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

Yeah the real Episode 3

nice, finally. been waiting all day for this thx

Hey guys,

Having some problems with the WMV upload right now but the MP4 is up and good to go.

thanks,
Rob

Excellent series, really rooting for a heads up episode / series, please please

Time Link to 00:56:15

If we are 3B/folding AJ on the bottom right, then are you saying that you would rather call the open instead of 3B since we are IP?

Time Link to 00:36:30

You remember here what that train of thought was about calling weaker hands out of position, completing stuff from the sb and having to devalue your hand OOP. Then the AQ hand pops up and we lose the interesting rant again . I'd like to hear the end of it

Great vid, super great series so far. Keep it up. I feel that the proces you are going through (also with the feeling getting played back at) perfectly resembles how it actually goes for a lot of players trying to get better and overcoming that and handling that and always trying to make the corect decisions uninfluenced by emotions will make the better winning/crushing players stand out and move up to and trough the midstakes.

Best serie for a MicroGrinder like me. Thanks guys !!

Time Link to 00:11:21

With T8s on BTN vs min raise of fish you suggest to 3bet to iso. That confused me a little bit, because from your previous videos (CT) I got the idea that it's good to play suited connectors in a small multiway pot with position. That makes me want to call. Can you clarify a bit more on why we should 3bet?

this is interested question let say on the blinds we have very agress. player that shoove a lot, then T8s we call in ip?

is not better to 3 bet this kind of hands oop?because this hands bad to play oop then is fold or 3 bet?

Time Link to 00:50:08

Just a thought but i think one of the reasons we can contribute as to why Kristy is getting 4bet so often is her 3bet stat on every table is pretty big. Its something i havnt heard you talk much about yet Andrew is our image on the table and how we should adjust , given Kirsty is playing very loose and aggressive with a much higher than average 3bet % i think we should expect to get played back at alot more.

Great video !

yes but how kristys plays is the best play?

but A5o on CO , i think to loose?

But now i am thinking how Kristy plays is the right play? loose and agg

With T8s on BTN vs min raise of fish you suggest to 3bet to iso. That confused me a little bit, because from your previous videos (CT) I got the idea that it's good to play suited connectors in a small multiway pot with position. That makes me want to call. Can you clarify a bit more on why we should 3bet?

Maybe because getting HU against the fish is better then taking a multiway flop, and because of the risk of getting squeezed by one of the binds (as mentioned).

Just my thought, but would also like to see Baluga's response to this

Time Link to 00:59:04

The whole idea that people are just picking up hands here when they 4 bet us just doesn't add up to me considering the amount we are 3 betting (>25% if I am reading the stats corrctly) even at 50NL people will adjust and 4 bet light. Seems to me if we just tighten up our 3 bet value range (and throw in some junk - polarizing as you said) then we can 5 bet/get it in much lighter Vs these guys. I guess what I am saying is that I don't think it is a coincidence that we are getting 4 bet a ton from a load of different players (note there are many more regs in this session than previous sessions too) - I just don't believe they are all 4betting JJ+/AK (normal value 4betting range for 50NL I would think).


EDIT: I posted as watching but I just saw shades mentioned ths above too.

Hey I have a question on something mentioned a few times here.

What does it mean to "polarize"?

Great video btw

Hey I have a question on something mentioned a few times here.

What does it mean to "polarize"?

Great video btw

To divide your range between extremes (normally value / bluffs).

So, if you 3-bet a polarized range - you are 3-betting your best hands (JJ+/AK) on one extreme, and 'junky' hands (T7s, K8s, A6o) on the other extreme.

With your value hands, you're happy to get 4bet so you can shove, with your weak hands, you are using them as bluffs so you don't care if your opponent shoves.

another common spot is when your opponent makes a really big bet and you wouldn't expect them to do that with a marginal hand.

In that case, they normally have a very strong hand, or a bluff - but nothing in between. Here, his river betting range is 'polarized', as either a very strong hand, or a bluff.

you story above not always is the true, you also need to look what kind of player villian , his stats f3b and also fcb.
when f3b is low you can 3 bet value hands always and junky hands better then to fold i guess
and when i 3 bet JJ and very tight player goes to 4 bet me then JJ go in the MUCK. I also think so it depends of the gameflow also who is behind of you.

