[yamel]

Great thoughts Jim. Anyone wanting to join a rake free low stakes online club just DM me. I would welcome it as a challenge to play against my friends here and a way to promote Rec.poker a bit for those that take the game too seriously like we do.

I love the idea of improving stats. So far what I’ve done is have a separate slack channel for brags/beats and every week I post winners of nightly cash games or tourneys. Then name a player of the week based on most $ won. I started texting congrats to nightly cash game winners (richman badge) and people asked who was the biggest donator (fish badge)…but I keep it to these high level stats as to not marginalize anyone. I switched the text updates to a slack group so I can post stats to a channel that only people that care can check in on. There are definitely a few of the regulars that try a little harder to get badges and player of the week mentions so that definitely helps.

Curious to hear what others do in their games and how I could improve my stats or grow my player pool. Happy to use the new site in whatever way makes sense.

[yamel]

I would be a nit and fold here. I think it is very likely you are against medium to high pairs that don’t want to see an A. You block AA and KK and I would not want a coin flip with no fold equity at this point…so early in the tournament, there is no rush. Think you can wait for a better spot.

If I had to re-play this, I think this is a raise all day facing a bet and 3-bet. Then depending on your sizing you may be priced in to call or the others are less inclined to jam on you light after your 4-bet.

[yamel]

Thanks. Agree on the flop call and turn jam now that you mention it. I’ve jammed on him and gotten called many times with weak top pair or draws. So he would absolutely call with worse. His range is so wide that I was pot controlling in case he had value. But I like that other line as well.

[yamel]

Nice fun hands, almost like I was there too!…here are some of my thoughts…curious what others think.

Hand#1 – I like that V has a suited hand in this situation, but it would depend on your image on calling…if I think you would only jam with big pairs and Aces, or have more of those speculative hands….I’d wanna call with AJsuited against opponents with wider ranges since I only invested 2BB so far. I think this is close though and would call it off with 1010+ and AQs+

Hand#2 – I like option 2, I’d be betting small to get called by draws and Aces, then betting larger on most turns unless diamonds get there and we get led into.

Hand#3- I think this is a fold, big overbet since we lose to better top pairs and straights…we are just ahead of missed flushes and some weaker pairs (which probably don’t need the big bet with some showdown value).

Hand #4 – This seems like a fold and wait for a better spot since villian usually has two overs to our small pair and we drop to last place if we lose this coin flip type situation. I rather be applying the pressure than receiving it when stacks are so l close together.

[yamel]

Makes a lot of sense @FiveByFive , need to slow down with my good one pair. Given that the flop came so low, I didn’t think there were any sets out there. This V is not 3 betting me large with small pairs preflop. But I guess we could have some. If there aren’t too many sets and two pairs, then we only have overpairs and AK type draws. So we would be calling entire range due to flop being monotone?

[yamel]

Forgot stacks, SB has 30.32, I have 28.8, CO has 26.16 to start….

[yamel]

Great idea to pick seats relative to known straddlers. I also think that the pre-flop range is impacted since your stack is cut in half…so if i’m sitting with 100BB, I imagine I have 50BB and would enter the pot with more face cards (even offsuit) and fewer lower suited connectors. I like to raise big and go with it with a big one pair type of hand, but of course we take it down most of the time since our range is stronger than the random hand putting money in blind.

I haven’t played too many games with a button straddle, but I’ve heard they are bad for the game b/c it kills the blinds…often times the button gets “ultimate last” and puts the blinds at even a bigger disadvantage since the button acts after them pre-flop.

I do love UTG straddlers since most at 1/2 are not comfortable when pots get bigger and you have more leverage with a decent stack. The typical profile of the player is loose and aggressive and I think they call raises 90% of the time since they didn’t put money in blind to just fold. I just wish for decent cards when someone does me the favor of putting money in the pot blind.

Final thought is that some tables encourage the straddle for entire table…this usually seems like a move for a player that wants to play a bigger game and leverage their skill advantage…this type of situation isn’t as ideal unless I can add on and make sure I have a deep enough stack for the game we are now playing.

[yamel]

Interesting comments on the math and player profiles. Given that ICM pressure is comparable, should this be a push when SB checks to us on flop. Beating him to the push gets us more fold equity and puts them in a tough spot. Or is it a fold preflop? Just wondering if either line is better.

[yamel]

Without doing ICM math, seems like the hands you are targeting automatically push when you bet over a third of the SB remaining stack. If it’s an ICM fold, I would think that pre-flop, but once we hit as hard as we can given our starting hand, I don’t think I can fold given the pot odds. Even if we lose we still have a playable stack.left over. This is better than targeting the large stack that can eliminate us from tournament. So I think I call, but wonder what others would do for sure.

[yamel]

A recent training video I watched called for the following checklist for overbet spots:

1. Hero has nuts in range
2. Hero wouldn’t have thin value (e.g. polar spot)
3. V is capped to 1 pair type hands

I think in this hand the pre-flop call (no 3 bet) and flop check doesn’t get you the strong start you want. You probably have more 6’s in your range calling from BB, but 2nd 6 didn’t come till river and V can have all the sets and some two pair played this way. I rather have the V pass on a chance to raise or check to us before I fire the overbet.

[yamel]

thanks for the thoughts….I don’t run the club for a profit, so unions and referral programs wouldn’t make sense, there is no revenue to share. I just like having an accessible game on a regular basis to keep my skills sharp until a casino opens…and not having to worry about beating a rake makes everything so much easier, more flexibility to practice more moves, and make a little on the side as well….

Good idea on the social media leg work – I’ll see what is available around here, but my worry would be running into people that are too random – I think I rather have someone vouch or refer someone…thinking out loud maybe existing players need to put some work into keeping the club thriving.

[yamel]

fortuneNY – I don’t make these too often – wasn’t there, but reading about the hands makes me jealous!

[yamel]

Ah I confused the short stack there – in this case, you have to wonder if you can fold into 2nd place and/or get it in against the short stack in a better spot. Once we decide to defend it’s hard to do better than 2 pair though. I’d be really torn in this spot…curious how you would run the ICM math to help.

[yamel]

• Great question Jim. Not too many hands I’d lead flop with and follow with a pot sized bet. If pressed I would say a set or two pair wanting to make a draw pay, or a flush draw without show down value. Like KQ or JQ.

[yamel]

Great take here and I agree…I hadn’t thought that even the 7 would be bad card…so many bad cards. Still hurt to fold but someone left to act definitely sealed it for me.