Micro Stakes Online NL Poker Forums

tl;dr; first two paragraphs are just me ranting.

After ending my 20k+ hands heater on zoom, I managed to go down shittons in 6-max, made some adjustments after a larger thread on here and felt like I played much, much better. The results didn't show that thought, more like breakeven for the next 30k hands (thought canceling out the initial -10bi due to nitty bad play at regular 6-max).

Still working on boardtextures for c-betting, expanding my valuebets (first time in my poker-career I feel like I can actually take profitable lines postflop with weaker hands). But a feeling doesn't cut it. If the profits don't come after the plays, I'm doing it wrong? Right. No. Not in poker. It's a delicate little problem; playing "good" and losing money, but challenging at the same time.

Anyways, I think it've managed to eliminate most straight up bad calls, but seeing that my bad result often comes from a lot of pots in the size of 10-40bb where I've folded makes me suspect that I'm either playing some pots too big, or that I just make too many folds in the wrong spots. This often occurs on drawy boards where I believe I most often have the best hand on the flop, but am not happy to face a shove, or to check (say AcKs, making it 4x pf, bb calls, flop TcJhKh).
It also comes with the counter-problem; if I slow down I feel like I risk being bet off a hand. Facing a bet is really scary and opens up for me making huge misstakes. Say something like AsQs, making it 3.5x pf, button calls, flop is Qd7c5d, I 4/5-pots it. Turn is 4s. A close-to-pot bet would pretty much commit me, a 1/2-pot bet would look really weak and I think may give my opponent all sorts of crazy ideas, a check is also weak, gives a free-card and gives up my initiative/control. I think I have the best hand here but I'm afraid of any reaction to it.

I'm running about 17.5/14.5 this month (30k hands split between zoom and regular 6-max, stats ironically identical with 2140 (14.93%) vs. 2149 (14.04%) hands won in both games, regular showing +$12.97, zoom showing -$17.18). w$wsf 40%, wtsd 26%, w$sd 58%, c-bet 57%, don't know how to check c-bet success, but sorting by c-betting the graph is up, up, even thought the red line is pretty breakeven.

Enough about stats, here are some hands to serve as examples:

Hand 1: Zoom, villain's 18/11 over 25 hands, problem is I don't know how to continue, I could call but if I face a turnbet that's just bad. I would prefer call and check-down, bringing up a spot where I'm afraid to face a raise:
button: $4.65
sb: $1.37
Hero (bb): $2.00
utg: $2.04, hj: $1.29, co: $2.06

Pre Flop: ($0.03) Hero is with K A
2 folds, co calls $0.02, 1 fold, sb raises to $0.06, Hero raises to $0.18, 1 fold, sb calls $0.12

Flop: ($0.38) J K J (2 players)
sb checks, Hero bets $0.24, sb raises to $0.64, Hero folds

Hand 2: Zoom, no specific reads, I think I'm ahead on the flop a lot and wouldn't mind seeing one of them fold for a heads-up pot from there on. The 9 didn't change my position by much but 3-handed I don't know how to continue. I.e what am I beating and how can I play it through on the river without hero-calling? A check-down would be nice for me.

button: $2.07
sb: $5.35
Hero (bb): $2.00
utg: $6.33
hj: $1.97
co: $2.03

Pre Flop: ($0.03) Hero is with 7 7
1 fold, hj raises to $0.06, 2 folds, sb calls $0.05, Hero calls $0.04

Flop: ($0.18) 6 4 3 (3 players)
sb checks, Hero bets $0.10, hj calls $0.10, sb calls $0.10

Turn: ($0.48) 9 (3 players)
sb checks, Hero checks, hj bets $0.10, sb calls $0.10, Hero folds

Hand 3: Zoom, no specific read, starting to be able to play JJ well postflop. I'm currently experimenting with a lower 3-bet sizing for hands that like people to call but gives me plenty of maneuverability if overcards falls, so far I believe it's working great, but I guess I need to check out pt-stats on that after a couple of more hands.
This is the type of spot where I'm scared shitless of a raise, but think I'm ahead a lot. Problem is if I check back turn and he leads on the river, I'm pretty fucked. Plus i would like to price out the club-draw if he wants to make misstakes. A check would pretty much scream "I don't have a queen and I think you may have one!"