Baluga:

You were in middle of a thought process about the equity discount of playing OOP.
Specifically, why we should not be calling very much out of the small blind despite perhaps be getting the 'right price' to do so.
i.e. the difference between hot and cold equity and realisable equity.
And you were continuing on your mantra of thin value and passive dead money creation exploitation with a 3-bet/c-bet strategy.

Whilst I have understood the concept throughout your many videos - I have a couple of questions.
Specifically in late position vs blinds OOP and IP.
Given Pokerstars now has 100-250bb min tables:
With anywhere from 250bb to 500bb effective
How should we adjust our thin value bet range?
How should we view the metric of 3-bet/c-bet dynamic vs regulars where now we are exposed to alot more floating/ thin bluffs given stack depth?
In another words how do we adjust so we do not begin to create too much of our own passive money?

On a different note:
I realise that some of this is within your e-book - just from what I have heard from friends who have bought it.....

But is it possible that you could do a theory only video - where you are less constrained in time - to be able to expand on your ideas and thought process - so viewers can get a more in-depth less hurried perspective on your concepts surrounding these types of spots.

Finally - I think alot of us - would like to hear more thoughts on the effect of stack depth in 200bb effective scenarios in general - to the architecture of alot of your strategic thinking outlined across all your series.

Thanks in advance.

Kristy's PF stats are astronomically LAG so I'd expect some of the regulars that uses HUD to play back pretty soon. Would be interesting to have BW discuss some adjustments once people start playing back.

WMV now posted. Thanks for the patience.
-Rusty

9:55 hands with KQ .Baluga tell we need sqwz it but if SHORT SHOVE what we gonna do ?

Time Link to 00:19:35

Andrew, you said you like when coaches get challenged, so here goes...!

On the raise on table 3 at 19'35 where you slate the reg for his raise with JcKc on the 9cTcAx board. You described it as "terrible". I think this is too strong. After all:

1. I disagree with you that Kristy is very strong when she cbets into 3 players here. Rather, I think she is cbetting all her A's, most often with the intention of folding to strong heat.
2. This in itself opens her up to making a big mistake on a later street, either by folding her best TP or calling if she thinks she's being bluffed/floated on a club or Q.
3. Very often the PFR (Kristy) does indeed fold an A when her cbet is raised. On this occasion, as it happens, the player in the middle called, but the majority of the time he folds (all his small pairs, all his BW/BW non-draws, maybe some weak A's) and so the action gets back to Kristy and she folds a lot of those Ax hands. Or, she flats and cks the turn giving KcJc either a free card or licence to bet us off what is still the best hand. Either way is good for KcJc.
4. When KcJc flats and the player behind and Kristy just call and the turn then bricks and Kristy chks, this KcJc player will now have to chk too and probably have to fold all his equity v. the guy with the set. He'd just have to hope that the setted player either offers the direct odds to cc or that he cks behind (for some reason!).
5. There will be instances when the KcJc player raises their monster draw and gets re-shoved on by a worse hand. I accept this is balanced somewhat by the times he gets re-shoved on by a better hand, but considering KcJc has blockers to many of those better XcXc hands (AcKc, AcJc) that is somewhat lessened as a factor. AcQc is the only disaster hand for Kristy to have and that's 1 combo.
6. You say that KcJc can call and see what happens...but when he flats and the guy with the set raises, it is optimistic in the extreme IMO to hope Kristy will spazz over the top with AJ type hands. So the increased odds you mention KcJc having by shoving at that point seem unlikely to occur that regularly.
7. KcJc in just calling is offering odds to some worse hands to re-draw with worse equity. Again, in this instance KcJc is in trouble continuing on the turn if an 6, 8, J or pairing card hits. That's quite a lot of cards 3-way.
8. When the setted player 3bets KcJc's flop raise of Kristy's open, KcJc is getting it in at their top equity point v. a set (erm, I think! I'll need to stove it but want to make this post based on my gut).

I don't think I'm saying that raising is optimal, but I am just struggling to see it as as huge a mistake as you are.

