Mind Games

Thanks for the link to sliceeq.

I'm also looking at using (or rather "trying to use") some python poker libraries (eg http://pokersource.sourceforge.net/ ) to cut down the work.

Cat hop is supposed to be two words -- I've seen it hyphenated as well. I don't know why I left the space out -- maybe I was spaced out?

I've no idea why it is called that. Perhaps some early poker player's cat hopped.

The most common definition is "draw two to a straight flush" but I've seen it used to mean "draw two to a flush"

So much depends on who is in the SB -- I rarely try to bluff over two limpers -- especially someone limping from EP that plays 30+/5. They are limping their two-pair hands.
I prefer bluffing vs people whose post-draw fold freq is > 50

Cheers,
--VS

Hi sir, how tournaments gods serve you?

Not so good these days!
I seem to go card dead for long stretches, then wake up to good hands that meet better.
<sigh>
--VS

And almost immediately after posting that, I put my suck-out shoes on for this:

I finished up 1012 out of 17992, spending a long stretch at 10BB or less, and keeping alive due to the generosity of the big stacks at the table.

I also discovered that I'm 3523rd place in the Open League as a result of my efforts.
I have no clue what that means, but I intend to find out...

--VS

NLHE
Played a session of NL 2 tonight, dropped 2.5 BI Usual stuff -- Decent hand meets decenter or bluff at the wrong time. I bluff at the right time enough, I suppose -- my NSD winnings were +1 BI
I've also identified a leak -- I don't go for the throat when I should.

This is doing it right:

Looks like a bluff, basically the nuts except for AQ

This is doing it wrong:

Still the near-nuts, AcXc and KcXc beat me, nothing else. My thought on pussy-footing was that "If I bet small, he could call with some of his TP type hands, but if I shove he'll fold 'em and I might as well get some $"
I should at least give him the opportunity for a Death Wish Hero Call, and if he folds, he folds.

Or perhaps #1 is wrong and #2 is right -- I should bet/fold because some hands DO beat me. I can rule that out 'cuz I'm not all that adept at the /fold part of the bet/fold line.

Peace,
--VS

5-Card Draw
Oh man, what an up-and-down day.

All the FL $0.25/$0.50 and FL $0.10/$0.20 tables were full, so I played some FL $0.50/$1 while waiting. Did OK. Then lost a whack at FL $0.10/$0.20, and gained it back at FL $0.25/$0.50.

Then this:

Faithful readers will remember me crowing about a similar hand that went my way a few weeks back, so no big. Tough to recover from in a single session though.

Forget the single session. Since the beginning of the year, I've lost 144 big bets at FL $0.25/$0.50. Hands like the above hurt, but I seem to run into them all the time.

In 2013 in the span of a 20K hands I was up over 200BB, and I kinda got used to that winrate.

After all the dust settled, I was down less than 2 big bets, so oh well...

Peace,
--VS

Many moons ago I used to play FL $0.5/$1 FR (10 seats) om microgaming. I gave it up because it was tough to win a pot with 8/9/10 players in it every hand - and I mean, every hand! Raise your aces utg now and see how they get on! I think my winrate was around -10bb an hour. ♦
I remember the FL coach TerrorBlade laughing about it. Mad game, just mad.

Your year does sound similar to the way mine has gone, it's just been so frustrating up to now. I think we need a coach to make a how to rungood course.

Not just me -- nor you.
I noticed that a FL 5-Card Draw reg I quite respect had a rather low winrate (still positive, though -- the bugger). I had a look in my database, and he as well as several other regs had lost a ton these last few months across all limits. I didn't look limit by limit.

Over the entire year I'm doing OK overall -- just my bread-and-butter game is in the tank.

OH well, I guess that is the definition of "downswing".

Then this morning I erased the losses of yesterday.
In less than 50 hands. Go figure.

Cheers,
--VS

Twice tonight I had the best hand and let it slip away for lack of aggression.

Exhibit 1:

Yes there is the possibility that had I raised the flop or the turn villain may have hung on to his overcards. Even so, it was a big mistake to give him the cheap cards.

Exhibit 2:

Again a pair of tens on the flop. Again villain has two overcards and I let him have a turn an river at his price.

Bad.

OTOH, I discovered a "Double Up" on iPoker -- essentially a Double Or Nothing but very fast paced -- 800 chip starting stack and 1 minute blinds. Oh -- only 4 players.

So far, so good. I'll need to review my ICM for these, but so far I've managed to get a chip lead then defend it. Best way to defend it is to not waste it. When two of the lesser stacks are going at it, leave the field and let them cripple themselves. Once there are two cripples at the table the game is pretty much done.

Cheers,
--VS

5-Card Draw
If you get a free play In the BB with no real hand you can go wild, 'cuz you'll be tossing it post-draw anyway. So drawing 1 to a gutshot, drawing 2 to a broadway or drawing 2 to a flush are all acceptable. Normally w/ A-high or K-high I'll draw 4. Q-high and below I toss all 5. But if you DO have an A-high 3-card flush draw why not?

"Nuttin can be funner than to win with runner-runner" -- but that comes close.

Oh yes, children take note and realize that had he raised he could have ended that hand +.75 big bets instead of busto.

Earlier I sat down at a table tonight w/ Harrier88. I put on a dazzling display of getting my ass handed to me. First hand in I have a pat wheel in the BB. UTG raises. I 3Bet/call.
I pat. He pats. If he was snowing, all the best to him, because no way you can call a raise w/ that so I check/fold. Shortly after I get trip nines in BTN, and villain in blinds draws 3 and hits his 3rd K

I did finish the day up slightly though it did take a while...

