Hello everyone, this is Uri, Guerrilla Poker Instructor. After a long break, I'm back with a live four-table session. Limits are NL500 and NL1k as I couldn't get enough tables at NL1k.
I had to play heads-up against a player with the nickname Chris Nguyen for quite a long time. Nice guy, he used a heads-up straddle strategy in our fight. Perhaps many of you are not aware, but in this room you can also bet straddle in heads-up. An unusual thing that creates an interesting strategic dynamic, and not as negative as one might think, as it forces the opponent to solve some problems.
Then the third player, meoteor, sat down at the table. I didn't have time to uncheck the box and put a straddle on by mistake – and he made a restraddle! From this alone, we can conclude that he likes to play with a high VPIP.
I opened preflop to 3bb and meoteor called. Should we bet if he is in the mood to gamble?
Bet 3bb. Villain calls.
Turn (12BB):
On the flop, I had a choice – I could check or bet, and all sizings are fine, except for very large ones. However, there is no choice on the turn – we play strictly a check.
Checks, opponent quickly checks back.
River (12bb):
He checked the turn instantly. I don't think a ten or a nine can play like that. Maybe I have the strongest hand? I'll try to earn at least 13 dollars.
Bets 1.3bb but Villain immediately folds and leaves the table.
It didn't work out, sorry. Don't be arrogant towards such plays, show them more respect. Over time, they give a decent increase to the win rate. Win rate is calculated in big blinds per 100 hands, and if we have the opportunity to take an extra blind here and there for 100 hands, we should not refuse it.
I have no information on opponents in these two hands, I will play as standard. With K4s I mostly call and sometimes raise. This time I'll raise.
Raises to 6bb. Villain calls.
Turn (17.9bb):
Opponent checks.
Making the nuts is always good. I'm thinking about my range... Of course, I'll be checking a lot of hands behind, and I'll keep betting flushes and maybe sets. In order to be able to bet with sets, I should not use too large sizing. Overbet time will come on the river.
Bet 12bb. The opponent folds.
We checked the flop with Q9o and I bet the turn. After the diamond hit on the river, I think I should bluff. I'll bet big. It's good for me to have a diamond and a nine.
Bets 9.3bb into a 7bb pot. Villain raises to 41.9bb. Uri folds and reveals the hand history.
So it was a limp pot with three players on the flop. The flop has been checked. I bet 2/3 on the turn and overbet on the river. With a raise vs an overbet on a paired board, the opponent represents a full house. Given preflop, his most likely hands are and . It's interesting to think what he might be bluffing with. This is always interesting to think about. As above, is it a good spot for bluffing or bad? I would love to talk about it, but in our format there is no time for this – we need to play the next hand.
Re-raises to 7.1bb and takes the pot.
Uri raised preflop to 2.2bb and got called twice.
On this flop, I'll start with a bet. The board hits my range well. The sizing, of course, must be very small – folding out a weaker flush draw here would be a disaster. So either a check or a small bet.
Bet 1.8bb. Both opponents fold.
Uri 3bets 6.2bb. Villain calls.
Flop (13.8bb):
Both players check.
Turn (13.8bb):
Again both check.
River (13.8bb):
Villain bets 4.9bb.
Um. I seem to be leaning towards calling. I usually don't like to call these small block bets with A high. However, there is a special situation here: pairs, it seems to me, would block bet earlier, and a ten that hit the river would bet more. Therefore, his line seems a little unbelievable. It is possible, of course, that this is a reg that uses a randomizer, and on the turn he checked with a pair. Now we'll find out.
Calls and wins against .
The opponent reraises to 9bb. Uri calls.
Flop (18BB):
Uri quickly checks. Villain goes into the time bank for a few seconds and checks back.
Turn (18BB):
Okay, looks like I have a very strong hand. Almost any hand can be in his checking range, but most of all there is and and against them I'm doing very well. I will make one more check – I need to give a chance for an ace to hit, not only to his strongest A-high, but also to some , which can fold on the turn to bet.
Check – check.
River (18bb):
Time to bet for value.
Bet 9bb.
Oh hurry up! The texture is very low, his 3-betting range is full of high cards, and I have every right to bet a big, up to the pot. I should have thought a little longer.
Villain quickly calls with .
Uri 4bets 22.8bb and takes the pot.