Hero (BTN): $2.00
SB: $2.11, BB: $0.88, UTG: $1.53
MP: $8.51
CO: $2.32

Pre Flop: ($0.03) Hero is BTN with J J
1 fold, MP raises to $0.06, 1 fold, Hero raises to $0.14, 2 folds, MP calls $0.08

Flop: ($0.31) 5 8 Q (2 players)
MP checks, Hero bets $0.22, MP calls $0.22

Turn: ($0.75) 7 (2 players)
MP checks, Hero bets $0.50, MP raises to $8.15 all in, Hero folds

Hand 4: Regular 6-max, illustrating a spot where I choose to check and ended up in a pretty shitty spot. Problem here was that I had about $1.6 behind, betting 45 cents makes the stack-to-pot very large for any river and doesn't really price out draws. I would be betting pretty much my stack that he has a lone king, ten, pocket-pair or draw if I bet. If I had a hand, this may be a spot where I'd consider overbetting thought.
But what would he call with that we've got beat? JJ? KJ? Acxc? I'm just weirded out so I went for the check, facing that bet I'm dreading.
Guy's 22/11 over 18 hands if that would affect anything.

BTN: $0.94, SB: $1.55, BB: $2.00, UTG: $1.76
MP: $2.35
Hero (CO): $2.03

Pre Flop: ($0.03) Hero is CO with A K
1 fold, MP raises to $0.08, Hero raises to $0.16, 3 folds, MP calls $0.08

Flop: ($0.35) 7 K T (2 players)
MP checks, Hero bets $0.28, MP calls $0.28

Turn: ($0.91) Q (2 players)
MP checks, Hero checks

River: ($0.91) 2 (2 players)
MP bets $0.88, Hero folds

So the main questions were;
Figuring out if I'm folding too much, what stats should I be looking for?
Based on the thread, do you think I'm folding too much?
Resources for handling these types of spots?
Fear of being bet back at, making me unconfident in some spots, resources, tips?

Also, terribly sorry for the threadnaught. Seems like it's my third, uugh...

Anyways, I think it've managed to eliminate most straight up bad calls, but seeing that my bad result often comes from a lot of pots in the size of 10-40bb where I've folded makes me suspect that I'm either playing some pots too big, or that I just make too many folds in the wrong spots. This often occurs on drawy boards where I believe I most often have the best hand on the flop, but am not happy to face a shove, or to check (say AcKs, making it 4x pf, bb calls, flop TcJhKh).
It also comes with the counter-problem; if I slow down I feel like I risk being bet off a hand. Facing a bet is really scary and opens up for me making huge misstakes. Say something like AsQs, making it 3.5x pf, button calls, flop is Qd7c5d, I 4/5-pots it. Turn is 4s. A close-to-pot bet would pretty much commit me, a 1/2-pot bet would look really weak and I think may give my opponent all sorts of crazy ideas, a check is also weak, gives a free-card and gives up my initiative/control. I think I have the best hand here but I'm afraid of any reaction to it.

Keep betting and cross that bridge when you come to it.

Keep betting and cross that bridge when you come to it.

I've been running with this a lot, it works most of the time, since most of the time my hand is not that weak, the pot hasn't grown that big and the board is not that drawy.
But say hand 5, a "let's just not worry" mantra feels wrong as well, since I'll be commiting about 75bb into a 50bb pot on a drawy board with a pair of kings.

Oh, well, I guess maybe I'm just playing 3-bet pots completely flawed. Big pots, high cards, that a pair of kings is a standard turn-ship on drawy boards... But the nitty brain of mine says "don't trust that shit until someone proves it to you better", so... Any resources about that?

