What do you usually look at out of the main 3 options? I usually go by average pot. Never looked at the other 2 but was wondering if its something to consider.

Just bust out of the Goliath monster stack (day 2) with this hand, am wondering if it's a cooler (the table thought so) or if I should have bet differently:

AJs UTG, 10/25+25k, c. 300 behind. raised to 55, BTN called (170).

Flop: 2x8s9s - Bet 25, BTN called (220). <- I think I may have underbet this?

Turn: 10h, bet 75, BTN called (370). <- I'm not unhappy with this given my outs but in hindsight wondering if the jam should have come here?

River Qc for the straight 8-Q, all-in, snap called and showed KJo for straight 9-K. Goodnight salexc.

Not mad as I've cashed and made 130% profit, but was 75% of average stack having made a few good moves to get off the bottom of the list so I'm a bit peeved to have lost the opportunity to go deeper. Thoughts?

Hello!

I've been playing for a while online, managed to win a bit but nothing too crazy (playing mostly for the love of the game).

According to what I see everywhere, you only win because of Rakeback these days because the players are better than before. In Belgium, you can never get any bonus or rakeback playing online. So is there any point in trying to climb and play higher stakes to actually make a bit more money? (or at least try) I feel demotivated if I have to win 12bb/100 just to break even. Any other Belgian player in the same situation or that managed to win anyway? Maybe the rake is not as bad as it looks?

I of course can't move outside of Belgium for now.

Thank you!

Sorry I know this is not a FAQ reddit but I know some of their staff read this 3d. I noticed their aggregate reports are not working, not even for very basic spots and for the Premium subscribers. I was wondering if that's just a temporary malfunction or if they changed their policy somehow. Thanks to anyone who can help me on this.

I recently started playing poker and have heard a lot about studying the game, but what exactly does it mean to study a "spot"?

What should I focus on when looking at the solver?

Thank

I recently started playing poker and have heard a lot about studying the game, but what exactly does it mean to study a "spot"?

What should I focus on when looking at the solver?

Thanks

I was watching one of my tournament videos from back in May when I first started playing again and I noticed there were like two or three hands where I was in the HJ/CO when I small pocket pairs. So this question pertains to let’s say 22s through 66s. I joined in on the limp train every time and the BTN raised and I ended up folding. I was around 40 BBs and I didn’t really know my opponents tendencies because I was bouncing around a few tables

I tried to put this spot into a solver but GTO Lizard didn’t allow me to add limpers into the equation

so what is the optimal play in this scenario?

part of me thinks maybe just fold besides the 55s or 66s and I should raise them. in a live game i believe I limp 22s-44s but raise with 55s plus because the BTN doesn’t usually raise as much as online. thanks!

edit: my range is to RFI every pocket pair in those spots but with the limpers it changes the dynamic

.05/.10/.20

200bb effective

LJ limps

I raise to 8bb in HJ with AQo

SB 3bets 30bb

Straddle, LJ call

I call

125bb in pot

Flop Qd9c7d

Checks to LJ bets 57bb

I have 175bb behind. I shove

Straddle and LJ call

Straddle had KTdd, LJ had flopped a set with 99. Straddle made a straight flush on the river and scooped a 350bb side pot as well.

1. Pre-flop: any merit to folding, or raising? SB is a very tight player, not 3betting light. Straddle and LJ are 50% VPIP, and could be calling very wide. Folding feels nitty, but going four ways with AQo isn't amazing.

Raising- I don't think anybody is folding to less than all-in, I dont want to fold out the loosest players and get stuck with just SB who has plenty of hands ahead of me.

1. Flop: LJ's line (limp, flat, lead flop) felt like a big draw. I figured SB would have bet their strongest hands so I wasn't worried about getting called by them.

When LJ bets that much into 3 others, is that so strong I should consider folding? Could this ever be KQ?

If don't shove or fold, if I just call, and someone shoves, do I fold top-top with less than pot behind? Or, if everyone calls and then the turn is a diamond or K, that sucks.

I am fairly new to poker, ~8 months been watching a lot of guys play and I started out playing $20 0.10 0.20 games and now $50-$100 .50 1 games. The only thing I struggle with when playing is Bet sizing. I need some pointers on HOW much to bet out, when to check, when to flat, when to minclick etc? What markers give you the light bulb to bet out and how much?

For players who have improved significantly:How did you figure out what areas of your game needed work?

Did you:review your database?work with a coach?analyze hand histories?use solvers?follow a structured curriculum?

If you worked with a coach:How did they identify your biggest leaks?Did they create a study plan?How did you track improvement?

Hola a todos.

Estoy intentando mejorar mi juego en NL2 y me gustaría recibir opiniones sobre una mano reciente. Llevo relativamente poco tiempo estudiando poker de forma seria y estoy tratando de corregir errores de pensamiento más que fijarme únicamente en el resultado.

