A couple of recent hands for review.....

**Just_dude** · 04-25-2006

Before I go any further, all of these hands were very profitable, but after looking over the HH's I picked up some things that could have made them better and I just want to see if minds superior to mine would have played them any different, or caught some of the same mistakes I did... Tables were all pretty loose/passive so I was kind pushing them around at will... I was a loose cannon the last few days trying my best to play ala Gus Hansen seeing lots of flops and really making people pay for their mistakes..

Hand #1
FullTiltPoker Game #585593177: Table Sierra - $0.50/$1 - No Limit Hold'em - 15:29:24 ET - 2006/04/22
Seat 1: IAmClutch ($125)
Seat 2: Prowler_666 ($88.55)
Seat 3: Isamu Noguchi ($93.80)
Seat 4: I_MiVidaLoca_I ($37)
Seat 5: hero ($101.35)
Seat 6: mr heatmizer ($25.70)
Seat 7: rudedog2337 ($37.50)
Seat 8: bigdrinkman ($20.10)
Seat 9: Penguin Express ($158.05)
I_MiVidaLoca_I posts the small blind of $0.50
hero posts the big blind of $1
The button is in seat #3
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to hero [

]
mr heatmizer calls $1
rudedog2337 folds
bigdrinkman folds
Penguin Express folds
IAmClutch folds
Prowler_666 raises to $2
Isamu Noguchi folds
I_MiVidaLoca_I folds
hero calls $1
mr heatmizer calls $1
*** FLOP *** [

]
hero Bets $1
mr heatmizer calls $1
Prowler_666 calls $1
*** TURN *** [

] [

]
hero Bets $1
mr heatmizer calls $1
Prowler_666 calls $1
*** RIVER *** [

] [

]
hero Bets $12.50
mr heatmizer calls $12.50
Prowler_666 calls $12.50
*** SHOW DOWN ***
hero shows [

] (a straight, Seven high)
mr heatmizer mucks
Prowler_666 shows [

] (a straight, Five high)
hero wins the pot ($47.50) with a straight, Seven high
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $50 | Rake $2.50
Board: [

]
Seat 1: IAmClutch didn't bet (folded)
Seat 2: Prowler_666 showed [

] and lost with a straight, Five high
Seat 3: Isamu Noguchi (button) didn't bet (folded)
Seat 4: I_MiVidaLoca_I (small blind) folded before the Flop
Seat 5: hero (big blind) showed [

] and won ($47.50) with a straight, Seven high
Seat 6: mr heatmizer mucked [

] - a straight, Five high
Seat 7: rudedog2337 didn't bet (folded)
Seat 8: bigdrinkman didn't bet (folded)
Seat 9: Penguin Express didn't bet (folded)

Hand #2
FullTiltPoker Game #590220731: Table Belmont (6 max) - $0.50/$1 - No Limit Hold'em - 13:04:13 ET - 2006/04/24
Seat 1: Jonesyr ($97.55)
Seat 2: craigger40 ($92.70)
Seat 3: nike_214 ($200.70)
Seat 4: hero ($61.80)
Seat 5: apbone ($28.55)
Seat 6: afink ($65.30)
hero posts the small blind of $0.50
apbone posts the big blind of $1
The button is in seat #3
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to hero [

]
afink folds
Jonesyr folds
craigger40 calls $1
nike_214 folds
hero calls $0.50
apbone raises to $2
craigger40 calls $1
hero calls $1
*** FLOP *** [

]
hero Bets $3
apbone calls $3
craigger40 folds
*** TURN *** [

] [

]
hero Bets $3
apbone calls $3
*** RIVER *** [

] [

]
hero Bets $20
apbone has 15 seconds left to act
apbone calls $20
*** SHOW DOWN ***
hero shows [

] (a flush, Ace high)
apbone mucks
hero wins the pot ($55.10) with a flush, Ace high
apbone is sitting out
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $58 | Rake $2.90
Board: [

]
Seat 1: Jonesyr didn't bet (folded)
Seat 2: craigger40 folded on the Flop
Seat 3: nike_214 (button) didn't bet (folded)
Seat 4: hero (small blind) showed [

] and won ($55.10) with a flush, Ace high
Seat 5: apbone (big blind) mucked [

] - two pair, Aces and Jacks
Seat 6: afink didn't bet (folded)

Hand #3 (Note) This guy was calling down anything with nothing, so I figured if he was going to call me down, he better have the goods or he was going broke because I was sick of his table play....