I am going through the same transition and only in the last few days have finally began to just trust myself. I have lost over half my roll with hero calls, then being too afraid to bet for fear of the raise. I to, was looking at winnings, and letting them effect my decisions.

It wasn't until a recent long (for me session) where it just started to click, and I started to feel comfortable. If I won a big pot it was no big deal. If I got sucked out on, same difference. I just keep betting, and if they raise, I usually have to fold. I'm cool with that I've seen the results of my hero calls. I don't have to second guess myself any more.

Am I maybe missing out on some pots? Probably, but I'm fine with that. I'm fine with missing out on a couple pots here and there if it means I'm not calling away 2-3 100bb stacks in the process.

Yea, I added a second paragraph to my response there. Childlike delight in my head, hoping that it's true, because then I've just found a major leak in my game, which means I got something pretty important and fun to work on!

I've been running with this a lot, it works most of the time, since most of the time my hand is not that weak, the pot hasn't grown that big and the board is not that drawy.
But say hand 5, a "let's just not worry" mantra feels wrong as well, since I'll be commiting about 75bb into a 50bb pot on a drawy board with a pair of kings.

Oh, well, I guess maybe I'm just playing 3-bet pots completely flawed. Big pots, high cards, that a pair of kings is a standard turn-ship on drawy boards... But the nitty brain of mine says "don't trust that shit until someone proves it to you better", so... Any resources about that?

You beat = 88, 99, JJ, KJ, QJ, AQ, AT, A9s,
You tie = AK
You lose = 77, QQ, AA, QT, KT, KQ,

I may have missed some, and this is just guessing based off of the 11 range since you 3bet. I just needed some hands. A lot of the hands you beat call that flop bet at least one street. On the turn most of the hands that will beat you will raise. Some will just call (this does make for a tricky river at times). You will push out some draws and will get value from some.

If you bet 3/4 or so OTT and get shoved on I think you can fold. Which I still think bet folding is cool here. I don't like the check behind as much, but the blank on the two allows you to call a river bet, because there are so many missed flush and straight draws coupled with worse pairs than you out there who want to steal the pot.

Just my thoughts though, I'm trying to get better as well.

Hand 1 - I think this is fine. Most players aren't playing KQ/KJ this way. It's possible villain has complete air here, but we don't have that read, and villain seems nitty so far.

Hand 2 - I would bet the turn. As played, I'd call the bet.

Hand 3 - 3 bet larger preflop for value. I would 3x the MP open. Rest looks good.

Hand 4 - Bet the turn for value. Villain raises most sets on the flop, and the Q can give villain equity: KJ, QJ, AQ, JJ, plus villain can still call with clubs, a backdoor spade draw, 98s. As played, I'd call the river, since your hand is underrepresented, there are a ton of missed draws, and villain could be value betting KJ/KT/AQ on the river.

Thanks for the input, guys! Would love to see some more input on the general input thought.

But here's two hands from today;

Hand 5: Zoom, guys stats indicate tightness, but over an insignificant sample of 11 hand or so (at zoom I think low samples are even worse since you don't know what positions you have played them in). I don't read in too much to the stats and believe I can extract some value with AJ.
Flop has a flushdraw but I c-bet him since if the stats are correct he may fold out some Ax, Kx and baby pockets. Turn did complete the flush-draw and if he called with something like KQ, Qx, xdxd, I'm behind, not much value in betting on the hopes that he has TT or something.
River gives me second two, I bet since I believe his two checks are pretty weak, if he has a flush I believe your average player would be afraid of not getting bet at on the river. I may get value from KQ, Qx, Jx, TT, lower aces or two-pairs.

Is this a hand where my relative value s low and thus it's a fold? It's so hard to not be results-oriented when looking up these spots. If he calls or show J5, I would probably smile, shrug and say "ez game". And if I fold I may end up making a long thread about how I think I'm losing value by folding too much.