Enjoying the series a lot BTW. A lot of stuff here is applicable to 100NL and maybe even 200NL players looking to brush up on some really important fundamental concepts that can easily be forgotten in the heat of battle.


Ed: Meh, sorry for long post, and I think my Point 5 above is wrong, since any AcXc hand is bad for KcJc.

I also have a question regarding the KcJc raise on 9c10cAs board.

If I am the player with KcJc and just flat the flop, the turn bricks but doesn't pair the board, am I just going to flat another bet from Kristy, (not even considering that 1010 guy could jam over us), and have about 50 bb committed to a draw?

I think $18 is really bad sizing, so I do agree it's a bad raise, but I think calling puts us in marginal spots too. Does that matter? Is it still better to just call FD's in 3 or 4 way pots?

I normally fold marginal hands in the small blind in a 5/10 structure. What about in a 3/5 structure. What do you think my calling range should be? Esp in live games with loose multiway pots.

what you means with 5/10 structure?

what you means with 5/10 structure?

BB = $10, SB = $5, or any sort of situation where SB is 1/2 of BB.

Sometimes its not - like $2/$5 or $3/$5 or online NL .10/.$25

hey guys, just got back from a scuba trip and am just now looking at your questions here.

1) 3betting AJ is fine if a guy calls (expected at 50nl), but if we get 4bet a lot then its not as fine unless we're 5bet jamming it.
2) 3betting T8s is both A) fine in general against a guy who will call 3bets oop and c/f a lot of flops and B) great in that it prevents other players from playing pots with the fish, especially if theyre aggressive and likely to 3bet/squeeze.
3) i don't imagine that a 1/5 bb difference really affects our plan in the SB (wrt to 5/10 or 2/5 or 3/5 setups).
4) KcJc can't be "terrible" as a play in itself given that the equity is so good. However, the thinking can be terrible even if the play isn't. So, pushing a tiny edge into a strong hand unlikely to fold is terrible compared with pushing a huge edge later. And, if the bottom end of kristys c-betting range are top pair hands that she might fold to a raise (or might not, who knows really?) then her c-betting range is greatly reduced to do table dynamics--and correctly so.

probably missing a few q's, will try to get at them later.

Andrew

Just a thought but i think one of the reasons we can contribute as to why Kristy is getting 4bet so often is her 3bet stat on every table is pretty big. Its something i havnt heard you talk much about yet Andrew is our image on the table and how we should adjust , given Kirsty is playing very loose and aggressive with a much higher than average 3bet % i think we should expect to get played back at alot more.

Great video !

guys, she's getting 4-bet by different people most times. I hardly expect everyone to notice our activity/adjust super quick.
in general, i wouldn't give my opponents credit for adjusting unless i i experience it first hand. then, id start 3-betting/5-betting wider for value (hi AJ) and i'd stop 3-betting QJ etc.

Andrew

I think the "problem" is, Baluga, that you don't use stats and probably never did.
A lot of grinders at the lower stakes shouldn't look to 3-bet stats to much because of small sample size but in reality they do.
I also think people nowadays pretty much know a loose aggressive player like to 3-bet a lot with way more hand then just for value.

So I do think people will notice at some point that Kristy is re-raising a lot. Most will just look at stats, see a high %, and don't consider all the things you should consider when being 3-betted.

I think a lot of the time the thought process is just: He has a high 3-bet %. (ugh, stats, i know)

I also think if you start 5-betting for value, the range people will get it in with is still almost the same. It's like they know they can 4bet as a defense against somebody that 3-bets a lot but then if they get 5-bet they fold most of their range and get it in with the goods.

So, would that mean that a hand like AJ should also be called, just like QJ? or is that exactly the reason we are going to 5-bet for value with a hand like AJ? I can't see how, but that's why I am a member and you are a coach, I have no idea

Not even mentioning that I might outlevel myself into thinking that everybody is 4-betting me light.
a loose strategy is very nice to play and you get value in spots where a tight player never get value, but the skill level of observing needs to be very high to really understand the table dynamics. Atleast, that where I struggled the most with.

I also think if you start 5-betting for value, the range people will get it in with is still almost the same.

