Poker Blog

note: cross posted from Andrew's blog at http://www.thinkingpoker.net/Blog/

It never ceases to amuse me when my mistakes make me money. Here I meant to bet $99 on the river and accidentally bet $9. The result was inducing a huge check-raise bluff from a hand that almost certainly would have folded to my intended bet:

Full Tilt Poker, $3/$6 NL Hold'em Cash Game, 6 Players

BTN: $705
SB: $1,359.35
Hero (BB): $1,230
UTG: $1,336.25
MP: $600
CO: $1,828

Pre-Flop: Ac 7c dealt to Hero (BB)

note: cross posted from Andrew's blog at http://www.thinkingpoker.net/Blog/

This was an interesting one:

Full Tilt Poker, $5/$10 NL Hold'em Cash Game, 4 Players

Hero (BB): $1,050
UTG: $2,182
BTN: $1,186
SB: $1,018.90

Pre-Flop: Td Ah dealt to Hero (BB)
UTG folds, BTN raises to $20, SB folds, Hero raises to $75, BTN calls $55

Flop: ($155) 6s Jd 3c (2 Players)
Hero bets $111, BTN calls $111

Turn: ($377) Tc (2 Players)
Hero checks, BTN checks

River: ($377) Qd (2 Players)

note: cross posted from Andrew's blog at http://www.thinkingpoker.net/Blog/

note: cross posted from Andrew's blog at http://www.thinkingpoker.net/Blog/

It's been nearly two years since the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act snuck its way through Congress as a rider on a port security bill. The UIGEA criminalized not the gambling itself but the facilitation of financial transactions for the purpose of gambling online. In other words, you could play, but banks and other financial institutions were not supposed to help you put money online to play with.

note: cross posted from Andrew's blog at http://www.thinkingpoker.net/Blog/

I was feeling so on top of my game the other day. I was just really alert and creative, picking up on a ton of spots where I could steal pots if I applied enough pressure in the right way. This was the best one. Unless they have exactly Khxh, most people aren't going to check call a flush draw on the flop. I bet the flop just to set up an opportunity to steal the pot later. When the flush came in, it was just a matter of pouring on the pressure:

note: cross posted from Andrew's blog at http://www.thinkingpoker.net/Blog/

Here's another random brag, this one from the Stars weekly $500. Sorry was having trouble with the converter, basically I had an open-ended draw on the turn and overbet shoved when a flush card came on the river:

PokerStars Game #21709641365: Tournament #116152197, $500+$30 Hold'em No Limit - Level III (100/200) - 2008/11/02 18:23:05 ET
Table '116152197 23' 9-max Seat #7 is the button
Seat 1: nofingclue11 (11900 in chips)

note: cross posted from Andrew's blog at http://www.thinkingpoker.net/Blog/

This guy was min-raising every time he opened the pot, so I started min-check-raising him on the flop. Naturally that frustrated him, so more min-raising ensued.

Full Tilt Poker, $5/$10 NL Hold'em Cash Game, 2 Players

SB: $1,107
Hero (BB): $7,603

Pre-Flop: dealt to Hero (BB)
SB raises to $20, Hero calls $10

Flop: ($40) (2 Players)
Hero checks, SB bets $27, Hero raises to $54, SB raises to $175, Hero raises to $296, SB folds

Results: $390 Pot ($0.50 Rake)
Hero mucked and WON $389.50 (+$194.50 NET)

These aren't quite min bets, but the objective was similar. In this case, I thought these small bets would frustrate the guy and get him to call down with a smaller pair. Even though it's pretty obvious what I have, he would just feel like a tool folding 99 to these little bets, and it would be exploitable.

Full Tilt Poker, $5/$10 NL Hold'em Cash Game, 5 Players

SB: $2,102
Hero (BB): $2,000
UTG: $2,285.50
CO: $2,283
BTN: $3,721.50

Pre-Flop: dealt to Hero (BB)
UTG calls $10, CO raises to $45, 2 folds, Hero raises to $150, UTG folds, CO calls $105

Flop: ($315) (2 Players)
Hero bets $175, CO calls $175

Turn: ($665) (2 Players)
Hero bets $375, CO calls $375

River: ($1,415) (2 Players)
Hero bets $800, CO calls $800

Results: $3,015 Pot ($3 Rake)
Hero showed (two pair, Kings and Queens) and WON $3,012 (+$1,512 NET)
CO mucked (two pair, Kings and Nines) and LOST (-$1,500 NET)

This guy had been 3-betting me a ton. I like bluff-raising the flop with these stacks because it's very hard for him to play back. If he calls, there are a ton of scare cards on the turn, and if he 3-bet bluffs, he has to fear that I'm going to shove on him with a lot of draws. There just isn't much he can do.

Full Tilt Poker, $3/$6 NL Hold'em Cash Game, 6 Players

CO: $744.30
BTN: $1,223.20
SB: $1,405.60
BB: $741.20
UTG: $1,153.10
Hero (MP): $1,611.40

Pre-Flop: dealt to Hero (MP)
UTG folds, Hero raises to $21, 2 folds, SB raises to $72, BB folds, Hero calls $51

Flop: ($150) (2 Players)
SB bets $100, Hero raises to $244, SB calls $144

Turn: ($638) (2 Players)
SB checks, Hero bets $245, SB folds

Results: $638 Pot ($3 Rake)
Hero mucked and WON $635 (+$319 NET)

There was about $1000 left in the effective stacks on the turn. Here, the underbet was designed to look like I was trying to induce a check-raise.

note: cross posted from Andrew's blog at http://www.thinkingpoker.net/Blog/

When you're trying to add new elements to your game and new tricks to your arsenal, you may end up making some plays that are, in a vaccuum, negative EV. However, the overall process of experimentation and trying to open up your game going to be very profitable for you in the long run. Here are three things that you probably don't do often enough and should make an effort to incorporate into your game, even if they cost you a little money in the short run as you learn how to execute them effectively:

1. Turn a hand with showdown value into a bluff.

2. Plan a triple barrel bluff from the flop and then execute it.

3. Check-raise bluff the river.

The most educational and least expensive way to start trying this stuff is to think it through ahead of time. Don't just sit down and start triple barreling at every opportunity to see when it works (hint: it will stop working very quickly). Instead, think it through ahead of time. Think about what boards and what type of opponents will be best for these plays, and then try to execute them at the right times.

note: cross posted from Andrew's blog at http://www.thinkingpoker.net/Blog/

Here's a pretty interesting spot where I made what might be called a pre-emptive blocking bet:

Full Tilt Poker, $5/$10 NL Hold'em Cash Game, 6 Players

SB: $2,184
BB: $2,000
UTG: $1,000
MP: $1,000
CO: $2,413
Hero (BTN): $4,150

Pre-Flop: Kd Kh dealt to Hero (BTN)
2 folds, CO raises to $35, Hero raises to $120, 2 folds, CO raises to $320, Hero calls $200

note: cross posted from Andrew's blog at http://www.thinkingpoker.net/Blog/

Here's a fun hand against a smart and very aggressive player who was playing pretty strangely tonight:

Full Tilt Poker, $5/$10 NL Hold'em Cash Game, 6 Players

SB: $1,643
BB: $1,399
UTG: $2,084.75
Hero (MP): $2,363
CO: $2,040
BTN: $1,000

Pre-Flop: 7d Ad dealt to Hero (MP)