$5 NLHE Full Ring: Playing rags and trying to catch a nit bluffing

thepokerkid123

thepokerkid123

Visionary
Silver Level
Joined
Jul 31, 2009
Total posts
917
Chips
0
$5 NL HE Full Ring: Playing rags and trying to catch a nit bluffing

Full Tilt No-Limit Hold'em, $0.05 BB (8 handed) - Full-Tilt Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

MP2 ($0.86)
Hero (CO) ($7.11)
Button ($7.43)
SB ($1.97)
BB ($8.09)
UTG ($4.07)
UTG+1 ($10.90)
MP1 ($5)

Preflop: Hero is CO with A
spade.gif
, 6
diamond.gif

4 folds, Hero bets $0.15, Button calls $0.15, 2 folds

Flop: ($0.37) 5
heart.gif
, 6
club.gif
, 4
heart.gif
(2 players)
Hero bets $0.20, Button calls $0.20

Turn: ($0.77) Q
club.gif
(2 players)
Hero bets $0.25, Button calls $0.25

River: ($1.27) 7
spade.gif
(2 players)
Hero checks, Button bets $0.80, Hero calls $0.80

Total pot: $2.87 | Rake: $0.19



Pre-flop looks a bit loose but it was an almost ATC steal, on that table the three players to my left were all nits, the most active of them was at about 11/8 and I've got about 300 hands of history with him (button in this hand) and the tightest was at 5/3 after 60 hands. If called by the blinds I plan to c-bet, if called by button I may check-fold. Button calls, blinds fold.
I flop top pair top kicker, figure anything 77-JJ raises me here (low stakes players over protect their hands) and he doesn't have a set because he's too much of a nit to have played low pockets, when he just calls I'm way ahead, I think his range is lots of big cards likely with a heart or two.
Q is bad, not sure if I should bet or check here, if I check I induce a bluff but do I want to call a bluff from a nit who has position on me and another card to come? I bet anyway to continue extracting value from AK-AT (hearts), obviously the Q hits this range but it's just one danger card and it misses more of his range than it hits. I bet and he calls, my bet size is tiny and kind of questionable. I'm still thinking the heart draw is most likely. River blanks. I check planning to check call.

He bets like 2/3 of the pot, I call because I think this spot is really begging him to bluff and I'm ahead of most of his range.


I'm wondering if anyone else calls this bet, or plays the hand differently.
 
BLieve

BLieve

Rock Star
Silver Level
Joined
Apr 25, 2009
Total posts
224
Chips
0
Honestly Im not sure how I would have played this but given your route I would have thrown out bigger bets. At least a quarter if not 0.30 on the flop and 0.50 on the turn.

Also you claim he is too much of a NIT to play low pockets which is a good read if accurate but an 11/8 on the button seems just like a candidate to do that.
 
thepokerkid123

thepokerkid123

Visionary
Silver Level
Joined
Jul 31, 2009
Total posts
917
Chips
0
I think he'd limp or fold small pockets even on the button and me making it 3xbb will make him fold them all. I could be wrong, but it's a read I'm happy to go with.

As for bet sizing:
On the flop I made my bet small because he probably missed and I just want to give him an excuse to come along.
Turn sizing was bad, if he has the flush draw then I can bet a lot more but if he doesn't then he's either got A high or hit the Q, one of those I want to make it cheap for and the other I want to make it cheap for me to fold if I'm raised. I also don't want to build the pot any more than I have to because my hand can't take much heat, but if I just check for pot control then I lose all value from his draws.... so I've really got no idea what's correct, but it's either 1/2 to 2/3 of the pot or a check.
 
M

matt20

Enthusiast
Silver Level
Joined
Dec 2, 2009
Total posts
79
Chips
0
Based on the betsizing on the river it looks like a decent sized value bet. The queen hits alot of his calling range there. A nit is a player who rarely gets in money with a bad hand. A nits gameplan does not revolve around getting you to fold hands very often. Personally I would fold to the river bet.
 
slycbnew

slycbnew

Cardschat Elite
Silver Level
Joined
Aug 8, 2008
Total posts
2,876
Chips
0
Like BLieve, I'd prefer bigger bets on the flop and turn. The turn betsize in particular is catching my eye - it's screaming that you're not happy to see the Q, or that you flopped a straight (i.e., you're either slowplaying a monster or have air). Checking the river is going to make it look like the Q missed you.

I actually like seeing the Q, since it's more of a scare card for someone flatting the button than it is for your range as PFR - it's unlikely the flop hit you as PFR, the Q is more plausible - so I'd be firing 2/3 psb on the turn. The alternative is to ch/f imo.
 
slycbnew

slycbnew

Cardschat Elite
Silver Level
Joined
Aug 8, 2008
Total posts
2,876
Chips
0
Oh yeah, as played, I'm calling the river.
 
BLieve

BLieve

Rock Star
Silver Level
Joined
Apr 25, 2009
Total posts
224
Chips
0
As for bet sizing:
On the flop I made my bet small because he probably missed and I just want to give him an excuse to come along.
Turn sizing was bad, if he has the flush draw then I can bet a lot more but if he doesn't then he's either got A high or hit the Q, one of those I want to make it cheap for and the other I want to make it cheap for me to fold if I'm raised. I also don't want to build the pot any more than I have to because my hand can't take much heat, but if I just check for pot control then I lose all value from his draws.... so I've really got no idea what's correct, but it's either 1/2 to 2/3 of the pot or a check.

Well whatever action we decide to take, we have to take it with purpose. We can check and let him tell us his story or we cbet so he either folds or we gain value from his draws while acquiring information. If we throw a fist here let it be a punch and not a jab as even a weak player can withstand a jab. While I am not sure if I check hoping to check raise or check call the flop or cbet it and play the turn, the bet you threw out on the flop really doesnt give us much info.
 
thepokerkid123

thepokerkid123

Visionary
Silver Level
Joined
Jul 31, 2009
Total posts
917
Chips
0
It didn't occur to me at the time that representing the Q (yeah, I know no one at $5nl puts you on a range, but they try to put you on a hand and Q is very likely if I bet), actually works in my favour if he's got the draw.

2/3 pot on the turn would have been better then check-call the river. If he raises the turn I think I really have to fold (baluga theorem), and if he bets the river after us having built the pot so much on the turn then a pot sized bet I think forces me to fold, 2/3 or less is a relatively easy call though.
 
Top