UTG): $10.00

Pre Flop: ($0.15) Hero is UTG with 4 A
Hero raises to $0.30, 2 folds, SB calls $0.25, 1 fold

Flop: ($0.70) 9 7 A (2 players)
SB bets $0.40, Hero calls $0.40

Turn: ($1.50) 4 (2 players)
SB bets $0.40, Hero raises...

Villain is 52/4 over 25 hand sample. Looking to isolate fish with tight players in fold mode acting with position on me. He had seen flops folding to all flop bets so far, so I figured fire out on almost any flop, take it down, move on.

Any problems seen here? Okay with the flop call? I was actually a little surprised to see him fire out, but figured reraising only folded hands I was beating.

We're looking to get it in on the turn I assume?
 
S93

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Dont like the UTG open, but then again im a nit.
Even if SB is a huge fish we shouldnt be trying to get in pots with marginal hand against him from UTG, just iso the shit out of him when your BTN/CO.
Doesnt matter that the Co/Btn are tight because there still gonna call some x % of time leaving us in a shitty spot OOP.

As played i raise the turn to 2.10 and call shove or shove any non counterfiting river.
 
JimmyBrizzy

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Figured I'd get slack for that, but it was 5 handed if that makes a difference, haha.

Edit: Just to add, I think my opening range should increase here with the 2 tight players to act after me, and my own tight image.

However, now that I look back at it I think A4o IS a pretty poor choice for isolating. Probably runs into quite a domination issues with a fish that is calling with just about any Ax hand.
 
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c9h13no3

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I find it pretty funny that you're going to "isolate the small blind" from UTG with the entire table to act after you. And better yet, you're going to isolate him with a hand that plays absolutely horridly postflop. Preflop is just crazy insane spew. I don't even open A4o UTG when I play 4-max against a table full of nits in an ante game.
 
JimmyBrizzy

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I don't even open A4o UTG when I play 4-max against a table full of nits in an ante game.

Is this an exaggeration?

I'm glad I could entertain you with my "crazy insane" playing.
 
c9h13no3

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Is this an exaggeration?

I'm glad I could entertain you with my "crazy insane" playing.
No, its not an exaggeration. My VPIP when playing 4-max is around 35-40%, and it doesn't include trash hands like these when I'm UTG.

Even if these guys are TAGs with 18% VPIP (which seems unlikely given the stake level), then you have to get past 3 players. The odds of that is 0.82^3 = 55%. So 45% of the time, you're going to have to play a hand with one of these TAGs out of position with a garbage hand.

Plus, when you do play a hand against the fish, A4o is just not going to flop enough equity. If you flop an ace, you're going to value bet wrong quite often since the fish will have a bigger one, and there's not much else A4 can flop besides 235. So you're going to be c-betting a lot of flops, the fish will call with whatever the hell, and you'll be left in a nasty spot against a guy who won't fold when you have air.

I'm not trying to be mean, I'm trying to make you realize how big a mistake this is. It may seem like a tiny preflop mistake, but it sets you up to make gigantic mistakes postflop.
 
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Figured I'd get slack for that, but it was 5 handed if that makes a difference, haha.

Edit: Just to add, I think my opening range should increase here with the 2 tight players to act after me, and my own tight image.

However, now that I look back at it I think A4o IS a pretty poor choice for isolating. Probably runs into quite a domination issues with a fish that is calling with just about any Ax hand.

Yeah but you play better then the fish and have position so that is completely fine.

On flop depending on how he plays his draws and middle pairs you could raise for value since he is probably bet/calling all his draws, middle pairs and TP hands. Calling is fine if you know little about him beyond the stats.

On the turn he is trying to give himself a good price to draws, I would raise this size bet even if we didn't spike 2 pair. Only difference now is that when the fish calls instead of just checking behind river for the show down I would bet again.

If he raises the turn bet you beat all his 97,74 and combo flush and straight draws and pretty much have to call. You will get owned by A9,A7 occasionally but he shouldn't have them too often due to his turn bet sizing.
 
JimmyBrizzy

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Even if these guys are TAGs with 18% VPIP (which seems unlikely given the stake level), then you have to get past 3 players. The odds of that is 0.82^3 = 55%. So 45% of the time, you're going to have to play a hand with one of these TAGs out of position with a garbage hand.

Plus, when you do play a hand against the fish, A4o is just not going to flop enough equity. If you flop an ace, you're going to value bet wrong quite often since the fish will have a bigger one, and there's not much else A4 can flop besides 235. So you're going to be c-betting a lot of flops, the fish will call with whatever the hell, and you'll be left in a nasty spot against a guy who won't fold when you have air.

I'm not trying to be mean, I'm trying to make you realize how big a mistake this is. It may seem like a tiny preflop mistake, but it sets you up to make gigantic mistakes postflop.

Point taken, gracias.
 
Deco

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Your right you should increase your range a little if you've two nits ahead of you and a huge fishcake in the blinds.
I may consider playing A9 or even QTs where I would normally fold them here.

A4o is a huge over adjustment. If you've utter nits ahead of you and fishcakes in the blinds you can think about throwing some of your stronger CO range into the mix. A4o belongs on the button and nowhere else.
 
JimmyBrizzy

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A4o is a huge over adjustment. If you've utter nits ahead of you and fishcakes in the blinds you can think about throwing some of your stronger CO range into the mix. A4o belongs on the button and nowhere else.

I'll admit it... A4o isn't even in my normal opening range for the BTN at 6max, but I was getting bored having seen no hands all night. This was by no means a standard move for myself.

/thread
 
c9h13no3

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I'll admit it... A4o isn't even in my normal opening range for the BTN at 6max, but I was getting bored having seen no hands all night. This was by no means a standard move for myself.
You might want to throw this sort of information into the opening post. If you say something like "Raising A4o UTG wasn't standard for me, and is probably a mistake, but its not the part of the hand I want to discuss", then it will go a long way to getting what you want out of the hand analysis.
 
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