Fours are right on the edge of a call and are usually played in a mix. I'll fold this time.
Checks the flop after a fold: the flop came out rainbow.
Damn, I was hoping that the texture of the flop was bad!
Calls.
Flop (4.5bb):
Checks. Villain bets 1.5bb. Uri calls.
Turn (7.5bb):
Uri checks, opponent quickly checks behind.
River (7.5bb):
He may have and some hands with one heart. I have top pair with no kicker, deuce doesn't matter. The combination is almost sufficient for a bet, but just falls short.
Uri checks, opponent checks back and loses with .
Wow! Looks like we're going to call this time. There is, of course, a certain nuance – a player with a stack of 20bb sits in the small blind. Does it affect my opponent's 3-betting range? Should it influence it? Very pertinent questions.
Calls.
Flop (15.4bb):
Checks. Villain bets 5.1bb.
I think fours should call here.
Turn (25.6bb):
I will check-fold this turn. There are hands under fours in his second barrel range, but they have decent equity against me, and when I'm behind, I'm drawing almost dead.
Villain bets 19.2bb and takes the pot.
Uri calls and the blinds fold.
Flop (5.9bb):
Opponent checks.
we have to mix as we do with many other hands. I'll check this time.
Turn (5.9bb):
Opponent checks.
Now you can open fire.
Bet 4.4bb. Villain calls after some thought.
River (14.8bb):
Both check, opponent shows .
It's very nice to take so much money from AK!
From the comments:
Why did you call ATo on the button against the cutoff?
– I thought that it was necessary to mix a call and a 3-bet there. Or is it too loose given the rake structure?
– In my solver, this is a mix of 50% 3bets and 50% folds for an NL500 rake. Call mixes start only from AJo.
Interesting spot. I think since it's heads-up, I should call. In 6-max it would be a simple pass.
Turn (9bb):
Check – check.
River (9BB):
So, let me see if I should be bluffing with threes... I guess I shouldn't.
Check – check. Opponent wins with .
Button folds.
AQs don't fold here, even though he chose a fairly large sizing for a cold 4-bet. I'll call.
Flop (52.4bb, effective stack 89.7bb):
Uri checks. Villain bets 11bb.
Correct play is most likely a call, but I can imagine a check min raise. Okay, let's try.
Raises to 23 bb.
In 4-bet pots, it's always interesting to consider bluff raises with , because opponents will very often have and they face a difficult decision.
Villain calls.
Turn (98.4bb, effective stack 66.7bb):
Apparently, we need to continue. I'll bet 25... no, this sizing looks too small... 27bb.
Bet 27bb. The opponent thinks for a long time and goes all-in.
Will have to fold. I know a lot of people in my shoes don't have clean bluffs at all, they only raise with hands they're willing to stack. For them, my line may look like a gift to the opponent. However, sometimes I have to bluff...
He seems to have found a 4-bet sizing out of position where my A8s are in my calling range... I'm in really bad shape preflop right now, sorry to the audience. I'll call.
Flop (36.5bb, effective stack 88.5bb):
Villain bets 12bb.
It looks like a pass.
Folds.
Playing heads-up with straddle again. Now let's see the flop with A4s, although the opportunity to go all-in right away also looks attractive... No, after all, call.
Flop (44bb, effective stack 62.1bb):
Villain bets 15bb and calls all-in with . Uri has a little over 47%. They run it twice and split the pot equally.
I don't know how correct my all-in was, but his sizing looked non-pot-committing.
Oops, the table got full and I forgot totake the straddle off. It becomes a habit, you need to play more carefully.
The player on the left has restraddled. I'll try to limp.
Limping, opponent checks.
Flop (8bb):
Check – check.
Turn (8bb):
Uri checks. Villain bets 4bb. Call.
River (16bb, effective stack 27bb):
I will call any bet and very confidently. Let me try to explain the reason for this confidence: when the board pair came on the turn, Villain only bet half the pot. There is a straight draw and a flush draw on the board, and with a value hand I think he would have chosen a greedier sizing. You could say I just don't believe him.
Checks. Villain bets 12bb. Call.
Time to end the video. I hope you enjoyed it, although it's a little strange for me to play a session of only 20 minutes. But what can you do, YouTube algorithms love just such timing.
I'm always ready to alternate hand analysis with live play with explanations – write in the comments to the video if you like this format!