Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Standard Preflop Scenarios Against Standard Ranges

I urge all readers to download PokerStove. It is a very useful tool for evaluating hands vs ranges. Maybe by running a few hands you'll see how I think about situations where I am reraised.

I rarely put my opponents on "a hand" - rather I put them on a range of hands and then assess the value of my hand against that range.

In preflop scenarios where I get reraised I generally ignore bluffing and put my opponents on 1 of 4 ranges.

The ultraloose reraising range typical of top higher limit cash game players: 22+, A2s+, K9s+, QTs+, J9s+, T8s+, 98s, 87s, 76s, 65s, 54s, A2o+, KTo+, QTo+, J9o+, T8o+, 98o.

Against these players gambling hands like AJs, KQs, QJs and small pairs are about even money:

QJs = 49%
KQs = 51%
AJs = 61%
44 = 49%

Tightening that range up a little bit yields what I call the loose reraising range typical of late-stage tournament play: 22+, A2s+, K9s+, QTs+, J9s+, T8s+, ATo+, KTo+, QTo+, JTo.

Here the marginal hands get to about even money:

QJs = 45%
KQs = 51%
AJs = 56%
44 = 46%


KQs fairs about the same against a tighter reraising range but QJs, AJs and small pairs fall off somewhat.

Removing some of the low pairs, suited connectors, lesser aces and easily-dominated two broadway combos yields the tight reraising range of: 77+, ATs+, KQs, QJs, JTs, AJo+, KQo.

Now you are getting into very marginal situations with hands that will be very tough to play post-flop:

QJs = 36%
KQs = 41%
AJs = 44%
44 = 39%

Clearly you are getting on pretty thin ice ...

Removing more pairs, AT, AJ and modest two broadway combos yields the ultratight reraising range of: TT+, AJs+, AKo.

Here is where the most common "marginal calling hands" flatten out to 2:1 dogs:

QJs = 32%
KQs = 33%
AJs = 33%
44 = 34%


So when facing a reraise or an all-in apply a reasonable range for your opponent and ask yourself whether you want to get involved with shit hands like AJs, KQs, QJs or small pairs ...

Monday, March 26, 2007

Presto is Gold (Part 41)

Finally another break - this time Presto shows its magic. Same game as previous post about 10 minutes later:

*** HOLE CARDS ***
Fuel55 raises $40 to $60 from CO with [5c 5d]
SB raises $80 to $140
Fuel55 calls $80
(set mine in position)

*** FLOP *** [5h Jd 2s]
SB bets $160
Fuel55 raises $180 to $340
(I figure him for an overpair so let’s money into the pot ...)
SB raises $180 to $520
Fuel55 raises $521 to $1041 and is all-in
SB calls $521

*** TURN *** [5h Jd 2s] [9h]

*** RIVER *** [5h Jd 2s 9h] [Th]

*** SHOW DOWN ***
SB shows [As Ah] (a pair of Aces)
Fuel55 shows [5c 5d] (three of a kind, Fives)
Fuel55 collected $2379 from pot


55 is such a wonderful hand ...

Presto is Gold (Part 40)

In tough games you can't always be folding to pressure.

Here is another "monster or air" scenario on an XXY flop:

*** HOLE CARDS ***
Fuel55 calls $6 from UTG with [5c 5d]
MP Donkey calls $6
MP Tough Player calls $6
Button raises $30 to $36
Fuel55 calls $30
(stacks are huge so I am set mining for sure)
MP Donkey calls $30
MP Tough Player calls $30

*** FLOP *** [2c 8c 8h]
Fuel55 checks
(obviously I need to check my monster)
MP Donkey checks
MP Tough Player checks
Button checks

It seems unlikely that anyone has an 8 since there are two clubs on board and they would protect.

*** TURN *** [2c 8c 8h] [4h]
Fuel55 bets $6
(weak lead to see who is where)
MP Donkey calls $6
(he has nothing)
MP Tough Player raises $30 to $36
(monster or air? - smells like a flush draw)
Button folds
Fuel55 calls $30
(not willing to give up this hand yet)
MP Donkey folds

*** RIVER *** [2c 8c 8h 4h] [Qd]
Fuel55 checks
MP Tough Player bets $48
(such a tiny bet … busted flush draw?)
Fuel55 calls $48
(crying call but I think my hand is good given my history with this guy)

*** SHOW DOWN ***
MP Tough Player shows [Js Ks] (a pair of Eights)
(air …)
Fuel55 shows [5c 5d] (two pair, Eights and Fives)
Fuel55 collected $324 from pot


I really thought this guy was on AcXc where X is likely 4 but I was completely wrong. Still the read and analysis were pretty good and I won a nice pot with Presto.

If the turn was a 6 or higher and the same thing went down I would have folded in all likelihood.