Yes I agree. However, if someone is going to 4bet light but still calling 5b shoves all in with his same regular 4b value range (JJ+ AK usually at 50NL, JJ not even always) it means you can start 5b shoving everything against his 4bets, right? The times you win because he folds offset the times he calls JJ+ and AK. That is what I'd think but didn't checked that mathematically or so.

Thats true, I guess. I am just a bit sceptic to use a 3b/4b/5b strategy on a level where most don't really know what they are doing.

you guys are thinking about this in a way thats kinda backwards


i dont like 3-bet 5-betting light cause they always have the goods!

buuut... dont you think they're 4-betting us light all the time???

either way they either have it or they dont, make your choice.

by the way, the vast majority of teh value from 3bet-5betting AJ is that they fold off some 28bb w/o variance. You do that a couple times you can get it in vs KK and have a big smile on your face

in short, id still keep 3-betting in general cause i expect people to call OOP, and if theyd on't, you either 3-bet 5-bet a lot or you call a lot, or if you're a true sicko, you do both

Andrew

Time Link to 00:43:29

Why are we 3betting the 77 there on table 2, against the so far tight player, wouldnt it be much better to call there?

It was asked on the previous video before, where 77 was 3bet 200bb deep vs I believe an UTG raise, but there was never a response.

I am not as confident as you Baluga, when I am playing and I have to find out if somebody is light 4-betting or for value,
it's very easy to copy the language but it's way harder in the heat of the battle and I have been 4-betted 5 times already.

I am not good enough to remember that villian a has 4-betted me 5 times, and villian b zero times. For me, I have been 4-betted for the 6th time once villian b 4-bets me and "grrr.. !!!, I have such a sick image!!! lets go with AJ!!!"

Why are we 3betting the 77 there on table 2, against the so far tight player, wouldnt it be much better to call there?

It was asked on the previous video before, where 77 was 3bet 200bb deep vs I believe an UTG raise, but there was never a response.

Nice point because i always tought pocketpairs we call a raise set mind?

But 3 betting for value you do that when villain not go to fold your 3 bet otherwise it is better to call his raise, then is my quuestion how do you know that when plays without hud?

You know how he responds to 3bets without a hud by 3betting him a few times , or by paying attention and seeing how he responds to 3bets from other players. Also remember that a good player will act different if he's being 3bet IP vs OOP, so don't forget to pay attention to villain's position when he's getting 3bet and how he reacts in each situation.

that is clear ... but 3 betting is sometimes very complex

Hey! You guys are awesome. I was thinking a lot of about what a few of you said about players recognizing my three-bet frequency, so I put all my thoughts down in my DeucesCracked blog...

http://www.deucescracked.com/blogs/snaptress/20531-Computer-Got-Effed

Baluga:

You were in middle of a thought process about the equity discount of playing OOP.
Specifically, why we should not be calling very much out of the small blind despite perhaps be getting the 'right price' to do so.
i.e. the difference between hot and cold equity and realisable equity.
And you were continuing on your mantra of thin value and passive dead money creation exploitation with a 3-bet/c-bet strategy.

Whilst I have understood the concept throughout your many videos - I have a couple of questions.
Specifically in late position vs blinds OOP and IP.
Given Pokerstars now has 100-250bb min tables:
With anywhere from 250bb to 500bb effective
How should we adjust our thin value bet range?
How should we view the metric of 3-bet/c-bet dynamic vs regulars where now we are exposed to alot more floating/ thin bluffs given stack depth?
In another words how do we adjust so we do not begin to create too much of our own passive money?

On a different note:
I realise that some of this is within your e-book - just from what I have heard from friends who have bought it.....

But is it possible that you could do a theory only video - where you are less constrained in time - to be able to expand on your ideas and thought process - so viewers can get a more in-depth less hurried perspective on your concepts surrounding these types of spots.

Finally - I think alot of us - would like to hear more thoughts on the effect of stack depth in 200bb effective scenarios in general - to the architecture of alot of your strategic thinking outlined across all your series.

Thanks in advance.

bump for baluga....

Baluga:

You were in middle of a thought process about the equity discount of playing OOP.
Specifically, why we should not be calling very much out of the small blind despite perhaps be getting the 'right price' to do so.
i.e. the difference between hot and cold equity and realisable equity.
And you were continuing on your mantra of thin value and passive dead money creation exploitation with a 3-bet/c-bet strategy.

