$2 NLHE 6-max: Value Betting Hit or Miss? Top Pair

BluDogg

BluDogg

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$2 NLHE 6-max: Value Betting Hit or Miss? Top Pair

After a short break I got back to some micro tables and found only the dollar tables (50BB max BI) open, but I find these are very easy to capitalize on some players who are loose enough, even I, as a newer player, can find ways to extract some cash predictably, I am finding lower caps tend to bring this out in people.

Anyway, I bring this hand up because I've been trying to get more value instead of overbetting to win pots before showdown. I think this hand was a good example of decent bet sizing to extract value, and want to know if this line of betting was pretty good and got the most money into the pot I could.


Winning Poker Network (Yatahay) - $0.02 NL (6 max) - Holdem - 6 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4

BTN: 64 BB (VPIP: 27.59, PFR: 3.45, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, hands: 29)
SB: 42.5 BB (VPIP: 58.33, PFR: 33.33, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 12)
BB: 68.5 BB (VPIP: 30.30, PFR: 3.03, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 33)
Hero (UTG): 111.5 BB
MP: 169 BB (VPIP: 46.43, PFR: 14.29, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 29)
CO: 12.5 BB (VPIP: 24.00, PFR: 2.00, 3Bet Preflop: 5.88, Hands: 52)

SB posts SB 0.5 BB, BB posts BB 1 BB

Pre Flop: (pot: 1.5 BB) Hero has T<font color='black'>♠</font> K<font color='red'>♦</font>

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

Flop: (9.5 BB, 3 players) 2<font color='black'>♠</font> K<font color='red'>♥</font> 6<font color='black'>♠</font>
BB checks, Hero bets 3 BB, fold, BB calls 3 BB

Turn: (15.5 BB, 2 players) 2<font color='red'>♦</font>
BB checks, Hero bets 5 BB, BB calls 5 BB
River: (25.5 BB, 2 players) A<font color='black'>♠</font>
BB checks, Hero checks

It got ugly here and I think I made the right move by just checking. He either has me beat with trips or 2 pair or I have him beat with a weaker King or flush draw up to the turn. The river makes my kings 2nd pair, and completes a flush draw. I think the check to showdown is the best move here.

My thoughts
I went over most of my analysis for the river in that section and wanted to keep it separate from my usual analysis of the hand. I think preflop was standard for how loose the table was, and I use 3BB as a standard PFR size. I went for 1/3 pot bets along the way to get money out of a flush draw. Is this a good standard size for this sort of board after the flop and turn? Thanks In advance!

BB shows 5<font color='black'>♠</font> 7<font color='black'>♠</font> (Flush, Ace High)
(Pre 39%, Flop 33%, Turn 16%)
Hero shows T<font color='black'>♠</font> K<font color='red'>♦</font> (Two Pair, Kings and Twos)
(Pre 61%, Flop 67%, Turn 84%)
BB wins 24.5 BB
 
Last edited:
J

Jreece18

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I don't understand why you're betting so small? It's just allowing people to draw and you don't even have a nuttish hand. I guess it'd maybe make sense if you had like quads or something. But the thing with bet sizing is you should be betting large when it's a draw heavy board so you don't give the villain(s) correct odds to call. Whilst you aren't supposed to want draws to fold, you're also not supposed to give them the odds to call, allowing them to play +EV and close to perfect.

I don't play 6max, but K10o UTG is also too loose imo. If a table is loose you're meant to tighten up, if the tables tight you can loosen up. In fact I'd only play K10s from the CO...

Also I've never played a 50BB max game, so maybe that changes something. For me, short stacked just means lower SPR in which case I wouldn't play K10o from UTG
 
BluDogg

BluDogg

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In this instance how would you size your bets post flop?
 
TheBigFinn

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I think the bets are too small. The flush draw 8 outs (you have a spade). making him 16% to hit his hand on the turn. Betting 1/3 pot lets him call 1/3 to win 4/3s of the original pot or 25%. He can count on your paying him off at least the difference on future streets.

Bet at least 1/2 pot. making him pay 1/2 to win 3/2 or 33%.
 
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jsh169

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I would say that you should get k10o out of your utg range.
 
Trabendo_daze

Trabendo_daze

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KTo will cause you trouble played UTG. That's the biggest mistake. Post-flop OOP you should have bigger sizing, their price is way too good to float/draw. You could easily be value-owning yourself with KTo (hence the problem) but bet say 9BB into a 15BB pot that's much more standard and standard for good reason.
 
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beckyg89

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Matginal Hand

1) I think K ten off is should be taken out of UTG pre.
2) Value bet on flop should be closer 50-90 percent of pot.- most weaker hands which are going to call you would call this price as well.
3) Would consider checking back turn for pot control- sure you give flush draws a free card but you are losing to alot of hands as well.
4) I would probably fold to a river bet on that card- what would he be bluffing with? check back for showdown value as played is good.
 
BluDogg

BluDogg

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I get the KT thing, it was my last hand of the session and I just wanted to play a hand before I left, and the first guy mentioned it so I get the point. I was wondering more about bet sizing if you are oop and facing a draw.
 
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Jreece18

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Probably like 2/3rds, 1/2, then if hes calling down I'd probably check the river to be honest. That's the problem with KTo UTG, you don't know where you are even if you hit top pair. What worse hands are really paying you off in this situation? Draws are basically it.

Position is way more important than you realise and probably harder to notice when playing 6max, but being IP against someone is such a massive edge that we should definitely be folding this UTG and then we wont get ourselves into this sort of situation.

Also it's a bad idea to play differently because it's the last hand of the session. Similarly to folding a hand that might bring your session into the negative. +EV moves >>> satisfying any kind of ego of habit. Playing differently because of the time you're playing the hand (e.g.the end of your session) is basically a leak which you should try to fix.
 
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