Late session play with 55 (1 Viewer)

[DrStrange]

Playing 1-2 live, seven handed. It is late in the session, about six hours in. The stacks are deep and the table is getting weary. This means the LAGs are not as full of fire and brimstone as they were at the start. Hero makes major adjustments when the game gets this way, different hand selection etc. (Decision fatigue has set in. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decision_fatigue Basically people don't make as good decisions as they did once, they are more conflict avoidant and become more calling station. Hero has been folding all night and likely has made 20% of the decisions the average player at the table has made. Mr. Opportunity is knocking.)

Cast of characters:

Hero is MP with $700. Hero has been in several big "fights" tonight, some won some lost. People expect that Hero can potentially escalate a hand quickly and are conflicted between greed and fear. Judging by what Hero has tabled he only plays QQ+ and AK.

Co is a semi-agro calling station with $300. It has been a bad session for him, but the last hour has given him a little relief and cut his losses a little.

Button is Crazy. A hyper LAGtard who much rather gambles than plays for an edge. He has $250 on a $2,000ish buy in. All he wants is to get out of the trap (and not to buy in again) at this point he can become more calling station than LAG.

SB has $500 on a $100 buy in. Tricky-trappy, he plays hands backwards, betting draws and medium strength hands and slow playing better hands. This doesn't often work well.

BB has $400 on a huge buy in. He is even crazier than Crazy, hard as that is to imagine. He too is tired and just wants to get a chance to get even.

UTG and UTG+1 are folding - a semi TAG and Old man coffee.

The hand:

UTG and UTG+1 fold. Hero is dealt Fold, call or raise? If raising, how much and why if you have a reason. Opening raises have ranged widely from $5 to $40. Hero has ranged widely too.

Go get 'em? -=- DrStrange

 

[MoscowRadio]

This can be a tricky spot to play a hand like 55. I like to balance my range with these types of hands, sometimes raising, sometimes limping hoping to get as many players in as possible in case I do flop a set. However, given the cast of characters behind you I think it's a clear raise. I don't want to get 3-bet in this spot because you're not getting great immediate odds against the players who are ultra-stuck. I would make a sizable raise from $12 to $15 and let the crazies just call. There aren't going to be a whole lot of flops that you're going to like so I think we need to be the one forcing the action and not the other way around.

 

[pltrgyst]

Presto never loses.

 

[DrStrange]

If the plan is to bet / bet / bet / bet and hope to get folds, that is an overly hopeful plan. Stuck players are calling with silly hands not folding second pair because they are clearly beaten. Hero profits by value betting more than getting folds from aggression at this point of the night. (As an example for this session, Crazy stacked off for $100 with J9s on an AT4 flop with a back door flush draw vs Old Man Coffee check-raised middle set.)

There are good reasons to raise hero's hand, but don't plan on winning with the worst hand through aggression very often under these circumstances.

DrStrange

 

[grandgnu]

I'm fine with a limp here since these guys are more likely to play speculative hands in calling station mode (i.e. there's a greater hope of a multi-way pot which should increase the chances we get paid off when we hit)

I'm not against raising either, although I'd keep it in the smaller scale (raise to between $5-7 as a pot sweetener and to keep a crazy behind you from making a lager raise after a bunch of limps)

 

[detroitdad]

I'm fine with a limp here since these guys are more likely to play speculative hands in calling station mode (i.e. there's a greater hope of a multi-way pot which should increase the chances we get paid off when we hit)

I'm not against raising either, although I'd keep it in the smaller scale (raise to between $5-7 as a pot sweetener and to keep a crazy behind you from making a lager raise after a bunch of limps)

I love these threads Dr S. Keep it up please. Maybe I'll learn something

I agree. I would probably lean toward just a call, and set mine. A small raise would also be acceptable. If you raise, and get re raised you will probably have to fold.

Keep the pot small pre flop if possible.

 

[Mr Tree]

Small pot sweetener raise here FTW. Get one of those were everyone calls because it's just too sweet. If you hit trips then big $$$. If not walk away.

 

[DrStrange]

*** On to the flop ***

Hero bets $5 (a mistake since it is the same as Hero's pair). The intent is A) blocking, B) Force a decision on the villains, C) build the pot for leverage. Hero's plan is 90% set mining, bluffing under perfect condition only.

Cut Off and button call, the blinds fold. (More evidence of exhaustion. No chance the BB would fold for $3 more dollars at the start of the session.) $18 in the pot, three way action.

