I like to go broke on single pairs :P

S

starrpats

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Full Tilt Poker - No Limit Hold'em Cash Game - $0.05/$0.10 Blinds - 4 Players - (LegoPoker Hand History Converter)

SB: $5.05
Hero (BB): $19.25
UTG: $6.10
BTN: $8.40

Preflop: Hero is dealt Q
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A
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(4 Players)
UTG calls $0.10, 2 folds, Hero raises to $0.40, UTG calls $0.30

Flop: ($0.85) A
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9
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K
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(2 Players)
Hero bets $0.50, UTG calls $0.50

Turn: ($1.85) A
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9
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K
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6
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(2 Players)
Hero bets $0.90, UTG raises to $1.80, Hero calls $0.90

River: ($5.45) A
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9
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K
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6
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T
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(2 Players)
Hero checks, UTG bets all-in for $3.40, Hero calls $3.40

Pot Size: $12.25 ($1 Rake)
You can PROBABLY guess how it ended. But let me include my thought process.

When the flop came, I focused on the AK on the board, and decided he probably didn't have AK, because he had only called the BB preflop(at first). Is that an acceptable read on my part? He calls my bet, which could tell me he may be slowplaying a monster hand, or he's drawing out on the 2 spades on board.

The turn comes a blank, and I bet out again. He reraises... I should probably get away from the hand here, but I don't; hence the thread title, 'I like to go broke on single pairs.' He obviously isn't drawing out for a straight of a flush if he's reraised me, but I'm still focused on believing he doesn't have AK, because I believe he would have raised preflop instead of calling BB at first... so maybe he has the A and is just try to bluff a little or something. Of course this is a mistake anyway, because he could just as easily have A9 or K9 two-paired already... but yeah, I like to commit to pots on just single pairs.

The river is basically a blank--since he probably wasn't drawing out for a straight. My hand still hasn't improved, and I worry he has 2 pair, but I'm still hoping he is just bluffing, lol... if he made a value bet, anything other than all-in, I probably could have got away there at river(though I should have got away at turn when he reraised...).

But yeah, he did have AK, anyway... despite my read that he shouldn't have AK because he called BB, didn't raise at first. Not that it mattered, my range for him should have included A9 and K9--both that beat me, too--so I should have gotten away from the hand when he reraised me.


I'm finding this is another leak I have. If I'm early position and hit top pair, I'll lead out betting each street... and when they turn around and reraise me, instead of folding, I'm committed to the pot so I'll call that extra .90 bet. And when my hand doesn't improve by river and I'm sitting there on a single pair? Oh they raised me? I'll still call because I've already got half my chips into the pot... I'll need to try and avoid getting into big pots with only single pair... as long as I have single pairs, I should try to keep the pot as small as possible--less aggressive, but call to stay in the pot and see if my hand improves to a set or 2 pair. I notice I lose a lot of money betting out on just single pairs... just keep the pot small until I hit something better.
 
blankoblanco

blankoblanco

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make a real bet on the turn (and probably bet a bit more on the flop, too). fold to turn minraise. you're pretty much always beat there
 
W

Wlokos

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I'm committed to the pot so I'll call that extra .90 bet. And when my hand doesn't improve by river and I'm sitting there on a single pair? Oh they raised me? I'll still call because I've already got half my chips into the pot...

No no no no no no NO.

If it's pretty apparent that you're not holding the best hand and the other person isn't going to fold, get out of the hand. Just because you previously put any amount of money in the pot doesn't magically 'commit' you to the pot. If you're playing a lost hand, no pot odds will save you (well, in this case, some kind of ridiculous 15:1 odds might have, but you get the idea).

Don't let the illusion that you've committed yourself to a lost pot by having put chips in fool you. The pot is a completely seperate entity from your chipstack, always.
 
Jagsti

Jagsti

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This is a situation I find myself in a lot as a new cash game player. My backgroung is SnG's, so inevitably my biggest leak in cash is taking TPTK to the felt!

I think I probably play this hand similar to yourself here up to the turn/river, but it really is dependent on reads here. Is this guy playing tight, or does he have a high VPIP. I, like you, wouldnt put him on AK, as I would expect him to raise here, more like small/med PP or broadway cards. This is a big leak I suppose, not being able to put ppl on a range of hands, especially loose passive's.
 
J

jeffred1111

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Bet more on early streets as prescribed by combu. The reason to do so is very simple if we look at the Theorem of Poker wich stipulates that we make money when an opponent makes a mistake (plays a hand differently than if he knew what we had) and we lose when we make mistakes (we play a hand differently than if we knew what we had). The flop bet is good and a call doesn't give us much information apart from the fact that he has some kind of hand.

On the other hand, the turn bet is very bad since we are still giving good odds to flush draws (.90 into 1.85 plus the 3.40 he will probably get if he hits on the river) and we get no info whatsoever about villain holding if he calls or minraises. This size bet can make villain raise something like Ax since he can put you on a King or a 9 and he thus raise for value (wich he did with AK).

Had we bet 3/4 to pot, we can get away easily from the hand if we are raised since nothing else than AK, A9, another two pairs or a set will raise a pot size bet on this turn (and we thus save money from not calling an all-in wich amounts to several tiems our involvement in the hand up to this point). If we get called, I check/fold UI assuming normal opponent or push myself (I'd probably push since we're ahead of so much stuff that only calls a turn bet). We still have to realize that this can't be a HUGE leak (AQ vs A-paired), but if we do this in more marginal situation (holding AT or K6 in this situation), it can be troublesome. Ed Miller has written an article on leaks that is very good. Google it, it is on another very well know poker forum, wich I won't mention because, heh, we're at CC here ;)

Plus, in a cash game, unless you have something ridiculous like 3bb left in a 20+bb pot, you're never committed. Never throw good money at bad money.
 
B

bhanacik

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I have same leak in my game, but it is fairly obvious that you're beat on the turn.
 
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