How is my thinking here?

ZachWaldman

Hero has only played 15 minutes, but a couple of the regs know me and probably think of me as a nit.

It's folded to Hero who is UTG1 with $500 and raises to $25 with 5♣ 5♠ This is a loose raise for me and I usually would only make it from UTG3 or later if everybody folded. However, I wanted to try to take control of the table right away. Also, I wanted the regs to know they wouldn't be facing the same tight/passive player I can accidentally become if not careful.

UTG3 (Loose/Passive) with around $250 calls
CO reg who knows me calls. He's very deep with about $3,000
Btn reg who knows me also calls with about $1,500
($100) Flop KQ9 :r:
Hero bets $80. I know this isn't a great c-bet on the surface, but I feel the two regs would give me credit for a big hand, which would most likely end up with me being HU agains the LP player.

CO and Btn call. Obviously, my play didn't work, I know that both regs have big hands, and I'll have to get lucky on the turn.
($340) turn 5♦
Hero bets $200
CO folds, Btn moves all in, Hero calls.
River is a brick and Btn folds without showing hand.

JKH

I don't mind preflop, flop : into 3 Players & that board I would likely check fold I think c-bet is not the worst but it hits others range pretty hard ... after turn never folding with 500 starting stack.
So only move in question is c-bet but I think it's close& as played I like sizing.

BananaStand

I don't mind a limp here pre-flop. You'll be out of position against who knows how many people and so few boards will be bluffable. Getting paid with a set 100BB's deep should be pretty easy, and every additional player in the pot just increases your odds of getting paid.

As played, the board is terrible for c-betting. Too many hands can either hit or have a good excuse to peel. I might get behind a check/raise if the guy in the middle bets and the guy on the button folds.

Nice catch on the turn

Overall I don't like your line of thinking. I'm not even sure what you mean by "take control of the table". It sounds like you approached this session with the intention of playing LAG and putting pressure on your opponents to fold. I'd say it was poorly executed. 55 from UTG1 isn't really part of the recipe.

Dragon-Ash

100% OK with a c-bet here, even into 3 people.This flop smashes our 'somewhat nitty guy raises from UTG1 range'; we should get credit for a hand here. Check/folding here is too passive I think.

Rest of the hand pretty much plays itself; nh.

Bart

BananaStand said:

I don't mind a limp here pre-flop. You'll be out of position against who knows how many people and so few boards will be bluffable. Getting paid with a set 100BB's deep should be pretty easy, and every additional player in the pot just increases your odds of getting paid.

Banana and I have had our differences in the past but I like this train of thought..

BananaStand said:

As played, the board is terrible for c-betting. Too many hands can either hit or have a good excuse to peel. I might get behind a check/raise if the guy in the middle bets and the guy on the button folds.

I also agree with this which is part of the reason why I am not a huge fan of the raise preflop. If you are getting 2+ callers to your raise preflop, which I think is typical at this level, you just dont have the tools (stack depth) to barrel off as a bluff and this board is ripe to hit multiple field callers ranges.

BananaStand said:

Nice catch on the turn

Overall I don't like your line of thinking. I'm not even sure what you mean by "take control of the table". It sounds like you approached this session with the intention of playing LAG and putting pressure on your opponents to fold. I'd say it was poorly executed. 55 from UTG1 isn't really part of the recipe.

Easy cowboy. While I am not some sort of PC Nazi I talked about trying to have some respect for others in these forums.

I don't think Banana is meaning any harm in this case and I do agree with his thought. There really isn't any "control of the table" to be had at this level with 100BB stacks, IMO. Opening a hand like 55 from OOP to barrel off is going to be really tough eg. not profitable. I dont think there is a need to show the regs that " they wouldn't be facing the same tight/passive player I can accidentally become if not careful."

I think you are giving your opponents too much credit. Just play straight up, good hands OOP and get max value with good stuff and leverage bluffs when deep and appropriate.

Thehammah

Zach

I think you are lucky that one of the other players didnt have JT.. seriously.. preflop I really dont like your raise given your stack size. Absolutely HATE your cbet.. regardless of your image players are going to call with broadway cards and just because its you the nit they are very likely to have hit a pair maybe better and or a straight draw.. they are NOT going to fold to a cbet.. which then puts you in a really tough spot on the turn to bluff off or give up..

So I ask you .. who cares that you are a nit? who cares that you arent the biggest LAG? who the fuck cares?? really.

Back in the day I had to ask myself this question? "Do you want to win or do you want to play every hand?" I told myself I wanted to win. And therefore I had to play tighter.. Its hard.. we come to play poker and folding seems opposite of playing. But sitting down and getting into a spot where you are bluffing off your whole stack 15 min into the session is not a good strategy.. Why? to show you have balls? who cares!!!

I may complain about my nitty image but I like it.. I cultivate it when I first sit down. make them think all I ever bet is with the nuts.. then I can bluff them later in a good spot .. now thats something to care about..