FullTiltPoker Game #590242960: Table Belmont (6 max) - $0.50/$1 - No Limit Hold'em - 13:18:25 ET - 2006/04/24
Seat 1: Jonesyr ($131.95)
Seat 2: craigger40 ($87)
Seat 3: nike_214 ($185.95)
Seat 4: hero ($91.05)
Seat 5: exhumed ($100)
Seat 6: ATTiCUS68x ($100)
craigger40 posts the small blind of $0.50
nike_214 posts the big blind of $1
ATTiCUS68x posts $1
The button is in seat #1
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to hero [

]
hero raises to $4
exhumed calls $4
ATTiCUS68x folds
Jonesyr folds
craigger40 folds
nike_214 folds
*** FLOP *** [

]
hero Bets $5
exhumed calls $5
*** TURN *** [

] [

]
hero Bets $20
exhumed calls $20
*** RIVER *** [

] [

]
hero Bets $62.05, and is all in
exhumed calls $62.05
*** SHOW DOWN ***
hero shows [

] (a pair of Aces)
exhumed shows [

] (a pair of Aces)
hero wins the pot ($181.60) with a pair of Aces
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $184.60 | Rake $3
Board: [

]
Seat 1: Jonesyr (button) didn't bet (folded)
Seat 2: craigger40 (small blind) folded before the Flop
Seat 3: nike_214 (big blind) folded before the Flop
Seat 4: hero showed [

] and won ($181.60) with a pair of Aces
Seat 5: exhumed showed [

] and lost with a pair of Aces
Seat 6: ATTiCUS68x folded before the Flop

**Antneye** · 04-25-2006

maybe it's me, but I dont even see why we are playing hands 1 and 2, let alone raising hand 1 pre-flop.

These are hands which you got lucky on.

Hand 3: How can you make more money? You stacked your opponent.

edit: OK, I see we are SB for hand 2, so disregard that comment.

**mxp2004** · 04-25-2006

I don't understand your post-flop strategy on Hand 1 at all. A $1 bet into a $5+ pot is pointless. It's not enough to be a bluff/semi-bluff (because it's incapable of causing the other hands to fold). Nor is it a value bet... you couldn't possibly think you held the best hand, and while players occasionally value bet a draw to the nuts, I don't think they do it with a gutshot from early position in a NL game against two opponents with decent stacks.

I'm actually shocked that you got to the river on this hand. If I were the preflop raiser, I would have raised your wimpy bet on the flop, and I have pretty strong hunch you would have folded. This hand was played very weakly by your opponents, and you were the beneficiary of that.

**Aces-o-8s** · 04-25-2006

Hand #1
Your betting post flop amount to 'pot sweetening'.

PF - pot = $6
Flop - a $1 bet gives UTG 7-1 to call and the CO 8-1 to call. Pot = $9
Turn - $1 gives UTG 10-1 odds and CO 11-1. CO could call with almost anything!
River - lucky donk! I think you were lucky to get a call although mucking a made str8 is tuf to do against a maniac/donk.

Your betting minimum amounts is an invitation to me to raise you out of the pot - you're fortunate to have so many calling stations to help you out.

Hand #2
PF - pot = $6
Flop - $3 bet gives BB 2-1 pot odds and MP 3-1. Pot = $12 after MP folds. I think this was a correct sized bet but I would probably would have check-raised the pf raiser/BB to try win it right there.
Turn - $3 bet - gives BB 4-1 odds but even worse indicates you're weaker than you indicated on flop. I would have re-raised you here!
River - lucky donk! Not just because you caught the flush but becasue the BB was a wimp on the turn and allowed you to suck out and with top 2 pair the BB had to make the crying call. Bet was OK but as already pointed out, the BB had to call with his 2 pair even if he knew you had the flush.

Flop bet was aggressive but was undermined by the weak bet on the turn - unless you have the nuts and are trolling for callers. Here BB had you beat with top pair and 9 outs to futher improve (althouh Ah & Qh improve you more so he really only had 7 outs) so 4-1 pot odds made it correct for him to call. You betting should be structured to protect your hand and make it a mistake to chase. You failed on both points.

