Run it Twice FTW

Run it twice pays off after we got it all-in preflop. Scoop!

A misplayed draw

I made a big mistake in this hand when I flopped a flush draw and overcards. I didn't stop to think about the hand and just spewed my money in.

Because the pot size was still small, I would have been better off calling the flop. Then I could have decided whether to make a move on the turn when the pot was bigger and I'd have more fold equity against draws that dominate mine.

I also should have slowed down after my opponent put in the 3-bet on the flop. Instead, I went all in with no fold equity whatsoever. By that point, I had screwed up so badly that I had resigned myself to getting it all in.


Full Tilt Poker $2/$4 No Limit Hold'em - 6 players - View hand 392462
The Official DeucesCracked.com Hand History Converter

SB: $842.50
BB: $416.20
UTG: $412.00
Hero (MP): $555.00
CO: $107.00
BTN: $400.00

Pre Flop: ($6.00) Hero is MP with J Q

UTG raises to $12, Hero calls $12, CO requests TIME, 4 folds

Flop: ($30.00) 9 6 5 (2 players)

UTG bets $20, Hero raises to $74, UTG raises to $188, Hero raises to $543 all in, UTG calls $212 all in

Turn: ($830.00) 2 (2 players - 2 are all in)

River: ($830.00) 4 (2 players - 2 are all in)

Final Pot: $830.00

UTG shows K T (King Ten high)
Hero shows J Q (Queen Jack high)
UTG wins $827.00
(Rake: $3.00)

Waiting till the turn

In this hand, the results would have been the same whether I got it all in on the flop or on the turn. But by waiting until the turn, I get the money in as a 73 percent favorite rather than a 54 percent favorite.

Full Tilt Poker $5/$10 No Limit Hold'em - 8 players - View hand 191939

The Official DeucesCracked.com Hand History Converter

Hero (BB): $1015.00
UTG+1: $1202.00

Pre Flop: ($15.00) Hero is BB with K A

1 fold, UTG+1 raises to $35, 5 folds, Hero calls $25

I flatted here because the UTG+1 player was tight, I had a good idea of his range and a 3-bet would fold out all worse hands and induce a 4-bet from all better hands.

Flop: ($75.00) A 5 T (2 players)

Hero checks, UTG+1 bets $50, Hero raises to $150, UTG+1 raises to $370, Hero requests TIME, Hero calls $220

Waiting for the non-diamond turn before I shove...

Turn: ($815.00) 2 (2 players)

Hero bets $610 all in, UTG+1 calls $610

River: ($2035.00) 5 (2 players - 1 is all in)

Final Pot: $2035.00

Hero shows K A (two pair, Aces and Fives)

UTG+1 shows J A (two pair, Aces and Fives)

Hero wins $2032.00

(Rake: $3.00)

Bingo!

Easy Money

It's easy to forget the hands we fold that save us a lot of money simply because we never played them. Money saved spends just as well as money earned.

In this hand, folding QQ preflop shouldn't be difficult against two players raising and reraising from early position. If I were on autopilot, I can see myself getting involved in this hand and losing a chunk of change. Instead, all I lost was the money I paid for the blinds:


Full Tilt Poker $5/$10 No Limit Hold'em - 8 players - View hand 176679

The Official DeucesCracked.com Hand History Converter

CO: $2290.00
BTN: $872.65
Hero (SB): $2000.00
BB: $2671.50
UTG: $907.00
UTG+1: $2001.50
MP1: $1000.00
MP2: $1009.00

Pre Flop: ($15.00) Hero is SB with Q Q

1 fold, UTG+1 raises to $30, MP1 raises to $100, 5 folds, UTG+1 calls $70

Flop: ($215.00) 5 6 A (2 players)

UTG+1 checks, MP1 bets $100, UTG+1 raises to $315, MP1 calls $215

Turn: ($845.00) 4 (2 players)

UTG+1 bets $1586.50 all in, MP1 calls $585 all in

River: ($2015.00) T (2 players - 2 are all in)

Final Pot: $2015.00

UTG+1 shows 7 9 (Ace Ten high)

MP1 shows A A (three of a kind, Aces)

MP1 wins $2012.00

(Rake: $3.00)

A time to show

I don't show bluffs often, but I'll do so when there's a good chance it could pay off later. In this game, the time was right.

First, the 4-bet bluff and the show (you can do it quickly by typing Control+M). This was a good spot for it because I could represent strength with another under-the-gun raise, and the player who attempted the squeeze can only call with premium hands:


Full Tilt Poker $2/$4 No Limit Hold'em - 6 players - View hand 175603

The Official DeucesCracked.com Hand History Converter

SB: $402.00
BB: $771.20
Hero (UTG): $407.30
MP: $400.00
CO: $852.30
BTN: $1303.20


Pre Flop: ($6.00) Hero is UTG with 8 T

Hero raises to $12, 2 folds, BTN calls $12, SB raises to $64, 1 fold, Hero raises to $125, BTN requests TIME, 1 fold, SB requests TIME, 1 fold

Final Pot: $144.00

Hero shows 8 T (Ten Eight high)

Hero wins $144.00


Then a few minutes later, I make a similar move, get action in a coinflip situation and flop good. This opponent probably wouldn't have committed with TT unless I had shown my bluff a few minutes earlier. Even though we got it in on a flip, my range crushes his TT in this spot.


Full Tilt Poker $2/$4 No Limit Hold'em - 6 players - View hand 175610

The Official DeucesCracked.com Hand History Converter

SB: $408.70
BB: $663.20
Hero (UTG): $607.90
MP: $406.00
CO: $852.30
BTN: $1273.20


Pre Flop: ($6.00) Hero is UTG with K A

Hero raises to $12, 2 folds, BTN raises to $42, 2 folds, Hero raises to $125, BTN requests TIME, BTN raises to $1273.20 all in, Hero calls $482.90 all in

Flop: ($1221.80) K 9 K

Turn: ($1221.80) 6

River: ($1221.80) A

Final Pot: $1221.80

Hero shows K A (a full house, Kings full of Aces)

BTN shows T T (two pair, Kings and Tens)

Hero wins $1218.80

(Rake: $3.00)

Deepstacked with an overpair

In trying to improve my deepstacked game, I picked up a tip from an instructional video:

There's nothing wrong with not continuation betting an overpair out of position and check-calling down against an aggressive opponent. Many players in position when deepstacked will both value bet with worse and bluff when checked to.

If I were to continuation bet with the overpair when stacks are deep, there are many flops on which I'd be unnecessarily inflating the pot or setting myself up to get bluffed off the best hand on a later street.

When 100BBs deep, I'll continuation bet my overpair just about every time. But deepstacked, one pair loses so much value when the pot gets big, and I can't afford to be guessing when out of position.

Here's an example:

Full Tilt Poker $5/$10 No Limit Hold'em - 9 players - View hand 160019

The Official DeucesCracked.com Hand History Converter


BTN: $1474.05

Hero (UTG): $2023.25


Pre Flop: ($15.00) Hero is UTG with Q Q

Hero raises to $30, 5 folds, BTN calls $30, 2 folds



Flop: ($75.00) 5 8 2 (2 players)

Hero checks, BTN bets $60, Hero calls $60



Turn: ($195.00) 8 (2 players)

Hero checks, BTN bets $155, Hero calls $155



River: ($505.00) 6 (2 players)

Hero checks, BTN requests TIME, BTN checks



Final Pot: $505.00

BTN shows 9 4 (a pair of Eights)

Hero shows Q Q (two pair, Queens and Eights)

Hero wins $502.00

(Rake: $3.00)