some plays in NL

So I just finished playing a 750 hand session of 1/2 NL. I had a modest 1 Buy-in win, but I was really happy with how I played overall. I lost one hand where I got it all-in pf with AK against a good LAG who held KK for 100bb, and I lost a 75bb flip where I flopped top two against an opponents OESD and flush draw (obv we got it in on the flop). Despite those hands I still made a buy-in and felt really good about my play.

one thing I think I'm getting much better at is making thin value bets on the river in NL. In spots where I can get a call from a worse hand that might be looking to pick off a bluff. Below is a spot where I think I make a god v-bet that unfortunately didn't get called. When the villain in this hand c/r the flop I was pretty sure he either had a K or a set. I call because I have a flush draw that I rate to get paid if I hit on the turn, as well as the fact that the A's might be outs.

The A on the turn improves my hand, but not so much that I would ever want to raise the turn. The reason being that I'm going to blow away all the Kx hands that are betting into me, I'm going to lose value against flush draws that are drawing dead and may fire the third barrel (or we'll get it all in if we both hit on the river), and finally I'm in big trouble if I raise and he has a set.

On the river his check really really looked like either a spade draw that gave up, or Kx that wasn't sure what to do. I had planned on calling a bet of half pot or less on the river, probably folding to a shove. However when he checks I know that I likely have the best hand, and but I might be able to extract some value from a good K hand that think I could be bluffing. I decide to make a 1/3rd pot size bet that is big enough that it could be a bluff, but small enough that it actually could get called. Villain in the hand thought for about 45 seconds before mucking which reaffirmed my read of Kx.

Full Tilt Poker $1/$2 No Limit Hold'em - 6 players
Hand Converter Tool from www.DeucesCracked.com

MP: $350.10
CO: $54.00
Button: $296.10
SB: $198.00
BB: $280.95
UTG: $297.60

Preflop: Hero is MP with As, Qs
UTG folds, Hero raises to $7, CO folds, Button folds, SB folds, BB calls $5.

Flop: ($15.00) Kh, 2s, 6s (2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets $12, BB raises to $40, Hero calls $28.

Turn: ($95.00) Ac (2 players)
BB bets $64, Hero calls $64.

River: ($223.00) 2d (2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets $85, BB folds.

Final Pot: $223.00

Results:
Hero mucks As, Qs.
Outcome: Hero wins $220.00.
($3.00 Rake)

this hand was an interesting one:

so the player in question was a TAG who played about 17/15. I 3-bet because he is opening enough hands that not everything in his raising range can either a) call or raise against a pf 3-bet OR b) doing anything other than c/f most flops. When he called I put him on a AK or AQ or 88-TT. I guess hands like KQs could be in his range, but for the most part it is big unmade hands like AQ or a middle pkt pair.

When the flop comes down I am pretty much way ahead or way behind of his range. If he has a K it is likely with a better kicker, and if he has a small pkt pair he is drawing to two outs. Since I only have one over card to worry about, betting the flop to protect my hand is not an issue. A player like that would c-bet this flop with top pair every time, and I know he would expect me to. But I figure all I do if I fire on that flop is fold out hands I beat, and get c/r'd by everything that beats me. So I check through becuase it makes my hand look super weak, and I think I might get some suspicious calldowns.

the turn is the perfect card for me. It makes it much less likely he has a K, while at the same time make it look very unlikely that I have a K. Plus it is the perfect card to get a call from 88-TT. On the turn I decide to make a pretty weak looking half pot bet, that can easily get called by a small pair.

The river actually worried me a little. If villains turn calling range is 88-TT, then 1/3rd of that range just two-outed me. Also he could have been trying to trap on the turn with AK or KQ, but I seriously doubt it (ie I think he would lead at the turn about 100% of the time with those hands). I decide that a small value bet is likely to get called by 88 or 99, and I can fold to a big c/r from this somewhat predictable player. A big bet never gets called unless I'm beat, and I don't want to put a ton more money into the pot and then fold with trips.

I v-bet for about 1/3rd of the pot, and he calls with the 88. I smile.

Full Tilt Poker $1/$2 No Limit Hold'em - 6 players
Hand Converter Tool from www.DeucesCracked.com

Button: $200.00
SB: $201.00
BB: $276.75
UTG: $219.00
MP: $251.45
CO: $366.60

Preflop: Hero is Button with Jd, Kd
MP folds, CO raises to $7, Hero raises to $24, SB folds, BB folds, CO calls $17.

Flop: ($51.00) 7d, 2s, Kc (2 players)
CO checks, Hero checks.

Turn: ($51.00) Ks (2 players)
CO checks, Hero bets $25, CO calls $25.

River: ($101.00) Th (2 players)
CO checks, Hero bets $36, CO calls $36.

Final Pot: $173.00

Results:
Hero shows Jd, Kd (three of a kind, Kings).
UTG doesn't show.
CO mucks 8s, 8d.
Outcome: Hero wins $170.00.
($3.00 Rake)

The month is going pretty well so far. Up about $900. There are a lot of good promos going on this month so there is probably an extra $500 or so in money I can make between my affiliate and site promos.

Oh and for those that didn't see my post on chiptalk, I went deep in a 32k freeroll yesterday (6k for first place) and despite being among the top three in chips for most of the tourney I busted on a stupid stupid stupid play. I had just gotten my first AA of the tourney cracked by 77 in a hand that would have moved me from 3rd place and 8k behind the chip leader to leading the tourney in chips by 40k or so. After building up from 10th place back to 5th by stealing blinds an antes about 4 times I opened up K8s from middle position. Unfortunately I mistyped my raise amount, and instead of raising to about 12k like I wanted to I only minraised to 6k. The loose aggro BB obv calls getting like 4-1 pf. We see a K64 two spade flop and he donks out for the pot. I've seen him play very aggressive with a ton of hands in 3 orbits so I feel like I need to protect my hand against a ton of the draws that are in his range. So I make a potsized raise (a little over half of my stack) and he shoves pretty quick. I have to call getting a little better than 3-1 on my money. He flips up K4o. I want to puke. I miss my 6 outer on the turn, and my 9 outer ont he river. He would have folded preflop if I don't misclick, and I would have still been in the tourny in 5th place with 22 left and a terrific table image. Instead of battling at the final table for my share of the almost 20k left in the prize pool I go home with $170 bucks. I bang my head on desk repeatedly.

on a good news front I went and bought a christmas tree on sunday afternoon. I real live scotch pine. Its a beautiful tree. About 6ft tall. Fits perfectly in our living room. I got it in the stand and moved into the living room on sunday afternoon while katy was out, and then we decorated it on sunday night (katy did most of the decorating). We named it Oliver ;-). It is our first real christmas tree since we've been living together (3 christmases). Oliver is one thirsty tree though. I've had to put 4 huge cups of water in his stand already. I'll take some pics and post them up for my next entry.

also if anyone once me to write an entry on anything particular: limit, nl, baseball, my favorite tv shows, or whateva, just post in the comments.

cya

themightyjim