Whilst I have understood the concept throughout your many videos - I have a couple of questions.
Specifically in late position vs blinds OOP and IP.
Given Pokerstars now has 100-250bb min tables:
With anywhere from 250bb to 500bb effective
How should we adjust our thin value bet range?
How should we view the metric of 3-bet/c-bet dynamic vs regulars where now we are exposed to alot more floating/ thin bluffs given stack depth?
In another words how do we adjust so we do not begin to create too much of our own passive money?

On a different note:
I realise that some of this is within your e-book - just from what I have heard from friends who have bought it.....

But is it possible that you could do a theory only video - where you are less constrained in time - to be able to expand on your ideas and thought process - so viewers can get a more in-depth less hurried perspective on your concepts surrounding these types of spots.

Finally - I think alot of us - would like to hear more thoughts on the effect of stack depth in 200bb effective scenarios in general - to the architecture of alot of your strategic thinking outlined across all your series.

Thanks in advance.

arghhhhh i wrote out a whole big thing, then typo'd writing "Andrew" at the bottom, and hit delete, and went back a page on accident, and lost it, wtfffffff.

cliffnotes:
1) depth is important but stops increasing significantly in value as you get deeper. this to be explained in a new chapter im working on for a book update.
2) in general you want to be more aggressive.
3) I expect the following mistakes to be made at the 250bb+ games:
3A) People will probably flat 3-bets OOP too much, and they probably won't play well enough postflop to make it profitable (they should probably induce value-ownage more than they should raise, yet they will probably raise too much).
3B) People will probably not adjust their 4-betting range, continuing to do Ax and Kx blocker type hands instead of adjusting to things like KQ or AJ.

about it for now

Andrew

Thanks Baluga.

I am also interested in hearing your thoughts here or in future videos of:
- the interplay between perceived ranges and thinness.
There are alot of FR guys I know who watch your videos and love your work.
And are interested in 3bet play vs overall tighter ranges. I realise that you have covered this sort of stuff in CT2 with Kai (i think) - but more stuff on it would greatly be appreciated particularly with 200+bb stack depth and OOP play....and turn/river board textures with that too much/too little equity balance you talked about this episode.
e.g. nutted draws facing raises or when to check/back - where if you start to shovel u get only nut reg ranges.

Hey great series, am really learning a lot from it. Quick question, anybody know what the session was with durrrr that is mentioned at the beginning? Is it the Aussie millions cash game v Patrick Antonius?

Hate to be negative but I think its a waste for BW to be doing a microstakes series, I think there are plenty of other coaches who could get the job done.

but i love his way to teaching very well

when i watch videosfrom him gave me more info then usually

Ya not sure why you'd complain about BW doing a microstakes series, he's one of if not the best DC coach when it comes to explaining his thought process. If you think that every coach who plays medium to high stakes can make a microstakes series and they'll all be exactly the same quality, you're kidding yourself.

Hate to be negative but I think its a waste for BW to be doing a microstakes series, I think there are plenty of other coaches who could get the job done.

Whilst I am sure this is true to a degree us micro guys still pay the same (and more relative to bankrolls ) and although other coaches could "get it done" we get different insights from Andrew's thought process than most other coaches.

Evilsky from LP?

I watch all my videos offline with downloaded videos. For some reason this videos WMV download is VERY low quality, hardly watchable, the mp4 is a bit better.

I watch all my videos offline with downloaded videos. For some reason this videos WMV download is VERY low quality, hardly watchable, the mp4 is a bit better.

What do you mean by "hardly watchable?" FWIW, the settings used for recording and producing vid were the same as always, so I'm curious what aspects are messed up (is it visual?).

Rob

Time Link to 00:18:17

Can you give examples of what type of poker writing you would be making to help improve your game?

I think this episode is one of the most valuable I've ever watched, just for the discussion about getting played back at. I really shouldn't worry too much about getting run over at the micros. Hearing you say it helped a lot. Thanks for the great video. Keep up the good work.

