Poker Video: Limit Hold'Em by DeathDonkey (High Stakes)

Time Link to 00:37:54

referee

Time Link to 00:18:46

The first 2 hands you commented that you have taken strong lines and because of that would fold to a raise even though you only need like 8-10% equity.

I was suprised even in spots like the first hand where you identified 6 combos of QT that could be raising there, which werent exactly head explosions, and you still felt comfortable letting it go.

How do you avoid being exploited in that spot? (eg from time to time, players instantly raising you on the river because you have marginal hands more than nut type hands. If I saw you making these laydowns more than very rarely in a game, would be tempted to try more often bluff raising.

How do you avoid being exploited in that spot? (eg from time to time, players instantly raising you on the river because you have marginal hands more than nut type hands. If I saw you making these laydowns more than very rarely in a game, would be tempted to try more often bluff raising.

Not to accuse you of lying to yourself, since I don't know you, but I honestly believe most people *think* they play this way, and then they don't. They think they would make a big bluff vs their opponent's obviously exploitable play, and then they never really do. It's similar to live NL where lots of guys *think* they are aggro pre, but their 3 betting range is literally QQ, KK, AA, AKs.

Second, one thing Mike stresses is the idea that you have to be less exploitable when you know you are up against a high level thinking player - lucky the live games he is in (and most games in general) don't have a plethora of these players, or they would be way tougher.

Not to accuse you of lying to yourself, since I don't know you, but I honestly believe most people *think* they play this way, and then they don't.

Well not entirely but to some degree youre right about me I didnt mean to make it about me, I was just trying to say if anyone observent is at the table and sees this, they might get tempted to try and pull some funny business on future rivers.

Also if you were playing against Mike and saw that fold, would you be tempted to depolarize your river raising range in future hands? "merge your range" I guess they call it? in that he folds more than never, and if he is scared you are bluff raising he calls light some, etc making it profitable some from the folds and some from the light calls?

Well not entirely but to some degree youre right about me I didnt mean to make it about me, I was just trying to say if anyone observent is at the table and sees this, they might get tempted to try and pull some funny business on future rivers.

Also if you were playing against Mike and saw that fold, would you be tempted to depolarize your river raising range in future hands? "merge your range" I guess they call it? in that he folds more than never, and if he is scared you are bluff raising he calls light some, etc making it profitable some from the folds and some from the light calls?

Oh for sure, and numerous times in this series I call Mike out on that sort of thing. But he correctly notes "yeah I wouldn't do this against YOU", and of course he means against someone who is observant, capable, well bankrolled, etc.

The typical villain in these hands recognizes what Mike is doing but thinks the counter is to just "catch him bluffing / betting light" by making a monster, which of course is a poor adjustment. They are not considering bluff raising, and if they are, they don't usually see the right spot / have the balls to make the play. Finally, because they don't value raise light enough anyway (super polarized), Mike can still smell something funny the one time they actually find the play.

Time Link to 00:39:18

I see people donk hands that were very strong on the flop (two pair, sets) that are now sorta mediocre because of the scary turn card. They were planning to make expert slow play and check/raise you on the turn, but now they are afraid you will check back your kings and they don't want that to happen. Since you basically have kings I'd agree that a fold can't be bad.

Time Link to 00:41:37

"You can make a set and a flush." Classic.

Time Link to 00:14:29

I could see Seat7 having A-x suited here.... if villain had AK of spades, I could seed them re-raising by having top pair, top kicker, and nut flush draw. Not all opponents will wait until the Turn to raise here. I don't think I would. As the villian, I would probably put you on two pair and I would raise the Flop not only for value but in attempts to slow you down from betting on later streets. Is that wrong?