$2 NLHE 6-max: 3barrel bluff vs assumed wide BB

I guessed during the hand that villain is one of the Polk players and he is wide but has a hand (or draw). His VPIP from button, if we include this hand is ¾, but his overall stats are reasonable for a tag.

PokerStars - $0.02 NL FAST (6 max) - Holdem - 6 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4

BTN: 146 BB
SB: 100 BB (VPIP: 23.26, PFR: 18.60, 3Bet Preflop: 4.00, Hands: 93)
BB: 509.5 BB (VPIP: 26.92, PFR: 15.38, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 26)
Hero (UTG): 100 BB
MP: 134.5 BB (VPIP: 0.00, PFR: 0.00, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 12)
CO: 113 BB (VPIP: 18.46, PFR: 12.31, 3Bet Preflop: 7.69, Hands: 65)

SB posts SB 0.5 BB, BB posts BB 1 BB

Pre Flop: (pot: 1.5 BB) Hero has 8♣ 9♣

Hero raises to 3 BB, fold, fold, fold, fold, BB calls 2 BB

Flop: (6.5 BB, 2 players) A♠ 2♠ J♣
BB checks, Hero bets 4.5 BB, BB calls 4.5 BB

Turn: (15.5 BB, 2 players) K♣
BB checks, Hero bets 10.5 BB, BB calls 10.5 BB

River: (36.5 BB, 2 players) 6♥
BB checks, Hero bets 21 BB

I think personally that in NL2 this hand in UTG is fold. Anyway if you play the hand my move in this flop is bet to forget the hand in the case of the villain calls.

Now when you say it, that hand is not in my range, but players were quite loose, so I decided 'to fish', I got a wrong fish probably though.

Uh this is my honest opinion, if villain is not fish, better think the level NL10 regular. Fish are the same though.

Just my opinion, but I think I find myself in some similar situations in 1/2 cent and 2/5 cent cash. I am just tightening up because the players in these games will just call down with middle pair. I call it my "fancy play syndrome", at these stakes I just keep telling myself, wait for good hands and value bet!

Believe me I can feel your pain!! Keep grinding

I'm just wondering how I should read Polk player, first time for me to try to take exploitative line.

In general I do preach Don't bluff, just that I want to know if this is correct line against Polk player. They seem not to fold 2barrel.

Just a hint that I would not ask this if he would call AT+.

I would be surprised to
see something like A5 or JT.

Flop and Turn play are standard I would say?
What kind of hands villain has OTR? I couldn’t find a modern bb calling chart; I would imagine it’s something like this:
{ JJ-22, ATs-A2s, KTs-K2s, Q4s+, J7s+, T7s+, 97s+, 86s+, 75s+, 65s, 54s, ATo-A5o, KJo-K7o, Q8o+, J8o+, T8o+}

When he calls flop 46% of his range, 167 combos:
{ Turn really doesn’t change too much, on the river he has about 160 combos: If we assume he will fold anything but under TPGK, So folding anything under AJ+ , he will be calling 28 combos, so folding 80% of his range OTR. Even though obviously my work is not good here (no-one comes to river with 80% folds) we only need 36% of folds, and this should be very easy number to get.

i do not think it is good idea to bluff on nl2

On the turn what are you trying to get to fold?

In a weird way the K is good for both ranges here. You could obviously improve to 2 pair or a set, but the BB flatting range includes hands like J10s KJ KQ Q10 or the Kx flush draw. You might fold out a lone J or a floated underpair but none of the face card combos or Ax.

If it were me, I would prefer to realise my equity on the turn and take the free card rather than run the risk of being check raised on the turn. You can also still rep a middling A or a K on the river if checked to, or the spade flush if it hits.

By taking the 3 barrel line you have a pretty polarized range of 2 pair + minimum or a missed draw. If you had a one pair A or KQ you probably wouldn't go for 3 streets of value on that board because its pretty thin.

Blair29 said:

On the turn what are you trying to get to fold?

In a weird way the K is good for both ranges here. You could obviously improve to 2 pair or a set, but the BB flatting range includes hands like J10s KJ KQ Q10 or the Kx flush draw. You might fold out a lone J or a floated underpair but none of the face card combos or Ax.

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This is actually a good point; during the hand I wrongly thought that he would fold small Ax hands. I personally would fold A3,A4,A5,A6,A7, A8, A9 no draw - UTG tight-TAG range and barrel to that board would be just too scary for me. There are some softening factors for betting though: a) we have enough equity to do it, so it’s not a big mistake if mistake at all b) my plan was to fire river if I would get any chance to do it, betting turn raises river fold equity considerably.

Blair29 said:

If it were me, I would prefer to realise my equity on the turn and take the free card rather than run the risk of being check raised on the turn. You can also still rep a middling A or a K on the river if checked to, or the spade flush if it hits.

By taking the 3 barrel line you have a pretty polarized range of 2 pair + minimum or a missed draw. If you had a one pair A or KQ you probably wouldn't go for 3 streets of value on that board because its pretty thin.

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Yes I agree that I’m repping mostly 2 pair, then again UTG range in this format and level is respected and it should be easy to him believe I have strong Ax.

I don’t think I can rep middling strength if check turn, well I can but he will call regardless. What you said about repping spades is actually something I missed totally. We actually have 50% - all black cards to fire river, that should be enough for bet-check-large bet. Thx.

