468 hands @ 2.46 BB/100

I played a one hour session this evening. I spent a little more time trying to customize my HUD and I think I've finally gotten everything the way I want it... almost... I'm still have some issues getting PAHUD to do the preferred seating correctly, and I'm not sure what the deal is. I think I'll have to one-table for a while and mess around with the settings to see if I can get it right. I feel like it should be straight-forward, so maybe I'm just overlooking something obvious.

Hand #1:

PokerStars 0.25/0.50 Hold'em (6 handed) Poker Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: HTML)

Preflop: Hero is BB with Qc, Ac.

UTG calls, MP calls, 2 folds, SB raises, Hero 3-bets, UTG calls, MP folds, SB calls.

Flop: (10 SB) Jd, Qd, Th (3 players)
SB bets, Hero calls, UTG calls.

Turn: (6.50 BB) 7s (3 players)
SB bets, Hero calls, UTG calls.

River: (9.50 BB) 7h (3 players)
SB bets, Hero calls, UTG folds.

Final Pot: 11.50 BB

This is a pretty awful flop for me even though I have TPTK. The calldown is in the desperate hope to see KQ or 99 or maybe AJ/KJ. Since it went for 3 bets preflop, the pot is large enough that folding TPTK is essentially out of the question. I lost to JJ in this hand.

Hand #2:

PokerStars 0.25/0.50 Hold'em (6 handed) Poker Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: HTML)

Preflop: Hero is BB with Js, Ac.
2 folds, CO raises, 2 folds, Hero 3-bets, CO calls.

Flop: (6.40 SB) Jc, 3h, Ts (2 players)
Hero bets, CO calls.

Turn: (4.20 BB) 5h (2 players)
Hero bets, CO calls.

River: (6.20 BB) 8d (2 players)
Hero bets, CO calls.

Final Pot: 8.20 BB

This is a pretty standard 3-bet preflop, and postflop play is obvious. What is more intersting in this hand is that I got called down by K9s. This isn't the first K-high calldown that I've seen at this level, which is an indication of just how soft the games are at these stakes. It also means that I need to be aware of who is calling down light, so that I don't try to bet them out of the pot and so that I make sure to value bet a little lighter.

Hand #3:

PokerStars 0.25/0.50 Hold'em (6 handed) Poker Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: HTML)

Preflop: Hero is CO with Ts, Ah.
UTG calls, MP calls, CO raises, 1 fold, SB calls, 1 fold, UTG calls, MP calls.

Flop: (9 SB) Th, 2d, 5c (4 players)
SB checks, UTG checks, MP checks, Hero bets, SB calls, UTG calls, MP folds.

Turn: (6 BB) Jd (3 players)
SB checks, UTG checks, Hero bets, SB calls, UTG calls.

River: (9 BB) Kc (3 players)
SB checks, UTG checks, Hero checks.

Final Pot: 9 BB

This hand stands as an example of the types of loose flop peels I've been seeing a lot of at this level. The villain who won the pot had J6s. The other player flopped middle pair with A5o.

Hand #4:

PokerStars 0.25/0.50 Hold'em (6 handed) Poker Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: HTML)

Preflop: Hero is Button with Ad, Ts.
UTG calls, 2 folds, Hero raises, SB calls, BB calls, UTG calls.

Flop: (8 SB) 7c, Jh, 6h (4 players)
SB bets, BB folds, UTG calls, Hero raises, SB calls, UTG folds.

Turn: (6.50 BB) 6d (2 players)
SB checks, Hero bets, SB folds.

Final Pot: 6.50 BB

This hand was a misclick that went well for me (for a change). I thought the action was checked to me, and I was suprised and a bit annoyed to see that I had just raised a bet. When it was heads up on the turn, I decided to go ahead and treat this hand like a pure bluff, betting the turn and the river. But wait! Didn't I just say that I was getting called down somewhat lightly? Yes. But I also said that not every player was playing that way.

Hand #5:

PokerStars 0.25/0.50 Hold'em (6 handed) Poker Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: HTML)

Preflop: Hero is BB with 7d, Ad.
2 folds, CO raises, 2 folds, Hero calls.

Flop: (4.40 SB) Ks, 8d, 6d (2 players)

Hero checks, CO bets, Hero raises, CO 3-bets, Hero calls.

Turn: (5.20 BB) Qs (2 players)
Hero checks, CO checks.

River: (5.20 BB) Ah (2 players)
Hero bets, CO calls.

Final Pot: 7.20 BB

Here is a bit of hand reading. When a player who generally aggressive player goes for 3 bets on the flop but then checks behind on the turn, he was either playing a draw or playing a medium-strength hand and wants to showdown for one bet. I believe it is more often the medium-strength hands because an aggressive player will hope to bluff you off your hand by betting the turn. So on the end, you shouldn't be bluffing very often, but you should be value betting anything from flopped middle pair with a strong kicker and up. In this hand, he had 98o.

Hand #6:

PokerStars 0.25/0.50 Hold'em (6 handed) Poker Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: HTML)

Preflop: Hero is Button with 6d, As.
UTG calls, MP calls, 1 fold, Hero calls, 1 fold, BB checks.

Flop: (4.40 SB) Qs, Ah, 8c (4 players)
BB checks, UTG checks, MP checks, Hero bets, BB raises, UTG folds, MP folds, Hero calls.

Turn: (4.20 BB) 7h (2 players)
BB bets, Hero calls.

River: (6.20 BB) 7c (2 players)
BB bets, Hero calls.

Final Pot: 8.20 BB

This table was playing pretty loose preflop and pretty bad postflop, so I decided to go ahead and take a flop with a weak ace. Against one limper, I would decide between raising and folding.

In this hand, BB had Q8o for flopped two pair and played it pretty badly. You should be leading your strong hands out of position because check-raising minimizes the amount you can win from weaker hands when the bet comes from late position. And in a 4-person pot, there's no particular reason to believe that someone will even bet it for you.

And yes, I sucked out.

Hand #7:

PokerStars 0.25/0.50 Hold'em (6 handed) Poker Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: HTML)

Preflop: Hero is UTG with 6s, 6d.
Hero raises, MP calls, 1 fold, Button 3-bets, 1 fold, BB calls, Hero calls, MP caps, Button calls, BB calls, Hero calls.

Flop: (16.40 SB) 8s, 8h, 9d (4 players)
BB checks, Hero checks, MP bets, Button calls, BB folds, Hero calls.

Turn: (9.70 BB) 3c (3 players)
Hero checks, MP bets, Button calls, Hero calls.

River: (12.70 BB) 9c (3 players)
Hero checks, MP checks, Button checks.

Final Pot: 12.70 BB

Here's a big pot that I nearly won, but the board didn't cooperate with me. The preflop 3 bet was far more worrisome than the preflop cap. The cap comes from a player who plays a lot of hands, and could be capping for no reason other than he wants to cap. Usually, coldcall cap hands are not strong hands, but those medium-strength drawing hands and pocket pairs.

Looking at the flop size and texture, I felt there was a pretty reasonable chance I was ahead, plus I had a couple outs for which I was almost getting immediate odds to chase. On the turn, there was no reason to think that anyone's hands changed, so I called another bet, looking for the river to tell me what to do. I would check-fold to an A or K on the river and I would often check-fold if it were bet and called in front of me. I lost to ATo (3-bettor) and A3s (capper).

I would post a couple more, but it's getting late and I should go to bed.