Poker Video: No Limit Hold'Em by KRANTZ (High Stakes)

Hey Krantz

Thanks for the vid, definitely the best HU analysis I've ever seen. I have a few questions:

1) Early on in the match you 3bet AQo and cbet a 3c7c7x board and c/f a 4 turn. It seems pretty hard for him to have a made hand he's happy betting for value and his range is pretty polarized here between monsters and draws/air type hands that are looking for a fold. Would you ever consider c/cing the turn and c/fing to a river bet? Or do you think he's capable of following through with a high frequency on the river? Maybe this is one of the high variance spots you mentioned you were looking to pass on vs this particular opponent in order to keep him from gaining momentum.

2) ~42 min you turn a K high flush draw with KJd and c/f because you're never good against your opponent's range and that it's unrealistic to expect a float on this board texture. Does this change on a Ah8h4dTd board? (less connectivity/two pair/set possibility, more draws) and if so, how does your line change?

3) ~58 min you check TdTs after 3betting preflop on a fairly connected Q high board. I think this is good for pot control given you're ~150bb deep but are you b/cing against this opponent 100bb deep (especially given your read that he's fairly given to get it in light)? Also, what's your plan for the rest of the hand if he bets this flop?

4) In the QJ hand I agree it's probably closer to a fold- what are you doing with KQ/AQ?

5) During a quiet point during the match you mention it's important to stick to your game plan even if the action slows down- is this because you attributed the inactivity to the cards and not your opponent? I assume you'd open up your game if you noticed your opponent playing tighter. Determining between change in my opponents game as opposed to him catching cards/running cold etc is something I struggle with and I think is a huge part of being a good HU player.

6) Lastly, you seem to have a pretty tight calling range vs your opponents flop checkraises even though he seems to be doing it with a decent frequency and you mention it's possible he's taking some shots at you. Were you planning on opening up your calling range once you had a better idea of what he was doing it with? I don't think he showed down one flop CR

Thanks for any reply you can give and feel free to correct my logic or possible overanalysis.

Sorry I forgot to include this in my original post- do you worry that 1/2 pot cbets induce a lot of floats?

Sorry I forgot to include this in my original post- do you worry that 1/2 pot cbets induce a lot of floats?

Worried, no. Aware? Yes.

Will get to your long post within the next day or two.

Definitely one of the best videos I have ever seen.

Krantz has gambling problems imo

Hey Krantz

Thanks for the vid, definitely the best HU analysis I've ever seen. I have a few questions:

1) Early on in the match you 3bet AQo and cbet a 3c7c7x board and c/f a 4 turn. It seems pretty hard for him to have a made hand he's happy betting for value and his range is pretty polarized here between monsters and draws/air type hands that are looking for a fold. Would you ever consider c/cing the turn and c/fing to a river bet? Or do you think he's capable of following through with a high frequency on the river? Maybe this is one of the high variance spots you mentioned you were looking to pass on vs this particular opponent in order to keep him from gaining momentum.

2) ~42 min you turn a K high flush draw with KJd and c/f because you're never good against your opponent's range and that it's unrealistic to expect a float on this board texture. Does this change on a Ah8h4dTd board? (less connectivity/two pair/set possibility, more draws) and if so, how does your line change?

3) ~58 min you check TdTs after 3betting preflop on a fairly connected Q high board. I think this is good for pot control given you're ~150bb deep but are you b/cing against this opponent 100bb deep (especially given your read that he's fairly given to get it in light)? Also, what's your plan for the rest of the hand if he bets this flop?

4) In the QJ hand I agree it's probably closer to a fold- what are you doing with KQ/AQ?

5) During a quiet point during the match you mention it's important to stick to your game plan even if the action slows down- is this because you attributed the inactivity to the cards and not your opponent? I assume you'd open up your game if you noticed your opponent playing tighter. Determining between change in my opponents game as opposed to him catching cards/running cold etc is something I struggle with and I think is a huge part of being a good HU player.

6) Lastly, you seem to have a pretty tight calling range vs your opponents flop checkraises even though he seems to be doing it with a decent frequency and you mention it's possible he's taking some shots at you. Were you planning on opening up your calling range once you had a better idea of what he was doing it with? I don't think he showed down one flop CR

Thanks for any reply you can give and feel free to correct my logic or possible overanalysis.

1- Well like I said during the video, I really had no reason to believe he was pure floating, so if he wasn't doing that, I just don't think it's ever going to be profitable to continue regardless of which line I take (unless he checks back!). So despite it being hard for him to have a made hand, hey, sometimes they get hit by the deck and you can't do anything. :-)

2- Yep, what you said - in that case, I can do all sorts of things since I likely do have fold equity now... vs Nowa1, I'd likely bet an amount that commits me in case he has a big hand or to deter him from continuing with his weaker hands.

3- I bet and call with shallower stacks against this guy. Against others, who I might induce bluffs from by checking, I check. Less for pot control (since in rred pots you can't really control pot size well) and more for bluff catching. If he bets the flop in this hand, I call and reevaluate depending on the turn card. Not necessarily going broke.

4- going broke with both.

5- Just stick to your read on your opponent and don't worry about the cards. I was relying on the strategy I had developed to beat him and didn't need to start opening more hands to use said strategy, especially since if I did... it would be a weaker strategy. If I had reason to think he was tightening up, though, I'd start splashing around a bit and make him notice.

6- Well, I think that's a product of not c-betting against him very much in this match. He actually only checkraised me like 3x during the whole video, which only seems like a lot since I folded to all of them. I was honestly just hoping to have a defendable hand that wasn't pure air the next time he c/red me so I could get to showdown and figure out what the hell he was doing it with, but yah like you said, we never got to showdown!

Hope that helps - you seem to be thinking correctly about a lot of things already.

Pretty much best steam of conscious HU vid I've ever seen. Looking forward to the series.

Hey Krantz,

Thanks for getting back to me and addressing everything I really appreciate it. Can't wait for more vids!

That was a totally awesome video, I am a very basic and new player when it comes up, but I was still able to relate to a lot of the ideas you put forward in this video. Although I am aware some concepts are currently beyond me, I have to say this video definately turned some cogs. Awesome, can't wait for more of the HU stuff.

Cheers

Good video. I liked the analysis of the KJdd hand where you didn't double barrel.

You seemed to give away your hand strength with betsizing during the match, esp in regards to 3bet and 3bet cbet. In particular, you tended to raise preflop to 600 with premium hands, and only mainly to 500 with random junk. Also cbetting half pot on most flop, but jamming it to 75% potsize range when you have massive equity. Is this just variance play, ignorance towards this particular opponent or something else?

Another question is, you seem reluctant to double barrel A and K high 3bet flops even when you pick up massive outs on the turn. Is this a standard play or only against this specific opponent due to him play fit or fold style? I obv have no idea how high stakes play, but in SSNL it seems to be incredibly profitable to shove turn with pretty much any two on this board because people are expecting you to cbet you here all your range and are peeling with second pair or just plain floating so often. Could you please elaborate briefly?

And thanks. Great vid, I'm hooked

the best video i have ever seen - thank you Krantz

great vid

Enjoyed it, it must feel so good to be on a roll like that, up so much on someone and holding the complete psychological edge.

Still by far the best HU video ever made