Sunday, March 25, 2007

Presto is Gold (Part 39)

More abuse of players on XXY flops:

*** HOLE CARDS ***
EP calls $10
MP calls $10
Button raises $40 to $50 from Button
Fuel55 calls $45 from SB with [5d 5h]
EP folds
MP calls $40

*** FLOP *** [7d 8c 8d] (XYY flop)
Fuel55 checks
MP checks
Button bets $120
Fuel55 raises $130 to $250 (nice little check raise to see if he has AK/AQ …)
MP folds
Button folds (guess so!)
Fuel55 collected $407 from pot

Saturday, March 24, 2007

Presto is Gold (Part 38) and Abusing XXY Flops

I have commented previously on using raises to represent big hands on XXY flops.

*** HOLE CARDS ***
EP raises $20 to $30
Fuel55 calls $30 from CO with [5h 5c]
BB calls $20

*** FLOP *** [7c 7h 9s]
BB checks
EP bets $50 (likely a standard continuation bet and if he has an overpair maybe he can lay it down?)
Fuel55 raises $60 to $110 (stinky pot-builder raise has to put the fear of a 7 in him)
BB folds
EP folds (to avoid being out of position for the rest of the hand he safely folds)
Fuel55 collected $192 from pot


Pretty simple and low-risk play in position.

Friday, March 23, 2007

Presto is Gold (Part 37)

*** HOLE CARDS ***
SB raises $25 to $35
Fuel55 calls $25 from BB with [5c 5d]

*** FLOP *** [5h Jd 7c]
SB bets $55
Fuel55 calls $55

*** TURN *** [5h Jd 7c] [Jh]
SB checks
Fuel55 bets $140
SB calls $140

*** RIVER *** [5h Jd 7c Jh] [9s]
SB checks
Fuel55 bets $290
SB folds (what does he check call the turn with and fold on the river?)
Fuel55 collected $457 from pot

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Presto is Gold (Part 36)

This just in from CC:

Monday, March 19, 2007

Presto is Gold (Part 35)

*** HOLE CARDS ***
Fuel55 raises $20 to $30 from MP with [5s 5c]
Victim raises $30 to $60 from BB
Fuel55 calls $30 (not folding Presto to a min-reraise)

*** FLOP *** [3s Tc 8h]
Victim bets $50
Fuel55 calls $50 (not folding Presto to 40% pot bet - I smell AK)

*** TURN *** [3s Tc 8h] [5h]
Victim bets $158.50 and is all-in (nice timing Chump)
Fuel55 calls $158.50

*** RIVER *** [3s Tc 8h 5h] [Js]

*** SHOW DOWN ***
Victim shows [As Ac] (a pair of Aces)
Fuel55 shows [5s 5c] (three of a kind, Fives)
Fuel55 collected $549 from pot

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

Presto is Gold (Part 34)

Undeniable ...

*** HOLE CARDS ***
Fuel55 folds [Ts 3d]
4 more fold
CO raises $8 to $12
Button and SB fold
BB raises $16 to $28 with fives
CO calls $16 with aces and position


*** FLOP *** [7d 5h 5d]
BB checks
CO checks

*** TURN *** [7d 5h 5d] [Kh]
BB checks
CO bets $40
BB raises $40 to $80
CO raises $328 to $408
BB calls $70 and is all-in

*** RIVER *** [7d 5h 5d Kh] [2c]

*** SHOW DOWN ***
BB shows [5s 5c] (four of a kind, Fives)
(DQB)
CO mucks hand [Ac Ad]
BB collected $355 from pot


The CO played AA horribly in my opinion. He should have reraised preflop and barring that he certainly should have bet the flop to find out where he was at.

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Presto is Gold (Part 33)

$3/6NL, 8-handed:

*** HOLE CARDS ***
EP raises $6 to $12 (min. raise)
MP calls $12 (1 caller)
Button calls $12 (2 callers)
Fuel55 raises $63 to $75 with [5d 5c] (time to repop these mofos – luckily I am sitting on pure gold)
EP calls $63 (WTF? You call my repop … dude I am sitting on PRESTO for god’s sake)
MP folds
Button folds

*** FLOP *** [Kd 9d 9s]
Fuel55 bets $116 (logically this guy has a pair and it isn’t AA, KK or 99 so I bet ¾ pot representing AA or AK and he has to fold)
EP folds (on queue)
Fuel55 collected $174 from pot

Saturday, March 10, 2007

Presto is Gold (Part 32)

55 is certainly treating me well lately:

Bugsy’s $1/2, 9-handed

>>>DEALING HOLE CARDS<<<

4 players pay $5 to see a flop - I have 5d 5c

>>>DEALING FLOP<<< [ Th 9h 5s ]
kyjonnyz checks
hassan7887 checks
lucass19 checks
Fuel55 bets $21
kyjonnyz folds
hassan7887 folds
lucass19 calls $21

>>>DEALING TURN<<< [ Jh ]

lucass19 checks (Make the 2nd nuts and give a free card … brilliant)
Fuel55 checks

>>>DEALING RIVER<<< [ Ts ]

lucass19 bets $41 Fuel55 calls $41 (I just call here since he might have a better boat)
lucass19 cards were 3h Ah
Fuel55 cards were 5c 5d
Fuel55 wins $142 with a full house, fives full of tens


Put money in when I am ahead and don't when I am behind. Well done Fuel ...