Regardless I don’t think turn is a game changer, betting FD is hardly ever a big mistake. River is more interesting. Obviously we have too few hands to be even closely certain he is wide from button, but the strategy question is on the case he is. Preliminary hand range analysis suggests river bluff is no brainer.

doom said:

i do not think it is good idea to bluff on nl2

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yeah, I totally agree on that.

also he have 500bb and you have only 26 hands on him that does not look like fish to me and you have only weak backdoor flush draw on flop with no overcards

Everyone is saying don’t bluff in the micros and they’re right but if you’re going to this is the right way to do it.

His missed flush draws will fold and much of his Ax can’t hang on for 3 streets facing your UTG raise and triple barrel. Most decent players will let go A3-A9 here. It’s a good spot to barrel there’s not much that can call you. Big Aces will often reraise pre. 2 pair and sets you would have heard from by now.

Ehhh, I just take the free card on the turn, rather than try to run a fish off Ax. The K isn't really a scary card, and gives his range many pair+gutshot combos. I don't think the 2nd barrel is standard at all against a 26/15 at 2nl.

missjacki said:

Everyone is saying don’t bluff in the micros and they’re right but if you’re going to this is the right way to do it.

His missed flush draws will fold and much of his Ax can’t hang on for 3 streets facing your UTG raise and triple barrel. Most decent players will let go A3-A9 here. It’s a good spot to barrel there’s not much that can call you. Big Aces will often reraise pre. 2 pair and sets you would have heard from by now.

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I really like almost all of your "analysis" type of posts, ...But, I am playing those stakes now and I can dig around in my database and show you plenty of weak A's holding on for dear life!! So much so, that I have basically given up these "lines". Maybe everyone just has me labeled as a "fish" with a note to never fold!! I really love these back and forth discussions, I think they help me to think about situations better!

missjacki said:

Everyone is saying don’t bluff in the micros and they’re right but if you’re going to this is the right way to do it.

His missed flush draws will fold and much of his Ax can’t hang on for 3 streets facing your UTG raise and triple barrel. Most decent players will let go A3-A9 here. It’s a good spot to barrel there’s not much that can call you. Big Aces will often reraise pre. 2 pair and sets you would have heard from by now.

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=) Thank you, it feels good that at least someone is not thinking I was totally clueless here.

c9h13no3 said:

Ehhh, I just take the free card on the turn, rather than try to run a fish off Ax. The K isn't really a scary card, and gives his range many pair+gutshot combos. I don't think the 2nd barrel is standard at all against a 26/15 at 2nl.

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I do agree all you said. However, the hand was presented as a special case where player is identified as a player who calls way too much from big blind. Also like hero noted already, turn CB was small misread of fold equity, but can't be a big mistake given the equity we still have, also turn CB was also preparation to 3barrel. So if river bet is wrong, then probably turn CB gets worse too.

jsnake716 said:

I really like almost all of your "analysis" type of posts, ...But, I am playing those stakes now and I can dig around in my database and show you plenty of weak A's holding on for dear life!! So much so, that I have basically given up these "lines". Maybe everyone just has me labeled as a "fish" with a note to never fold!! I really love these back and forth discussions, I think they help me to think about situations better!

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Nah you are totally right that there should not be bluffing. But like always after you know the rule by heart, you can sometimes break it. Was this the correct spot, well, that is under discussion.
Just to quote my answer to your topic just while ago: "

braveslice said:

Rules of thumbs: 1. Bet good hands for value 2. Don’t bluff 3. Fold your bad hands

That all there is to learn 9max NL2 regular tables to have 2 digit win rate.

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doom said:

also he have 500bb and you have only 26 hands on him that does not look like fish to me and you have only weak backdoor flush draw on flop with no overcards

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You are totally right, but things to consider too is that only player you could maybe bluff is a player who is not totally fish and that board hitted my UTG range a lot and also hero do not have any other way to win the hand but CB.

i dont think you should be opening 89s this lightly and giving a 500bb stack such good odds to call you.

Can you play winning poker at 2NL without bluffing ? Definetely Yes !Can bluffing still increase your winrate in certain situations ? IMO also a clear Yes !


Of course there are many fishy calling stations at 2NL and against these players you should never ever bluff. But there are enough Nits at 2NL just waiting for their big hands too get paid off by the fishs. I also think that there are enough thinking players that might realize that you're never bluffing. I have seen many tight players paying me off with weird pairs when I had AA because they didn't believe me after I was 3betting them constantly.


So I think your line can be absolutely fine against certain players. But I'm not a huge fan of your bet size. If you're taking this line you should definetely bet much bigger on the river because I think many Ax hands would still call you.

Papier24 said:

So I think your line can be absolutely fine against certain players.

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I would like to think this sentence is going to be my summary of the topic. Colored glasses and so on He did fold after thinking 3 seconds or so, against this player it was correct line. Was this better line than other lines? Probably not, but clear or even mistake it was not imo.

Papier24 said:

If you're taking this line you should definetely bet much bigger on the river because I think many Ax hands would still call you.

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I find sizing these a bit complicated, because betting large for some players makes them defend to the death in zoom. I’m one of those unfortunately. It’s hard to describe, but large bets and 3barrel are usually super strong or air, so the polarizing effect makes some people (I would like to say most of zoom players) to select the defense line if you are in position to choose between lines. In theory I do agree with your criticism and to be fair, you most likely are correct but this needs some database work.

You have 26 hands on villian I wouldn't be assuming anything.

Fold pre-flop and you wont have to make these decisions.

2NL is not where you play these types of hands.

thylmanoid said:

You have 26 hands on villian I wouldn't be assuming anything.

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4 from big blind to be exact

braveslice said:

4 from big blind to be exact

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Pretty sure it's 26