I think this episode is one of the most valuable I've ever watched, just for the discussion about getting played back at. I really shouldn't worry too much about getting run over at the micros. Hearing you say it helped a lot. Thanks for the great video. Keep up the good work.

Yeah this is a great must watch episode.

With the Pocket TT hand that you talk about for a good 5 minutes(dont feel a timestamp is needed). How would this change if it was an Ad2d5x board. I feel in looser live games you may get called even in 5 way pots by 33 and 44 here but you play so few hands it's hard to know.

00:50:00: We flat MP open from blinds w KJo and you suggest a value C/R w TP. With our dynamic with this player are we really getting that much value? Is he calling a C/R worse hands to justify getting more value out of a c/r than c/c and letting villain double? This is a spot where I really don't understand, I mean KTo is just maybe in his PF range and very likely not calling a flop C/R. What are we getting value from?




00:14:28: facing the cbet on K92r- Are you worried about bluff raising not repping many value hands?

Time Link to 00:02:23

Is there a link to this session? Is it live/online?

Thanks

Time Link to 00:24:15

I have a question about the AJ hand:

If we at the place of the guy who raise with KJs. I agree that the best play is to just call with this draw. But what are we doing if whowho7878 called the flop. Now the turn comes blank, utg fire a 2barel...we have 13 outs. Is it a shove or a call?

Thanks

Just found this series and loving it, thanks.

On that why is she getting 4bet alot.
At least I am looking at other players 3bet%. And when I see some maniacs with 3bet% over 20, I really start to play back alot. Not that much OOP, but IP I just keep raising. Even if the sample size is small like 40 hands, still 3bet% over 20 or 3bet% bigger than their vpip is enough for me.

Another note, she has HUD up and running but does not use it at all or used it once? Why?

Time Link to 00:32:02

Hi! One question about the commentary from Baluga Whale there. What does non-polarized mean? Is it to bet with only the best hands right?

look to the posts @ episode 2. clear explanation over there

Time Link to 00:18:53

Traveling on a plane in 10 days for my trip going on a cruiz... Im going to write all my poker ideas in my new Poker note Book on the plane! Brilliant idea...hahaa I learn something new every vid from you man. Thank you!!!

@ 37:27

Here we talk about Kristy being incorrect to call the 3 bet OOP with AQ suited.

What do you do in this situation correctly? I suspect 4 bet will be the answer, but aren't we going to have to fold to a shove if it comes to that? Aren't we essentially turning the hand into a bluff? We'd be behind almost all of his shoving range I would imagine.

Seems as though it's a little bit of a tough spot (from my newbish perspective).

Time Link to 00:13:22

I think this is really valuable advice for micro-players here:

When we have a little bit of equity it inclines us to call,
When we've got medium equity we really want to call, (so we don't get blown off our hand)
When we have a lot of equity now we're thinking about raising,
When we have no equity we're thinking about folding,
and if you're thinking about folding..., then you can also think about raising.


And this is epic-hilarious

If we raise our 10-8s on a K93 board and get reraised we dont care, we're not
like... Ohhhh-noooo.... my 10 high..... I was gonna run all kinds of sick moves later

LOLOLOLOL!!!!!!!

jsut getting intp cash after being a pretty succesfull tournament player on pkr....this agro is a shock to my nitty system

baluga, or "b-dawg" as i've christened you. love your tips buttttt how wide sould i make my opening range (assuming it's a fairly standard table (hmmm that's so broad i know))? what i mean is when does opeing become -ev u said in ur last video that j5 suited was the bottom of your opening value range. i'd say that;s pretty loose to be honest. I know there are so many variables that its tough to say, i.e. tanble agression. position and image etc but lets assume it's 6 max (so your never going to be massivley oop and its an average mechanical game), would you be opeing 45 suited or even 106 off? are we raising light for value due to a superior post flop edge or purely on teh premise that they will call any two so hands like j10 can be ahead of a chunk of their range? as i said earlier i'm new to cash games and have had good success at low to mid stakes tourneys so i tend to edge on the nitty side...tho this lag style does seem to work better for cash games i have to agree. its hard to get paid playing three hands an hour

@ 37:27

Here we talk about Kristy being incorrect to call the 3 bet OOP with AQ suited.