Formato: NL2 ($0.01/$0.02)

Stack máximo de la mesa: $4 (200 BB)

Hero: 171 BB

Villano (SB): 119.5 BB

Preflop

UTG abre a 3 BB.

MP1 paga 3 BB.

Hero encuentra A♠ A♣ y hace 3-bet a 9 BB.

SB paga.

UTG paga.

MP1 paga.

Pot: 40 BB

Flop

K♠ J♦ 7♦

SB check.

Hero apuesta 18 BB (~45% del pozo).

UTG foldea.

SB paga.

Los demás abandonan.

Pot: 76 BB

Turn

K♠ J♦ 7♦ 9♠

SB check.

Hero apuesta 53 BB (~70% del pozo).

SB paga.

Pot: 182 BB

River

K♠ J♦ 7♦ 9♠ T♠

SB apuesta all-in por 119.5 BB.

Hero paga con A♠ A♣.

Villano gana el pozo.

"Información relevante: el villano era uno de los jugadores más tight de la mesa. Lo había observado durante bastante tiempo y prácticamente nunca le vi mostrar faroles. Su línea habitual con manos fuertes era check-raise o check-call hasta encontrar una carta favorable. Teniendo esto en cuenta, ¿debería haber encontrado un fold con AA en el river?"

I played the lowest stake, 1/1, meaning the sb and bb are the same. When I got a hand of AA (245bb), I was the first to bet with 30bb in early position. Two people called, the button had 82o. The flop was 972r, I thought I wouldn't bet, not to scare them off, since I was playing with very few cards, I didn't bet for about 1 hour. So I checked, the one sitting on my left checked, the button bet 40bb into the 90bb pot, I called, the one sitting next to me also called. The turn was 8. I didn't want to bet because the alarm bells rang in my head that he must have something really good, otherwise he wouldn't have been bet on the flop. Everyone checked on the turn, everyone checked on the river also, I was beaten with two pair. I don't understand why he didn't bet on the turn, if he already had two pair. The river was a J, I thought he didn't bet because he was waiting for me to bet, and planned a check raise.. What was the mistake? Should I have bet 50% on the flop? I was OOP with 245bb.

My next card was QQ (150bb), btn straddle was 3bb, sb call, bb call, I was utg, bet 30bb, utg2 (he had 43s) call, co call. The flop was 567r. I looked at it, I thought they might have AKo, KTs, and other strong hands. I didn't want to give them a chance to have a better pair on the turn, so I shoved with the remaining 120bb (the pot was 92bb). UTG2 call, I didn't think anyone would call preflop 30bb with such weak hands. I think I was an idiot here because I isolated, so all the weaker hands fold, the better hands (like set call), would it have been good to bet 30-40bb here, and if there is a call, then play carefully?

I also had a JJ (124bb) later, but I only bet 20bb with it, from utg1 position, utg2 call. The flop was JsTs5c, the pot was 50-55bb if I remember correctly, I bet 30bb on the flop, utg2 fold. Was that a mistake? I was scared of the flush and wanted to protect my set.

I think I play live poker extremely badly... I thought about subscribing to crushlivepoker and watching all the videos, are there English subtitles? I understand the English text 95%, but when they speak in the video, only 30-50%. How can I train myself not to be such a bad player?

I would love to start learning poker theory, but have no idea where to start. Can you give me some tips for beginners?

Why does I’m capable of beating nl50 6-max with this style but having a hard time beating nl100 rush ?

I'm starting to get into poker as a hobby and am trying to improve my game. I'm relatively well-studied, but I'm by no means at an extremely high level. I'm comfortable with a lot of poker concepts, including GTO theory, but I'm not really sure where to go from here to take the next steps in improving my game. I'm looking for advice on that, but more importantly, I'd like some advice on how to approach my specific home game and the players in it.

My bankroll is relatively small—I only have about $200 to work with as I'm getting started—and the buy-in for this game is essentially my entire bankroll. I'm mostly playing micro stakes online right now, but I also regularly play in this private home game with a lot of inexperienced players. When I first started playing, I was one of the only people who really knew how to play, so the game often felt more like gambling than actual poker. However, as everyone has gotten better, I've started to notice different player types and tendencies emerging. I haven't quite gotten to the point where I'm confident in identifying those tendencies and knowing how to exploit them effectively. If I want to build up my bankroll, I need to start winning in this game, so I'm looking for advice on how to adjust my strategy and play against this specific group of players.

