September 4, 2008

Putting Together a 3-Barrel

I figured I'd throw in a strategy post just so this brog doesn't turn into a bad-beat whine. Just kidding! Brackchips has been running bad enough to have earned a post about it ROR.

It used to be said that only "great" players could fire 3 barrels at a pot with total air.  These days you see random donks firing bullets at a pot fairly often. It does take some fearlessness to put in the big river bet with nothing, but that doesn't make it a good play. You have to pick your spots carefully, read your opponent's hand, and be sure you are credibly repping a hand. Here's one that worked out well for me, and I think this is pretty much the perfect spot for it:

Seat 2 (button) : bruechips ($261.40)
Seat 8: MP ($188)

*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to bruechips [9h Kh]
MP calls $2
button raises to $10
MP calls $8 (40/13 donk limp calls....his range is random broadway cards, suited connectors, suited aces, probably some weaker unsuited aces like A9o, and some small pocket pairs.)

*** FLOP *** [Jh 2d Ad]
MP checks
bruechips bets $15 (Since I raised preflop, I can absolutely represent this flop hitting me. I can rep AK-AT, AA, JJ easily and - this is important - MP cannot represent these hands. The other monster hands on this flop - A2, 22, QdTd, etc., either of us could have.)
MP calls $15 (When he check-calls here, I'm already thinking three-barrel. My turn bet is only going to be profitable if I continue my story on the river and try to get him to fold his weak one pair.)

*** TURN *** [Jh 2d Ad] [6c]
MP checks
bruechips bets $38  (Continue representing huge hand. All of the hands above I would continue betting here due to the draws on board, with the possible exception of AT. Also I could have 66 here, since I'd be c-betting the flop with it, and he can't have that hand when he check-calls.)
MP calls $38 (When he check/calls again, with all the draws on board, the ABSOLUTE TOP of his range is AT. AA, JJ, AK and AQ he raises preflop, probably AJ too, and if he had limp-called AJ, he'd have raised either the flop or the turn. Same reasoning applies to A2, A6, and 22. More likely he has some other random crappy ace, a decent jack, or maybe a big draw that he just doesn't want to play aggressively.)

*** RIVER *** [Jh 2d Ad 6c] [9s]
MP checks
bruechips bets $125 (The pot is $126 and he has $125 left, so time to just put him all in. If he rivered A9, so be it. I think he'd lead into me on the river with that hand anyway. Plus, I have a 9, so that's a little less likely. Even though he's a donk, I don't see him calling down with A7 or the like. I have shown strength on every street in a credible way. I'm getting 1:1 on the bluff, which means that if he folds half the time or more, I show a profit. Given that there are really few monster hands in his range and plenty of marginal ones, I'm pretty confident this is a good spot to go ahead and fire that last barrel.)
MP folds

-BRUECHIPS

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