What do you do in this situation correctly? I suspect 4 bet will be the answer, but aren't we going to have to fold to a shove if it comes to that? Aren't we essentially turning the hand into a bluff? We'd be behind almost all of his shoving range I would imagine.

Seems as though it's a little bit of a tough spot (from my newbish perspective).

given stacksizes i'd look at it from a tournament perspective and in a tournament i have to say its a shove fold spot depending on stack sizes. you don't flop a pair or better often enough to make this flat good espesh as (if i remember the stacks are short) so i'#d say it's read based if hes often full of shit then jam on him and give him a tough spot with 10 10 or jj
otherwise easy fold imo

aditionally im new to cash games so dont take my advice...which makes typing that a waste of time!!

baluga, or "b-dawg" as i've christened you. love your tips buttttt how wide sould i make my opening range (assuming it's a fairly standard table (hmmm that's so broad i know))? what i mean is when does opeing become -ev u said in ur last video that j5 suited was the bottom of your opening value range. i'd say that;s pretty loose to be honest. I know there are so many variables that its tough to say, i.e. tanble agression. position and image etc but lets assume it's 6 max (so your never going to be massivley oop and its an average mechanical game), would you be opeing 45 suited or even 106 off? are we raising light for value due to a superior post flop edge or purely on teh premise that they will call any two so hands like j10 can be ahead of a chunk of their range? as i said earlier i'm new to cash games and have had good success at low to mid stakes tourneys so i tend to edge on the nitty side...tho this lag style does seem to work better for cash games i have to agree. its hard to get paid playing three hands an hour

the answer to this is "have a reason". opening J7s or K2s or 54o or whatever just because its fun to play loose is NOT a good reason. my reasons are usually "i'm trying to isolate this fish" or "the blinds are nits so i'm just on a cheap bluff".

"too loose" is only a question of how well you play postflop relative to your opponent AND how often you win the blinds preflop. if everyone at your table is only playing AA and NOTHING else, obv you should open any-two-cards and there's no such thing as too loose.

Andrew

the answer to this is "have a reason". opening J7s or K2s or 54o or whatever just because its fun to play loose is NOT a good reason. my reasons are usually "i'm trying to isolate this fish" or "the blinds are nits so i'm just on a cheap bluff".

"too loose" is only a question of how well you play postflop relative to your opponent AND how often you win the blinds preflop. if everyone at your table is only playing AA and NOTHING else, obv you should open any-two-cards and there's no such thing as too loose.

Andrew

yeah i agree as long as you're opening for a reason i guess it doesn't matter, opening 23o is fine if you playing a guy that's just gunna check fold or lead if he hits the flop because he cant flop a pair often enough common sense now i think about it. thanks

Time Link to 00:00:00

I am learning so much from your videos! THANKS!

by the way, the vast majority of teh value from 3bet-5betting AJ is that they fold off some 28bb w/o variance. You do that a couple times you can get it in vs KK and have a big smile on your face

in short, id still keep 3-betting in general cause i expect people to call OOP, and if theyd on't, you either 3-bet 5-bet a lot or you call a lot, or if you're a true sicko, you do both

Andrew

Baluga--

Isn't this almost what Doyle says in his original Super System? Doyle steals money often enough off fish (back when,.... during live games) that when the fish inevitably calls, Doyle does not mind being the underdog, since his minus equity in this particular hand is more than made up for by the many steals he has made (rather folds created by his aggression before aggro was normal).

A side benefit was that the fish who loses his stack as equity favorite continues to think Doyle is just 'lucky', and keeps playing.

which

Time Link to 00:13:05

Youre saying that it would be better to raise that K high flop.What hands would we raise that flop with that werent bluffs?AK i think we 3B pre(especially as active as she is).99 the same thing.
the only hand i think we rep there would be 33 but would we really raise that dry of a flop with that?
I dont understand how floating(the line she took),and raisng a good turn,or betting when checked to,isnt a better line to take here.
AWESOME series too btw.youb are the man.And the ninja dolphin is awesome too!

Time Link to 00:34:52

hi baluga enjoyed the video so far,

when u talk about his 4-bet sizing here... he makes it a bit less then 3x the original raise, then what would be an appropriate sizing like 13$ or so...