Poker Video: Limit Hold'Em by Entity (Mid Stakes)

First. This is the poker equal to recording a song for the first time and discovering you hate the way you sing.

First thoughts, wow an hour, thirty-six. I bet you guys did the whole video I recorded..... oh.... nevermind. So, close.

Time Link to 00:42:02

I'm glad you bring up donk betting.

Lately, I've noticed a ton of donk betting in these games where the villain has a huge donking range, and it seems to be the more agro I get; the more often they donk out on me. Why anyone would donk bet into somebody who cbets as often as I do is beyond me. The only thing I do less than donk bet it seems is fold to weird donk bets.

Donk betting is something I've avoided. My default lines have always been a very "Be the aggressor, keep the initiative, keep the pressure on". I've never found donk betting aggressive; I find it more like a defensive measure that players more often than not use out of fear of A) not getting value or B) hand protection.

So I guess my question is this. "How do I know when to donk bet?"

Time Link to 00:49:46

We've played enough together, that while he takes weird lines with various lines of aggression. I still call him down often enough that on a board that high card and draw heavy, he knows I'm not folding most of my range. So I felt his turn c/r was really strong.

His turn raise is at worse a semi-bluff with a flush draw (which on the river hit),but most likely just a KX hand, and at it's best the nuts. My insta-fold was because I called the turn planning on folding if I didn't improved.

I just couldn't think of any hands I beat other than AT

Time Link to 00:55:10

My read was that he will never bluff in a million years. This guy had open limped, and previously failed to value bet pairs. This hand, I think he bets Ace high and all paired hands, and checks back King high. So we're pretty screwed and I had considered betting, but I think he isn't folding hands I don't bet with a free showdown anyway and he only calls with better.

The check/fold click is something I've worked on. It started as a self-control defensive issue, and as I now decided my self control is better. I'm using it less and less.

Time Link to 01:34:50

I think playing 25/20 isn't such a bad style and there are decent winning players at Cake who it seem take that approach.

Lately more and more I've discovered the need to tighten up because I'm being forced to showdown so much more as I've developed a reputation among the smaller player pool as being hyper-aggressive.

This was fine when I flopped trips every other hand, but now when I make "only pairs" I'm getting TARP'd a ton more.

We've played enough together, that while he takes weird lines with various lines of aggression. I still call him down often enough that on a board that high card and draw heavy, he knows I'm not folding most of my range. So I felt his turn c/r was really strong.

His turn raise is at worse a semi-bluff with a flush draw (which on the river hit),but most likely just a KX hand, and at it's best the nuts. My insta-fold was because I called the turn planning on folding if I didn't improved.

I just couldn't think of any hands I beat other than AT

J9?

FWIW, I think you *might* be giving your opponents too little (or too much) credit, but it's impossible for us to really judge the accuracy of that based on one video. Based on what we saw from that player in this vid it looks like a pretty easy calldown, but like I said, that could easily change if your read trumps that for a good reason.

Rob

So I guess my question is this. "How do I know when to donk bet?"

Look for spots when your opponent will check back sometimes, to start -- that doesn't happen super often but it will happen sometimes when you have a hand like A7 or A8 on a T98 board in a 3-way pot.

I like donkbetting when it makes my hand look weaker than it is (spots like that are pretty good as well) because your opponents will call down with hands that they wouldn't bet, and you prevent yourself from getting 3-bet when you opt to checkraise.

Rob

I just couldn't think of any hands I beat other than AT

I mean, I think I basically said the same thing in the video. QT would be another hand I'd toss out there. I also mentioned that folding to this player in general didn't feel very comfortable to me, but I'm definitely willing to accept your read and roll with it.

Time Link to 01:35:58

Link to the Ray Zee article Rob references.

Time Link to 00:29:08

pygmy,

surprised by your answer to Entity here when he asks you about just cold calling w/A4s.

"It had not crossed my mind" -- sounds eerily similar to advice you recently gave another as a 'leak'.

not trying to be mean, just reminding ALL of us how hard it is to look at situations with a fresh perspective.

which

"It had not crossed my mind" -- sounds eerily similar to advice you recently gave another as a 'leak'.

Yep, I'm highly aware and I take no offense to you pointing it out. I find it much more important to be honest than to protect my pride. I'll stand by what I said - it IS a leak.

i wish i could point to the exact video/member video you were commenting on.

One really cool thing I have taken away from DC is the need to have an independent set of eyes looking over your play. And THEN, a third set of different eyes!

I used to talk poker with a few players, but found out that soon it became a "yah, look at that play, how bad was that?" discussion.

Now, I am learning to talk/read many players, some of the very players with whom I disagree MOST. They have a style quite different, so their perspective figures to enrich more than re inforce.

In a learning framework, that can be very powerful!

which
PS Yes, I am speaking of Casoubon, mikefut and others.

i wish i could point to the exact video/member video you were commenting on.

Oh that's no problem. I can do that. Close but No Cigar Episode 1. Though I don't fully understand why you want to know / how it matters.

Time Link to 00:51:58

folding a pair HUHU? This is the first hand you've seen against this opponent. I tend to be very SD bound at the beginning of a match and don't want to fold a pair here, especially because so many people will wanna bluff the scare Ace card. Especially don't like that you pushed the check/fold button, because the 3 on the river didn't change the situation, which then means you were giving up on the turn instead of value checking the turn with 4th pair.