Leakfinder: SSNL by MDoranD

Ax hands are good for 3-betting IP vs. TAGs and NITs. The reason is because TAGs and NITs will most likely 4-bet hands like AK and to a lesser extent AQ and fold weaker Ax which effectively makes any Ax the same in strength as far as kickers are concerned. With the initiative and added value of having blockers, Ax hands are great hands to add into your 3-bet range.

When you first sit down at a table, it is better to be aggressive than passive. People will generally give you more credit when they have no information. Once they get some hands, you can adjust.

Avoid raising donkbets without a valid reason, "because donks are weak" is not good enough. You are playing a guessing game and in most cases, it is better just to call or fold. Example: Hero raises K7o OTB and fishy looking BB calls. Flop comes AA4r and fish donks less than half pot. Hero? Folding is perfectly fine without reads. Unless Hero knows that the BB has a high donkbet % or has seen at showdown the type of hands the BB donks, raising here is nothing but guess work and most will not be profitable. Our game should revolve around us using all relevant information available and eliminate guessing. 

Always scan your tables for easily identifiable targets. If you don't see any, its time to shop for a new one.

MDoranD advocates taking lines that take away as much guessing as possible when we are in spots where we don't have reads. Example: A tight 16/11 MP (over small sample) opens to 2.5x and we call in the SB with 88 and the 17/13 BB also comes along. The flop comes K56r and MDoranD likes a donk here. Reason is because we don't know much about the MP's frequency when it comes to c-bet and double barrel. If we intend to put anymore money in the pot, we should take a line that reduces to number of uncertain variables. Our hand needs some protection and is strong enough to get some value. One other factor that makes this a profitable donk is that we don't expect the villain to adjust particularly well.

We should almost always be 3-betting a fish with JJ. Even against fish that have tighter PFR % like 43/14 or 32/10, a 3-bet is very profitable. Their PFR might be tight but they will not adjust their 3-bet calling range. 3-betting allows us to get more money in while we're ahead and win more when the fish makes a mistake post-flop. Another reason we want to 3-bet is to get the pot HU. We do not want to call a fish's PFR and then have the pot go multi-way with JJ.

One problem I have with my game is knowing when to isolate when OOP. This is something I'll have to work on, but there is one spot in the video that shed some light on the topic. 27/11 player limps in MP and it folds to Hero in SB with 66 and a 14/8 BB left to act. This is a good spot to iso-raise. It would be better if MP is a LPF of 43/10 but a 27/11 is good enough. We want to iso here to force the tight BB out of the pot instead of giving him a chance to see the flop with any two cards. Our 66 won't win post-flop in a three way pot very often without initiative. A iso-raise here will force out the BB and put the LPF in an uncomfortable position which will allow us to take it down pre-flop or post-flop with a c-bet.

I have always been unsure of what to do with AQ when a nit opens but MDoranD gave some pretty valid reasons to 3-bet. Even nits open up their range to some degree OTB. We won't end up dominating him when he calls or 4-bets but it is still very profitable because of how often he will fold pre-flop or post-flop when he calls to setmine and misses. Nits will most likely 4-bet hands that dominate us like AK, QQ+ and fold almost everything else. The profitability of calling to keep in dominated hands is insignificant because we will be playing OOP without the initiative.

Bet bigger when you are ahead of your opponent's range for value! Don't default to smaller bet sizes because you are scared to inflate the pot. Example: Hero has 6d6h in MP and opens. CO (44/28) calls and the flop comes 3h3d5d. What should our c-bet size be? Against this seemingly loose and somewhat aggressive player on a board where we expect to have the best hand a large percentage of the time, we should bet big. The CO can have a number of FD's, overcards and pocket pairs that will peel our flop c-bet. The pot is 7bbs, Hero should bet about 6bbs here and double barrel a number of turn cards that do not change the board texture too much.

Full Ring Theory and Practice, Part 2

Theory:

• What makes betting, raising, calling and checking profitable?
• Playing a hand against a range versus playing a range against a range.

