I will try to play more aggressively and win pots. I will probably increase my 3-bet frequency and call 4-bets more liberally in marginal situations. High variance works for me!
A very loose call, but it's NL50, let's try to cash in on the advantage post-flop.
Calls.
The opponent checks back.
Turn ($2.61):
I think it's standard to make a small bet here, but I like a bigger bet because I'm counting on my opponent's range to be weaker than it should be after checking the flop. I don't expect people to check back aces, kings and queens often enough.
He bets $1.96. The opponent folds.
Also a very loose action, but I think it's okay to add this hand to the raising range at a small frequency.
BB calls.
Flop ($2.35):
BB checks. Steffen bets $0.59. Villain calls.
Turn ($3.47):
BB checks.
Not a perfect card. However, I am blocking , this is good. I can knock out a bunch of and all floats. In general, you can barrel. There is a jack in hand – it's already good. Although a check would not be a mistake.
He bets $2.60. Villain calls.
River ($8.41):
BB checks.
I give up.
Loses to .
Against this size, I should be mixing calls and folds. I'll call, it's more variance.
Opponent checks.
We start the attack on the pot with a small bet directed against .
Bet $3.03. Villain calls.
Turn: ($17.87):
Villain bets $1.75.
The fact that the flush completed is obviously not very good. He donks, but this action does not make sense, I will treat it as a check. Against a check, I'd usually keep betting – I don't want to give him the opportunity to cheaply draw to a flush with one heart.
Raise $5.78. Villain calls.
River ($28.85):
Nice card, looks like we got the nuts somehow. He may think that we don't have sets on this line. Donk jam from his side would be ridiculous.
How I like that he thinks so long. Something might happen...
Villain bets $9.81.
Little donk bet, okay. Of course, I'll launch it, just for the sake of appearance, I'll think a little. I can think about what I would bluff with here.
Okay, let's go. All-in! Maybe we'll get called.
A little unlucky. So that's what his donk meant – he hit a set!
My stack is a little under 100bb, but I still don't want to 4-bet bluff with AQo, especially against the big blind. But I'll call happily.
The flop is good, but not perfect. If he goes all the way, I'll usually lose at the showdown. I'm already a bit worried from his half-pot sizing on the flop. However, I don't want to fold for 70bb on a video where we're aiming for some ladders.
Calls.
Turn ($15.57):
By the way, where is this guy from? Oh, from Sweden! It became much easier for me.
Opponent checks.
Oh, now it's even easier for me. I think a small bet is appropriate. Let him pay with medium pockets and fold garbage.
Bet $3.89. The opponent folds.
UTG limped and checked the flop. Since I got a free flop, there are more threes in my range – let's go!
He bets $4.76. UTG calls.
River ($10.23):
I don't believe in the value of a 4 at showdown, so it's time to get a little spicy! He may have occasional or something like that, let him try to call all-in with them!
Goes all-in. The opponent folds.
I will play like this, of course, not always, but now I want to bluff.
4-bets to $12. The first opponent folds, the second thinks.
The ladies are strong enough to get it in. If I see an all-in, I won't rejoice, of course, but I'll play for my stack. I need to double up, so always 4-bet and always shoving. It would also be nice to see a call, because jacks and tens will often call.
The second opponent also folds.
He opened preflop with a 3bb raise. Against such a sizing, KTo is already a very marginal hand, but in any situation where a mixed strategy is required, we choose the aggressive option today. Now I'll check-raise against a small continuation bet.
Check-raise to $3.08. Villain calls.
Turn ($8.94):
Alas, the ace is a very, very bad card, so we seem to have a mandatory check. It is possible that in such cases it is possible to block bet against a weaker ten, but I prefer to check.
Opponent bets $5.
And against a man who made a small bet on the flop, called a check-raise and now bets the turn big... but you know what? I'll pay one street.
Calls.
In such a line, we can have flushes, and there is the ten of clubs in the hand. I plan on check-shoving – we have a lot of 10 flushes in our range, and on the river I check my entire range.
Risking $43 to win $24, so I need a lot of fold equity! I don't like bluffing in these spots. I wouldn't be surprised if I see a random flush there.
I also didn't have time to say that I want to check-shove in response to a more solid sizing, say 2/3 of the pot. However, he made a small bet and now he may think that he induced a bluff raise.
In general, I'm not a fan of small bets vs uncapped ranges when you're in position. And from my side, the right game, it seems, will be to go as thin as possible and not bluff at all. To show you this, I spent $40.
Villain calls.
Flop ($7.36):
Opponent checks.
On a board containing a deuce and a three, we can continue with all hands, since he has no such cards.
Bet $5.52. Villain calls.
Turn ($17.85):
Opponent checks.
The lady is, of course, a good card for me, strengthening my . The speed of his call speaks to what I think is a pocket pair. Normally I should keep barreling here with at least one diamond, but why should I stick to the rules? I put it in my pocket and knock it out of the pot.
He bets $13.39. Opponent gives up.
A little out of range, of course. However, at this limit, surprisingly much can be understood simply by the speed of the opponents!
Villain calls.
Flop ($9.26):
Opponent checks. Steffen bets $2.32. Call.
