Poker Video: No Limit Hold'Em by sthief09 (Micro/Small Stakes)

Looking forward to this. I always learn a great deal from your vids Sthief09.

I'm playing in this vid. Sthief09 and Tecmo thanks a lot for analysis. Watching this video is great way to improve for me.

Time Link to 00:00:04

I was thinking about barreling turn too. That's why I made bigger c-bet. My thinking in that kind of spots is: I bet bigger on flop so I win more money when he folds to second barrel.

In this hand pot on turn would be 100$ so I need to bet around 55$ to put villain in decision for all his chips because its very likley that I have monster here and will shove river.

I agree with pre flop size, this deep I should go at least for pot size raise. This smaller 3-bets in squeeze spots is something that I'm trying right now, squeeze puts a lot of pressure on villains so it don't have to be very big but disadvantage is that sometimes you get few callers.

Time Link to 00:23:59

I misplayed this hand you explained it very well but I have one question. What if turn is something like 3? Now he can have a lot of unpaired straight draws so I think it would be good idea to check to let him bluff. And if you would check what are you doing after his bet ?

Time Link to 00:06:53

About KQs:

I think the main determining factor on calling or 3betting this hand would be whether or not that 3rd guy calling is a fish (45/36 stats or something). You are deep so if you have a read that he will call a raise it's best to try and get him into a 3 bet pot since most players at this limit, fish included, have more trouble post flop which is where you will get your edge. So, 100bb I'm just calling since he's in the SB to keep him in the pot. 200bb I'm definitely 3betting.


Either way calling is good, but I just think that squeezing to something like 20 (or more since you are deep) is definitely better here. Also, I think that on these deep stack tables suited hands like a-xs, KQs, and suited connectors go up in value since flush and straight hands go up in value and top pair goes down in value the higher you get. So I think that's even more the reason to squeeze KQs.

Time Link to 01:00:05

I called J9o because he raised only 3bb on ante table and we were deep. I know that it's kind of loose but I don't think it's horrible.

On river I know it's great spot for him to overbet as a bluff and really bad to overbet for value. I decided to fold because in the past I made few calls in spots like that and my opponents always showed nuts


And I messed up link in second post, it's KQs around 5 minute.

Time Link to 01:17:46

AQs - I don't like folding AQs too but I had few reasons to fold:
1. I raise UTG so I don't expect BTN to squeeze very light
2. I didn't know anything about BTN so it can be really difficult to play against him
3. Tight player call my raise and he is HJ so he may call with some strong hands for deception in this spot from time to time.

Usually I will call in spots like that but here I just decided to make tight fold.

88 - I thought that raising will look very strong against his UTG open and c-bet in 3way pot but calling and betting 2 streets or raising turn will look strong as well so you are right that I should try to get the money in faster.

Running hot that session on video felt sooo good

Thank you again for reviewing my vid !

Just FYI, ante tables are also deep tables. So max buyin is 200bbs.

I was thinking about barreling turn too. That's why I made bigger c-bet. My thinking in that kind of spots is: I bet bigger on flop so I win more money when he folds to second barrel.

In this hand pot on turn would be 100$ so I need to bet around 55$ to put villain in decision for all his chips because its very likley that I have monster here and will shove river.

I agree with pre flop size, this deep I should go at least for pot size raise. This smaller 3-bets in squeeze spots is something that I'm trying right now, squeeze puts a lot of pressure on villains so it don't have to be very big but disadvantage is that sometimes you get few callers.

KQs hand, right? Often I tend to go smaller on the flop if I want to barrel the turn. By betting smaller on the flop I let my opponent call with weaker hands/draws that will fold the turn.

It's not a necessity. You could definitely make the argument that you want to bet bigger so we make more when villain folds the turn. Basically, it's volume vs. efficiency.

About KQs:

I think the main determining factor on calling or 3betting this hand would be whether or not that 3rd guy calling is a fish (45/36 stats or something). You are deep so if you have a read that he will call a raise it's best to try and get him into a 3 bet pot since most players at this limit, fish included, have more trouble post flop which is where you will get your edge. So, 100bb I'm just calling since he's in the SB to keep him in the pot. 200bb I'm definitely 3betting.


Either way calling is good, but I just think that squeezing to something like 20 (or more since you are deep) is definitely better here. Also, I think that on these deep stack tables suited hands like a-xs, KQs, and suited connectors go up in value since flush and straight hands go up in value and top pair goes down in value the higher you get. So I think that's even more the reason to squeeze KQs.

I agree on your points. The SB only had 11 hands so 45/36 tells me he's likely to be a regular. 4-bet frequency is also very important here.

I called J9o because he raised only 3bb on ante table and we were deep. I know that it's kind of loose but I don't think it's horrible.

On river I know it's great spot for him to overbet as a bluff and really bad to overbet for value. I decided to fold because in the past I made few calls in spots like that and my opponents always showed nuts


And I messed up link in second post, it's KQs around 5 minute.

I still think it's bad against a TAG. Likewise, if a TAG minraise OTB in a non-ante game, I'd still be 3-bet/folding. He can too easily outplay us with position+deep stack/pot, initiative, and often a better hand. Against a fish or in position, you can play it profitably.