Betting/Raising

• There are three reasons to bet or raise:
• For value
• As a bluff
• To pick up dead money against hands with non-trivial equity
• Whenever we are debating the merits of a bet or raise, we must consider our opponent's continuance range relative to his entire range. We can often manipulate our opponent's continuance range through bet sizing.
• We want to use the information available to us at any given time to make the most profitable decision possible - not bet in order to obtain additional information.

Calling

• There are four main reasons to call a bet:
• Our hand is ahead of our opponent's range. You could refer to this as a "value call"
• Our hand has sufficient implied odds to extract enough value on later streets should we improve.
• Our hand is behind our opponent's range, but good enough of the time for a call to show a profit given the pot odds we are being offered. Especially applicable on the river.
• To "float": calling a bet because we believe we will be able to bluff a later street profitably enough of the time.
• The expected value of our calls must always be weighed against that of us raising. Just because a call is profitable does not mean a raise will not be more so, and vice versa.
• If we are unable to call or raise profitably when facing a bet, that is what the fold button is for!

Checking

• When we check and are not closing the action, it is because we are intending to:
• Check/Raise - for any of the reasons that raising is profitable.
• Check/Call - for any of the reasons that make calling profitable.
• Check/Fold - if we cannot do either of the above profitably, we should check/fold.
• The expectations of check/raising and check/calling should be weighed against each other, and also compared with that of betting. Fairly frequently all three will be profitable, but one will have a significantly higher return.
• When we are closing the action, the expectation of checking behind should  be compared with that of betting. Even if betting is profitable, checking behind may have a higher expectation in some situations.

Good Float

• Our opponent, running 14/10 with a flop c-bet of 80% opens in MP1. We call from the CO with AhQs.
• The flop comes 3h5hTs, and our opponent c-bets 2/3 pot.
• Factors that make this a good spot to float:
• Our opponent's range has a reasonable amount of air and his c-bet stat suggests he frequently c-bets his air.
• Having the Ah acts as a blocker to our opponent having many combinations of flush draws which he is likely to be continuing with on the turn should we float the flop, while also giving us additional equity.
• Having two overcards, we will often have three to six outs should our opponent c/c our turn bet on a blank.

Bad Float

• Our opponent, running a positionally aware 13/9 with a flop c-bet of 50% opens UTG. A weaker player calls from middle position and we call from the BTN with 6d6s,
• The flop comes JhTh8d, and our opponent c-bets 90% of the pot. The weaker player folds.
• Factors that make this a bad spot to float:
• Our opponent has a strong UTG range.
• Based on his c-bet stat, it is unlikely our opponent will be betting his air multi-way on an extremely wet board. His bet sizing supports this.
• Our hand has very little chance to improve if we are checked to on the turn and our bluff is called.

Hand vs Range or Range vs Range?

• When playing against an opponent who is not thinking about our range or that we expect to never develop any history with, we need only play our hand against his range.
• When playing against an opponent who is thinking about our range, we should be attempting to play our range optimally against his range. Otherwise, we will inevitably develop tendencies which are trivially exploitable to a thinking player that is paying attention.
• By playing a range against a range well, we may sometimes sacrifice expected value with some parts of our range in order to gain a larger amount with others.

My Thoughts:

Definitely a video I would re-watch as the information is presented in a very clear and precise manner. The first 15 minutes of the video touches on basic theories but the explanations are top notch. Beginning and intermediate players could benefit from watching and re-watching that part to refresh their memory, especially when running or playing bad. The rest of the video is made up of HH review, live play, and a quick HEM stats review.

I very much like RonFar3's style of play and wish to emulate it. He puts a lot of thought into his decisions and goes through/compare all his options to choose the one that is MOST +EV. As a result, his style of play lends itself to more checking and less c-betting compared to other winning players. 

I feel that most people, myself included, overuse the c-bet as a standard strategy but fail to consider all their options. I need to seriously take a serious look at my game and see if I can improve in that aspect.

