Poker Video: Limit Hold'Em by BigBadBabar (Micro/Small Stakes)

Infinity and I are both in agreeance, good luck Jess and the AC trip was more epic than LOTR.

A couple of things to say about this video.
1) I you all and all the parts where I say this is terrible and so on is basically to get it put into your head forever. Don't take anything as a personal bash from any of us because were doing it out of love and trying to help you get better.
2)Really focus on the commentary that the anonymous DC member gives(you will find out in the vid) as well as babar. I know personally I learned alot by just listening to them talk about this game, which is sick given the people playing are small stakes players.
3)I hope you all like it. I wanna thank pyg and babar for even giving me the reigns alittle bit. They are both crazy good poker minds and the fact that my opinion in their minds is enough to share with others is a great compliment
4)Kittens
5)Enjoy

I've only watched the first hour of this part and am already taking great things away from it. For someone like me who hasn't had any coaching these past 2 episodes of the series - and the series as a whole - are a God send.

I played a style way different from my normal nit ways so I knew I made a ton of mistakes (not saying I play any better as a nit, imo). I know I'll be watching this over and over for all the awesomeness in it. Thanks to you all

Time Link to 01:39:11

This was complete spew on my part and really really terrible. I noticed after the last episode how I bluff raised flops with hopeless holdings and x/c flop x/r turns with good hands. This was another of those. Totally backwards and I had no business being in the hand any longer.

Time Link to 01:06:34

Ignoring the fact I have Ak here I wouldn't mind a 3-bet from Isac here for the reasons I stated in the last vid where I made a loose-ish 3-bet with KTo stating that it'd be hard for me to get Jess to fold a better hand with KTo but 98s can play well in position and can get better hands to fold applying enough pressure.

Isac may have been reacting to the fact we think he's Oink-lite though so didn't feel like a light 3-bet vs a tight range which may be showdown bound.

Would like to get some thoughts on this

Time Link to 01:08:17

Vs Jess's overall range here what do we think on river plan?

Merit's to value betting brick rivers? (Let's say Board pair, 5's, 6's and obviously Aces and Kings)

If the river comes scary, (9, J, Q) are we thinking c/f? I don't know how often Jess is gonna go float/float/bluff but I can't imagine it's that high.

Time Link to 02:00:59

You're not being mean, BBB. I turned into a puss here after capping? wtf? This goes into the whole theme of making your story consistent with the betting. I didn't do it here or during any part of this session.

Time Link to 01:36:50

I actually did quite a bit of work using Pokerrazor on these type of boards before this game in just a bit of a technical exercise and it's surprising how often you can raise here profitably, although I was exploring Heads Up situations.

From memory I believe that if you maintained a bluffing frequency of around 10-15% on these boards there wasn't a huge amount an opponent with A-high can do about it since calling down with A-High is STILL unprofitable even if you KNOW your opponent if bluffing at that frequency.

Of course the downside to this is that if you overdo it suddenly A-high becomes a profitable calldown. Also it important that if you are going to bust out the dry board flop bluff to wait for the turn a bit less with good hands.

Time Link to 01:20:43

You guys really should do a video on Texas Hold'em Bonus.

I run so bad at that game.

You guys really should do a video on Texas Hold'em Bonus.

I run so bad at that game.

Me too
Lifetime texas holdem bonus: one session -200 so weak
OTR: 10 sessions +bazillion

Time Link to 01:48:41

Adri, I you but we need you to loosen up a bit.

Defend that 86o vs a CO raise, IMO.

Much ,
Rob

Time Link to 01:49:18

I agree that Isac should be 4-betting most of the time, but disagree that this is a cap or fold spot. This is a cap or call spot unless he knows that aumorgan will fold to a cap with lots of hands preflop like KQo, ATo, etc. I'd say that in general capping is better than folding, but it's ok to call with 88 here and could probably be ok to call with 77 as well.

Rob

Time Link to 01:56:51

The JT is an easy-peasy 3-bet for me pre, but this is a lot closer with AJo and I'd actually probably fold. Weird to be folding such a strong hand but AJo doesn't fare well vs. UTG ranges when UTG is respectably tight, and it suffers from a lot more RIO, and usually when you win the pot postflop, it's almost always been against a worse hand.

