AKQJ10's Poker Blog

I’ve been thinking a lot about continuation betting (cbetting), when it’s appropriate and not in BBO8, when to fire the second barrel, etc.    For now just a hand on the topic of two-barreling, another where I declined to cbet, and a couple of other miscellaneous ones. All results are available by clicking through to the Deuces Cracked converter. (If I forgot to include results, I try to add them in comments.)

Poker Stars $0.05/$0.10 Pot Limit Omaha Hi/Lo – 6 players – View hand 542171
The Official DeucesCracked.com Hand History Converter

BTN: $10.80
SB: $10.50
BB: $9.10
Hero (UTG): $9.75
MP: $6.65
CO: $9.05

Pre Flop: ($0.15) Hero is UTG with 7 A 2 4
Hero raises to $0.35, MP calls $0.35, 4 folds

Flop: ($0.85) K A 6 (2 players)
Hero bets $0.50, MP calls $0.50

Turn: ($1.85) 8 (2 players)
Hero ???

I think I like a second barrel here, because my #2 low is probably good.  I don’t expect top pair-no kicker to win high if I get called, but I can certainly bet the river for thin value if a seven or an ace slides off.   If I don’t like the river, I’m probably check/calling and expecting to win half. It’s rare I’m terribly behind something like A239.

I know that as I move up in stakes and play against tougher players, cbetting 100% will be a leak.   But what textures of boards should I be cbetting, and when should I decline to bet the flop?    I hope to learn more on this topic from In a Nutshell. For now, my approach is to bet flops where I have some equity (flush draw, low draw, TPGK, overpair) and mostly give up on flops that don’t appear to have hit my raising range.

Of course some of these, especially the paired, highish flops, probably didn’t hit my opponents’ ranges for calling raises either.   So perhaps I should be cbetting some of those flops too. Here’s an example:

Poker Stars $0.05/$0.10 Pot Limit Omaha Hi/Lo – 9 players – View hand 542801
The Official DeucesCracked.com Hand History Converter

MP2: $8.25
CO: $11.95
BTN: $4.75
SB: $13.30
BB: $12.70
UTG: $4.65
UTG+1: $9.70
UTG+2: $10.75
Hero (MP1): $19.30

Pre Flop: ($0.15) Hero is MP1 with 2 A J 5
3 folds, Hero raises to $0.35, 1 fold, CO calls $0.35, 3 folds

Flop: ($0.85) 6 K 6 (2 players)
Hero checks, CO checks

Turn: ($0.85) J (2 players)
Hero ???

If this is the right spot to forego a cbet, then should I bet the turn now that I’ve paired? I suppose that I want to protect my 2nd pair-top kicker, since any queen, heart draw, or Broadway draw has outs to beat me. I don’t think I’m ever bluffing out a king. Maybe occasionally I’m getting value from a worse jack.

I’ve mentioned the issue of value betting the river thinly.   I post this hand just to ask: Do you think I should bet trips – top kicker on the river here?   I think so.

Poker Stars $0.05/$0.10 Pot Limit Omaha Hi/Lo – 9 players – View hand 542188

The Official DeucesCracked.com Hand History Converter

UTG: $9.45

UTG+1: $11.25

UTG+2: $5.55

MP1: $9.85

MP2: $9.85

CO: $19.25

BTN: $9.55

SB: $5.70

Hero (BB): $12.10

Pre Flop: ($0.15) Hero is BB with 8 J T 6

UTG calls $0.10, 1 fold, UTG+2 calls $0.10, 3 folds, BTN calls $0.10, SB calls $0.05, Hero checks

Flop: ($0.50) 3 T Q (5 players)

SB checks, Hero checks, UTG checks, UTG+2 checks, BTN checks

Turn: ($0.50) 2 (5 players)

SB checks, Hero checks, UTG checks, UTG+2 checks, BTN checks

River: ($0.50) T (5 players)

SB checks, Hero ?????

Here’s just a miscellaneous hand where I think I messed up by taking a passive line.  Perhaps I should bet the flop, because I can’t be in terrible shape with a nut flush draw plus a Broadway gutshot.   If someone raises a flop bet I have to figure they have a made Broadway, which means I still have about 40% equity but I’ll wish I hadn’t bet.   So I think that was my reason for taking a check/call line here.   Another thought would be to check/raise the turn now that I have enough equity against a Broadway and the nut hand has changed; it’s going to be hard for him to 3-bet without a boat, in which case I’ll toss my draw at an underboat. Not sure what’s best here.

Poker Stars $0.05/$0.10 Pot Limit Omaha Hi/Lo – 6 players – View hand 542178

The Official DeucesCracked.com Hand History Converter

CO: $8.70

BTN: $10.45

SB: $8.80

Hero (BB): $10.50

UTG: $7.45

MP: $9.75

Pre Flop: ($0.15) Hero is BB with K T 9 2

UTG calls $0.10, MP calls $0.10, CO calls $0.10, 2 folds, Hero checks

Flop: ($0.45) A J T (4 players)

Hero checks, UTG bets $0.30, MP folds, CO folds, Hero calls $0.30

Turn: ($1.05) T (2 players)

Hero checks, UTG bets $0.40, Hero calls $0.40

River: ($1.85) 8 (2 players)

Hero checks, UTG bets $0.90, Hero ???