This is basically why I was saying I think it's okay to open small OTB in the ante games. It's still difficult for player in the blinds to really open up and take advantage of you, despite the excellent price you're laying. If villain had opened to 3x in the CO, I'd argue that J9o is very playable on the button.

Time Link to 00:03:48

I think a check shove here would be the best play. He's going to bet most air a lot i think. If we shove we almost never get called by worse. If he happens to bet call with a pocket pair we have outs.

I think a check shove here would be the best play. He's going to bet most air a lot i think. If we shove we almost never get called by worse. If he happens to bet call with a pocket pair we have outs.

I keep going back and forth on this. I think both plays are solid and have their own advantages. Checking doesn't have a lot of downside since the hands that floated a 4-bet sometimes have only 3 outs. The problem is that we'd almost certainly bet our air on a 772r after 4-betting preflop. I think a check looks fairly obvious that we're going for a c/r. He might not take the bait unless he's mindlessly aggro.

A bet might be even be more likely to induce an aggressive action than a check. For him to flat a 4-bet, he probably thinks we're bluffing a lot. So when the flop comes 772r and we bet, he might decide that we're bluffing enough to semibluff shove something like KQdd or AQ if he happened to call the 4-bet preflop.

Overall, I think this is a spot where we should just be c-betting pretty much our entire range given the flop texture.

I agree on your points. The SB only had 11 hands so 45/36 tells me he's likely to be a regular. 4-bet frequency is also very important here.

But since we are out of position wouldn't our opponents be most likely to call?

I think 4-bet frequency isn't really as much of an issue at these stakes since they will have position on us and are more likely to call or at least that's what I've been seeing a lot of the past month or two since I've been back.

I could definitely be wrong here but I'd like your take on it. TBH I don't even have 4b frequency as a stat or ever check it since anyone who 4 bets me a lot stands out like a sore thumb...I might need to start doing that.

Don't get me wrong...I've definitely been seeing some of the higher limit players videos such as Ansky's talk about shoving their mid pair's (66, 77 etc.) to squeezes from aggro players but I haven't seen this much with players at 1/2 and below. On the other hand, I've seen an absurd amount of calling. This is on stars btw so it might vary a little from site to site.

But since we are out of position wouldn't our opponents be most likely to call?

I think 4-bet frequency isn't really as much of an issue at these stakes since they will have position on us and are more likely to call or at least that's what I've been seeing a lot of the past month or two since I've been back.

I could definitely be wrong here but I'd like your take on it. TBH I don't even have 4b frequency as a stat or ever check it since anyone who 4 bets me a lot stands out like a sore thumb...I might need to start doing that.

Don't get me wrong...I've definitely been seeing some of the higher limit players videos such as Ansky's talk about shoving their mid pair's (66, 77 etc.) to squeezes from aggro players but I haven't seen this much with players at 1/2 and below. On the other hand, I've seen an absurd amount of calling. This is on stars btw so it might vary a little from site to site.

So your read in your games is that mostly unknown regulars will call a lot of 3-bets in position and not 4-bet a lot. Then without information it makes sense to be 3-betting. If you happen to have stats and a large sample on some or all of the players, I'd definitely take a look and see if they 4-bet a lot before 3-betting. You don't need it on your HUD but it's default on the HEM popup so I'd recommend getting used to it.

Let's flip the situation around and make us the PFR. We open in the CO, BTN calls, SB who might be a fish calls, and BB who is an aggro regular squeezes 200bb deep. I like this as a 4-bet bluffing spot for us. First off, BB's range for squeezing is likely fairly wide. I think lots of people don't like calling 4 ways with hands like AQo, AJo, KQo, KJo, KTo, QJo, so I'd expect those to squeeze often. Secondly, there is lots of dead money. Finally, if we do 4-bet, we're leveraging our entire stack vs. the BB. For the most part, he's either 5-betting and committing 200bb or he's folding. The only hands that can really feel totally comfortable 5-betting without history/reads are AK, AA-QQ. The rest of his squeezing hands probably fold. Even JJ, TT, AQ, AJs are in a crappy spot. Put together the dead money, a reasonably wide 3-bet range, and a narrow 5-bet all-in range, and you have a recipe for a profitable 4-bet bluffing spot.

That's why I'm hesitant to just auto 3-bet KQs here. If villain is aggressive preflop he might see the situation similarly to how I am seeing it. Your read is that this is rare in your games. I buy that and you can go ahead and 3-bet. I just wanted you to know exactly why I fear a 4-bet here and why I'd usually check for villain's 4-bet frequency before I squeeze.

So your read in your games is that mostly unknown regulars will call a lot of 3-bets in position and not 4-bet a lot. Then without information it makes sense to be 3-betting. If you happen to have stats and a large sample on some or all of the players, I'd definitely take a look and see if they 4-bet a lot before 3-betting. You don't need it on your HUD but it's default on the HEM popup so I'd recommend getting used to it.

