Ok this is my first post so I apologize for any mistakes. I've been running horrible over the past month and am trying to assess my play. I play micro/low limit on FT and for a while was doing pretty decent building a respectable bankroll (Considering I only deposited $50) but recently have just plummeted. I prefer shorthanded/heads up play although I do like to try a little bit of everything. I seem to be losing a lot of the following types of hands and can't quite decide if I'm just not making good reads and am underestimating my opponents or if these are just the types of hands where shit happens and I got to move on. Hadn't sat down that long, no reads other than that the players are very aggressive.

Full Tilt No-Limit Hold'em, $0.10 BB (3 handed) Full Tilt Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: FCP)

BB ($6.80)
Button ($3.25)
Hero ($3.10)

Preflop: Hero is SB with A , Q .
1 fold, Hero raises to $0.35, BB calls $0.20.

Flop: ($0.65) A , 8 , K (2 players)
Hero bets $0.6, BB calls $0.60.

Turn: ($1.85) 6 (2 players)
Hero bets $0.8, BB calls $0.80.

River: ($3.45) 2 (2 players)
Hero checks, BB bets $5.1 (All-In), Hero calls $1.40 (All-In).

Final Pot: $6.25

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Full Tilt No-Limit Hold'em, $0.10 BB (3 handed) Full Tilt Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: FCP)

Button ($9.50)
SB ($3.15)
Hero ($4)

Preflop: Hero is BB with A , Q .
Button raises to $0.3, SB calls $0.25, Hero raises to $1.1, Button calls $0.70, SB folds.

Flop: ($2.40) 9 , 9 , 6 (2 players)
Hero checks, Button bets $0.9, Hero calls $0.90.

Turn: ($4.20) A (2 players)
Hero bets $2.1 (All-In), Button calls $2.10.

River: ($0) A (2 players, 1 all-in)

Final Pot: $8.40


I realize these are not bad beats, but knowing that these players are very aggressive playing micro limit in such a short handed game, should I be laying these hands down? Obviously yes I should since I didn't get my money in good either time, but I feel like the majority of short handed micro limit players (especially with such short stacks) are willing to throw away their money making "questionable" plays.

Yo.

Welcome to the forums. I'm moving this to the Strat forums, and removing the results. Aight?

Also, the first hand is pretty standard-ish.

Are you playing shortstacked on purpose?

If so, 30-40 BBs, you're pretty well going to get it in when you flop TP good kicker, and you should be happy about it.

I'd play the first hand a bit different. I would just shove the turn. It makes no difference to the results, but you've got $2.20 left and the pot is $1.85. I think flush draws will call anyways, so it's better, imo.

The 2nd hand, you should almost always bet that flop for like $2. It's soooo unlikely that he hit it, that you should be betting it, as you've probably got the best hand, but can't really face much aggression. Of course, since you're so short, you can't fold to a shove if you bet here, either. But bet the flop every time please.

quick ? zach...why you remove the results....so he gets a more definitive answer?

Results tend to influence people's advice, intentional or not.

First hand, we're too short stacked to fold, though, like Zach I probably shove the turn.

Second hand, you peeled one off and hit your gin card, gogogogogo.

I play a bit of micro cash myself (though I'm largely a SnG player) and one thing I've learned is the following: big bets almost always mean big hands. Virtually every time I talk myself into believing the player is bluffing or overbetting a weak hand on the river and I call, he has exactly what I was afraid of him holding. And then I yell at myself for calling when I knew I was beaten.

In tourney play you sometimes have to take risks and call big bets/raises when you might be beaten, but in cash play the best move for your bankroll is usually to give him credit for the big hand and fold.

Oh, and I really don't like the reraise in the 2nd hand (though I am not experienced at 3-handed cash play). Hands like AQs can be tough to play OOP postflop against a PF aggressor. Since you're the BB and the SB has already called, you can call the raise for 7-2 odds and see a flop with a more disguised hand.

Your biggest problem in these hands is that you really don't seem to understand how IMPORTANT position is.

The first hand is reasonable, however since I am out of position I would be trying to keep this pot as small as I can.

The second hand is pretty bad.

Firstly, you are re-raising out of position. This basically means you are getting more money into the pot on a hand where your opponent will have more information about your hand than you will have about his.

Secondly, if you absolutely have to re-raise preflop, you must make a continuation bet on the flop. You have said "I'm strong", so bet and let him continue to think you are strong, at least if he hit his 9 and starts re-raising you, you have an opportunity to fold when he shows strength.

Please explain how he could have kept the pot smaller in hand 1.

Also, pf reraise with AQs against a button raiser is ultra standard.

In hand 1, I would actually consider checking the turn, I am not putting him on a draw, also 3/4 of the pot on the flop accomplishes the same thing as 9/10 of it.

As for the reflop reraise, It's ultra standard if you have plenty of chips, but he is putting 1/4 of his chips in on this reraise and he is out of position. By the time he has made a continuation bet, over half of his stack is in there.

You need to understand that these issues of pot control and position do not apply to these two hands. Hero starts hand 1 with 31bbs and hand 2 with 40. With hand 1, anyone who gets away from it or is thinking of pot control should quit poker. We have a reasonably strong hand and are 31bbs deep, there is no issue.

With hand 2, I agree that he needs to cbet the flop and that his float is kind of ordinary but to say that 3-handed, 40bbs deep he should not be reraising AQs oop is a bit ridiculous IMO.

Hand 1, there is no problem, I bet more on the turn to try and get it in but whatever. Hand 2, bet the flop. 3betting pf then checking the flop is bad.

To the OP, if you are concerned about hands like this, buy in full.