Rob

Time Link to 01:53:44

I don't like the raise with ATo on the flop but I think a coldcall is very very arguably the best play with AA here. There just aren't enough draws or enough chances that you need to protect, you can hope that one player peels incorrectly with an underpair (mostly TT-KK), and the player who raised the flop will almost always fire the turn here. Given that you have the board so locked up and you can make your hand look like a hand like QsJs here pretty easily by coldcalling and that you are only 3-betting VERY STRONG hands (AK+ more or less) here on this flop, I much prefer just coldcalling with your entire range that you are going to continue with to force people into more difficult decisions on the turn.

That allows you to play your hands like AJ better here on the flop, because the vast majority of hands you 3-bet with preflop will not want to 3-bet this flop vs. the ranges that will give you action.

This isn't a spot where I think that you really want to be 3-betting your bare flush draws (3-ways you're getting called down WAY too often in a capped pot), and subsequently I really think there's a ton of reason to consider coldcalling here. You could really easily make an argument that coldcalling with 100% of your continuing range is correct here. The gist of the story so far is that in almost all situations, one of your opponents will have an Ace, and you'll frequently, if not always, get multiple bets in on the turn by just calling the flop, and more importantly, you can often get 3 bets in on the flop AND 2 bets+ in on the turn by calling, whereas by 3-betting you freeze up even AKo.

Rob

I think a series with BBB and Pygmy is in order. I thought in the last two videos that you guys did an excellent job of playing off each other and offering varying points of feedback. It seemed comfortable and yet both of these videos were full of in-depth hand discussions. I'd really like to see a mid-stakes full series with you two. I'm picturing a Big Elephant just talking and talking and a bunch of little pygmies attacking it with spears yelling " shut-up , shut-up , it's my turn " as an excellent intro for the videos.

Hook us up Rob -- these guys did a great job.

Time Link to 01:42:08

Ahhh Hi !! What a cute voice!!!
Passing The Torch now has like the most concentration of girls in one place on DC I think ^.^

I think a series with BBB and Pygmy is in order. I'm picturing a Big Elephant just talking and talking and a bunch of little Pygmies attacking it with spears yelling " shut-up , shut-up , it's my turn " as an excellent intro for the videos.

GOLD ^.^ if a series doesn't get made a comic depicting this image is at least in order ^.^

I don't like the raise with ATo on the flop but I think a coldcall is very very arguably the best play with AA here. There just aren't enough draws or enough chances that you need to protect, you can hope that one player peels incorrectly with an underpair (mostly TT-KK), and the player who raised the flop will almost always fire the turn here. Given that you have the board so locked up and you can make your hand look like a hand like QsJs here pretty easily by coldcalling and that you are only 3-betting VERY STRONG hands (AK+ more or less) here on this flop, I much prefer just coldcalling with your entire range that you are going to continue with to force people into more difficult decisions on the turn.

That allows you to play your hands like AJ better here on the flop, because the vast majority of hands you 3-bet with preflop will not want to 3-bet this flop vs. the ranges that will give you action.

This isn't a spot where I think that you really want to be 3-betting your bare flush draws (3-ways you're getting called down WAY too often in a capped pot), and subsequently I really think there's a ton of reason to consider coldcalling here. You could really easily make an argument that coldcalling with 100% of your continuing range is correct here. The gist of the story so far is that in almost all situations, one of your opponents will have an Ace, and you'll frequently, if not always, get multiple bets in on the turn by just calling the flop, and more importantly, you can often get 3 bets in on the flop AND 2 bets+ in on the turn by calling, whereas by 3-betting you freeze up even AKo.

Rob

I guess I am use to playing in games where coldcalling here screams a monster much more than 3betting. I personally like 3betting because I do it with 100% of my continuing range. I see the merits for just coldcalling but I think it screams monster much more than just 3betting right away. If someone cold calls 2 on this board vs me after 3betting and getting capped preflop and then in turn raises a blank turn I say lol you has monster I fold and they will def get less out of me. I see the merits of AJ but ur in turn not balance your turn play AT ALL by raising.