Flop:

OK! It is good to be lucky. Action on Hero, slow play or bet? If betting how much?

DrStrange

 

[jbutler]

raise to $10. everyone is stuck and calling off, so nearly everyone will come along and you need to raise in order to build a pot now if you plan to win a big one later. call a 3-bet if sizing is reasonable, but if it gets heads up, recognize that you are no longer set-mining and that you might call down on a lot of boards.

EDIT: posted same time as the doctor. on the above board with the above players, i'd bet out 95%+ of the time. these guys are trying to get unstuck and will chase for any amount and likely call with any piece. i'd bet $18 or maybe just move up to 4 red chips for an even $20.

 

[Mr Tree]

I think leading out will be more effective at building the pot in this situation and with our image. If the others are awake a check raise should be flying an enormous red flag under their noses. The lead out is more likely to get action IMO. Maybe we will get lucky and a heart draw will push back at us.

Bet out for $15

 

[MoscowRadio]

Bingo! C-Bet and make it look like business as usual. I like a bet of somewhere between $17 and $20 here, but leaning towards $17. Decision exhaustion should make things easy here as Villains are likely to call with any kind of draw including gutshots.

 

[grandgnu]

Nice flop, but there's going to be at least one villain in there with a flush or straight draw coming for us. I like a $12-15 c-bet and be prepared for fireworks, these type of players love to play draws with aggression before they are made.

 

[MoscowRadio]

Gnu and I are on the same level. I challenge you Anthony to a HU match. Any time and place. $200/$400.

 

[onerand]

Bet. Stacks are not deep. CR turn is an occasional option if raised here.

 

[courage]

Lead out $15-20. Lots of turn cards will hit draws but I think hero needs to barrel for value.

 

[DrStrange]

*** and now the turn ***

Hero bets $15, both villains snap call. $63 in the pot, three way action

Turn: < >

check or bet? If betting how much?

DrStrange

 

[BGinGA]

Betting $60, and hoping for callers. QQ or 88, gg/nh.

 

[Mr Tree]

The snap calls usually indicate a draw. Someone with a couple of hearts is very likely as would a 67. Make them pay to keep drawing. Pot size bet.

 

[grandgnu]

Yup, they're drawing, make them pay to get there. I like $55-65

 

[MoscowRadio]

I like a ~ pot-sized bet here. If I can, what's the worst card for us? The best? Besides the case 5 of course.

 

[Mr Tree]

I like a ~ pot-sized bet here. If I can, what's the worst card for us? The best? Besides the case 5 of course.

Worst - any heart besides
Best - 6h

 

[Mr Tree]

By the way can't you just feel the heart coming on the river? And the uncomfortable round that follows?

 

[jbutler]

agreed with above - bombs away. my thinking is not so much that you want to "make them pay for their draw" as much as it is that this card will also with some reasonable frequency give someone two pair, so they'll gladly put more money in and they're not folding the river unless an action killing straight card or heart hits.

 

[Chippy McChiperson]

Check jam

 

[Mr Tree]

Check jam

Not a fan of this play in this situation. If they have two hearts we give them a free chance to make their draw and beat us. If they're holding something like a strong queen we probably limit ourselves to getting one bet from them when we could get two.

 

[MoscowRadio]

Not a fan of this play in this situation. If they have two hearts we give them a free chance to make their draw and beat us. If they're holding something like a strong queen we probably limit ourselves to getting one bet from them when we could get two.

^This^ for sure.

 

[DrStrange]

*** on to the river ***

Hero bets $25 (much too small), two calls. $138 in the pot, three way action

River: < >

Action on hero. Bet or check, if betting how much?

DrStrange

 

[courage]

Boo! Nasty river card. I'm probably check folding here and effective stacks seem too shallow to bet fold. Both villains snap called the turn, so draws are heavy in their range. They'd have to be pretty bluff crazy maniacs to justify a call.

Best case, besides getting checked down, is that V1 bets, V2 folds, then we can evaluate. But it's a sigh-fold.

 

[Mr Tree]

UGGGGGH.

Turn bet way to light but if these guys are calling stations maybe just saved ourselves $40. Check and feel like shit when they bet.

 

[grandgnu]

Alright, so we're afraid of TJ (villians chasing gutshots) or the 7 for the other straight (I guess if villians had stuck around on the flop with 67 or something). Check and evaluate, I'm not 100% ready to fold just yet.