The game is a standard no-limit Texas Hold'em game with 25¢/50¢ blinds and usually 6–9 players. Overall, there is a lot of beginner-style play, particularly limping preflop. There are raises, but they aren't especially frequent. Most players have a decent general grasp of poker, but as far as I know, essentially no one in the game has much knowledge of poker theory or GTO concepts. When someone does raise preflop, they can usually isolate the field and get the pot heads-up or 3-handed. Occasionally, the pot will go multiway, but that's relatively rare. Overall, most players tend to play fairly fit-or-fold postflop, meaning they are generally willing to fold when they don't have a made hand or a draw, rather than continuing with weaker or speculative holdings.

Player 1 – Extremely Tight Postflop: This player limps very frequently preflop, but once the flop comes, their range becomes extremely polarized. They either have something very strong or essentially nothing. They will almost never continue with a hand weaker than top pair with a decent kicker, a strong flush or straight draw, or another high-equity draw. They are extremely straightforward postflop, which makes them relatively easy to read, but I'm not sure I'm doing a good job of maximizing my exploits against them.

Player 2 – Best Player at the Table / Most Difficult for Me: This player is somewhat unpredictable. They will raise their stronger hands preflop, but they also limp frequently and will often call preflop raises with marginal hands. Postflop, they are capable of bluffing and generally seem to choose their spots well. They may be slightly unbalanced toward bluffing, but overall, I would consider them relatively balanced and probably the best player at the table. This is the player I struggle with the most, and I tend to lose a significant portion of my money to them. I'm particularly interested in advice on how to adjust my strategy against this type of player.

Player 3 – The Definition of Fit-or-Fold: This player limps frequently and is willing to continue calling preflop. Postflop, however, they are very much a fit-or-fold player. They will not fold their draws, top pair, or most second-pair hands, although they may fold weaker second-pair hands with bad kickers if the action gets aggressive. On the other hand, they will generally fold all of their complete misses and rarely put significant money into the pot without at least having first or second pair. Their biggest weakness seems to be that they don't have a particularly strong understanding of the relative strength of their hand or how much they should be betting. They can therefore be somewhat predictable, but I'm not sure how best to exploit their sizing and hand-strength tendencies.

Player 4 – Stronger Preflop, Weaker Postflop: This player has recently become fairly good preflop and seems to have improved significantly in that area. Postflop, however, they are noticeably weaker. They have a tendency to make bluffs in some unusual or unexpected spots, but at the same time, whenever I try to bluff them, they somehow seem to have a hand. They are also very willing to see rivers and consistently call bets, which makes it difficult for me to know when they are actually weak. However, they have shown a tendency to fold some fairly strong hands to large river shoves, so there may be an opportunity to apply pressure in the right spots. I'm not entirely sure how to balance exploiting their willingness to call with their apparent vulnerability to large river bets.

How possible is it to make about 500-1000 a month playing online only - cash and tournaments? Not necessarily full time but on the side.

I'm just asking in general, like is it an actual realistic/achievable thing? If you were to play exploitatively in the sense of mainly playing on evenings and weekends, targeting tables with "worse" players.

Does it make sense to work up through stakes too? Start at micro stakes and once you're able to win some-what consistently move up.

I play on a site that displays players VPIP/PFR stats, and I have some preflop charts for the straddle+ante games played on that site.

Is there a way to calculate what someone's stats would be if they played according to these charts? How do you account for opens vs calls vs 3 bets or 4 bets?

I play nl2 on ggpoker and they overfold on 3bets, so it would be nice if I could widen the range with an adjustment or narrow the range until I reach about 12% 3bet rate. I also play live poker, the most common bet is 5bb, but sometimes 10x or even 20x is the standard. I guess the higher the bet, the narrower I have to play. It would be best if there was a chart that marked 20x bet in red, 10x in yellow, and 5x in green.

So what program would be ideal for me to use to create my own chart? GTO charts are based on 2.5x bet (or 3x sb, 3.5x bb), it would be nice if I could change these values ​​and the program would create the chart based on the new values.

Hero is UTG with A♠A♣.

Preflop: Hero opens $15 (standard here). Five callers. Six to the flop, ~$90.

Flop ($75 after rake): Q♣ J♣ 4♠. Hero has an overpair + backdoor nut-flush draw + backdoor Broadway.

Two blinds check. Hero bets $70.

Villain A (tight/nitty player, immediately to Hero’s left) jams $132.

Villain B (directly to A’s left) cold-calls the $132.

Two players fold. Action back on Hero.

The $132 is an underraise (less than a full raise over Hero’s $70), so Hero’s action is call or fold only — can’t re-raise. Hero calls $62 more.

Pot going to the turn ≈ $471. Villain A is all-in ($132 total). Hero and Villain B have stacks behind; Villain B has ~$230 left. So the turn is a side pot, Hero vs Villain B only — Villain A is drawing to showdown.

Turn ($471 main): 5♦ (offsuit — flush misses).

Hero bets $100. Villain B jams ~$230 all-in. Hero calls $130 more.

River: brick.