Granted against weaker competition I think just calling is right because handreading is not in their games and they are not folding toppest pair on a dry board but versus stronger competition which I assume all the bi gro land grubbers to be I think 3betting and betting down is going to get you the most value in the longrun

I personally like 3betting because I do it with 100% of my continuing range. I see the merits for just coldcalling but I think it screams monster much more than just 3betting right away.

Believe it or not but that was my thought proces during the hand

timestamp 73 minutes ish

With AJhh in IsacNL's spot I tend to call one more and re-evaluate the river. Is this burning one more BB? Against good players that know I can showdown ace high quite easily I will fold UI and against fish I will showdown ace high easily on brick rivers. On that 4 turn I pretty much snap call and absolutely need to see a river. Am I wrong??????

I guess I am use to playing in games where coldcalling here screams a monster much more than 3betting. I personally like 3betting because I do it with 100% of my continuing range. I see the merits for just coldcalling but I think it screams monster much more than just 3betting right away. If someone cold calls 2 on this board vs me after 3betting and getting capped preflop and then in turn raises a blank turn I say lol you has monster I fold and they will def get less out of me. I see the merits of AJ but ur in turn not balance your turn play AT ALL by raising.

Granted against weaker competition I think just calling is right because handreading is not in their games and they are not folding toppest pair on a dry board but versus stronger competition which I assume all the bi gro land grubbers to be I think 3betting and betting down is going to get you the most value in the longrun

I think the core problem with that is that you have a LOT of hands in your range that don't have enough equity to be continuing by 3-betting and don't have lots of fold equity. This is a spot where no matter what you do -- 3-betting or coldcalling -- your hand looks strong and showdown bound; that's the nature of playing a dry ace-high flop in a capped pot preflop.

If you weight the amount of hands that are draws or don't have great equity against the range that continues to put bets in when you 3-bet, I'd strongly suspect that you're going to be doing much better on average by coldcalling. Keep in mind the amount of Ax hands that you simply have to coldcall here because 3-betting is spew (folds worse), like A9o-AJo.

Saying "you have to be up against opponents who aren't capable of handreading" is pretty bad as well. Your opponents should have a difficult time putting you on ranges as long as you balance yourself well, and in this spot I HIGHLY doubt anyone is going to put you on a strong hand until action goes in on the turn. I've done this against good opposition quite a fair amount (it's very dependent upon board texture but it's still happened many times), and you'd be stunned the amount of times I get in multiple bets on the turn vs. AK -- and by multiple, I mean something like ~2.5 on average as they turn a K and sometimes they just bet-3bet without thinking about your range there anyway (yes, good players do this).

Just IMHO, but I think there's a ton of value in taking this line. Sometimes you can't help but look strong no matter what you do.

Rob

I love these vids but the announcers should use the screen names exclusively, your calling dudes root beer , ginger ale, and shanniqua, I dont know who these dudes are and its hard to follow.

A couple of things to say about this video.
1) I you all and all the parts where I say this is terrible and so on is basically to get it put into your head forever. Don't take anything as a personal bash from any of us because were doing it out of love and trying to help you get better.
2)Really focus on the commentary that the anonymous DC member gives(you will find out in the vid) as well as babar. I know personally I learned alot by just listening to them talk about this game, which is sick given the people playing are small stakes players.
3)I hope you all like it. I wanna thank pyg and babar for even giving me the reigns alittle bit. They are both crazy good poker minds and the fact that my opinion in their minds is enough to share with others is a great compliment
4)Kittens
5)Enjoy

100% with this and also

This was complete spew on my part and really really terrible. I noticed after the last episode how I bluff raised flops with hopeless holdings and x/c flop x/r turns with good hands. This was another of those. Totally backwards and I had no business being in the hand any longer.

Yep, I think that's basically what the people commenting wanted to emphasize. I mean, obviously it's easy for us since we saw all of your hole cards, but there was definitely a sever imbalance in both your hands that raise the flop and those that wait for the turn. And don't worry about this - it's very common...DD called me out on it in the Home Game and I am very grateful that he did.

Ignoring the fact I have Ak here I wouldn't mind a 3-bet from Isac here for the reasons I stated in the last vid where I made a loose-ish 3-bet with KTo stating that it'd be hard for me to get Jess to fold a better hand with KTo but 98s can play well in position and can get better hands to fold applying enough pressure.

