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Poker Video: No Limit Hold'Em by BalugaWhale (Mid Stakes)

This was a good one. Creating image is great but I think at a point where everybody is 3-betting everybody, I might be better of 3-betting for value and widen that range, than addings bluffs to the range.

There is one thing I didn't hear you talk about in this episode: What about HUD stats?
Even if game dynamics are very splashy pre flop and even if people are 3-betting a lot, the regulars still know you have a 3-bet of 3%?

So you need to add some bluffs in your range to get paid off. What hands would you include if you want to have a tight 3-betting range but still so that people might suspect that you are doing it light?

The argument for PLO vs the argument for NLHE next week?

I was wondering what your thoughts are for 3betting some of our stronger hands against a reg's open with a weak player in the blinds. For example, I often am unsure of what to do when a reg opens the CO and I'm OTB with hands like AQ, AK, TT-QQ, etc. I think a lot of times it is better to just flat these hands to let the weaker player in the pot. I know you've talked about this before, but how do you decide which option is better in these spots? Does it just depend on dynamics and the preflop mistakes you expect CO to make vs. the value to be gained by letting the fish in the pot?

Very nice short, as usual and in general great DCShortseries - I enjoy it a lot, thx

One question out of interest:
Do you personally still play activeley atm? If so, do you plan on future liveplay-series?

Very nice short, as usual and in general great DCShortseries - I enjoy it a lot, thx

One question out of interest:
Do you personally still play activeley atm? If so, do you plan on future liveplay-series?

i do play some at the moment, its a little bit complicated.
would be happy to work on a liveplay series, though as you may note, I tend to focus on things that will apply across all modes of poker (broad theory as opposed to acute tips)

Andrew

I was wondering what your thoughts are for 3betting some of our stronger hands against a reg's open with a weak player in the blinds. For example, I often am unsure of what to do when a reg opens the CO and I'm OTB with hands like AQ, AK, TT-QQ, etc. I think a lot of times it is better to just flat these hands to let the weaker player in the pot. I know you've talked about this before, but how do you decide which option is better in these spots? Does it just depend on dynamics and the preflop mistakes you expect CO to make vs. the value to be gained by letting the fish in the pot?

well, it just depends on how egregiously our opponent will make mistakes preflop. So, if you know your opponent is so tilted that he's going to ship suited connectors preflop, then obv you have to 3-bet with QQ. However, most of the time your reg won't actually make that many mistakes (remember that stacking off with JJ against your QQ isn't that big of a mistake against your range in general).

Of course, it also depends on how egregiously bad the fish is. Some of these guys are so call-happy that you can 3-bet the reg AND expect to get called by the fish. So, use your own judgment.

Andrew

This was a good one. Creating image is great but I think at a point where everybody is 3-betting everybody, I might be better of 3-betting for value and widen that range, than addings bluffs to the range.

There is one thing I didn't hear you talk about in this episode: What about HUD stats?
Even if game dynamics are very splashy pre flop and even if people are 3-betting a lot, the regulars still know you have a 3-bet of 3%?

So you need to add some bluffs in your range to get paid off. What hands would you include if you want to have a tight 3-betting range but still so that people might suspect that you are doing it light?

I don't play with a HUD, so that's probably why I didn't talk about it.
If you're only 3-betting 3% in general, and your opponents are folding to your 3-bets, then loosen up and bluff. But, if you're only 3-betting 3% in general, and your opponents AREN'T folding to your 3-bets, well... you know what to do.

Remember, it's not about what you have, its about what people [i]think[i/]you have. So, if your opponents think you never bluff, but you bluff ONCE and fold to a 4-bet or showdown J6s, and then they think that you DO bluff a lot, your work is probably done.

Andrew

well, it just depends on how egregiously our opponent will make mistakes preflop. So, if you know your opponent is so tilted that he's going to ship suited connectors preflop, then obv you have to 3-bet with QQ. However, most of the time your reg won't actually make that many mistakes (remember that stacking off with JJ against your QQ isn't that big of a mistake against your range in general).

Of course, it also depends on how egregiously bad the fish is. Some of these guys are so call-happy that you can 3-bet the reg AND expect to get called by the fish. So, use your own judgment.

Andrew

Makes sense. Thanks.

Wow a liveplay series would be the def. nuts!!! Please do it!! ;-)

Hey,

It doesn't really make sense to me to combat the general way of play. I mean I liked a lot the idea which you said once, that when the game dynamics shifted towards the more aggressive approach 3betting only premiums would be a great counter strategy, agreed on that. But in the same time everybody's using a HUD these days and they will definitely not play back vs a 3% 3 bet range.

It only takes few dozens of hands to get a read on the preflop tendencies of a player, and then adjust accordingly, imo people start playing back a lot when they see a 3bet % >= 10 or so, not just mindlessly being paranoid mode and 4bet all the time.

BTW any reason why the 3bet stat is not a good one to use?

Hey,

It doesn't really make sense to me to combat the general way of play. I mean I liked a lot the idea which you said once, that when the game dynamics shifted towards the more aggressive approach 3betting only premiums would be a great counter strategy, agreed on that. But in the same time everybody's using a HUD these days and they will definitely not play back vs a 3% 3 bet range.

It only takes few dozens of hands to get a read on the preflop tendencies of a player, and then adjust accordingly, imo people start playing back a lot when they see a 3bet % >= 10 or so, not just mindlessly being paranoid mode and 4bet all the time.

BTW any reason why the 3bet stat is not a good one to use?

For exactly this reason-- it's not situational. So, if my 3-bet is 14% over 5k hands, but THIS SESSION (only been 100 hands) I am 3-betting 3%, my opponents are going to be pretty tempted to play back even still-- the 14% will usually mean more to them than the 3%.

Andrew

Ok, I see, good to use in mid stakes/ high stakes when you have k's of hands on the regs you're playing against, not very applicable in smaller games where you can't manipulate stats like that (because of the usual much lower sample).

Also I think the stats that became available these days where you can see the specific 3bet% of an opponent vs you diminishes our maneuverability preflop a bit.

Thanks for the reply!

Ok, I see, good to use in mid stakes/ high stakes when you have k's of hands on the regs you're playing against, not very applicable in smaller games where you can't manipulate stats like that (because of the usual much lower sample).

Also I think the stats that became available these days where you can see the specific 3bet% of an opponent vs you diminishes our maneuverability preflop a bit.

Thanks for the reply!

even in higher stakes games stats are still NOT situational.

andrew