Merby

15 buy-ins may seem small (the first time I heard the figure, I know I thought it was ridiculously small). Once you do the math, however, it makes a lot more sense:The figure of 15 buy-ins doesn't refer to minimum buy-ins but to regular (or in some places, maximum) buyins. A typical buy-in is 100 times the big blind. Therefore:--> at 1/2 NLHE, each buy-in is $200, therefore 15 buy-ins is $3,000--> 2/4 NLHE, the buyin jumps to $400 and the target bankroll is $6,000.--> if you want to jump up to $3/6 NLHE, then we're talking about a bankroll of close to ten thousand dollars.Now cons

A player who has good reads on his opponents and/or knows he can outplay his opponent post-flop, could make this hand profitable. Possible +EV (the "play your opponent and the chip stacks" approach as opposed to the "play your cards" approach).Me, I would donk off chips if I tried this: -EV. Hence, I actually like to have a decent hand.Since reading your opponents and post-flop play can be some of the most difficult facets to learn, it is definitely -EV for beginners and intermediate players to limp in with such weak holdings.Cheers,Merby

I would have bet more on the turn. By the turn, there is a straight draw and flush draw and you proceed to bet 500 (half your stack) into a 1,000 pot. This is the point to put all your money in.Other than that, you play the hand fine. -The pre-flop raise looks perfect. -The flop bet is great: any draws are gutshot straight draws, so they aren'y priced to stick around.I won't even talk about your opponent's play (TERRIBLE!) Cheers,Merby

QUICK! Delete the results.... give us a chance to respond without knowing the results, then you can post them after we have made some suggestions.

Your play was not too bad... but I think there could have been some improvements:Pre-flop: I like your raise pre-flop. With so many limpers, nobody has shown any strength and this seems like a good spot to try to take down the pot (or at least "weed out a few hands). I make this raise for two reasons: 1) With so many limpers I may well have the best hand and take this pot down pre-flop. 2) I want to weed out the weak hands and "find out where I'm at" in this hand.I am partly trying to take this hand down, so I want to put in a big raise: I suggest moving all-in here. Nevertheless, since

The cutoff's play was indeed very goofy--Downright terrible:Before I elaborate, I want you to consider two thngs: --> Had you (or one of the blinds) currently been raising a lot of hands pre-flop? --> Were most hands being raised pre-flop?If either is the case, then perhaps he was pretty sure his pre-flop call was still safe since he felt there was a high probability of being able to reraise.Even if he was confident that there was going to be a raise, he should have pumped more than $8. As you pointed out, the pot was around $18.50 with his raise, pricing a lot of hands to call the

I just read my above post, and it sounds like I thnk AK is huge. I should mention that AK is a drawing hand, and not worth much if you miss the flop. My above comments were talking about the times that you do catch top pair on the flop, but snce you had not raised pre-flop, have failed to correctly judge your opponents' hands (or allowed them to catch up, as in the posted hand).Don't get married to ANY pre-flop monster hand!Cheers,Merby

Raising AK hasn't been working out to well for me, for awhile. I think I only might raise it late in position if its suited. More hassle then its worth, its entirely overrated. I feel better raising 77 then AK, and that doesn't say much.I agree that there are times when calling (instead of raising) pre-flop with AK is a good move. For example: 1) Smooth-calling with the plan to come over the top of a very LAG player to your left (trap money in the pot first, then isolate the maniac.) 2) Calling a late-position raiser from the BB whn there are no other callers. 3) Some one reraises your in

Ok I will answer this.By the time it gets to the river, there are three overcards to your sixes, a straight, and an opponent who has shown strength on all streets. Even though you have a read on him as being LAG, I say you win this showdown roughly 5 percent of the time (at best). After all, even LAG players have to get cards on occasion. Indeed, he may have been bluffing and backed in to a better pair than your sixes.Nevertheless, before you automatically click <fold>, you have just committed 2100 of your original 2700 chips to this draw. If you fold here, you become the short sta

No, it's a tough laydown HU. I probably go bust on this hand too.Sorry for the slow response, DrawingDead: I went focused on getting more work done for a couple of hours. This is my last post today: I'm about to head off to work.Cheers,Merby

I've noticed my post count skyrockets every time I am real busy in real life (...uhh procrastination...)Cheers,Merby

Yeah, but it sure is fun talking to yourself! It lets you see what life would be like with multiple personalities. (jk)Sadly, you cannot expect this time to be my regular sumbission time: I am pulling an all-nighter working against a Monday 8 am deadline (hence the off-and-on posting tonight...)*Now's the time when my other personality yells at me to get back to work.Cheers,Merby and Merby....and Merby

Definitely bet the turn. Whatever your standard continuation turn bet has been will suffice (1/2 pot sounds good).Think of it this way: If on a draw, he will call a turn bet if you lay him the right price. If you check and the river bricks, then he will not call a bet on the river. On top of that, your turn bet and his call will build the pot to the point where he may take a stab at it even if he does not get there on the river.Cheers,MerbyPS. DrawingDead, I thought I would resurrect some older threads to give us more to talk about as opposed to the same 5 or so threads we keep contribu