Let's flip the situation around and make us the PFR. We open in the CO, BTN calls, SB who might be a fish calls, and BB who is an aggro regular squeezes 200bb deep. I like this as a 4-bet bluffing spot for us. First off, BB's range for squeezing is likely fairly wide. I think lots of people don't like calling 4 ways with hands like AQo, AJo, KQo, KJo, KTo, QJo, so I'd expect those to squeeze often. Secondly, there is lots of dead money. Finally, if we do 4-bet, we're leveraging our entire stack vs. the BB. For the most part, he's either 5-betting and committing 200bb or he's folding. The only hands that can really feel totally comfortable 5-betting without history/reads are AK, AA-QQ. The rest of his squeezing hands probably fold. Even JJ, TT, AQ, AJs are in a crappy spot. Put together the dead money, a reasonably wide 3-bet range, and a narrow 5-bet all-in range, and you have a recipe for a profitable 4-bet bluffing spot.

That's why I'm hesitant to just auto 3-bet KQs here. If villain is aggressive preflop he might see the situation similarly to how I am seeing it. Your read is that this is rare in your games. I buy that and you can go ahead and 3-bet. I just wanted you to know exactly why I fear a 4-bet here and why I'd usually check for villain's 4-bet frequency before I squeeze.

Makes a lot of sense, well put. I'll definitely be checking into that 4 betting frequency stat much more often.

Last question : Would your thought process be the same if we were 100bb deep and we were confronted with the same situation? How would it change and would you ever 4b bluff as the PFR?

Very good video and your knowledge of the game is great!

Makes a lot of sense, well put. I'll definitely be checking into that 4 betting frequency stat much more often.

Last question : Would your thought process be the same if we were 100bb deep and we were confronted with the same situation? How would it change and would you ever 4b bluff as the PFR?

Very good video and your knowledge of the game is great!

From the CO's perspective, he probably won't be able to 4-bet/fold 100bb deep. Any 4-bet is likely to be committing, so shouldn't really be bluffing. As a result, the BB's squeeze should be more effective in taking the pot down 100bb deep.

I'd be likely to flat the KQs 100bb deep because I'm closing the action and the stack/pot ratio is set up nicely in a 4-way single-raised pot. I don't see squeezing having the benefits that it would 200bb deep.

I think the big adjustment against a typical regular is just tightening up OOP deep-stacked. 3-bets are less effective so reduce your frequency. You want to mix up your range to be unpredictable, so you can throw in 3-bets with 44, QTs, A5s (hands that play well deep-stacked). But a hand like A9o, that I would consider squeezing 100bb deep, I would just muck 200bb deep OOP. Conversely, open up your ranges when you have position, for raising, 3-betting, and calling raises.

Time Link to 00:38:24

With the the K7s, would it be better to make 3bets a bit bigger here? I'm thinking I like 11bb at least, considering--like you say in the vid--we are deep, and we're going to be getting called more. True we have position, so getting called isn't horrible, but I'd think we would be just as happy with a fold here. (I mean, not when we can flop the nuts, obv. )

Time Link to 00:44:02

This discussion could be expanded into a whole video...or even series. More please

Also, do you think raising K2o on the BTN with the bad loose player in the sb is not necessarily going to be fun unless you get folds?

Time Link to 01:01:04

Shut your mouth! I live in KC...I'm dead on the inside this season.

With the the K7s, would it be better to make 3bets a bit bigger here? I'm thinking I like 11bb at least, considering--like you say in the vid--we are deep, and we're going to be getting called more. True we have position, so getting called isn't horrible, but I'd think we would be just as happy with a fold here. (I mean, not when we can flop the nuts, obv. )

Generally I'd prefer to make my raises smaller in a spot where I'm likely to be bluffing a lot. Calling too many 3-bets OOP is a leak that's easy to exploit, so I'm happy to let him make that mistake.

This discussion could be expanded into a whole video...or even series. More please

Also, do you think raising K2o on the BTN with the bad loose player in the sb is not necessarily going to be fun unless you get folds?

I'd say HU in position with K2o vs. a fishy SB caller would be a +EV spot. So if you have a tight BB it's not too bad. K2o is obviously very trashy though. Even K5o is a good amount stronger.

Shut your mouth! I live in KC...I'm dead on the inside this season.

ouch. good news is teams can make quick turnarounds in the NFL.

Just wanted to say thanks to Josh for allowing me to do this vid w/ him

Just wanted to say thanks to Josh for allowing me to do this vid w/ him

Thanks to you for taking the time to make the video more interesting!

Time Link to 00:04:56

which sites do you play on Josh? and why? thanks

good video

Time Link to 00:47:45

On FTP, there is a faster way to determine if someone has raised you pot. If you made/called the bet before the raise, you should always be getting 2:1. So if the amount written on the "Call $X.XX" button is half the amount of total pot, it was a pot sized raise.

Obviously sthief's method is better to get into the habit of because you can use it in any environment, but if you hate math this way is easier.

Again, this only works if you are the one who bet and got raised. If someone else bet and a third party raises, your odds will be different. But in that case you usually have a good idea whether or not you're continuing