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Good point , these days my image has grown from tight TAG of 19/16 to 22/19 , or there abouts ,

FWIW from an image standpoint I'm not sure there is a lot of difference between a 19/16 and a 22/19 in the eyes of this villian.

I'll throw in a 3 bet example.

The first is a bvb against a 15/9 nit with a 80% fold fold to steal, 0% 3 bet and a 33% fold to cbet.

Poker Stars $0.25/$0.50 No Limit Hold'em - 5 players - View hand 172541
The Official DeucesCracked.com Hand History Converter

BB: $57.65
UTG: $13.40
CO: $52.80
BTN: $50.00
Hero (SB): $52.20

Pre Flop: ($0.75) Hero is SB with T J
3 folds, Hero raises to $2, BB calls $1.50

Flop: ($4.00) K 2 3 (2 players)
Hero bets $2.50, BB calls $2.50

Turn: ($9.00) 4 (2 players)
Hero bets $5, BB calls $5

River: ($19.00) 5 (2 players)
Hero bets $12,

Preflop is standard. Cbet is standard on a dry K hi flop. Normally I'd probably give up after the flop, but when I picked up the flush draw I decide to fire again as a semi bluff. Again normally I'd probably be done after the turn. The river brought the possible wheel though. I figured a fair amount of his range was pairs below K and maybe KQ. He probably also figures my range has a lot of Aces so I'd be able to get him to fold a good amount. I'll leave out the results for now.

One more, this time against a 100/50 drooler over ~20 hands.

Poker Stars $0.10/$0.25 No Limit Hold'em - 4 players - View hand 172544
The Official DeucesCracked.com Hand History Converter

CO: $34.20
BTN: $13.05
SB: $25.00
Hero (BB): $25.00

Pre Flop: ($0.35) Hero is BB with Q J
1 fold, BTN calls $0.25, 1 fold, Hero raises to $1, BTN calls $0.75

Flop: ($2.10) 6 8 T (2 players)
Hero bets $1.50, BTN calls $1.50

Turn: ($5.10) A (2 players)
Hero bets $3, BTN calls $3

River: ($11.10) 2 (2 players)
Hero bets $8,

Preflop again I think is standard since his range is huge. His fold to a cbet was only 13% at the time (I know very low sample size), but I have good equity here. On the turn I thought the Ace was a good barrel card. On the river the 2 doesn't change much, but the board is fairly drawy and he can have all kinds of weak stuff so I fired one more time.

Ok last one I promise...

I include this one not because I think it's a good example. Actually overall I think this hand sucks. I through it out there because one downside of the book is I think I have started to overestimate my steal equity. The book definitely makes you think more about steal equity and it's something I need to improve, but I've found myself thinking too often "hmm I should fold here, but I gots me some steal equity" lol. Just curious if any one else experienced this. (Side note if about any other card comes on the river this actually works - still don't like it - fold preflop lol)

And if anyone cares the guy I isolated was 37/26 and the caller was 55/28.

Poker Stars $0.10/$0.25 No Limit Hold'em - 6 players - View hand 172548
The Official DeucesCracked.com Hand History Converter

BB: $30.00
UTG: $42.95
MP: $31.30
Hero (CO): $42.70
BTN: $31.70
SB: $25.00

Pre Flop: ($0.35) Hero is CO with 7 J
1 fold, MP calls $0.25, Hero raises to $1, 2 folds, BB calls $0.75, 1 fold

Flop: ($2.35) K 3 6 (2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets $1.75, BB calls $1.75

Turn: ($5.85) 9 (2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets $3, BB calls $3

River: ($11.85) 2 (2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets $7, BB calls $7

Final Pot: $25.85
BB shows 4 5 (a straight, Deuce to Six)
Hero shows 7 J (high card King)
BB wins $24.60
(Rake: $1.25)

I'll throw in a 3 bet example.

The first is a bvb against a 15/9 nit with a 80% fold fold to steal, 0% 3 bet and a 33% fold to cbet.

Poker Stars $0.25/$0.50 No Limit Hold'em - 5 players - View hand 172541
The Official DeucesCracked.com Hand History Converter

BB: $57.65
UTG: $13.40
CO: $52.80
BTN: $50.00
Hero (SB): $52.20

Pre Flop: ($0.75) Hero is SB with T J
3 folds, Hero raises to $2, BB calls $1.50

Flop: ($4.00) K 2 3 (2 players)
Hero bets $2.50, BB calls $2.50

Turn: ($9.00) 4 (2 players)
Hero bets $5, BB calls $5

River: ($19.00) 5 (2 players)
Hero bets $12,

Preflop is standard. Cbet is standard on a dry K hi flop. Normally I'd probably give up after the flop, but when I picked up the flush draw I decide to fire again as a semi bluff. Again normally I'd probably be done after the turn. The river brought the possible wheel though. I figured a fair amount of his range was pairs below K and maybe KQ. He probably also figures my range has a lot of Aces so I'd be able to get him to fold a good amount. I'll leave out the results for now.

