$2 NLHE 6-max: Playing AK as aggressor OOP when missed flop

[JackOscar]

My thinking in this hand is that I have strong range from MP with a semi-dry board that hits my range a lot so I want to bet out fairly large as a standard C-bet, but maybe it was a bit too large since the board is so dry?

I continue on the turn when the blank hits to deny equity from any draw he might have continued with like 2 hearts but maybe that's too small of a part of his range to target? Should we instead assume we has a SDV type of hand after he calls when the flop is that dry and give up the hand when a blank comes on the turn since that's a really bad card to bluff on for us?

I think as played with the river being another blank and having bet the turn I definitely should have bet the river as well since I block a lot of his strong Qx hands he would call with from CO like AQ,KQ meaning a large part of his range consists of underpairs to the board which he will have trouble continuing with after another bet on the river. Is that reasoning correct or too spewy?


888Poker Snap, Hold'em No Limit - $0.01/$0.02 - 6 players
Replay this hand on CardsChat

Egesekundno (UTG): $2.23 (112 bb)
JackOscar95 (MP): $2.45 (123 bb)
QAM111 (CO): $1.82 (91 bb)
Crazby (BU): $4.58 (229 bb)
Sanana1902 (SB): $1.28 (64 bb)
pokerosen (BB): $2.06 (103 bb)

Pre-Flop: ($0.03) Hero (JackOscar95) is MP with K♥ A♠
1 fold, JackOscar95 (MP) raises to $0.06, QAM111 (CO) calls $0.06, 3 players fold

Flop: ($0.15) 7♥ 3♦ Q♥ (2 players)
JackOscar95 (MP) bets $0.11, QAM111 (CO) calls $0.11

Turn: ($0.37) 2♠ (2 players)
JackOscar95 (MP) bets $0.24, QAM111 (CO) calls $0.24

River: ($0.85) 3♣ (2 players)
JackOscar95 (MP) checks, QAM111 (CO) checks

Total pot: $0.85 (Rake: $0.05)

Showdown:
JackOscar95 (MP) shows K♥ A♠ (a pair of Threes)
(Equity - Pre-Flop: 43%, Flop: 28%, Turn: 14%, River: 0%)

QAM111 (CO) shows T♦ T♣ (two pair, Tens and Threes)
(Equity - Pre-Flop: 57%, Flop: 72%, Turn: 86%, River: 100%)

QAM111 (CO) wins $0.80

 

[fundiver199]

Preflop
Standard open of course.

Flop
I am fine with this C-bet. It is a fairly uncoordinated flop with just one high card, so I definitely think, you can get some folds here, and whatever he has, it has equity and position, so folds are good. You also have reasonable equity and playability when called with two overcards and backdoor flush and straight potential.

As for sizing I dont think, anyone at these stakes really care, if its 8c or 11c to see a turn, so I dont think, calling ranges are particularly elastic. With that in mind, and since we are not betting for value, I prefer a smaller sizing. Also this is SNAP, so there is no need to feel, we must use the same size with our entire range to not give away bet sizing tells. Staggered bet sizing is a completely legit strategy in fast fold games, as long as it is within, what is normal for the situation.

Turn
2s changed nothing, and it also did not give you more equity. My line of thinking in spots like this is, that if he liked his hand enough to call on the flop, then he will also like it enough to call again on the turn. So I would just check and then make a decision, if he bet. Most likely check-fold, if its a reasonable size.

River
As played I am definitely checking now. 3c is a card, that might actually have given him trips, and if not its not scary to him at all. So once again if he liked his hand on the turn, he probably still like it now, and the profit at 2NL does not come from trying to run big tripple barrel bluffs. Also AK has a bit of showdown value. Maybe 10% of the time he will give up with a busted draw, and you will win at showdown. This time he checked back a better hand and won, and this is completely fine. Chances are he would have called you down, had you bet again.

 

[quant1986]

Actually I would like to pot/overbet turn and river to polarize my range, as villain is likely capped to 1 pair not raising flop or turn.

But your line is fine adjusting NL2 population tendency who tends to call too much.

 

[Aballinamion]

My thinking in this hand is that I have strong range from MP with a semi-dry board that hits my range a lot so I want to bet out fairly large as a standard C-bet, but maybe it was a bit too large since the board is so dry?

Correct thinking in the wrong stake: at 2 NLHE we must be creative and do things that are way out of line.
Our polarized c-bet flop is pure speculation upon our Back Doors draws. We only have back doors and we must ask which hands are going to pay, which hands are going to fold to us and which hands are going to re-raise.
After we get a raised, what is our plan? Jam a 100% of times our draws OTF?
Out of position, if we do elect to bluff less, it will work more.

I continue on the turn when the blank hits to deny equity from any draw he might have continued with like 2 hearts but maybe that's too small of a part of his range to target? Should we instead assume we has a SDV type of hand after he calls when the flop is that dry and give up the hand when a blank comes on the turn since that's a really bad card to bluff on for us?

This turn isn't a good card for bluffing and we continue out of position. What is our plan for rivers X, Y and X when they come? When we bet OTT is a bet for value or it is a bet for bluff? What are we going to do if Villain comes over the top?
We must be asking a couple of questions before betting because we own "AK".

I don't know man, I consider that if I have checked flop and checked turn I would have saved a couple of blinds. As it is crystal clear for all of us, there isn't too much (or any) fold equity at the micros:
Your sizing OTT will not make the opponent in position to be leaving its JJ, TT, 99, so what is the point of betting?
Second, if we are going to bet OTT, for bluff we must have equity, and in this particular hand our equity sucks a great deal. But for own experience, I believe that since Villain called polarized bet OTF it would not be folding its 99, TT and JJ not even a Thor's smashing hammer.
Stop trying to extract value from jerks.
We do not have equity OTT, our opponent is a total jerk and we wasted a lot of energy and time.
Poker isn't about being aggressive or passive: it is about being smart and using common sense for critical judgment.


Regards;

Carlos 'Aballinamion' Barbosa

 

[fundiver199]

Poker isn't about being aggressive or passive: it is about being smart and using common sense for critical judgment.

That is absolutely true. One of the keys to a higher winrate in the micros is to stop blindly firing C-bets or dubble barrels into the abyss in situations, where they are not profitable. In this hand a reasonable plan is to C-bet the flop for a smaller size and then basically shut down on the turn, unless we hit a A, K or heart. Just because we have AK, does not mean, we HAVE to win every single pot.

 

[JimmyBrizzy]

I agree with what some others have said.

I haven't played 2NL in a while, but I think you could probably be raising more PF as well. I usually do 2.5/3bb at 10NL, but I would think people are going to call 4bb at 2NL just as often. You can probably get away with raising more with good hands and less with bad b/c most people aren't going to notice.

I don't mind the flop cbet, whatever he folds to a 3/4 pot bet he would most likely fold to a 1/2 pot bet as well, but that's nit picking. The turn card really doesn't change anything for villain so he's probably going to float your turn cbet as well. It also didn't help us or our range. I would end up checking a lot here depending on the villain and any reads I have. River is fine.