Last night, I lost almost $65 in only 2 hands playing at the .25/.50 tables at pokerstars. I know where I screwed up in the first hand, and everyone can laugh at me for not betting on the flop, but the second one is the hand that is really bugging me.


***HAND 1:***

PokerStars Game #2616607299: Hold'em No Limit ($0.25/$0.50) - 2005/09/19 - 22:45:16
(ET)
Table 'Alexandra' Seat #2 is the button
Seat 1: cheetaking ($63.30 in chips)
Seat 2: Button ($47.75 in chips)
Seat 3: SB ($20.60 in chips)
Seat 4: BB ($15.80 in chips)
Seat 5: UTG ($11.90 in chips)
Seat 6: ($70.55 in chips)
Seat 7: ($48.40 in chips)
Seat 8: UTG+3 ($47.75 in chips)
Seat 9: ($14.05 in chips)

SB: posts small blind $0.25
BB: posts big blind $0.50

*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to cheetaking [Kh Ks]

three players fold
UTG+3: calls $0.50
Seat 9: folds
cheetaking: raises $1 to $1.50 (I probably should have bet more...)
Button: folds
SB: calls $1.25
BB: folds
UTG+3: calls $1

*** FLOP *** [9d Td 9s]

SB: checks
UTG+3: checks
cheetaking: checks (I believe this is where I screwed up... I was too worried about not winning anything with my overpair.)

*** TURN *** [9d Td 9s] [3c]
SB: checks
UTG+3: bets $3.50 (I know this is a bluff... he's a real manic.)
cheetaking: raises $3.50 to $7 (I'm almost positive nobody has the 9... UTG is bluffing, and the SB has never slow-played in the hour he's been here)
SB: raises $12.10 to $19.10 and is all-in
Hamzen: folds
cheetaking: calls $12.10 (I figure the three couldn't have helped anyone, so I had to put the SB on something like K/10 or A/10)

*** RIVER *** [9d Td 9s 3c] [Qc]

*** SHOW DOWN ***
arz135: shows [3s 3d] (a full house, Threes full of Nines)
cheetaking: shows [Kh Ks] (two pair, Kings and Tens)

^I curse myself for not betting on the flop... the SB would have folded those threes in a heartbeat.




***HAND 2:*** (I don't know if I did anything wrong here or if it was just bad luck.)

PokerStars Game #2616668310: Hold'em No Limit ($0.25/$0.50) - 2005/09/19 - 22:51:56
(ET)
Table 'Alexandra' Seat #8 is the button
BB: cheetaking ($50.05 in chips)
Seat 2: UTG ($47.75 in chips)
Seat 3: UTG+1 ($43.40 in chips)
Seat 4: UTG+2 ($17.15 in chips)
Seat 5: twothree ($21.95 in chips)
Seat 6: joexxx ($69.30 in chips)
Seat 7: ToredLonew ($46.15 in chips)
Seat 8: Button ($36 in chips)
Seat 9: SB ($4 in chips)

SB: posts small blind $0.25
cheetaking: posts big blind $0.50

*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to cheetaking [4d 2h]
UTG: folds
UTG+1: calls $0.50
UTG+2: calls $0.50
4 players fold
SB: calls $0.25
cheetaking: checks

*** FLOP *** [9d 5c 3h]
SB: checks
cheetaking: bets $0.50 (a feeler bet to see what my open-ended straight draw is up against)
UTG+1: calls $0.50
UTG+2: calls $0.50
SB: folds

*** TURN *** [9d 5c 3h] [9c]
cheetaking: checks
UTG+1: bets $1.50
UTG+2: folds
cheetaking: calls $1.50 (UTG+1 is the same guy that just took $20 from me, and I'm guessing he has the nine, so I figure if I hit my straight, I'm busting him. I like those odds.)

*** RIVER *** [9d 5c 3h 9c] [6d]
cheetaking: checks (I know he'll bet again with his set.)
UTG+1: bets $3
cheetaking: raises $8 to $11
UTG+1: raises $9.50 to $20.50
cheetaking: raises $27.05 to $47.55 and is all-in
UTG+1: calls $20.40 and is all-in (yay! it happened just like I planned. I am ready to take all his chips and get my revenge when...)