<sigh>
--VS

5CD
If we estimate opp limp range as say 22-88 (mainly SB complete) than it's better not to drop Q and/or any second card 9+ and to disc 3 to show some strength, as by disc 4-5 we show weakness and could be bluffed off postdraw. Multiway it's different.
NLH
I am not an expert, especially on those limits but IMO against unknown:
Ex.1
Raise flop with TP middle kicker against UTG is mainly a bluff, you could do it from time to time but this way you could also isolate yourself against his top range. Call is more standard.
And you probably should fold on the river on this board against 3-barrels.
Ex.2
Yes you definitely should bet flop with TPTK in position, especially as this TP is not so high.
If not - you should raise turn because board is now wet. And I'm afraid you should fold river because as a rule pot size bet shows very strong range and many draws are hit now including 5 outs draw to trips/doper. JT9sss is the most dangerous board at all.

.

Ex1 I would fold pre v utg

Ex1 I wouldn't tell anybody how I played it. ♦ Maybe you were just tired, it's easy to get into zombie mode when tired.

I like the conversations about 5CD in here, I get to read insightful things I would never have thought possible in such a game.

As it is 6-max call IP with QTs vs UTG is very borderline but still possible IMO. I hope our opps on this limit would give us good implieds with their TPTK if we hit strong. But If we can't through away our hand when we hit so-so, yes I agree it's better fold pre.

.

Originally posted by gadget51
Ex1 I would fold pre v utg

Ex1 I wouldn't tell anybody how I played it. ♦ Maybe you were just tired, it's easy to get into zombie mode when tired.

I like the conversations about 5CD in here, I get to read insightful things I would never have thought possible in such a game.

QTs is indeed a fold pre but barely. As played, though, the flop required a raise/fold.

This was a late night session -- so you may be right about being tired.
--VS

Originally posted by Anykey444
5CD
If we estimate opp limp range as say 22-88 (mainly SB complete) than it's better not to drop Q and/or any second card 9+ and to disc 3 to show some strength, as by disc 4-5 we show weakness and could be bluffed off postdraw. Multiway it's different.

Agreed. Except that at FL $0.10/$0.20 is see a lot of players who like to limp 2pr and better from SB -- which is weird since I don't defend as much as I should. There are also players playing like 20/5 I want them on my left, thank you very much.

I D4 only if the hand is pretty much done anyway. I'm rarely going to call a bet post-draw even if I hit a pair -- unless I either know the player well or totally don't know the player at all.

I admit my blind play sux. I fold my BB to a steal 76%, which *must* be too much.
My Raise-to-Steal is <10% so I'm calling about 14% of the time I face a steal attempt.

Cheers,
--VS

NLHE
From the "Don't play passively" department...

I thought of flatting the flop, and trying for more on later streets, but it smells too much like pocket pair out there, and 8s and 9s give him a gutshot besides.

He as lots of hands w/ a 10, and lots of broadways. Let's cash this puppy in now.

Besides, if I let him win by drawing some cheap after my last couple of posts I would have to hang my head in shame...

Peace,
--VS

Just make a note that he likes to donk small 'for information' and raise the crap out of him when you completely miss the flop.

Originally posted by VorpalF2F
I fold my BB to a steal 76%, which *must* be too much.

It depends on opps at stealing positions, if they never limp, try to steal as they should including semibluffs - yes. (And don't forget that some small % of your hands with good draws with high cards should be raised to steal). If they limp with their weakest hands your 76% may be OK or even low.

NLHE
From the Ace On The River Department...

Full Tilt - $0.02 NL FAST (6 max) - Holdem - 6 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4

BB: $2.00
Hero (UTG): $2.07
MP: $0.78 (VPIP: 0.00, PFR: 0.00, 3Bet Preflop: -, Hands: 1)
CO: $0.90 (VPIP: 71.43, PFR: 0.00, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 7)
BTN: $2.06
SB: $3.20 (VPIP: 40.96, PFR: 15.66, 3Bet Preflop: 3.03, Hands: 85)

SB posts SB $0.01, BB posts BB $0.02

Pre Flop: (pot: $0.03) Hero has A♦ A♣

Hero raises to $0.06, MP calls $0.06, CO calls $0.06, fold, fold, BB calls $0.04
UH-OH

Flop: ($0.25, 4 players) 6♠ J♣ 9♠
BB checks, Hero bets $0.20, MP calls $0.20, fold, BB calls $0.20
What do all these guys have? getting scary here...

Turn: ($0.85, 3 players) J♦
BB checks, Hero bets $0.86
Better show these pansies I mean business
MP calls $0.52 and is all-in, BB calls $0.86
Double UH-OH

River: ($3.09, 3 players) A♠
BB bets $0.88 and is all-in, Hero calls $0.88
Thank you Barry Greenstein

BB shows 8♠ 7♠ (Flush, Ace High)
Main Pot [$2.41]: (Pre 20%, Flop 50%, Turn 24%)
Side Pot#1 [$2.44]: (Pre 23%, Flop 56%, Turn 30%)

Hero shows A♦ A♣ (Full House, Aces full of Jacks)
Main Pot [$2.41]: (Pre 65%, Flop 46%, Turn 74%)
Side Pot#1 [$2.44]: (Pre 77%, Flop 44%, Turn 70%)

MP mucks T♣ T♦ (Two Pair, Jacks and Tens)
Main Pot [$2.41]: (Pre 15%, Flop 4%, Turn 2%)

Hero wins $2.32
Hero wins $2.29

Now for an update on the Vorpal Jungle which is my back yard.

We hired Scott and his mini excavator to come by and remove the blackberries.

He pretty much removed the yard!

Before and after pics when I can find my cable!?!

Peace,
--VS