Checking range after isolating OOP

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SprinklePony

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I was doing a hand range exercise, analyzing a hand from awhile ago, and I realized that the times I raise a limper/s OOP, I have a pretty small checking range on the flop. Of course, the more players that see the flop will drastically change that, as well as the players tendencies if I have a history with them, and the board texture.

Generally speaking, in a heads up pot after isolating and you're OOP, what part of your range are you checking? Are you ever check/raising?

My general tendency is to check middle pair, pocket pairs below top pair without extra equity (eg, MP with a flush draw is a bet), weak top pairs, and then a few slowplays, primarily when I have the board just crushed, like :kc4::kh4: on :ks4::7c4::2h4:.

As for check/raising ... rarely in this spot. The main reason I would think to check/raise is if I'm against a player who will only bet when checked to with a hand he's likely to get it in with and I have a monster, or against someone who will stab the flop when checked to but give up beyond that and I have complete air. If I have some equity I prefer c-betting. Trying to think if there is a time to reverse float ...

Then beyond that, what is your plan with your checking range?

Most of the time I'm going to fire most turn cards with my entire flop checking range since I can now get looked up much easier by weaker pairs, or weaker kickers, in addition to any draws they may have called on the flop with. Come the river I'll fire again with my TPWK, of course anything that improved nicely, and check most of the rest. If there were a ton of draws that bricked I'm inclined to check/call. If the player is very face up I'm usually going to check/fold.
 
TheBigFinn

TheBigFinn

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If you want to increase your checking range on the flop you need to increase your betting range preflop.

How often and with what hands are you raising limpers? Top 10%? Top 30? If the top 10% there is a reason you have a small checking range. I'd start checking back a few of my strongest hands and a few of my weakest, folding the weak and check raising the monsters. I wouldn't be checking back more tha 20% of the time in any case. You have the lead, use it.
 
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SprinklePony

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It's not that I want to increase my checking range, it was just something I noticed and was wondering curious about.

My isolating range is very wide generally, although understandably smaller from the blinds, which is obviously the spot where I'll most often end up OOP post. Of course, conditions, players, etc. will change things drastically. Most of the players I isolate are loose-passive pre, and fit-or-fold post, with a tightish concept of fit.

I definitely agree about not checking more than 20%, especially given the fact that my isolation raises are going to be on the bigger side, thus I need to win the pot more often. I don't have a set size that I use, I tend to test their elasticity, but at times just size differently for no real reason ... I should put a lot more thought into the specifics.

I just plugged everything into Flopzilla to get a better idea of my preflop range when isolating from the blinds, as well as my flop checking range. I'm isolating OOP with as wide as 47%, and then checking about 15%, 5% are slowplays 2pair+. IP it's closer to 60%. I should spend some time actually specifying a logical range. This is against a loose-passive, fit-or-fold type of limper. Vs a calling station I use a depolarized range of about 25% and will check more depending on their tendencies. Vs those unusual players that are tighter, don't play a ton of junk, and will open limp just about everything (in some cases everything!) including open-limping AJs from LP, I'm sticking to a much tighter depolarized range, but it will widen up if they are still very fit-or-fold. Come to think of it, even if they have a tight limping range, if they are still very fit-or-fold, a very wide range makes sense, and then I just slow down on flops that their range hits hard, going for a delayed c-bet.

Also, this is all regarding cash games, it's a bit different in a tournament, at least once I'm under 100BB.

Against the loose-passive, fit-or-fold type players, after thinking about it, it really makes sense to only check as a slowplay, until given reason otherwise, such as when they adjust in some way. I have found, after all, that really hammering a player often results in them adjusting very poorly. If they adjust by limping much less, then it makes sense to give them some breathing room and build comfort by isolating a bit less.

I'm also going to be widening my isolating range, at least IP since I see no reason not too.

Does my thinking make sense?
 
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