Jacki Burkhart
long winded rambler...
Silver Level
this is a live $1/2 table at our local card room that has a $5 button straddle (SB has to act first when button straddles).
so I'm a tourney player and I've only played cash about 15 times and generally lost my ass bluffing. I promised myself to attempt to value bet these calling stations instead of getting tricky.
Hand #1
My stack is about $200 (100bb) I button straddle for $5. We get 4 flats including both blinds. I have QsTs and make it $25. SB flats everyone else folds.
Pot $65 flop Jd9d8c. BINK!
SB donks for $35. he has about $80 behind. I jam he calls with AdQh and I hold.
questions: iso-ing on button with QTs is ok?
I think the flop play is obvious. try to extract max from flush draws and 2 pair/sets.
Hand #2
later I have about $440 (220 bbs). I button straddle again. 3 flats and the HJ makes it $15. With this tiny bet and the way he's been playing I'm positive he has a monster. He has about $225 to start hand (112bb).
I'm on button I have 7h3h. I'm getting direct odds of 3.5:1 right now and can expect a couple calls behind giving me potentially 6.5:1 direct with implied odds where I pretty much know where I stand vs his range. So I make the call. I'm not happy about it but it seems right.
pot has $75 flop AhAc9h. it checks to the raiser he bets $15. I'm now pretty positive he has KK and he's trying to flush out the ace for cheap or take it down. I flat with my flush draw, with plans to potentially bluff him off his KK later. but the SB is a very tight straightforward lady and she flats. I'm now positive she has an Ace. turn is a Jd and she leads 80% pot. we both fold and the raiser shows KK to his neighbor.
questions: is the button call ok with such a weak hand vs such a strong perceived range?
if the lady hadn't come along I should barrell turn and river regardless of hearts, right? despite the fact that I had promised myself to value bet and not bluff....this would be a good spot to bluff I think...?
Hand #3
I have about $900 to start (450bb). EP limps off a stack of about $75 he is tight passive and limp/calls a lot. MP limps (he is loose passive and limps a lot). I have Kc9c in CO and raise to $10. EP calls MP folds (really weird limp/fold there IMO but whatever).
pot contains $25. flop Ah9hTc
SB checks. I decide this flop smashes his range, I've been Cbetting a ton so I check back some showdown value with backdoor clubs.
Turn 9d. he checks I bet $15 he jams for a total of about $60 obviously I snap. he has A8o and I hold.
questions: iso-ing with K9s is Ok here? usually they're both calling so I'm just inflating a pot in position with a marginal hand and the betting lead.
checking back the flop? what do we think? I think I'm getting check raised or check called a lot. but I'm basically hoping the deck bails me out when I check behind. or maybe get to a cheap showdown and he has 55-88 or something.
so I'm a tourney player and I've only played cash about 15 times and generally lost my ass bluffing. I promised myself to attempt to value bet these calling stations instead of getting tricky.
Hand #1
My stack is about $200 (100bb) I button straddle for $5. We get 4 flats including both blinds. I have QsTs and make it $25. SB flats everyone else folds.
Pot $65 flop Jd9d8c. BINK!
SB donks for $35. he has about $80 behind. I jam he calls with AdQh and I hold.
questions: iso-ing on button with QTs is ok?
I think the flop play is obvious. try to extract max from flush draws and 2 pair/sets.
Hand #2
later I have about $440 (220 bbs). I button straddle again. 3 flats and the HJ makes it $15. With this tiny bet and the way he's been playing I'm positive he has a monster. He has about $225 to start hand (112bb).
I'm on button I have 7h3h. I'm getting direct odds of 3.5:1 right now and can expect a couple calls behind giving me potentially 6.5:1 direct with implied odds where I pretty much know where I stand vs his range. So I make the call. I'm not happy about it but it seems right.
pot has $75 flop AhAc9h. it checks to the raiser he bets $15. I'm now pretty positive he has KK and he's trying to flush out the ace for cheap or take it down. I flat with my flush draw, with plans to potentially bluff him off his KK later. but the SB is a very tight straightforward lady and she flats. I'm now positive she has an Ace. turn is a Jd and she leads 80% pot. we both fold and the raiser shows KK to his neighbor.
questions: is the button call ok with such a weak hand vs such a strong perceived range?
if the lady hadn't come along I should barrell turn and river regardless of hearts, right? despite the fact that I had promised myself to value bet and not bluff....this would be a good spot to bluff I think...?
Hand #3
I have about $900 to start (450bb). EP limps off a stack of about $75 he is tight passive and limp/calls a lot. MP limps (he is loose passive and limps a lot). I have Kc9c in CO and raise to $10. EP calls MP folds (really weird limp/fold there IMO but whatever).
pot contains $25. flop Ah9hTc
SB checks. I decide this flop smashes his range, I've been Cbetting a ton so I check back some showdown value with backdoor clubs.
Turn 9d. he checks I bet $15 he jams for a total of about $60 obviously I snap. he has A8o and I hold.
questions: iso-ing with K9s is Ok here? usually they're both calling so I'm just inflating a pot in position with a marginal hand and the betting lead.
checking back the flop? what do we think? I think I'm getting check raised or check called a lot. but I'm basically hoping the deck bails me out when I check behind. or maybe get to a cheap showdown and he has 55-88 or something.
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