*** SHOW DOWN ***
cheetaking: shows [4d 2h] (a straight, Deuce to Six)
UTG+1: shows [6s 6c] (a full house, Sixes full of Nines)
UTG+1 collected $85.30 from pot



Any thoughts on what happened here? Was it just bad luck, or did I screw up somewhere?

you are going to get flamed, dude.

Hand 2: Why in the world would you raise a Str8 on a paired board? And then re-re-raise it ?

I personally don't see how NL lends itself to crtiquing beyond obvious blunders because so much is read specific.
But that raise and re-reraise on river, are obvious.
maybe I'm weak/tight. I call the river.

posting results will bias some others.

Hand 1: I bet the flop, pot size, maybe more..to get anyone out who doesn't have trips or a super draw. It's so read dependent after that. But at least put them to a decision and get some information. With a paired board and flush/strt draws, how much do you expect to win with yuore overpair? Generally, only better hands will give you much action, right? You might make some on a AT..but slw playing KK on a paired and coordinated board seems dumb.

once again, though, I lose $$$ at Cash NL.

First hand - bet the flop, find out where you are.

Second hand, don't bet a open ended straight on the flop, with that board and the small amount of your bet, it's unlikely your getting anyone even with overcards to fold. And I am sure you know this now, but paired boards are bad for straights.

I really disagree here. I think you should bet the flop, but I highly doubt SB folds those threes. 75% of micro-limit players check their trips, and after raising preflop, SB will think you're trying to buy the pot on the flop, I guarantee it. Rarely, he will he put you on AA/KK/QQ, but I think he definetly calls a pot size flop bet. This is a good flop for him, he will probably put you on a range of cards something to the effect of

AA /KK /QQ /JJ /AK(o/s) /AQ(o/s) /AJ(o/s) /KQ(o/s) /KJ(o/s)

and maybe lower pocket pairs. I think he'd be led to believe there's a strong possibility you missed the flop entirely. I've played tons and tons of micro hands, and so often the preflop raiser will bet the flop regardless of what it is, and if the villain is paying attention he will likely think you are doing that here.

I think your preflop raise isn't big enough (which you already stated) but it's really not too bad. I think the turn raise is good, you show a lot of strength. After SB reraises all-in, I think it's one of those folds you just hate to do. You might be pot commited already and there is a small chance your kings are good here, so maybe calling is the right action. I just think SB's push screams out to you that you're beat, unfortunately.

I just think you were destined to lose this pot, the cards just fell poorly for you. Does anyone think my logic is off? When I read through this, those were my first impressions.

Please, in the future don't post results along with your posts.

I analyzed Hand 2:

Flop: $2

Bad bet. Don't bet. Someone could easily reraise you here, giving you horrendous odds to draw to your straight. If you want to semi-bluff, do it to the tune of more than 1/4 the pot (in this case, one big blind) when there are three other players in the hand (at the time you bet). If you want to draw to your straight, then draw to your straight.

Turn: $3.50

UTG+1 has bet 1.5 into a 3.50 pot. So 1/3. If he has even a 5h 4c we are a 81.82% dog to win this hand. Of course, at this point we don't believe he's betting with a five in his hand, we think he's got the nine, right? We are the same dog to the nine. As it is we were a 90.91% dog to win this pot. You don't think he possibly has a pocket pair? So thinking he has a 9 in his hand and has not yet filled up, we're about 4.2-1 and we're getting 3.3-1 to call this. You said you are relying on hitting your straight to win, however, you don't know if your straight will be good. What % of the time do you think it will be good? Is UTG+1 capable of playing a hand like 95s or 95o? That's a question about your reads, btw. If there is any chance of that, your implied odds go down as you could already be stone dead and your opponent could be begging you to hit your draw so he could get all your money.

River: $6.50

I would probably raise initially past the 3 dollars since we hit our hand, but I would certainly not go all in after it was raised again. I would call and be frustrated with my play on the turn and flop.

-Neal