Destination: SSNL, Part 4

• Verneer concentrates on button play and when we should be calling or 3-betting. He goes over a bunch adamwil's HH in detail and explains his thought process.
• This video pointed out quite a few mistakes I have been making. I need to pay more attention to the blinds and whether I want them to come along or not. 
• A few things you can address to improve your redline:
• Picking up dead money:
• Stealing the blinds
• The button as the Gatekeeper
• Re-stealing vs. regulars
• Isolating fish
• The Button is a Gatekeeper
• If the CO opens, check the blinds:
• Weaker players: call more on the BTN vs the CO open.
• Stronger players: 3-bet more on the BTN vs the CO open.
• It's your BTN: Act like you own it
• Most fish slowplay sets for the same reason they slowplay AA; because it is very strong and hard to make.

Hand examples:

10NL 6max - MP fish (50/6) calls $0.10, CO LAG (62/37) raises to $0.20, SB fish (33/17), BB fish (55/4). Hero is OTB with ATss, Hero?

• If the blinds were regulars who can potentially squeeze, a 3-bet would be preferable to isolate the CO. In this case, everyone at the table is a fish and is not likely to 3-bet. We can call OTB and expect the SB, BB, and MP limper to come along with dominated hands. Our hands plays decently well multi-way and flops strong draws and good TP.

10NL 6max - MP fish (72/4) calls $0.10, CO regish (26/17) raises to $0.40, SB fish (35/9), BB fish (50/13). Hero is OTB with KTcc, Hero?

• This spot is similar to the one above except the CO is a regish player. The CO likely knows that he can isolate the MP limper wide which makes KTcc a playable hand. We have the option to 3-bet or call and a quick glance at the blinds indicate that a call may be more profitable. If we had a hand like A9o, a 3-bet is better.

10NL 6max - CO reg (16/13) raises to $0.30, SB fish (39/0), BB fish (49/5). Hero is OTB with AdQs, Hero?

• Again, with two fishes in the blinds, it is better to call and get them to come along. 3-betting AQ wouldn't be bad here but if the reg 4-bets us, we will have to fold.

10NL 6max - CO reg (22/18) raises to $0.40, SB reg (19/15, 3-bet 5%), BB regish (26/16, 3-bet 8%). Hero is OTB with AcAh, Hero?

• This is a pretty interesting spot. The Hero ends up 3-betting, but calling is also a viable option. In my mind, there is a long list of pros, but short list of cons.
• Pros to calling:
• BB has high 3-bet % and may squeeze.
• Deception.
• Strongest hand in nlhe, hand is more or less invulnerable.
• Keep CO's range wide and get value from that range post-flop.
• Can still stack his monsters post-flop most of the time.
• Cons to calling:
• Do not stack CO pre-flop the times he has a legitimate hand.
• Blinds might end up calling instead of 3-betting.

10nl 6max - CO LAG (36/26) raises to $0.30, SB reg (19/15/ 3-bet 5%), BB reg (20/15 3-bet 5%). Hero is OTB with ATcc, Hero?

• With two regs in the blinds and a LAG opener, 3-betting is probably better than calling. If the CO folds to 3-bets a lot, a call might be better to keep in his dominated hands. The blinds don't seem to be squeeze happy so thats not much of a worry.

10nl 6max - CO regish (26/21) raises to $0.30, SB reg (24/19, 3-bet 9%), BB reg (22/17, 3-bet 12%). Hero is OTB with KdJc, Hero?

• This would be a great spot to call with AA or KK because the blinds are very squeeze happy, but with KJo, a 3-bet to isolate the CO is better. We want to either get it HU or take it down pre-flop.

10nl 6max - CO nit (11/9) raises to $0.35, SB fishy (23/10, 3-bet 4%), BB TAG (16/15, 3-bet 6%). Hero is  OTB with QhJc, Hero?

• Learned a little something from this hand. I wouldn't fault anyone for folding in this spot, I would too, but it seems a 3-bet even against a nit is very profitable. Nits will play their hand face up by 4-betting the top of their range, calling with low-medium pocket pairs to setmine, and folding everything else. If we give a nit a poker stove range of 14.9% from the CO (22+,A8s+,KTs+,QTs+,JTs,ATo+,KJo+) and assume he continues with 7.4% of his range (22+,AQs+,AKo), he will fold to a 3-bet ~50% (should be slightly higher because I did not account for our Q and J blockers). 3-betting in a vacuum is not profitable, but we will win a lot pots post-flop when he misses his set.