Gotta build up the bankroll
Been reading some of your blogs out there about ring game strategy and decided to take a crack at it last night. I have historically sucked at NL cash games so I was very cautious. I played the .05/.10 NL game on Ultimate last night. Sat down with the max $10 and ended up leaving about an hour an a half later up about $6. I have a large bonus to clear at Ultimate so I am hoping to keep playing and doing ok. Nothing too memorable during the game. The table was pretty ripe because there was very little preflop raising. Once I showed a couple of hands, I was able to take some control by betting at pots when the time was right. Overall, it was pretty good. I just have to get used to the action being as slow as it is as opposed to the SNGs. I really need to build up my bankroll though because I went through my Netteller account yesterday and realized how bad I did last year. It was all from being too impatient by playing in games that I really had no business being in like $20 SNGs, $15 SNGs, $10 MTTs and $1/$2 limit games. I need a good plan to build up the bankroll and I think I will try and take a page out of Klopzi and Huma’s play and commit to a plan of low stakes SNGs and low stakes NL ring games.
Ultimate was having some issues with the SNG tables but around 11pm they seemed to fix the issue and I jumped into a $5+.50, 10 seat game. I was playing pretty well and was either in the chip lead or close to it for most of the early part of the tourney. Even though my cards weren’t super, I hit some flops and chipped up.
I ended up cashing in 3rd but I had to struggle to get there. There was one hand that stood out, that really killed me, and it is my same old story.
I have about 2700 in chips in the BB while UTG has about 1500 when the blinds are at 50/100. UTG calls and after one caller, the action is to me. I have AJh and raise it to 400. UTG calls after some thought, and the other caller folds. The flop comes down Ac Jc 5c. UTG checks to me and with the pot at 950, I put in a bet of 500. UTG then insta-pushes. I have to call the raise of 600 into a pot of 2450. I gracefully type “FFFFFFFF” into the chat window as I click on the call button. UTG turns over the KJc and I watch the turn and river fall with blanks and I am down to about 1200 in chips just like that.
Ok, give me some more feedback. Did I play this wrong?
Anyway, I went card dead for a while and got down to about 700 before I doubled up against the big stack with 5 left and hung on for 3rd from there. Once in the money, I might have gotten a bit impatient but was about 1 to 5 in chips against the other 2 anyway so I had to take some chances. Oh, well, more poker tonight.
posted by drewspop @ 1:34 PM
5 comments
5 Comments:
Heads up pot, you have two pair and he's got the flopped flush. I'd say you got a little cold decked there.
Out of position, you have two options - check or put out a probe bet. If you check and he pushes, you can fold. If you bet half the pot and he pushes, I'd still fold.
However, after you bet out and he pushes and you're getting 4 to 1 odds with top two pair, calling is the only option in my mind.
If he's on a draw he's 35% to win by the river, but you have redraws (two aces, two jacks).
You made a pretty big raise PF with a hand when you knew you'd be out of position for the hand.
Still, I blame bad luck more than anything on this hand.
That is true on the position. I actually was hoping for the fold. Once I hit the top 2 pair, I didn't want to give him any more cards with the nasty flush board so that was why I figured half the pot. I guess I just forgot that I was going to have to call either way at that point. Not really a small enough bet for a probe bet.
I agree with Klopzi...the only thing you could have done differently was to check or make a probe bet instead of half the pot. How was UTG playing? Tight? Aggressive? If he'd been playing tight, then definitely probe bet if not check. Top two pair on the flop is hard to get away from, even with the flush draw. Unfortunate bad luck. Still, to finish ITM is a good thing, regardless.
I would have folded once he raised all-in. Your half-pot sized bet *was* a probe bet - in this situation (top 2-pair) I would have made a pot-sized bet if I thought I had the best hand, but if I was check raised, I'd concede that I was beaten. Could it have been a bluff with the opponent drawing to a flush? Who knows.. I doubt your opponent would be that advanced/crazy. Either way I would have saved those 600 chips (12BB) for a better spot.
Definitely bad luck though.
In retrospect, your best play at this point was a push. If he has the flush, you've got outs. If he doesn't, you're killing his odds to draw. In fact, you want him to call on a draw since he's making the mistake.
By pushing, I think you put your opponent to a difficult decision. Many players will call the all-in with very little thinking that you are most likely bluffing or trying to buy the pot. With top two pair, you are punishing those players for their mistake.
The reason why I suggest push is because there is no way you are getting away from this hand. It's all going in and you knew it once you saw the cards. The pot is already pretty big due to pre-flop action, so if he folds you'll still win a good pot and have put yourself in good position to move up the money ladder.
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