Turn ($13.67):
Opponent checks.
We block ATs. Jack is a pretty good card, I would say. I will continue with a half pot sizing, attacking his small pockets.
He bets $6.84. Opponent gives up.
I'm willing to call this 4-bet because of the good price, although I don't think there will be bluffs, and he should bluff with hands like A5s. Value part of the range – pairs from queens and above and . I'll try to hit a set.
The opener folds and Steffen calls.
Flop ($16.15):
Mmm, what to do on a flop like this? I think at these stakes it's hard for people to find the right barrel frequency with . You need to look for suitable suits for the second barrel, and instead they put everything in a check.
So I will call the bet on the flop, because he will bet with the whole range, and give up to further aggression.
If we check-check the turn and the river doesn't hit an ace or king, I'll bet 20% or something.
Checks and calls $4.04.
Turn ($23.83):
The opponent thinks for a very long time and bets $11.92.
Easy pass.
It's not really necessary to always 3-bet with JTs... but today it is.
Villain calls and writes in the chat: "I'm trapping."
Flop ($7.84):
Steffen bets $1.96 on the check. Call.
Turn ($11.56):
You trap, right? Whatever that means... I'll place another bet against and . I block, jacks too. He may have various .
Steffen bets $5.78 vs the check. Villain calls.
River ($22.54):
And now I check vs check with a sense of accomplishment. All the value that I need, I have already collected.
On such a flop, you can bet a small continuation bet, you can be big. So I'll bet big because I want to play a big pot when I get there! I attack his offsuit , .
Bet a full pot. Villain calls.
Turn ($7.57):
The flush has missed – that's good. To knock out his random diamond draws, I'll overbet. Everything seems to be correct! I don't know if I'll bluff if the spade completes...
He bets $11.36 on the check. Villain calls.
River ($29.16, effective stack $39.76):
Oh, what a terrible runout... I'm going all-in with all my value hands here, so I'll do the same with queen-high. I don't have an Ace of Diamonds or an Ace of Spades. always folds, he could have an eight with the nut flush draw. All in all, this bluff can't be bad!
Steffen bets all-in vs a check. The opponent immediately folds.
As a reminder, our mission is to get $100 at the table and move up to the next limit!
We have defended the BB. After our opponent has declined to c-bet, we should actively bet such a turn. Sizings can be anything – small, large, you can even overbet ... You know, I'll do that.
He bets $3.92 and takes the pot.
3-betting with 65s is not worth it because we are too dominated by his calling range. Button will never fold here and , which is what a UTG player should do, which is why I like 3betting with 65s against UTG better. However, we have deep stacks, which makes my 3-bet a little better.
Villain calls.
Flop ($9.98):
"Stop bluffing me!" – the opponent writes in the chat.
Steffen bets $7.49 and replies, "Big bets, easy decisions!"
Villain calls.
Turn ($24.21):
We have 15 outs, so we put in the second barrel. If we get called, we won't bluff. Sizing around 3/4 to get an SPR of around 0.75 on the river, just right for an all-in. I hope he doesn't push now with , it will be very lame.
He bets $18.16. Villain calls.
River ($59.80, $44.38 effective stack):
And now I'm left with nothing but a check-fold. I would bluff many high cards, but alas...
– Third barrel? writes the opponent.
– White flag.
– You won – the opponent disagrees.
– 15 outs did not hit, – explains Steffen.
Both check.
Haha! We both spoke the truth. It would be fun to hit a five or six on the river.
Villain calls.
Flop ($8.79):
I'm going to bet a big continuation bet on this texture to be able to shove on some turns. Sure, he might have a set, but I won't build my strategy around that. My goal is to collect maximum value from queens, jacks, nines, and gutshot hits.
He bets $6.59. Gets called.
Turn ($21.31):
After a big bet on the flop on this turn, I should check my entire range or so. One of the worst cards in the deck came out!
Checks. The opponent checks next.
River ($21.31):
Great, now I'm getting beaten by all the gutshot/pairs. I check and hope he doesn't bluff with .
Opponent checks behind and loses with .
He really had jacks. Yes, this is a feature of the limit – a stronger player would have realized that he was at the very bottom of his range and would turn them into a bluff. All-in would look very strong. But at the low limits, the guy just wants to win at showdown.
This time I will call with A8s.
Flop ($2.61):
Steffen checks and Villain bets $1.30. Steffen calls.
Turn ($5.08):
Steffen checks. Opponent bets $6. Steffen pays.
River ($16.48):
Steffen checks. Villain bets $18.46.
Half pot on the flop, small overbet on the turn, small overbet on the river, about 110%. But why so small?
Clearly, I'm not folding – I'm thinking about all-in. With he would bet more also excluded... I think we should shove. Of course, I have no idea how they play here. Some of my students at these stakes are just afraid to put money in the pot without the nuts because they don't see what they can get called by, and it's not a very good game. Against such players, my thin value all-ins will not work. But on NL5k, it's all-in with shouts of "Hurray, bring cabbage!".
Puts all-in and gets an instant call.
Yes, that's right, I was thinking about such a hand.
And – boom! – we have more than $100 in our stack. We leave and move on to NL100!