BTN: $2.52, SB: $2.10, BB: $2.31
UTG: $2.38
Hero (MP): $4.72
CO: $1.63

Pre Flop: ($0.03) Hero is MP with A J
UTG raises to $0.06, Hero raises to $0.16, 4 folds, UTG calls $0.10

Flop: ($0.35) Q 5 7 (2 players)
UTG checks, Hero bets $0.24, UTG calls $0.24

Turn: ($0.83) J (2 players)
UTG checks, Hero checks

River: ($0.83) A (2 players)
UTG checks, Hero bets $0.46, UTG raises to $1.34, Hero calls $0.88

I agree that his line is odd on hand 5, but what can he be check/raising the river with that we beat here? Remember, he raised UTG. The only hands I can think of are A5 and A7, which if he's only playing the suited versions account for exactly 2 combos. Even those he's not likely to check/raise. If he's doing something like turning QK into a bluff, you get outplayed and oh well. I think the 3 bet preflop against an UTG villain you read as tending towards tight is a little questionable to begin with. Not that it's necessarily bad, but I think I'd want a good feel for his post flop game before getting involved in this marginal situation, even with position and initiative.
Hand 1 with effective stacks of <70 bbs, I'm probably calling and getting it in on the turn and yeah, probably losing a decent percentage of the time but at that point you only need like 35%. Against {KK+, JJ, ATs+, K8s+, QTs+, J8s+, AKo, AJo, KTo+, QJo, JTo } you're 43% and that's a really pessimistic range.
Hands 2 and 4 I'd play like you did hand 3 and just keep betting til they tell you not to.

The c bet stat looks pretty low, maybe look for better spots to c bet, especially in position, and especially in heads up pots when you don't necessarily have a strong hand.

Hand 1: I normally hate when people say "at these limits", BUT at these limits you cannot fold TPTK on decently dry flops vs non-full stacks without a good read.

Well, I see your point but I don't really agree. My experience says that there's a large section who never has it unless they bet and a section that seens to bets precisely because they don't have it. So I can't really go with just a statement.

One thing I realize is that maybe I'm good at giving people too narrow a range. I.e when people call my c-bet I often think that it must be pockets! ... Not that good, here's a hand from just now where I realized that not calling would give him a range of 100% sets.

BTN: $2.15
SB: $1.41
Hero (BB): $2.00
UTG: $1.98, MP: $1.59, CO: $1.18

Pre Flop: ($0.03) Hero is BB with K Q
4 folds, SB raises to $0.06, Hero calls $0.04

Flop: ($0.12) K 8 3 (2 players)
SB bets $0.08, Hero calls $0.08

Turn: ($0.28) Q (2 players)
SB checks, Hero bets $0.22, SB raises to $1.27 all in, Hero calls $1.05

I feel like I need to work on my ranges and actually act upon my conclusions. Which is a little big scary since it involves me calling down vs. people showing aggression, But I guess I'll learn if I try hard enough!

I like the way you played that last hand, Calling in position is cool. Just calling the flop bet is nice as well there is really only one draw tere and you have backdoor to second nut flush if it hits, plus you give him another oppy to shovel more money your way on the turn.

The turn is obviously a great card for us as it puts a ton of broadway straight draws out there, and brings along another flush draw (though at this point a spade draw is pretty unlikely. Alot of these draws are also bringing along a pair as well. I think the check raise screams semi-bluff, and with top two I think this is a pretty easy call. If he has a set, so be it.

If the turn is a blank instead of a Q then this is a pretty tough decision and I'm probably confused but just folding because I've been burnt too many times calling bets like this with top pair.

I'd actually like to see the results of this one as I am working with some of the same dilemmas with hero calling/ folding.

coucan never fold KQ in that spot bvb, def. call brick rivers and probably most rivers at all

Hand 5: 3bet bigger, Bet Turn
Hand 6 (KQ) : Definite Call.