A sound evaluation, except......the villian never raised on the flop. In fact the villian never took control of the hand until the river. He check-called it down all the way.I really can't put him on a hand like an overpair (talk about the S...L....O......W ..P......L.......A..........Y). The only way he can play AA any slower is to fold pre-flop... because you'd never suspect the folded hand to be the monster... You'd never see it coming!I could have put him on an underpair or maybe a weak ten, nevertheless, since you bet and he raised on the river, I would still not reraise. Your riv

Glitches? Hey mods, ban this guy will ya! :-) (SW)Heh! You'll lose your biggest contributor in the NLHE Strat section. Just sayin'. Thanks though, really.Good... Then there will be less competition for me to overcome enroute to my goal:MERBY'S LONG TERM FCP FORUM GOAL: Slowly take over the NLHE strat section and *slowly* but surely fill it with worse and worse advice until *eventually* anyone who reads (and follows) the advice in that section will turn into ATMs.... I can see it now! The FCP NLHE community will be my personal cash machine! Mua haha! <Evil maniacal laughter ensues>Ju

A sound evaluation, except......the villian never raised on the flop. In fact the villian never took control of the hand until the river. He check-called it down all the way.I really can't put him on a hand like an overpair (talk about the S...L....O......W ..P......L.......A..........Y). The only way he can play AA any slower is to fold pre-flop... because you'd never suspect the folded hand to be the monster... You'd never see it coming!I could have put him on an underpair or maybe a weak ten, nevertheless, since you bet and he raised on the river, I would still not reraise. Your riv

Whoops... Yeah, I knid of misinterpreted your last post, Drawing. I guess since I saw you quote me, my ego kicked in and I assumed your comments were directed at me.Cheers!

I completely agree with DrawingDeadInDM. On the flop, after he min-raises you, you will have put half your stack in to call. To me, that is decision time: either we push now, or we fold. You are risking half your stack on a draw to 8 or 10 outs on the flop: the draw will not arrive often enough to just call him down. I recommend pushing, as you gain enough fold equity (in my mind) to make up for the times where he calls and wins.Cheers,Merby

I agree: it's a good mindset, but a very difficult one to maintain. I would like to say that I always maintain that mindset, but I've gone on my share of rants after losing a big pot to a suckout. (I know I shouldn't berate the opponent, but occasionally I have been known to ... 'indulge') It can be very cathartic even if it is: 1) rude 2) bad for the game (might scare away the fish)Thankfully, I am able to take it in stride and laugh it off more often than not these days. No I'm not pissed about these two pots. They simply stick in my mind because they both happened in the same *long*

Sh*t, I didnt even notice the redraw (I guess I skimmed a little too quickly through the hand). That changes things!My reply was based on you having the 2nd nut straight with no redraw on the flop. I noticed the flush draw on the flop (hence my suggesting you make them pay to catch it), just didn't notice that you were the player who also happened to have the nut flush redraw. In this case, I am also liable to slow-play it (or fast-play it)... whatever I believe will build the biggest pot, because you are a commanding favourite in this hand. I think your play was able to maximize the pot-si

I strongly recommend check-raising more on the flop. I like the check-raise, but you must put in a significant raise (something on the order of $50 raise for a total of $70-to-go). Obviously the result doesn't change (for his hand), but you will have better results in this situation in the long run.Actually, I am never a fan of the min raise...Cheers,Merby

Hey Daniel,Any plans for another private kidpoker tournement? I missed the sign-up for last night's tournement.Oh, and by the way, I'll start my own flaming:I'm such a newb! Another new member crying for DN's attention!Yeah I am -- and it felt good.Cheers,Merby

I like the way you played the hand. The stop-and-go is unconventional, but I feel this spot is justifiable. In fact, I think this represents an argument why a player should ever stop-and-go.I would have probably reraised the flop (to $12-to-go) with the intention to lead out with 1/2 pot on a safe turn if called. If I am reraised on the flop, I decide I am behind and it boils down to whether I get pot odds of calling to hit one of my four outs (dangerous since I may not be against a straight, in which case I am drawing to runner runner...).You notice that the way I probably would've played

Don't reraise:You have shown strength throughout the hand and have now been reraised the minimum on the river. From the villian's point of view, you have been representing a made hand (either top pair or better) and have been charging the draws. A jack falls on the river, completing the straight draw. There are a couple of possibilities:1) Villian had 78 or (less likely) 8Q or QK and just completed the straight. If you raise here, expect to be reraised all-in (based on your play, the villian *knows* you do not have a straight). 2) Villian had JQ or J8 and his straight draw turned into top

IF you're out of position, you must still lead out on the turn (you can't slow-play your pair of tens, K kicker: too vulnerable -- the turn is a perfect 'brick' as far as you are concerned).If you get raised: Now, we start getting into read territory: who is your opponent, what hands does he play, is he aggressive or passive. Also, what is your table image (maniac, solid, TAG, LAG, etc.)If I have no read on the villian, then we have to go by the other facts. By the turn, with your bet, you will have already committed 30% of your stack. You have top pair, and if he raised you all-in the pot