Preflop isnt standard id always raise 1.50 here into any nit , rare times he calls we are OOP and a cbet isnt going to work that often.
I like the turn bet , perhaps on the small side ?? but id give up on the river , we dont want to bluff or get into big pots with nits. Your going to be stealing so much from him that on that rare occassion he calls i think you can let him have it when your cbet doesnt work.

One more, this time against a 100/50 drooler over ~20 hands.

Poker Stars $0.10/$0.25 No Limit Hold'em - 4 players - View hand 172544
The Official DeucesCracked.com Hand History Converter

CO: $34.20
BTN: $13.05
SB: $25.00
Hero (BB): $25.00

Pre Flop: ($0.35) Hero is BB with Q J
1 fold, BTN calls $0.25, 1 fold, Hero raises to $1, BTN calls $0.75

Flop: ($2.10) 6 8 T (2 players)
Hero bets $1.50, BTN calls $1.50

Turn: ($5.10) A (2 players)
Hero bets $3, BTN calls $3

River: ($11.10) 2 (2 players)
Hero bets $8,

Preflop again I think is standard since his range is huge. His fold to a cbet was only 13% at the time (I know very low sample size), but I have good equity here. On the turn I thought the Ace was a good barrel card. On the river the 2 doesn't change much, but the board is fairly drawy and he can have all kinds of weak stuff so I fired one more time.

lol this is like the hand i posted !!! Ive learned to just give up on the river vs real loose calling stations , hes not letting go of any made hand here , i notice this hand is 25nl , how goes your attempt at 50nl ?

Ok last one I promise...

I include this one not because I think it's a good example. Actually overall I think this hand sucks. I through it out there because one downside of the book is I think I have started to overestimate my steal equity. The book definitely makes you think more about steal equity and it's something I need to improve, but I've found myself thinking too often "hmm I should fold here, but I gots me some steal equity" lol. Just curious if any one else experienced this. (Side note if about any other card comes on the river this actually works - still don't like it - fold preflop lol)

And if anyone cares the guy I isolated was 37/26 and the caller was 55/28.

Poker Stars $0.10/$0.25 No Limit Hold'em - 6 players - View hand 172548
The Official DeucesCracked.com Hand History Converter

BB: $30.00
UTG: $42.95
MP: $31.30
Hero (CO): $42.70
BTN: $31.70
SB: $25.00

Pre Flop: ($0.35) Hero is CO with 7 J
1 fold, MP calls $0.25, Hero raises to $1, 2 folds, BB calls $0.75, 1 fold

Flop: ($2.35) K 3 6 (2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets $1.75, BB calls $1.75

Turn: ($5.85) 9 (2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets $3, BB calls $3

River: ($11.85) 2 (2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets $7, BB calls $7

Final Pot: $25.85
BB shows 4 5 (a straight, Deuce to Six)
Hero shows 7 J (high card King)
BB wins $24.60
(Rake: $1.25)

I dont think you should worry about what cards on the river you might be able to steal with , i think this is cbet and give up spot , esp into 2 loose aggressive villians

Since you posted a hand like mine Langerz , i got to thinking maybe vs these type of real loose stations we shouldnt be barreling without a strong hand , here is another example and im beginning to think a check back might be the better play , against any other villian we are almost always going to barrel when we pick up a turn card that helps us so perhaps these are the spots that need checking back

Villian is a 40/6

Party Poker $50.00 No Limit Hold'em - 5 players - View hand 172858
The Official DeucesCracked.com Hand History Converter

BTN: $50.50
SB: $39.85
BB: $50.00
UTG: $53.35
Hero (CO): $115.95

Pre Flop: ($0.75) Hero is CO with T 8
1 fold, Hero raises to $1.75, 1 fold, SB calls $1.50, 1 fold

Flop: ($4.00) 9 3 2 (2 players)
SB checks, Hero bets $2.50, SB calls $2.50

Turn: ($9.00) 7 (2 players)
SB checks, Hero bets $6.00, SB calls $6

River: ($21.00) 2 (2 players)
SB checks, Hero checks

Final Pot: $21.00

but id give up on the river , we dont want to bluff or get into big pots with nits.

I agree generally we don't want to get into big pots with nits without strong hands. In this case though I don't think he ever calls without an A and I don't think at this point I don't think he has a lot of A's.

lol this is like the hand i posted !!! Ive learned to just give up on the river vs real loose calling stations , hes not letting go of any made hand here , i notice this hand is 25nl , how goes your attempt at 50nl ?

