Cobalt Takes His Shot (5/10)

[CobaltBlue 662]

Bodog 5/10 NLHE (9-handed)MP2 $1997Cobalt $1386Cobalt is Button w/ Q Q . I've been playing TAG and haven't shown down a hand. I've played with MP2 a number of times over the past few weeks, but I still haven't solidified whether I think he's TAG or LAG. I do know that he's good as he's almost always sitting on a bigger than max buy-in stack. I usually play with him at 3/6 SHNLHE. Blinds are tight.Pre-flop:3 folds, MP2 raises to $35, 2 folds, Cobalt calls, 1 fold, BB callsFlop ($110): 4 5 5 (3 players)BB checks, MP2 bets $80, Cobalt raises to $200, BB thinks and folds, MP2 callsTurn ($510): T (2 players)MP2 checks, Cobalt bets $300, MP2 goes all-in for $1762, Cobalt ?($851 more for me to call)

[simo_8ball 1]

I really prefer to see a reraise preflop here. You are essentially representing a medium strength hand like 88 on the flop which could encourage villain to make a move with air. His play is very representative of AA/KK.He could be overplaying 99/JJ. He could be bluffing with AK. I still think it's a hand that has you drawing to 2 outs too often for calling to be profitable.

[Zach6668 513]

I really prefer to see a reraise preflop here.

100% QFT on this one.I know we discussed it on AIM, but I thought I'd put it on here for all to see.Like you said, the problem here is you've underrepped your hand, meaning he has a wider range.Reraising PF makes it 100 x easier to play, IMO.

[DonkSlayer 1]

Ok, Hero raises to $120 preflop. MP2 calls. Flop. MP2 checks. Hero bets $300. MP2 reraises all in. Yeah, I feel much better now.Not trying to be a smartazz guys, just sayin.

[simo_8ball 1]

Ok, Hero raises to $120 preflop. MP2 calls. Flop. MP2 checks. Hero bets $300. MP2 reraises all in.

Hero calls because villain could easily be semibluffing on that flop. Also, AA/KK are less likely because he just called our reraise preflop.

[David_Nicoson 1]

Every once in a awhile I think maybe I should take a shot at 5/10. Then I read Cobalt's posts, and it's sort of like the scene with Luke Skywalker fighting the phantom Vader in the cave on Dagobah.

[Sefaje 0]

Hero calls because villain could easily be semibluffing on that flop. Also, AA/KK are less likely because he just called our reraise preflop.

The thought that AA/KK alone will put in the 4bet preflop and that they will always do it is very, very exploitable and I try not to base any decisions in a hand off of it. Especially at 5/10 NL where players are all aware of both ends of this. Just sayin'

[Lavitz 0]

The thought that AA/KK alone will put in the 4bet preflop and that they will always do it is very, very exploitable and I try not to base any decisions in a hand off of it. Especially at 5/10 NL where players are all aware of both ends of this. Just sayin'

This is true, but a it is still "less likely" he will have AA and KK just because a good amount of players still do, probably the majority.

[Scott3705 0]

As you say he plays 3/6 shed often, 1. Do you think the stakes woudl tighten him up 2. Do you think he may have a hard time taking his aggression down to adjust to a full table? I haven't seen any really good thought on putting villian on a hand besides, he's slowplayed AA/KK, he's overplayed some non-sense, or he's running a bluff on you. My thoughts working from the turn backwards:AA/KK: turn: as no draw got there, this hand will feel fairly comfortable it's the best hand and be willing to get them in at this point. flop/turn check: Cobalt may be TAG, but most players will play some form of suited connector on the button against a preflop raiser. With this board so coordinated, Cobalt could be raising on a draw. So why do we not three bet the flop and how can we be sure Cobalt will be the turn and allow us to get the C/R in? Ak-ajspades: I think this hand gets into the idea of what c-bets on the flop and just cold calls your reraise? stacks are too deep to try to get them all in on this flop for him, so he's forced to call and draw to his 14 outs. But does he really have the balls to pull this crazy C/R on you? Given your reraising range "might" include draws, medium pairs, etc, he can't really count on the C/R, so if he's bluffing he's just capitalizing on your bet on the turn thinking he can take away the hand.99/jj: I don't think the turn action works at all for this. cobalt's feeling is that he knows villian will not think cobalt will stack off on a pair of 88s-, so I just don't see this hand.10/10: c-bets the flop 100% of the time, but has a hard time 3-betting the reraise from cobalt because it's just not that strong of a hand and he's still OOP for the rest of the hand. Possibly going into c/C mode at this point unless cobalt bets 3 times at the pot. Turn: obviously a gin card, checks to see where cobalt is, cobalt's still betting and villian may think he has an overpair which is very difficult to get away from at this point. I think 10/10 makes the most sense as far as the way it's played, but it does have the least probability of occuring.