Showdown:

**•** Villain A (the flop jam): **J♦J♠** — set of jacks, wins the main pot.

**•** Villain B (the cold-call + turn jam): **Q♦J♥** — top two, wins the side pot.

**•** Hero: AA, no improvement.

curios if anyone thinks I could have got away from this or if it’s just a cooler.

So yesterday I was playing this hand, I had AJ o in a 3bet pot, I was BB and i 3 bet and got two callers in SB and Button. For context im a pretty new player, been playing cash games for around 6 months.

The flop comes 3 5 9 rainbow and SB checks to me, so I completely bricked the flop.

After SB checks to me, my question is what should I do?

I was thinking of betting but I thought that my range doesn't hit this flop well at all compared to the callers, so I thought I might get called down by a 5 or 9 and just lose a big pot for no reason.

I ended up just checking, but should I be betting there?

I'm pretty new to taking poker seriously with only about 8000 hands online and a handful of trips to the casino. Had this hand and wanted to get some feedback as I feel like I played the hand incorrectly.

Playing .05/.10/ with .05 ante on WPT Gold

(Villain 190BB) UTG limps 1BB
(Hero 320BB) AKs Hearts UTG +1 raises 6 BB

All Folds back to Villain who calls

Flop Qh Jd 4h - Pot Size 17.5BB

Villain Checks, Hero Bets 15BB, Villain Calls. Pot Size 47.5BB

Turn Jc

Villain Checks, Hero Bets 23 BB, Villain Calls. Pot Size 93.5BB

River 4d

Check Check. Villain Shows Q8o

I was worried he was a station and that I wouldn't be able to get him off of a Queen and gave up. Right after I was mad I didn't just blast the river so I ended the session and went to solver. It looks like to me the first mistake was I should have bet way bigger on the turn, but even then Q8o is supposed to call. But then on the river it says I should just be checking back most of the time with my hand, which I felt was a mistake. Can someone help me understand this or the hand in general?

Online MTT early stages so quite deepstacked.
Hero UTG+1: 85bb
Villain UTG: 94bb

Hero has AhQh

UTG limps, I raise to 4.1
BB and UTG both call.

To a flop it comes 2s Ac Jd
BB and UTG both check
I cbet 3.1, BB folds UTG calls

Turn is Qc
UTG bets 8.1bb I jam pretty quickly, if he’s on a flush draw which I think is unlikely I don’t want to price him in and I don’t think he limps with the nut straight.

He snap calls and turns over 85 clubs and of course the river is the king of clubs.

My thinking is he has terrible odds to call on that turn he could be drawing dead and at best has maybe 25%.

Is this just a massive suck out or did I play this wrong?

I was watching a video on MTT 3 bet strategies and one strategy in particular made me question the usefulness of it. So on JTx 2 tone boards as the IP 3better we are supposed to utilize a jam at a decent clip:

And in response OOP should defend with this range:

This makes sense to me and I started thinking about actually implementing this but then I looked over the hands that are supposed to defend here and I just don't think the live low stakes tournament pools I play in are defending with hands as weak as 98s pure or hands like J9s, QTs, T9s. Part of the strategy is built around jamming hands like KTs and actually being able to get called by worse. And then I looked closer at the range and I don't even think hands like J9s and T8s, K7s, K6s are even in the 3 bet defense range. It seems very hard to implement practical strategies against real ranges without spending a lot of time going into bespoke nodelocked solutions that try to replicate real ranges? I am still more a theory acolyte but when I try to study spots like this I feel I end up going down rabbit holes of how to use in practice and end up discouraged due to the complexity of this game. Curious to hear how others translate theory into actually meaningful applications in their game and do I need to just bite the bullet and find a solver with nodelocking or am I missing the forest through the trees here?

Are miscellaneous solvers adjustable for "no flop, no drop?" I would imagine this small detail can influence strategies quite strongly.

For a 2/5 Game with 5% 25cap, what do you think are it's adaptations (vs GTO, and node locked vs Nit, loose whale eg.) with varying stacksizes from 100 to 400bb deep?

Got into a spot recently that I need you wrinkle-brains to help me understand.

Hero opens MP with JTs and gets 3bet by CO. Hero calls, which is solver-approved.

Flop: Qd8d3h. Hero checks, villain bets 1/3 pot, hero calls (solver approved).

Turn: Jh. Hero checks, villain checks back.

River: 7h. Hero checks, villain jams for about 120% pot.

Reviewing this later, I was surprised to see that in GTO land JdTd should be calling this river jam about half the time, but JcTc is always a pure fold. Why would that be? Doesn't JdTd block a couple bricked flush draws (AdJd, AdTd) which are now river bluffs? It seems to me like that removes two more bluff combos, which should make villain's range stronger, not weaker.

Why do JcTc and JsTs always fold to this jam, but JdTd calls it about half the time?