Isac may have been reacting to the fact we think he's Oink-lite though so didn't feel like a light 3-bet vs a tight range which may be showdown bound.

Would like to get some thoughts on this

I actually would have liked a 3-bet from Isac here quite a bit. He has everything we kept talking about in the vid(s) going for him - IP, initiative, FE, good playability, and against a range that is somewhat wide. Let's keep in mind how much Jess hates getting 3-bet when she has A4 and such here.

Vs Jess's overall range here what do we think on river plan?

Merit's to value betting brick rivers? (Let's say Board pair, 5's, 6's and obviously Aces and Kings)

If the river comes scary, (9, J, Q) are we thinking c/f? I don't know how often Jess is gonna go float/float/bluff but I can't imagine it's that high.

Against Jess specifically I think I'd only value bet on A and K rivers. I don't see Jess calling down here with Ax very often (let's face it - she folds the turn, so she clearly doesn't want to call down UI).

I'd seriously consider c/f-ing the rest. As you say I really just don't see Jess floating you twice and bluffing with a hand that loses to AK.

I actually did quite a bit of work using Pokerrazor on these type of boards before this game in just a bit of a technical exercise and it's surprising how often you can raise here profitably, although I was exploring Heads Up situations.

From memory I believe that if you maintained a bluffing frequency of around 10-15% on these boards there wasn't a huge amount an opponent with A-high can do about it since calling down with A-High is STILL unprofitable even if you KNOW your opponent if bluffing at that frequency.

Of course the downside to this is that if you overdo it suddenly A-high becomes a profitable calldown. Also it important that if you are going to bust out the dry board flop bluff to wait for the turn a bit less with good hands.

Good stuff Boomer and great point at the end about how we need to balance our range a little by making an overall strategic adjustment.

Yep, I think that's basically what the people commenting wanted to emphasize. I mean, obviously it's easy for us since we saw all of your hole cards, but there was definitely a sever imbalance in both your hands that raise the flop and those that wait for the turn. And don't worry about this - it's very common...DD called me out on it in the Home Game and I am very grateful that he did.

Absolutely an imbalance in my flop play, and easy to exploit after adjusting to it. I'm glad to hear it's a common thing and am happy that it was addressed.

I've been thinking a lot about what everyone had to say and not just about the things I did wrong which were many, to be sure. All of you put a ton of effort in these videos and I know it's appreciated by all of us.

I think a series with BBB and Pygmy is in order. I thought in the last two videos that you guys did an excellent job of playing off each other and offering varying points of feedback. It seemed comfortable and yet both of these videos were full of in-depth hand discussions. I'd really like to see a mid-stakes full series with you two. I'm picturing a Big Elephant just talking and talking and a bunch of little pygmies attacking it with spears yelling " shut-up , shut-up , it's my turn " as an excellent intro for the videos.

Hook us up Rob -- these guys did a great job.

Thanks! And wow, this intro idea is hilarious and has already spawned a few pretty awesome MS Paints.

timestamp 73 minutes ish

With AJhh in IsacNL's spot I tend to call one more and re-evaluate the river. Is this burning one more BB? Against good players that know I can showdown ace high quite easily I will fold UI and against fish I will showdown ace high easily on brick rivers. On that 4 turn I pretty much snap call and absolutely need to see a river. Am I wrong??????

I know a the time of the video I felt differently, but as I think about this hand more and more I really really like Nina's analysis of this hand from both player's perspective. I don't think I can really add too much to it, but I would recommend you listen to it again.

I love these vids but the announcers should use the screen names exclusively, your calling dudes root beer , ginger ale, and shanniqua, I dont know who these dudes are and its hard to follow.

Gauss, you're right, but realize that it's hard for the commentators who often know the individuals mostly by their DC handles or even personally and find the Stars screen name very foreign.

Hopefully this will help:
1 seat: aumorgan on Stars, aumorgan on DC, and we might have referred to him as Michael
2 seat: lolzspeirs on Stars, speirs on DC, and I think we only referred to him as speair
3 seat: Adriennes on Stars, AdriennesRevnge on FTP, AdriennesRevenge on DC, we referred to her as Jess (and maybe once or twice as Jessica or Adri)
4 seat: IsacNL on Stars, Isac on DC, we only referred to him as Isac
5 seat: Boomer2k6 on Stars, Boomer on DC, we only referred to him as Boomer
6 seat: 2whodatdare on Stars, rootbeer2k on DC, we referred to him as whodat or rootbeer

Time Link to 00:25:40

Nice analyzis again

Nothing more to add than I thought Boomer's 3bet range was wider than you thought.