[CobaltBlue 662]

As you say he plays 3/6 shed often, 1. Do you think the stakes woudl tighten him up 2. Do you think he may have a hard time taking his aggression down to adjust to a full table? I haven't seen any really good thought on putting villian on a hand besides, he's slowplayed AA/KK, he's overplayed some non-sense, or he's running a bluff on you. My thoughts working from the turn backwards:AA/KK: turn: as no draw got there, this hand will feel fairly comfortable it's the best hand and be willing to get them in at this point. flop/turn check: Cobalt may be TAG, but most players will play some form of suited connector on the button against a preflop raiser. With this board so coordinated, Cobalt could be raising on a draw. So why do we not three bet the flop and how can we be sure Cobalt will be the turn and allow us to get the C/R in? Ak-ajspades: I think this hand gets into the idea of what c-bets on the flop and just cold calls your reraise? stacks are too deep to try to get them all in on this flop for him, so he's forced to call and draw to his 14 outs. But does he really have the balls to pull this crazy C/R on you? Given your reraising range "might" include draws, medium pairs, etc, he can't really count on the C/R, so if he's bluffing he's just capitalizing on your bet on the turn thinking he can take away the hand.99/jj: I don't think the turn action works at all for this. cobalt's feeling is that he knows villian will not think cobalt will stack off on a pair of 88s-, so I just don't see this hand.10/10: c-bets the flop 100% of the time, but has a hard time 3-betting the reraise from cobalt because it's just not that strong of a hand and he's still OOP for the rest of the hand. Possibly going into c/C mode at this point unless cobalt bets 3 times at the pot. Turn: obviously a gin card, checks to see where cobalt is, cobalt's still betting and villian may think he has an overpair which is very difficult to get away from at this point. I think 10/10 makes the most sense as far as the way it's played, but it does have the least probability of occuring.

When I say that I see him at 3/6, I meant to clarify that villain probably knows that I'm playing above my normal stakes, while I've seen him at 5/10 enough to know that he's pretty comfortable there. As for the possibility of him playing more LAG than he should at full ring, I notice that he 3.5xOR somewhat frequently from late position and not so much from EP...so I figure he's compensating well.As for pre-flop, yes...re-popping makes the decisions on this hand a lot easier, but I didn't mind likely taking the pot HU IP (as I said, the blinds were tight). That said,I think I probably re-pop pre-flop here around 75% of the time.Villain can feel fairly comfortable on this flop with AA/KK (particularly if he holds the As or Ks) despite the presence of draws. My most likely hand in this scenario is some sort of medium overpair to the board...so I'm likely drawing to two outs. Additionally, based on what I know my betting patterns to be, I'll almost always follow up my flop raise with a turn bet...whether I'm on a draw or whatever...so he can be reasonably sure of getting a CR in. While I do call here pre-flop with suited connectors sometimes, that's probably not my reputation in his eyes.Again, the difficulty with this hand is that I've under-represented what I'm holding...so villain can put me on a draw or pair 99-66.I'll narrow his range after a little more discussion.

[pokerplayer24 0]

I think this is an instacall. No way he puts you on such a strong hand and you're getting better then 2:1.Also I think your flop raise sucks. The pots 270 and you're making it 120 more. If you're gonna slowplay QQ pre I think you really have to bomb this flop as I think 88-JJ will def be paying you off. So i'd say this has to be raised up to at least 300 on the flop.

[Scott3705 0]

Villain can feel fairly comfortable on this flop with AA/KK (particularly if he holds the As or Ks) despite the presence of draws. My most likely hand in this scenario is some sort of medium overpair to the board...so I'm likely drawing to two outs. Additionally, based on what I know my betting patterns to be, I'll almost always follow up my flop raise with a turn bet...whether I'm on a draw or whatever...so he can be reasonably sure of getting a CR in. While I do call here pre-flop with suited connectors sometimes, that's probably not my reputation in his eyes.Again, the difficulty with this hand is that I've under-represented what I'm holding...so villain can put me on a draw or pair 99-66.I'll narrow his range after a little more discussion.

Straightforward, his hand seems like a medium pair until he C/R the turn. If villian is that sure of your pattern and would be willing to try to pull some sort of elaborate turn C/R bluff w/ air, then I'd be more inclined to let him get away w/ it the first time and see if he's actively making a habit of trying to take me off marginal hands. If he's on a medium type pair, I don't see the point of the turn action given that his hand has value against your range and that he "may" believe your calling range to be narrow and you'd likely fold a 99-66 to this action. His turn C/R I think is a very strong hand and just seems too elaborate to be contain a large enough range of hands you're beating. Again, i think his most likely holding in this situation is 10/10 followed by AA given your additional thoughts on his approach to you.