February 9, 2009

Getting Value from One Pair

In a cash game 100 bbs deep vs. passive players, you generally want to avoid going broke with one pair. But in donkaments, where you're rarely close to that deep, and you're often playing against terrible players who are ridiculously loose, one pair is a money-making hand, and it doesn't even have to be top pair. Here are a few hands from donkaments today where I got some nice value from one pair vs. donks...none are really THIN! because I'm usually way ahead or up against a draw rather than a hand I barely beat, but they are fun nonetheless:


The overbet for value:

Seat 3: MP (2,525)
Seat 4: bruechips (Hijack) (3,300)
Seat 9: UTG (3,020)

*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to bruechips [Ah As]
UTG calls 50
MP calls 50
bruechips raises to 275
UTG calls 225
MP calls 225

*** FLOP *** [7c Td 6s]
UTG checks
MP checks
bruechips bets 3,025, and is all in
UTG folds
MP calls 2,250, and is all in (Donks hate folding on this flop, so I punish that tendency by shoving to get max value. This donkey instacalled me with bottom pair.)
bruechips shows [Ah As]
MP shows [Ad 7s]

Froater beware:

Seat 4: bruechips (UTG) (6,115)
Seat 7: MP (2,915)

*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to bruechips [Ac Ks]
bruechips raises to 180
MP calls 180

*** FLOP *** [6d 9c Kh]
bruechips bets 300
MP calls 300

*** TURN *** [6d 9c Kh] [Th]
bruechips checks
MP bets 635
bruechips raises to 5,635, and is all in (If he has QJ, 87, KT, or T9, I'm going broke anyway. And if he has a worse K, both betting and check-raising will get all of his chips. But I decided to check-raise to get full value from JT,QT,J9, JJ, and Q9, whereas I think these hands fold to either a turn bet or a river shove. He also could have even less than that and bet/fold if I check but just fold if I bet again.)
MP calls 1,800, and is all in
bruechips shows [Ac Ks]
MP shows [Jh Tc]

Betting a scare turn for thin value:

Seat 1: bruechips (MP) (2,720)
Seat 5: SB (6,545)
Seat 8: UTG+1 (8,717)

*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to bruechips [Kc Qs]
UTG+1 calls 100
bruechips raises to 400 (I hate allowing limping in front of me)
SB calls 350
UTG calls 300

*** FLOP *** [4h 3c Ks]
SB checks
UTG+1 checks
bruechips bets 1,050
SB folds
UTG+1 calls 1,050

*** TURN *** [4h 3c Ks] [Ad]
UTG+1 checks
bruechips bets 1,270, and is all in (I would be betting this card as a bluff because I can represent the ace sometimes, so I'll merge my range with only one bet left and bet second pair too. No sense checking behind and then folding on the river to a bet. Might as well try to get value out of 56, 54, or maybe even an 88 that just doesn't believe me.)
UTG+1 calls 1,270
bruechips shows [Kc Qs]
UTG+1 shows [5c 6c] (limp/call, then check/call down with 6-high...very well played)

*** RIVER *** [4h 3c Ks Ad] [6d]

Charging for draws again:

Seat 3: MP (8,515)
Seat 5: bruechips (hijack) (2,455)
Seat 8: SB (15,709)

*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to bruechips [Kc Jh]
MP calls 100
bruechips raises to 400
SB calls 350
MP calls 300

*** FLOP *** [2c Kd Ad]
SB checks
MP checks
bruechips bets 900
SB calls 900
MP folds

*** TURN *** [2c Kd Ad] [Qc]
MP checks
bruechips bets 1,155, and is all in
SB calls 1,155 (He actually timed down before calling this, it was hilarious)
bruechips shows [Kc Jh]
SB shows [9d 8d]

*** RIVER *** [2c Kd Ad Qc] [Ac]

-BRUECHIPS

4 comments:

Memphis MOJO said...

"(I hate allowing limping in front of me)"

What if you get, let's say, three limpers. Do you still repot (even more), or limp, too? (assuming a MTT or SNG)

spritpot said...

Hey Mojo -
I'm probably still be raising if there's three limpers in front with KQo, probably to something like 550. If I had a slightly smaller stack, like 2000, I might just shove. Very occasionally I'd limp behind, and more often I'd just fold. With KQs I'd be limping behind more, almost never folding, and raising maybe a little bit less.

If it's a one-table SNG, I'd be more inclined to just fold.

-brue

Memphis MOJO said...

I limp behind too often figuring I have position and all that, but I'm rethinking this and appreciate your thoughts.

spritpot said...

Yea I think the problem with doing that for me, especially with the offsuit variety, is that you don't have a high-implied-odds hand. I'd limp behind 44. But limping behind KQo, you will usually flop air, and when you flop as good as top or middle pair and a lot of chips go in, you're usually behind.

Limping behind has some advantages, but for me and my game, I feel like it's usually better to try and take control of the pot.