PopeShooter

Very helpful video. The video also portrays the limitations of the human mind when playing a live game. In theory, you’re exploitable if your choose a bet size that is far away from the optimal bet size. Understanding that the human mind can’t calculate this quick enough, is there a realistic strategy to minimize exploitability with regard to bet size? It was pretty eye opening how minor changes to equity could have such an effect on bet size. I guess something similar to Zach Freeman’s recent video (Building Realistic Strategies For Strong Ranges On Poor Flops) but in slightly different context…

Think this was a well structured format, would like to see more of this from players who have solid gameplans. If you could touch more on the exploitative side of things when you say that a player is out of equilibrium on a certain street, and the necessary adjustments with varying parts of the other players range that need to be made.

Thanks for the sarcastic comment. Hysterical.

If you were villain, you'd fold 100% (except KQ) of your range against a x/r? Can you please explain why that's the right action? Not trying to have a pissing contest with you but that doesn't seem logical to me. According to you, my play is a dumb one and if you could break it down further that'd be helpful. I'm looking to get better rather than try to show everyone how smart I am...hence my comment at the end asking for others to chime in on where my thinking is off.

And I agree that the board hits your range hard, but it hits his pretty hard too. I think his range may actually be stronger an yours as he has all the strong hands you could have plus 99-JJ (not sure how often you're 4b these), and QQ-AA. I'm on an airplane so didn't run any real analysis or anything.

Why not x/r on flop? It's such a dynamic board and your hand could get value from a lot of his range that he's cbetting with. And given that it's such a dynamic board, you also want some protection as his already strong hands could end up better than yours by the river and some of his bluffs get there as well by the river and have you dominated, whether it be a full house, higher straight, or flush. He has T9s, JTs, J9s, 99, TT, JJ, QQ, AA, 87s, KK, AhKx, AhQx, AcKc, AcQc, AxKh, QJs, KJs (some KJo depending on how he wants to play his preflop), KQs. I don't know what frequency he's continuing with all of the above but what I'm trying to get across is that there's a lot of value to be had by x/r while also allowing you to protect your hand.

Thoughts? Any glaring mistakes on my end?

What sizing do you use when bluffing river on Q8ss hand at around the 41 minute mark if you didn't river the straight?

And your range is very pocket pair heavy after flatting UTG open and then villain's 3b. If he has QQ-AA and can eliminate QQ-AA from your range, why would he not continue betting to get value from 88-JJ?

Tyler Forrester has a recent video out on 3b pots. I'd recommend watching that...

You're ignoring EV. It's not a simple, my equity is X, so I can call.

Agreed. Given the odds that he's laying you, I think you're overfolding here and can be exploited. And to Pokerlogicals point, he's probably not playing a flush this way, so you can actually take out a combo of JTcc in the 4 combos mentioned above.

Random 6x in his range would be 76s/65s. There's only 2 possible combos of that. And then on top of that, why lead with 4 of a kind in a 3b pot like this? Villain would maybe get pocket pairs to start betting on the flop and also allow hands like AK, AQ, AJs, KQs to hit on turn. And granted the sample size is small, but his 3b is at 5% so I'd discount how often if at all he's 3b 65s and 76s.

I don't think he's taking this line with AA-QQ. You flatted the opener and then flatted the 3b. You don't have AA/KK, and I don't think you have QQ in your range there either. So he bets flop, you call. Let's say villain has QQ and knows that you don't have QQ-AA...do you think villain would slow down his betting on the turn and allow you to maybe hit a A or K on the river to have a better boat?

Because of the reasons above, I'd value bet JJ on the river because I don't think he has any hand left in his range that beats you. Now whether my logic is valid is up for you to decide...

Jimenez - I do like 3b over flatting for the reasons listed in my original post. I don't have the poker software to run an EV analysis of one over the other unfortunately (I plan on investing in something soon). I don't think flatting is bad, but I'd do it with less frequency than 3b. It also depends on the skill of the player UTG. The weaker the player, the more likely I'm going to 3b because I want to get more money in the pot against someone who I think I have a skill advantage over.

dondigio...
1) is it necessarily a bad thing if you don't have a strong Ax in your flatting range? By flatting your strong Ax hands, you're giving the BB a nice price to defend with a pretty wide range. So now you're up against an already strong UTG opening range with a good hand in AQo but not a great one and a player with a pretty wide range.

2) Instead of putting a hand like KQo or AJo in your 3b "bluffing" range, why don't you polarize your range more and 3b hands like 98s, 87s, etc.? Let's say UTG's 3b flatting range is [99+, AQo+, AJs+, KQs]. KQo has 32% equity against this range, and the equity of a hand like 87s is only a little less at 29%. While the equity of 87s is lower, it may be higher EV because you may be able to win more big pots with nutty hands when they hit against villain's strong range. And you're less likely to be put into awkward post flop spots. I just think your ability to actually realize your equity of 32% with a hand like KQo is pretty darn tough against the assumed range I mentioned.

I disagree here. You're dismissing fold equity if you just simply assume he's only calling with better than AQ and that you should just flat his open. Think about how high your fold equity is if he is only calling/4b you with better than AQo. You also have some blockers to potential 4b hands in villain's range with AQ. And you also have position advantage which is another big benefit

You also should consider how your 3b opening range plays vs. his 3b flatting range. Saying, "I have AQ and he's only calling my 3b with better," is too simplistic.

98s in your continuing range as well...

And checking AcQx gives some of your checking range on flop the opportunity to become pretty nutty hands...

Thoughts on checking flop with this hitting the villain's range so hard? Maybe better hands to bluff with on flop if you size it that way?

I don't know exactly what you're continuing with on flop or 3b pre from the SB with but let's say you're continuation betting on flop with [88-AA, AJ, JTs] (48 combos; included TT here). Then you have your bluffs...[AcKc, AcQc, KcQx, KxQc, AcTx, AxTc, A4cc, A5cc] (19 combos; assumed some small AXs in your 3b range). So you've got 2.5:1 value/bluff ratio and laying villain 2.75:1. When you add in AcQx to your bluff range, you add 3 combos and now have 2.18:1 value to bluffs. I think it's fine to have AcQx in there but maybe increase the flop size bet to adjust for having more bluffs in your range?

Obviously the assumed range is up for debate but thoughts? FYI - I'm still learning so if my logic/math or whatever is wrong, please correct. Trying to apply a few different concepts and don't know if I'm totally butchering this...

Really like the format of the last few videos, would like to see more of the same going forward.

Very good content, more of exactly this type of 6max/hu mix.

I think you could check minraise river to kind of find out where you are in the hand, also good no 3b pre.