- This is why you don't want to overdefine your hand!
- Can you identify the squeeze play?
- This is why I hate tournaments.
So, enjoy...
Part 1 - This is why you don't want to overdefine your hand...
Let's say you have AA, KK, or AK in your hand and you're one of the blinds. A button raises. You suspect a steal? Well, if you have AA or KK, you're probably better off smooth calling if it's going to be heads up anyways because a) you probably don't want to lose your potential victim there and b) you don't want to tip off your hand like this guy right here...
Table Bunch Grass - $2/$4 - No Limit Hold'em - 22:27:26 ET - 2007/06/16
9 handed - Villain has $260 and I have $420 before this hand...
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to RecessRampage [8c 8d]
Villain calls $4 from UTG+1
MP calls $4
RecessRampage raises to $20 from the button
Villain raises to $60 <--- the good ol' limp reraise? must be AA or KK
MP folds
RecessRampage has 15 seconds left to act
RecessRampage calls $40 <--- he's kinda short so I have barely enough odds to all for set mining
*** FLOP *** [Jc Tc Ah] <--- no set here... but wait...
Villain has 15 seconds left to act
Villain bets $24
Are you thinking what I'm thinking here? Hesitation and a weakish bet. Remember, based on his actions preflop, he's either got AA or KK, maaaaaaybe QQ or AK but doubtful. So, he either loved that flop and wanted to string me along or...
RecessRampage raises to $85
I didn't want to raise too much so that I could still save some money if he comes over the top. Plus, I am now definitely representing an ace. I'm the one that raised preflop then called his reraise. What else would I have aside from Ax (and from his point of view, most likely I have two pair)??? And who would raise with any pair less than what's on the board???
Villain has 15 seconds left to act
Villain folds <--- good girl!!!
Uncalled bet of $61 returned to RecessRampage
RecessRampage wins the pot ($173)
And this, boys and girls, is why you don't want to resort to the limp reraise garbage with big pocket pairs... it's easier to play when you KNOW what the other guy has... and I'm not tilting...
Part 2 - Can you identify the squeeze?
As we all know, the play at 6 max is definitely more aggressive... And I think the squeeze play is more prominent. At least at this table it was. And I find myself making that play a lot more often than I used to. So, the key now is can you identify it?
Table Simmons (6 max) - $2/$4 - No Limit Hold'em - 23:15:13 ET - 2007/06/16
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to RecessRampage [3d 3h]
UTG raises to $14
RecessRampage calls $14 from the button
BB has 15 seconds left to act
BB raises to $48
UTG folds
This was an interesting spot. I had run my stack up to $560 at this point and the BB had $377 before this hand. We've all been playing relatively aggressive but nothing crazy. However, the raise was a pretty big one so I thought it seemed more like a raise with two big cards instead of an overpair. I read this more as a squeeze play to take us out, esp since the UTG was raising preflop at a very high percentage.
RecessRampage calls $34 <--- if I'm wrong, maybe I can hit a set and stack him that way
*** FLOP *** [2s 8s 8d]
BB has 15 seconds left to act
BB bets $88
On a x-x-y flop, something seemed fishy about that bet. A) It was a standard c-bet size (the 75-80% range of the pot) and B) Fuel (I can't remember the post but he talked about the x-x-y flop before) always advocates to make a move because flops like these most likely didn't help the opponent.
So I do.
RecessRampage has 15 seconds left to act
RecessRampage raises to $220
BB has 15 seconds left to act
BB folds
Uncalled bet of $132 returned to RecessRampage
RecessRampage wins the pot ($285)
The hardest part about this hand was the bet sizing on the flop. Since he only started with $377, after the preflop reraise and the flop bet, he had about $200 remaining. I didn't want to over bet and not leave myself any outs but I also wanted to bet big enough to let him know that I had a decent pp like TT or something.
Part 3 - This is why I hate tournaments...
There are 8 of us remaining, top 6 gets paid and this comes up...
