Although I won this hand I feel lost playing mid-pairs!
Posted by Joe Tonkin
Posted by
Joe Tonkin
posted in
Low Stakes
Although I won this hand I feel lost playing mid-pairs!
SB: HU87165: $10
BB: wifa26rus: $10
UTG: Aramani22: $19.52
HJ: sikicem 2013: $10.67
CO: tigertonkin: $10.12
BN: Brulaap: $25
BB: wifa26rus: $10
UTG: Aramani22: $19.52
HJ: sikicem 2013: $10.67
CO: tigertonkin: $10.12
BN: Brulaap: $25
Preflop
($0.15)
(6 Players)
tigertonkin was dealt
9
9
Aramani22 raises to $0.30, sikicem 2013 calls $0.30, tigertonkin raises to $1.47, Brulaap folds, HU87165 folds, wifa26rus folds, Aramani22 folds, sikicem 2013 raises to $2.64, tigertonkin calls $1.17
Aramani22 raises to $0.30, sikicem 2013 calls $0.30, tigertonkin raises to $1.47, Brulaap folds, HU87165 folds, wifa26rus folds, Aramani22 folds, sikicem 2013 raises to $2.64, tigertonkin calls $1.17
I know this is a 10c table but I am telling you now Brulaap, Aramani22 & Sikicem were 3&4 betting the hell out of this table if they sensed weakness!
It took me a couple of hands to notice that their attention had turned to me and it made me realise I was playing to loose, but then I got dealt this hand.
My thought process was Aramani was playing aggressive and although he opened UTG his range could be very wide. Once Siki called I felt like flatting wasn't going to help me on the flop unless a 9 hit so I decided to raise big and take it there and then with my main worry that Aramani may call. (or someone behind 4bets/shoves and I have to fold.)
It took me a couple of hands to notice that their attention had turned to me and it made me realise I was playing to loose, but then I got dealt this hand.
My thought process was Aramani was playing aggressive and although he opened UTG his range could be very wide. Once Siki called I felt like flatting wasn't going to help me on the flop unless a 9 hit so I decided to raise big and take it there and then with my main worry that Aramani may call. (or someone behind 4bets/shoves and I have to fold.)
Flop
($6.03)
A
A
K
(2 Players)
sikicem 2013 bets $0.30,
tigertonkin raises to $3.40,
sikicem 2013 folds
At the time when Sikicem 4 bet I remember thinking he is just trying to bully me, as he had literally pushed me off on an A,10,3 board the hand before with a big check/raise, whilst I was holding A9.
(I should of been thinking something like AK & JJ+ would probably have 3bet PF not just flat called)
Once Sikicem bets 0.30 on the flop I just felt he was so weak. I felt he could have a King but if I bet big surely he would have to fold.
Again my thought process should be more like (Someone holding the King might bet so weak but surely check/call is the better option since I raised so big pf and this hits my range hard. Also any Ace would either check/call to trap or bet 3/4 of pot for protection against the flush draw?)
Anyway I decide since I raised so big pre-flop I am massively representing a hand like AQs+ so decide to carry on along that line.
(I should of been thinking something like AK & JJ+ would probably have 3bet PF not just flat called)
Once Sikicem bets 0.30 on the flop I just felt he was so weak. I felt he could have a King but if I bet big surely he would have to fold.
Again my thought process should be more like (Someone holding the King might bet so weak but surely check/call is the better option since I raised so big pf and this hits my range hard. Also any Ace would either check/call to trap or bet 3/4 of pot for protection against the flush draw?)
Anyway I decide since I raised so big pre-flop I am massively representing a hand like AQs+ so decide to carry on along that line.
Final Pot
tigertonkin
wins $6.16
Firstly,
What should I have done pre-flop? Was the raise right/wrong and what should be the correct bet-sizing?
How would you guys have played 99? maybe just call it pre-flop?
Secondly,
How would you have played the flop?
I thought at the time my raise was too big, but now I think maybe it wasn't so bad because 'sikicem' doesn't have room for a light 3 bet!? However am I now pot committed for the rest of my stack if he shoves?
Maybe I am just so bad but I feel NLH at most levels is becoming so tough......grrr!
Loading 5 Comments...
It´s rather tough to find the best possible answer against players like those.
Still I´d start with calling preflop. You´re never really happy when you see a flop (unless you flop a 9), especially multiway (which you can expect in this situation), and when all the money goes in you´re essentially flipping - which is no good outcome, why flip against fish, where they can´t make any mistakes? It´s senseless. ;)
As played, the "donk" essentially means a check to me, so bet the amount you´d regularly bet - which you did, so it looks fine to me.
Ah, and by the way - I´d say it would be better (and a matter of fairness) to not publicly show the names of your opponents, especially when you publish reads. Just mark them with their positions and everything is fine.
It never crossed my mind about not showing player names. I know I wouldn't like it, so definitely happy not to use names in future
Agree with BF, flatting is standard here.Your squeeze size is unnecessary large though, no need to make it more then $1.30.
True for 100NL+, but for the micros there`s really no excuse.If you work on your game and just play fundamentally sound ABC poker, you should be able to beat 10nl with your eyes closed.
You definitely have the ability to understand things on a deeper level, you show some keen insight just some things need clarification.
1) You have identified Aramani22 as a player who has a wider than average UTG range and correctly understands that as Hero to combat this you need to have a wider value/bluff range. JJ/TT/AQ is usually on the cusp of hands we want to widen our range to in these positions, 99/88/AJs is reserved for steal positions.
2) When you do want to flat in position your medium pairs and non-premium broadway hands are ideally suited for this purpose. 99 in position should do well and if you find you struggling then you may need to brush up on your postflop play (something we all should be doing everyday). When in position you have more opportunities besides 'hitting a 9', in fact you should be well aware of this as you attacked weakness on the AKKtt flop! so you didn't need the nine to win the pot!!
So from 1) + 2) above, its good that you recognize that you needed to widen your ranges, go ahead and 3bet with TT+/AQ or with some light 3bet bluff hands but 99 is definitely nice to call in position here.
An observation: sikicem flats the initial raise then minraise 4bets - this isn't the sizing of a good regular, so i would definitely be giving him little credit in the future. Is minbet cbet is dubious too
3) You made a good analysis of the situation: the fact that sikicem looked very weak with his flop minbet and pounced on weakness. Although you may have had the best hand, its possible you folded out 99-QQ
You were one level ahead of sikicem here, and as your opponent didn't think about how you might interpret a minbet on this flop texture, it seems although he simply bet weak when weak without much thought...
4) At lower stakes, you do well to simply pounce on weakness like this. Ignoring the fact that your story makes little sense or that your ranges are skewed. you are trying to take advantage of level 1 players. Unfortunately this doesn't train you for higher stakes whereby you won't be allowed to get away with these lines OR villains will trap you and induce etc
From 3) + 4) above, as long as you have identified the player type: eg nit, fit-or-fold, LAG, TAG, Balanced then go ahead and use those lines that best fit the situation and make the most money
oh, and you would not be pot committed at all if he shoved on the flop, it would be a raise/fold situation
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