Image Quiz

Here's a few imaginary hands to think about from an image-conscious point of view. No right or wrong answers, I just want to see what you think is the "best" play for each of these scenarios. I'll post what I would do in the comments so you don't think I'm just fishing for reads on you guys :)

For each of these hands, hero and villain both have a specific image. This image is either 'tight aggressive' or 'loose aggressive.' Assume both players are decent, thinking players, and both are aware of the other player's image.

How should the hero respond if a) hero is tight and villain is loose, b) hero is loose and villain is tight, c) both players are tight, d) both players are loose?

1. Preflop Manuevering
Hero picks up TT on the button and opens for 4x the BB. Villain, in the big blind, re-raises to 12x. Hero...

2. Flop Raise
Hero is in middle position and raises to 4x with K♠Q♠. Villain calls from the button.

The flop is Q♣J♣6♥. Hero bets out 3/4 the pot, and villain raises 3 times the original bet. Hero...

3. Scary River
(This one might not be played optimally by Hero given his image, but stick with me)

Hero is again in middle position and raises to 4x with 8♠8♦. Villain calls from the button.

The flop comes K♣8♣9♦. Hero bets out 3/4 the pot, and villain calls.

The turn is a 2♠. Hero bets out half pot, villain calls.

The river is a Q♣. Hero...

lol internet

A few internet hands for you guys to ponder.

All of them are short handed (5-6 players) with $0.25-$.50 blinds. No reads on anyone I'm playing against because I'm a multitabling superstar who doesn't have time for reads.


Hand 1

Hero's got J♦J♥ on the cut-off. MP folds, I raise to $2. Button and SB fold, BB re-raises to $6.50. (No reads on him at this point)

The flop comes 4♦9♦2♦. BB bets $8 into the $13 pot.

Hero calls, turn is a Q♦. BB pushes his last $37 into the $29 pot.

Hero...


Hand 2

Hero has 3♠3♦ on the button. Villain raises it to $1.75 from the hijack. Cutoff calls, hero calls.

Flop is 6♥8♥9♦. Villain bets $2.85 into the $6 pot. CO folds.

Hero calls. Turn is T♠. Villain bets $5.85 into the $11 pot. Hero calls.

River is A♣. Villain bets $5 into the $23 pot.

Hero raises to $25... Villain has $50 left and covers hero. Good or bad?


Hand 3

Hero has K♠K♦ in the BB. Three people limp, SB folds, and hero raises to $3. Two callers to the flop...

8♣5♦J♠. Hero bets $6 into the $9 pot. Button calls.

Turn 3♣. Hero checks, button bets $2 into the $22 pot.

Hero...



BONUS BAD BEAT HAND!!! (I'm 'tgijvs')

Stupid river. Worst street in hold'em imho.

The Night of Sick Beats and Sicker Laydowns

I had the best card rush I've had at WNP in a while and only finished up $11.25, but when I look back at the laydowns I made, I really have to be glad I wasn't down $100.

Hand #1

First hand of the night. Five handed, Ivan is on the button, and Tiffany, Joe, Ryan, and Martin around from there.

I raise to 7 with T♠T♣

Martin calls

Tiffany calls

F: 9♣ 6♣ 5♥

Tiffany checks

I bet 20

Martin calls

T: 8♣

If I could have picked one card in the deck I didn't want to see, it was probably 8♣. Flushes and straights abound, now.

I bet 30

Martin raises to 60

I call, hoping for the 7♣ to fuck his shit up

R: J♦

I check

Martin bets 77

I call, stupidly, knowing in my heart I’m beat

Martin shows JJ.

Calling Martin's minraise on the turn was questionable. Calling Martin's river bet was just dumb, not even worthy of an orange belt. I didn't even have him on a hand, I just called because I was in denial that he "caught up" and desperately wanted to put him on a "scary board" bluff.

How about that smooth call preflop and on the flop from Martin, eh? Martin! Will you f'in raise?! You cite fear of overpairs for your conservative play, but a raise will sure help clarify whether those fears are founded! What if I’m on AK and you let the overcards get there!