FullTiltPoker Game #2686806514: Tier One $8+$0.70 (Turbo) (20486210), Table 1 - 250/500 - No Limit Hold'em - 22:43:18 ET - 2007/06/16
Seat 1: Nidaplex (5,320)
Seat 2: ohcowboy12go (7,780)
Seat 4: lionman79 (2,080)
Seat 5: RecessRampage (2,450)
Seat 6: crewsmissle (2,170)
Seat 7: shev24 (2,460)
Seat 8: grizzlernz (2,260)
Seat 9: 10691069 (2,480)
RecessRampage posts the small blind of 250
crewsmissle posts the big blind of 500
The button is in seat #4
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to RecessRampage [6c Ad]
shev24 folds
grizzlernz folds
10691069 folds
Nidaplex folds
ohcowboy12go folds
lionman79 folds
RecessRampage raises to 2,450, and is all in <--- folds to me in the small blind, I'm short enough, Ax, I push
crewsmissle calls 1,670, and is all in
RecessRampage shows [6c Ad]
crewsmissle shows [7d 8c] <--- WTF!?
Uncalled bet of 280 returned to RecessRampage
*** FLOP *** [Jd 3d 8d]
*** TURN *** [Jd 3d 8d] [5s]
*** RIVER *** [Jd 3d 8d 5s] [Th]
RecessRampage shows Ace Jack high
crewsmissle shows a pair of Eights
crewsmissle wins the pot (4,340) with a pair of Eights
I mean are you kidding me? I realize we're both short but 78? He calls to put himself all in. Don't you want to wait for a better spot? I mean what was my pushing range that would justify his call with 78? And shortly after, I bust out in 7th and he ends up finishing the tourney in 2nd place. What a freakin joke.
There you have it folks... my interesting hands trilogy...
5 comments:
I really appreciated this post. The first two examples were eye-opening for me in regards to cash play. I am primarily a tournament player and the cash games are foreign to me. On the flip side, in the third example, 7-8 is one of my favorite short-stacked hands to push with in a desperate situation. And he basically had 3x big blind and that is definitely a desperate situation. You asked about the pushing range...you had exactly what he figured you had...either a naked ace or two overcards. He calls and he knows he has two live cards and connectors that will not make you a higher straight most likely. Is this a play you want to make early in a tourney? Nope. But when two shorties square off..it was the right play.
Keep up the cash game insights.
I disagree with Wippy. I think that hand is okay to push with in LP considering the circumstances, but there's no way you can call off your entire stack with something like that when someone else pushes. But being on the bubble in those token donkaments is rough, I can't count how many times I've had similar situations come up and I just pray that my obviously better hand just holds up.
On hand #1, I like that play there. I will make that play on occasion when the situation seems appropriate. It's nice to be able to use the ace as a scare card to your advantage.
Hand #2, I probably fold that most of the time. Might be a weak play by me, but I don't like doing much with 33 outside of set mining. You caught a nice flop, but I dunno, seems like a -EV play over time. I don't know if I'm justified in my thought process, but those are my two cents.
The 882 flop play was excellent dude - you are growing ... This is almost always AK for villian.
Interestingly you can use this "play" when you DONT have AK but play it like AK and get paid. Situation is rare but when it comes make the most of it.
Wippy, it's one thing to push with 78 but a whole another to call with it. Regardless of how short, that just seems like a very bad play to me. His M was around 3 so he should be pushing a lot but again, calling with a lot is suspect, IMO.
Mike, I did have the set mining odds there and that's why I called. Plus the fact that I could narrow his hand down, it was worth it to me. So, if the flop was Q high with a 3 (set), I know I could stack him for sure. I also knew that if it were K high, I would get away with it depending on how it went but no way would I put more money in without thinking I can win. When the flop came A high, I felt very good about it. I think it's a close call and if he had any less chips, I would have folded.
I really don't care that much about the play of someone I don't know, but I will defend it one more time. As I said, 7-8 is one of my favorite hands to PUSH with, I didn't say call with. So would I make this play? Nope. But can I see where he would? Yup. His M was around three, but yours was around 5 and I can easily see where he thought this was a steal. And he was defending his big blind with two "live" cards. Not a horrible play. But again, not one I would probably make. Then again, I have routinely been accused of being weak-tight and a complete donkey so take what I say with a grain of salt.
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