spavlovb

lol, its the characters like you fellas that keep me lurking here. I'm a small stakes player that has learned a lot from FCP. I enjoy poker a ton but have a good job and don't have the time/balls/motivation to put in the time necessary to become a great player. I'm a winning player that benefited a lot from challenge thread but cant blame them for leaving because they really were coaching a ton of people without any benefit to them.

As a super lurker I can attribute the lack of talented players to two things:1. Change just happens. There was a time when live pros like Harry Demetriou, Josh Arieh, Paul Phillips, etc posted here. Not all the time, but occasionally. They moved on to other things, other people will do the same.2. The higher stakes/very talented players wanted a place to discuss high level strategy without people asking stupid questions and somewhere where their competition couldn't see their thought process. And who could blame them. With that said, the loss of the challenge thread/4bb crew was a sad d

I'm in just in case you lose connection. No hands so far.

As coach used to say, I'm just one injury away from playing!I'll probably play either way so IM me if someone drops out.

spavlovb (tempe) on stars <-------- great sleeper pickimo.

In if anyone wants to draft a sleeper. Will pay my own wayspavlovb on both stars and tilt. stars statstilt stats

Fairly new to cash game, all comments welcome.Villian is very solid TAG, no odd plays so far. I have only seen him re-raise pre-f once and didnt show down. I am probably viewed as TAG too, although I had raised the last two hands pre-f and didnt show down either hand. PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.25 BB (5 handed) Poker Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: FCP)saw flop|saw showdownSB ($24.60)BB ($32.40)Hero ($32.25)MP ($43.80)Button ($24.65)Preflop: Hero is UTG with J , J . Hero raises to $0.75, MP raises to $2.5, 2 folds, BB calls $2.25, Hero calls $1.75.Flop: ($7.60

I dont know if its right nor not, but this is exactly what I did. In this position pre-flop, I flat probably 60%, raise 40%. I raised specifically here becayse the SB had been loose pre-f and I didnt want him to see the flop with us for cheap. I usually shy away from marginal situations early in tourneys, especially double stack like this one, and that was the reason for fold. Any other opinions?

I think if you're trying to be LAG, then the pre-f raise should be a little smaller. Your going to be playing a ton of pots so you should try to see them a little cheaper I think. Probably 120-150 works.Flop is tough, but that is the life of LAG. LAG players get stuck in these spots a lot and making the right decision is key. I think this is a fold. I think, at best, you are up against a pair and str8 draw/flsh draw, at worst you are practically dead.

Played 2 other hands with villian, oddly enough, both with JJ and both with him in BB.Hand 1: Stole his blind with 4xbb betHand 2: He flat called my 4xbb bet, he check/folded to 6xbb bet on 9 5 5 board. PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t20 (9 handed) Poker Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: FCP)saw flop|saw showdownBB (t2900)UTG (t3280)UTG+1 (t2910)MP1 (t2980)MP2 (t3060)MP3 (t2900)CO (t2960)Hero (t2850)SB (t3160)Preflop: Hero is Button with J , J . 4 folds, MP3 raises to t80, 1 fold, Hero raises to t240, 2 folds, MP3 calls t160.Flop: (t510) 5 , 9 , 8 (

I think shoving is best. UTG can almost be discounted completely cause he has 2 BB and has to go all in no matter what. I think UTG+1 could easily have ATo+, 55-AA, maybe even KQ to isolate UTG.You dont have very many chips left if you call anyway so you will be pushing lesser hands the rest of the way. Argument can be made for folding because this table is weak/tight. But, unless you are willing to take advantage of that and push weak hands to steal blinds then I say push right now.

Yeah, snap call that. You really played the hand fine, to be honest, that is almost a gin flop for you and that stage of the tourny. I c-bet that flop almost every time and therefore call the push.You would feel just as bad if you checked behind on the flop, and let him push you off the hand with like 5's or 8's or something.Get the chips in!

Preflop is fine. Flop bet is fine too. Everything else just doesnt make sense. The only way your line works if you put him exactly on 33 or 55 or something like that and knew he would bluff away his chips.Without reads, you are just being a calling station. Facing a reraise, with that many chips in the pot you need to make a decision right there. Your either going to give up the hand, push your eights, or call and push any card you deem to be a "scare card" for him on the turn.What hand do you expect to beat on the river? Only AK, A7, 89, or 45 that I can think of and the last two both pr

I think the numbers will show that you win enough against his range to make the push +EV...he said the table was really weak/tight and folding to all in raises.