Friday, March 09, 2007

Presto is Gold (Part 31)

$5/10NL, 9-handed

*** HOLE CARDS ***
MP calls $10
Victim raises $30 to $40 with [5s Ac] (rag aces are gold)
Fuel55 calls $35 from SB with [5h 5d]
MP calls $30

*** FLOP *** [3d 9d As]
Fuel55 checks
MP checks
Victim checks (top pair and position - may as well give a free card)

*** TURN *** [3d 9d As] [5c] (obligatory money card)
Fuel55 bets $60
MP folds
Victim raises $170 to $230
Fuel55: raises $420 to $650
Victim calls $359 and is all-in

*** RIVER *** [3d 9d As 5c] [8h]

*** SHOW DOWN ***
Fuel55 shows [5h 5d] (three of a kind, Fives)
Victim mucks hand [5s Ac]
Fuel55 collected $1305 from pot

Presto is Gold (Part 30)

Here's a nasty little cooler hand from a $10/20NL, 6-max game. FYI: I wasn't involved in the hand.

*** HOLE CARDS ***
EP calls $20
SB calls $10
BB checks from BB

*** FLOP *** [3s 3h 5c]
SB bets $20
BB raises $100 to $120
EP calls $120
SB folds

*** TURN *** [3s 3h 5c] [Ah]
BB checks
EP bets $100
BB raises $277 to $377
EP calls $277

*** RIVER *** [3s 3h 5c Ah] [8s]
BB bets $720
EP raises $1480 to $2200
BB calls $1480

*** SHOW DOWN ***
EP shows [5s 5h] (a full house, Fives full of Threes)
BB mucks hand [Ac 3d] (a full house, Threes full of Aces)
EP collected $5472 from pot

Thursday, March 08, 2007

Presto: The Origins

Subzero (free pimpage!) asked why 55 had come to be known as Presto. And to be honest I had no fawking clue. So I figured pocketfives.com would probably have the answer and they do.

"It seems that for many players, especially online players, there is a mystical aura surrounding this hand that somehow makes it special and gives it a better chance of winning."

"Presto" is used Blackjack and poker players wanted a hand to call Presto too. 55 was seemingly chosen in a somewhat random manner. Not too glamourous an explanation ...

However Kent has pointed me to Cardplayer that elaborates a little further:

"presto: 5-5. Comes from what one says when revealing a pair of fives as one's holecards. The term was coined at BARGE and evolved from what a blackjack player says when turning over a blackjack. (BARGE is Big August Rec.Gambling Excursion, an annual Las Vegas convention of online poker enthusiasts. RGPers - those who read and post on the Usenet newsgroup rec.gambling.poker - have used the term presto as an identifying catchword.)"

The bottom line: Presto is Gold and you all know it!

Wednesday, March 07, 2007

Presto is Gold (Part 29)

After my weak/tight fold of 55 UTG last night I resolved not to let it happen again. Here is how to properly play 55 from under the gun:

PokerStars $5/10NL, 8-handed

*** HOLE CARDS ***
Fuel55 raises $20 to $30 from UTG with [5c 5s]
MP calls $30

*** FLOP *** [4c 8h Kh]
Fuel55 bets $50
MP folds
Fuel55 collected $72 from pot


Easy peasy ...

Friday, March 02, 2007

Presto is Gold (Part 28)

PokerStars $20+$2 6-max DeepStacks Tourney

Hand 3 of the tournament:

*** HOLE CARDS ***
Fuel55 raises 40 to 60 from MP with [5c 5s]
ellizizcute raises 140 to 200 from SB
Fuel55 calls 140 (set mining 101 – obvious call with the signature hand)

*** FLOP *** [7d 5h 8c]
ellizizcute bets 320
Fuel55 raises 320 to 640
ellizizcute raises 4600 to 5240 and is all-in (gotta love it!)
Fuel55 calls 3960 and is all-in

*** TURN *** [7d 5h 8c] [8s]

*** RIVER *** [7d 5h 8c 8s] [Qd]

*** SHOW DOWN ***
ellizizcute shows [Ks Kd] (two pair, Kings and Eights) (when will they ever learn to fold overpairs?)
Fuel55 shows [5c 5s] (a full house, Fives full of Eights)

Fuel55 collected 9620