I was actually a litle confused that Boomer called the turn instead of raising or folding.

Time Link to 00:36:57

Yeah really really bad raise by me.

Though it sound like it's a very bad excuse it was actually a misclick, IT'S NOT STANDARD FOR ME.

Time Link to 00:57:23

lol-my fold there, it's not real - it didn't happen.

Really great analyzis on why not to 3bet here. I just wanna add that my perception of Speirs range was that I was wa/wb (though I cound't understand wtf he would coldcall preflop) So yeah, I totally agree that it's straight up bad - but not as bad as the soulread-fold that didn't happen.

Time Link to 01:06:33

Ignoring the fact I have Ak here I wouldn't mind a 3-bet from Isac here for the reasons I stated in the last vid where I made a loose-ish 3-bet with KTo stating that it'd be hard for me to get Jess to fold a better hand with KTo but 98s can play well in position and can get better hands to fold applying enough pressure.

Isac may have been reacting to the fact we think he's Oink-lite though so didn't feel like a light 3-bet vs a tight range which may be showdown bound.

Would like to get some thoughts on this

I totally agree with this, and am def. 3betting more than folding in this spot, something like 70/30 I think.

Yeah really really bad raise by me.

Though it sound like it's a very bad excuse it was actually a misclick, IT'S NOT STANDARD FOR ME.

That's fair Isac. I mean, I think what you're saying is very believable.

That said, we didn't get into this on this hand, but I really think 3-betting Jess light EVERY time she opened from LP/SB (I know we pointed out 2-3 spots in the video) would have been a very viable strategy. I kind of wish this had happened just because I think it would have been a great challenge for Jess and I would have been interested to see how she adjusted.

Jess, I'm not saying that to pick on you - any one of you could have employed this strategy and it would have been fascinating. It's just that you happened to sit to Isac's right and he's the one I'm talking to right now.

So basically I could see 3-banging every hand Jess opens with a wide range (again, LP and SB), or just doing it liberally. So in the latter case I wouldn't pop a hand like 82s but would with a hand like 86s.

Very true, and something I wanted to do but never got to - afterall the cards have to fell right. One spot I missed was the 89s OTB where Boomer had AK.

Yeah, sure it's not a we wanna kill Jess issue - but we all know how she has developed from being an über nit to a somewhat standard TAG which is heavily the outcome of this awesome serie. IMO it would simply be great for her, and everyone else, to have had more preflop 3betting/capping - it's just so much cheaper than our normal games. And we even get to she if our range estimation was right or not.

Yeah really really bad raise by me. Though it sound like it's a very bad excuse it was actually a misclick, IT'S NOT STANDARD FOR ME.

That's good to hear... I was pretty upset when I saw that lol !

Yeah really really bad raise by me.

Though it sound like it's a very bad excuse it was actually a misclick, IT'S NOT STANDARD FOR ME.

Spidey Senses tingling

That's good to hear... I was pretty upset when I saw that lol !

Don't ever be upset by a isolated viewed bad play by your opponent, be happy IMO.

Jess seriously though, how would you continue with you range when you miss the flop? Say the flop comes all overcards to you PP, or you hold QJ and flop comes 258, or you got A6 and flop is TJ3?
It's not a funny set-up vs. a BB 3bet.

Time Link to 01:16:21

I 100% agree with you guys here, 33 is tooo loose.

Just 1 thing that made me raise it here was that all the other times I had opened from UTG I had picked up the BB's. IDK if they thought I had a tight range or was just not getting hands. However, 33 is def. taking it too far, and I would be happier to raise 87s here.

Sweet Jones! I learned more in the 4 hours of watching this home game video than I have in my 4 years of playing hold'em OR even in my 104 hours of watching other poker videos.

This format really lets you pack 6 times as much information into one video, and pausing to detail what the expected action should be was great.