Converter not working.Early in STT, blinds 15/30.PokerStars (7 handed) Poker Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: FCP)Preflop: Hero is MP2 with Q , A , 3 , T . SB posts a blind of 15. 1 fold, MP1 calls 30, Hero calls 30, CO calls 30, 1 fold, SB (poster) completes, BB raises 150 to 180, MP1 calls, Hero calls, CO folds, SB folds.Flop: 7 , Q , 4 (3 players) BB bets 120, MP1 calls , Hero calls.Turn: Q (3 players)BB bets 210, MP1 calls, Hero raises 960 to 1170Only read was BB probably had AA & or A2, the other player maybe A2 or heart draw.New to the game, please co

New to the game, any and all comments welcome.Converter a little messed up, stacks are:UTG (1511)Button (6591)SB (4183)Hero (2715)Blinds 100/200STT - three get paidPokerStars (4 handed) Poker Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: FCP)Preflop: Hero is BB with 5 , A , 2 , A . SB posts a blind of 100. 2 folds, SB raises 200 to 400, Hero raises 800 to 1200, SB calls.Flop: K , J , T (2 players)SB checks, Hero checks.Turn: 7 (2 players)SB bets 2400, Hero folds.Final Pot: Standard or am I a wuss?

Can someone run the numbers on this range, please? Are we in that bad of shape against this considering we are attempting to increase our stack by 25%? I still think I'm pushing....either way, the jump in pay isnt going to factor in my decision.

everything but being UTG screams push so I close my eyes and push...dont forget to cross your fingers.Edit - I assume you mean the antes are going up to 600, not down to 200. Either way, I shovel. The blinds are going to take such a huge part of your stack that you have to do it now and just hope for the best.

Wow, super tough spot. I probably bet a little more on flop (2600 - 2900) but your bet is fine. I think a set or flopped straight would raise that flop, same with AdKx.Any read on this guy?As played, I lead out for 5500 and call a shove. Checking just leaves too many options to the other player and almost all his options keep us guessing.

Ok, I guess post flop decision is standard but the preflop play seems to be more interesting. Are we transparent if we flat call, meaning does villian know we have AA/KK? If so, then does he have the odds to set mine knowing he will probably get all our chips if he hits? If not, then is flat call +EV here against a solid player that probably wont push pre-f with anything less then AK, JJ+?

I dont have the HH, but here it goes.Chip Stacks:UTG+1 - 6500 - solid TAG player, only unusual play was early pos limp pre-f with QQ that worked perfectly when he got 99 to reraise and get it all in preflop.MP2 - 640 - no notes. Hero (CO) - 4500 - playing TAG. Blinds 50/100 - Hero Dealt AcAhUTG+1 limps, MP2 pushes all in for 640, Hero calls, UTG + 1 calls.Flop - Q 4 5 (Pot = 2070) low cards diamonds.UTG+1 checks, Hero bets 800, UTG thinks for about 5 seconds and pushes all in. Hero? My thoughts:I normally would re-raise pre-f and scoop up the short stack all in but I got greedy instead.Flop

This is pretty accurate.Like I said, I thought it was marginal at the time but the more I though about it, pushing was the best option.Normally I would assume AA, KK, QQ from a limp push and strength from a flat call but here was my though process:1) This is chipleaders first hand and since he has such a huge chiplead, I think he is trying to isolate or just willing to gamble. 2) Flat call behind me indicates strength, but AA, KK, and QQ would probably re-raise to not give UTG limper odds to call. Probable range is 22-QQ, AJs +.I pushed, and was INSTA-called by both players. I start crying

Not many reads. UTG is huge chipleader and this is literally his first hand at our table. MP1 moved over 7 hands prior and hasnt done anything unusual.Seemed like a hard spot at the time, but the longer think about it, it seems pretty standard. PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t100 (9 handed) Poker Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: FCP)UTG (t14930)Hero (t3465)MP1 (t3190)MP2 (t2070)MP3 (t5850)CO (t2400)Button (t1340)SB (t3095)BB (t3665)Preflop: Hero is UTG+1 with J , J . UTG calls t100, Hero raises to t475, MP1 calls t475, 6 folds, UTG raises to t2000

so it sounds like I should probably push more in the early stages with middle pairs and draws to get a big stack early.