Hand #2

9-handed...Ivan, Jeh (D), Karl, Tiffany, Joe, Ryan, Matt, Martin, Royal

Joe limps

I call with Q♣3♣ (Shut up. I do that sometimes. It was soooted.)

There is a cascade of limps, and most of the table is in to the unraised flop

F: K♥ Q♥ Q♦

Royal's friend bets 2

Tiffany calls

Joe raises to 10

I raise to 30

Fold to Joe

Joe raises to 75

I fold, showing a Q

Joe shows J♥

I say that I would bet a ton of money that Joe's other card is a Q. Frankly, if it's not the case Q or T♥, then it's a pretty bad play by Joe (he said later is was the case Q). I'm flat-out telling him I have a Q with my raise, and he can't assume it's a Q I can fold like it was. If he has J♥T♥ there, he would either call or raise bigger. We can each rule out AQ and KQ from the other, as neither of us would limp against that table in that spot with those hands.

Hand #3

Still 9-Handed..Ivan, Jeh, Karl, Tiffany, Joe, Ryan, Matt, Martin(D), Royal

Two limpers

I raise to 9 with J♣J♠

Matt re-raises to 19

Folds to me

I reraise to 50 to figure out where my jacks are at

(You hear that Martin? To figure out where they are at! Try it sometime!)

Matt calls

Interesting, I expected a fold or another raise, so right now I'm thinking AK or a non AA/KK big pair that he wants to see a flop with, but AK is the big blinking neon for me.

F: T♦ 8♦ 8♥

I bet 70

Matt says, "Well, I think it's all getting in anyway," and pushes for 180+ more

Pot is offering me 2:1 at this point, and I have him on A♦K♦, TT, or maybe QQ, but it really felt like A♦K♦. A♦K♦ is a coin flip, which I'm definitely getting odds for, but everything else I'm inlcuding beats the snot out of me, so I fold face up. He shows QQ and compliments the laydown.

Hand #4

8 or 9 players, can't remember if Karl is in at this point.

Ivan, Jeh, Karl, Tiffany, Joe (D), Ryan, Matt, Martin, Royal

Royal raises to 8 (sizeable early-position raise from Royal, I have to give him credit for a good hand)

Ivan calls

Folds to me, I wake up with A♠A♥ in SB

I raise to 30

Folds to Royal

Royal calls

Ivan folds

F: A♣ K♠ X♠

Yahtzee!

I bet 40

Royal instantly raises to 100

I have 340 total. Push, or call then check the turn? I know he's not semi-bluffing the nut flush draw since I have the As, but he is clearly strong, but I also think if he has KK he re-raises me preflop. I have to hope he's strong enough to call an all-in at this point, because if he's not, he probably won't bet for me on the turn unless he gets a spade to draw out on me. I push, and he folds after some thought. Later he says JJ, and indeed, short of him hitting a J on the turn, I wasn't getting any more money.

Hand #5

Late, we are within a half-hour of finishing. Six-handed.

There are some limpers, and I raise to 8 with AK in one of the blinds. I think two limpers call, including Royal.

F: KJ2 (rainbow? Can't remember. Maybe suited because of the size of my next bet)

I bet 20

Royal quickly raises to 40

Other caller folds

I raise to 120

Royal pushes all in, again, quickly. I have him covered, but it's a big raise.

I fold, Royal shows 22

There isn’t a lot beating me right there that Royal limp/calls with preflop, pretty much only KJ and 22, but I also don’t think Royal is making that move on me without being able to beat me, so I let it go. The 100 I won off Royal with a set of aces goes right back to him.

Other hand of interest:

Tiffany moves all in preflop for 62 in middle position with a couple of limpers. I have QQ in SB, and iso-raise another 100. Everyone else folds, she shows 99 and spikes a 9 on the flop...

Ivan raises, at least one or two people between him and me call (probably Joe, he'll call anything), and I call with 22.

Flop comes 235 rainbow, which is nice, but I wish it were less scary, like 269, because Ivan is pretty tight and is probably on two big cards or an overpair.

I can't remember the exact action, but I value him all the way, and he shows KK and I take a monster.