**ypsieast** · 04-25-2006

OK JustDude, aka Gus:
Hand #1
Obviously 76o is a loose call, but if you want to be a bully and play like "Gus", I can't fault it from the BB. I actually prefer bluffing from early position vs. late.
Flop gives you an ISD, but there are no 2 cards that you beat right now. To win this hand you need to hit your str8 or bluff 2 loose players out of the pot. I like the weak bet of $1, however. It says "Either I have a monster and I'm begging for a raise, or I have nothing and want a cheap card". If you get reraised you muck and only donked off $2. And to restate the obvious, what a bunch of weak ass pushovers to just call you.
Turn is a J. You can't believe that a 6 or 7 on the river will be good enough here. You still need a 5 or bluff your way out. Hey, if they call a buck on the flop, why not the turn? Worst case you fold to a reraise and donked only $3. If they call, you have set up the big bluff on the river (assuming its not a scary card) to win $12. And the idiots call.
OK, say you assume one of the opponents has an Ace. The ISD gives you great implied odds here. But 5d could complete a flush. So you have 3 outs to a big payday: 8% or 12 to 1 odds.
River: miracle card!!! Gonna be hard for an Ace to lay down his (idiot) str8 (because we have established that they are not very good). Make the stretch worthwild by getting your 12 to 1 payoff. You invested $3; 3x12=36; pot is 12; so bet $24 and hopefully get paid off for your luck.
Of course, they both ended up having the Ace and you got paid, but I would have just expected one call on the river.
In short, you know you were chasing, but you actually set up a bluff on the river pretty well. You got your miracle card, but you could/should have been paid a little better.

**Just_dude** · 04-25-2006

Okay guys, this is exactly why I posted these and you have given me even more insight. Hand #1 Aces and Ypsie both hit it on the head. My $1 bets amounted to nothing more than pot sweetening and they were weak bets because I made them both for an ace and I'm thinking IF the 5 hits on the river, I'm going to stack them both and I was in the hand cheap with HUGE implied odds if the 5 hits. I usually try and push people off in these instances because I dont want them drawing on me, and they let me do exactly that. My real mistake was knowing the 5 made them both a straight, was NOT pushing in my $100 because one if not both would have called thinking we all made the straight and he's trying to steal.. I was chasing and if I would have gotten resistance on the turn I probably would have laid it down..

#2 I think what your saying Aces is that I should have bet more like say $8-$10 to protect and to see where I'm at. I was open ended straight and 4 to a flush so a bigger bet still would have been more a semi-bluff and showed strength, but would I have got the call on the river if I showed strength on the turn or would he have figured Ok he's got the nuts and laid it down??

I'm still fairly new at this and even though I'm doing good, I have LOTS of room for improvemet and I appreciate the comments and critique.. Many thanks and keep the replies coming.. Dude...

**Irexes** · 04-25-2006

I think this may be a case of playing like Gus being not a million miles away from playing like a fish. It's a fine line be careful you don't drift (or swim) over it.

**Aces-o-8s** · 04-25-2006

Originally Posted by Just_dude

#2 I think what your saying Aces is that I should have bet more like say $8-$10 to protect and to see where I'm at. I was open ended straight and 4 to a flush so a bigger bet still would have been more a semi-bluff and showed strength, but would I have got the call on the river if I showed strength on the turn or would he have figured Ok he's got the nuts and laid it down??
.

On the turn you have the benefit of two draws - flush and draw - giving you 14 outs PLUS the Qs or the 2 other Tens which would give you 5 more outs (19) to impove. That's like 1.4:1. Here the 1/2 sized pot bet becomes a value bet as much as protecting your already invested chips and making it a mistake for the opps to call. Although you don't know it, on the turn YOU ARE BEATand although 19 outs give 1.4:1 odds, it's still not a guarantee - suppose another Jack rolls up on the river? Betting 1/2 (at least) the pot adds value to a win, may cause the opps to fold a winning hand on the turn (don't look a gift horse in the mouth); and keeps the pressure on the opps to make a mistake. IMO, you were making the all mistakes and not forcing your opps into making any (he was not making a mistake calling your flush with 2 pair - just unlucky)!

**Fishodeath** · 04-25-2006

Correct me if I'm wrong, but Gus Hansen plays this way in tournies where taking risks in order to build a big stack is required, whereas you have all the time you need to wait for big hands in cash games. I guess this type of play will work if your impatient, but expect huge swings in your bank.

**Aces-o-8s** · 04-25-2006

Originally Posted by Fishodeath

Correct me if I'm wrong, but Gus Hansen plays this way in tournies where taking risks in order to build a big stack is required, whereas you have all the time you need to wait for big hands in cash games. I guess this type of play will work if your impatient, but expect huge swings in your bank.

I love to bust Gus Hansen wanna bes!

Wished I could do it more often than the dealer allows.

Gus is highly skilled at what he does and ALWAYS does the math before making his play - it only looks easy on TV. If he plays ring games this way he'd become a pigeon - I don't think the real Gus Hansen is a pigeon.

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