Has anyone else noticed a "hero call" trend in NL online?

maybe its just the site i play at, but I seem to notice a lot of people getting caught in bluffs, and not because they werent good bluffs, most are properly timed etc..

but it seems that people want to make those hero calls with low pairs more now than I ever saw before.

I guess its like everything tho, games, and sports etc.. have their "cool" aspects, and in Poker, besides the money... people who play more as entertainment find the crazy call with a pair of 4's and it being the winner is the cats asss.

I recently watched Lucky You also, which promotes calling bluffs with bottom pair more often than it showed real hands winning.


/thoughts?

Some of these hero calls are made by donk calling stations, no doubt. However, I'm inclined to think that players might just be getting smarter, and with appropriate odds on the river (if your getting 2:1 to make a call, and theres a significant chance that the villain is bluffing a missed draw), these hero calls may just be +EV. Some people may take this to the extreme, but I feel that from personal experience in microlimit cash games, if a river bet looks fishy and there's numerous hands in his range that may constitute a complete bluff, its often correct to call. I think we've seen so many river bluffs, that many players have simply adapted by not taking these river bets at face value.

That was time well spent.

Totally agree, but some of them make no sense. Its almost like they enjoy making the call. for instance.

1/2NL fullring
raise from MP, fold fold, call button call, fold fold.

flop J,7,2 checks around.
turn Q (also brings a flush draw lets say)

MP bet 1/2 pot fold, button call.

river 3. no flush.

MP bet 1/2 pot.

button thinks.... finally calls with 4,4

I mean, granted this could be a donkey, but he didnt show himself to be a donkey. So i'm wondering how he justifies making the turn call? does he plan to float the turn maybe? but he just calls the river.

I dunno, maybe the hand is normal, but when i was watching it sorta confused me

I mean, i think K,Q AQ, play this hand very similar.






no, it wasnt. i actually thought it was a brutal movie.

Not sure if it's a "hero call" or stupidity, but this happened to me a couple of days ago...

Bodog 2/3 NLHE (6-handed)

Full stacks

Cobalt is Button w/ J 9 . Haven't been at the table particularly long and haven't shown any bluffs.

Pre-flop:
UTG calls, 2 folds, Cobalt raises to $13, 2 folds, UTG calls

Flop ($26): 8 4 4 (2 players)
UTG checks, Cobalt bets $14, UTG calls

Turn ($54): 3 (2 players)
UTG checks, Cobalt bets $32, UTG calls

River ($118): 6 (2 players)
UTG checks, Cobalt bets $75, UTG calls

UTG shows 8 6 .

The most satisfying moment I've ever had in poker was making a hero call earlier in my poker "career".

I was stuck about 12 buy-ins at the Excalibur 1/2 on a Fridurday session. Guy pushes the turn with k7 for no pair and no draw. I contemplate a call with AK. I'm thinking fold, but he starts trying to talk me out if when I stack my chips. I call. River comes a king. He says, "That river helped me." and proudly flips up his hand. That pot puts me in the black at the end of 17 hours.

So I think you're on to something by bringing up the emotional aspect.

"Hero Calls" might be an adjustment to the overly aggressive river stealing that occurs these days (especially in position). This is especially true if the pots are smallish or moderate. People will look people up to keep each other honest.

Yeah I was being sarcastic. That movie was rough, and I paid to see it at the theater!

online games are getting really aggressive for the most part, so to balance out the donkishness of the online universe people started playing NL like SHLE.

It's not that unreasonable to see a ton of people making hero calls now. Game's have gotten tougher, more aggressive and LAG has become the preferred style of play. There's a ton of players that raise suited connectors in position and 3-barrel w/ no pair and no draw, so it makes sense that we'd see more thin calls. There's a very strong argument that the best way to beat NL games right now is to TAG it up based on all the LAG players that think just because they raised with 68 suited and got paid off on a flopped str8, that they play LAG well. I don't have the patience to, but if I did, I would certainly change up my game to be more TAG due to the state of the game.


It's also trendy to make hero folds as well. Anyone notice that?

I've just noticed a general trend of people getting psychotic aggressive. This comes from a calling and a betting perspective. IDK if it's because the WSOP is back on TV and this is just an ebb due to the millions of emulators... but once an unknown raises pf it's safe to assume they won't find their fold button.

I suspect so as well. Although we don't really know unless they talk it up.

The oddest thing was what I saw from some new players in a fake money game at work (we play during lunch). There is this player who decides to be really LAG donkish most of the time. Hey was paying off people entire buy-ins with only middle pair, etc. But he was able to make several hero folds including trips vs. trips, trips vs. full house, etc.

That would be me. I can fold trip over trips flush over flush, but can't fold Top pair to save my life.

I don't have the HH (at work) but this happened last night a few times... this is one instance and just one player.

100nl
Co raises to 3, I call in BB with KQ

Board K25 J 5

FLOP: C/C 5
Turn C/C 12
River C/C 20

Villian shows 79. I mean, how can you not call light against people that play like this? Reminds me of the way 2/5 in AC used to be 2 years ago...bunch of LAGtard morons.

The trendy thing I noticed is smooth calling with AA or KK pf and letting 6 people see a flop and then bitching when 94off in the BB flops two pair and then the villain pushes his premium hand at that point, only to get busted.

naw, thats been trendy for a long time

He read you like a book. Give props where props is due.

The new key to NLHE is to make mediocre hands. The hero calls will pay you off, and the hero folds will throw away the better hand.

LOL

Believe me...if you're counting on me to raise pre-flop with a limper and fire three bullets without a pair...well, that's certainly +EV (considering I do it once a month).

That said, just made the adjustment after that hand...value-bet him like crazy and stopped bluffing.