I noticed it's a lot like your hand too. I think the main difference though is the board is quite a bit wetter.

Not sure to answer the attempt at 50 NL question. I played 30,000+ hands at 50NL at over 15bb/100 and then a couple hundred thousand hands of 100NL as a small winner. I've been way on the wrong side of variance the last couple months though (or I just suck) and I'm down at 25NL at the moment for the most part. Was feeling like I was on my way back and then got stacked in the last hour by J3o 82s and T2o. So you'll probably see mostly 25NL from me for a while.

FWIW from an image standpoint I'm not sure there is a lot of difference between a 19/16 and a 22/19 in the eyes of this villian.

I agree with this. I wasn't thinking in terms of stats. I was thinking in terms of what actions they have seen you take recently and how might that color their perceptions of you.

Preflop isnt standard id always raise 1.50 here into any nit

+1. By raising smaller we give ourselves a better price on a steal when we are stealing and increase our chances of getting action with a great hand when we have something. It's pretty much the best of both worlds.

Although this could be correct if you were going for postflop expectation, but I'm still not sold on that concept being correct. Eventually I'll go watch BalugaWhale's videos and see what he has to say on it. Most likely I've just missed something.

a cbet isnt going to work that often.

-1. He'll have a strong range to be sure, but more often than not the flop still doesn't bring great news. And when it doesn't, he gives up unless you've put him on tilt by incessantly picking on him. He's a nit. That's their thing.


I think the turn and river bets here are interesting. I'd need to play around with pokerstove before I decide if I like them or not.

One more, this time against a 100/50 drooler over ~20 hands.

Poker Stars $0.10/$0.25 No Limit Hold'em - 4 players - View hand 172544
The Official DeucesCracked.com Hand History Converter

CO: $34.20
BTN: $13.05
SB: $25.00
Hero (BB): $25.00

Pre Flop: ($0.35) Hero is BB with Q J
1 fold, BTN calls $0.25, 1 fold, Hero raises to $1, BTN calls $0.75

Flop: ($2.10) 6 8 T (2 players)
Hero bets $1.50, BTN calls $1.50

Turn: ($5.10) A (2 players)
Hero bets $3, BTN calls $3

River: ($11.10) 2 (2 players)
Hero bets $8,

Preflop again I think is standard since his range is huge. His fold to a cbet was only 13% at the time (I know very low sample size), but I have good equity here. On the turn I thought the Ace was a good barrel card. On the river the 2 doesn't change much, but the board is fairly drawy and he can have all kinds of weak stuff so I fired one more time.

Do you think that if you bet more on the turn (maybe 4) he might be more tempted to let more of his weak hands go? I wonder if the near half-pot bet tempts him into a call a lot.

Since you posted a hand like mine Langerz , i got to thinking maybe vs these type of real loose stations we shouldnt be barreling without a strong hand , here is another example and im beginning to think a check back might be the better play , against any other villian we are almost always going to barrel when we pick up a turn card that helps us so perhaps these are the spots that need checking back

Villian is a 40/6

Party Poker $50.00 No Limit Hold'em - 5 players - View hand 172858
The Official DeucesCracked.com Hand History Converter

BTN: $50.50
SB: $39.85
BB: $50.00
UTG: $53.35
Hero (CO): $115.95

Pre Flop: ($0.75) Hero is CO with T 8
1 fold, Hero raises to $1.75, 1 fold, SB calls $1.50, 1 fold

Flop: ($4.00) 9 3 2 (2 players)
SB checks, Hero bets $2.50, SB calls $2.50

Turn: ($9.00) 7 (2 players)
SB checks, Hero bets $6.00, SB calls $6

River: ($21.00) 2 (2 players)
SB checks, Hero checks

Final Pot: $21.00

I think the best play here may be highly dependent on villain's particular tendencies.

If he peels a flop like that light and then folds the turn unimproved facing a barrel, but would bet if you checked to him, then I think betting is probably the best play. In addition to your straight outs, hitting a T or an 8 might give you the best hand too.

If he peels a flop like this light and then tries to check it down, and would also likely call a lot of your turn bets, I think checking is probably best. He's not likely to fold and you'll get to see the river unless he's really strong, in which case barreling wouldn't be profitable anyway.

I'm interested in hearing what other people would do here.

+1. By raising smaller we give ourselves a better price on a steal when we are stealing and increase our chances of getting action with a great hand when we have something. It's pretty much the best of both worlds.

I don't know I have always made it 4x in the SB - if he calls you are going to end up playing OOP so I like to bump it up a little extra to discourage having to play hands OOP. Although I'm not sure how many people adjust there ranges at low stakes to different preflop raise sizes.