Range Rape

[Azurehaze]

I guess my range interpreting skills just got a level up.

Yatahay Network - $1 NL (6 max) - Holdem - 6 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 3

CO: $118.00
Hero (BTN): $77.90
SB: $138.95
BB: $112.87
UTG: $21.50
MP: $100.00

SB posts SB $0.50, BB posts BB $1.00

Pre Flop: ($1.50) Hero has 5 7

fold, fold, fold, Hero raises to $3.00, SB calls $2.50, fold

Flop: ($7.00, 2 players) 7 4 4
SB checks, Hero bets $4.43, SB calls $4.43

Standard bet here for value. He mostly has overcards here.

Turn: ($15.86, 2 players) 5
SB checks, Hero bets $10.04, SB raises to $24.00, Hero calls $13.96

This was a strange c/r. I thought that most of his hands that came here were air. Besides the occasional A5 combos. I beat all of those combos so I flatted here for value since a raise would just blow him off of his hand.

River: ($63.86, 2 players) A
SB bets $107.52 and is all-in, Hero calls $46.47 and is all-in

On this river, he seems so polarized. Only combo that hit here was A5 that he could be doing for value, and the other hands are just pure bluffs. The fact that I had a 5 as a blocker made calling much easier.

Hero shows 5 7 (Two Pair, Sevens and Fives) (Pre 38%, Flop 78%, Turn 86%)
SB shows K J (One Pair, Fours) (Pre 62%, Flop 22%, Turn 14%)
Hero wins $153.80

Ta-da! Took home the bread

Yatahay Network - $1 NL - Holdem - 9 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 3

SB: $59.76
BB: $100.50
UTG: $114.70
UTG+1: $19.49
MP: $100.00
Hero (MP+1): $120.96
LP: $98.50
CO: $107.26
BTN: $188.49

SB posts SB $0.50, BB posts BB $1.00

Pre Flop: ($1.50) Hero has A K

UTG raises to $4.00, fold, fold, Hero raises to $10.00, fold, fold, fold, fold, fold, UTG calls $6.00

This guy normally flats my 3B, and folds to a lot of turn barrels. I put him on a range of AQ+/Js-2s. He stacks off with Qs+.

Flop: ($21.50, 2 players) 2 3 8
UTG checks, Hero bets $10.21, UTG calls $10.21

Since he folds to a lot of double barrels, I planned to do it here.

Turn: ($41.92, 2 players) A
UTG checks, Hero bets $19.91, UTG calls $19.91

I hit my card, and generally happy. Although he flats here and worries me. His flatting range here would be any set, and AQ+.

River: ($81.74, 2 players) Q
UTG checks, Hero checks

When we got to the river, I was crapping my pants. I knew at best, I was chopping. All of his range at the river is so tilted towards the nuts here. Even AQ beats me so I opt for the aggressive checking.

UTG shows 8 8 (Three of a Kind, Eights) (Pre 55%, Flop 95%, Turn 100%)
Hero shows A K (One Pair, Aces) (Pre 45%, Flop 5%, Turn 0%)
UTG wins $78.74

Yay! I didn't value town myself on the river (dance)

[sixpeppers]

First hand I really like and again is that "I bet the flop to induce this kinda thing" not "I bet for value," good read good play.

Second hand I don't like almost everything. If someone is already opening tight UTG full ring, I have a 0% 3bet from MP, 1st reason, I'm in this game cuz of a fish, they are not the fish, I want the fish in the pot. 2nd reason, narrows my range tons and makes me easy to play against. 3rd reason, he has a strong starting hand... HE HAS A STRONG HAND!

The sizing of the 3bet is peculiar I think it gives him a 0% fold to 3bet if his opening range is AQ+ 22+ and that is probably correct by him unless you 3bet JJ+AK in which case he can again play perfectly against you. If I were to 3bet I would make it pot sized to at least 15 maybe more (if he always calls then jack it up baby). The flop cbet is okay even though again you are really pricing him in and in the technical sense (like if you 3bet only AA or AK here), he would be correct to call with almost all of his range. The turn pretty much always hits your range, so you either have AK AQ, AA, or some rando bluff. You would always check back 99+ (no?), so again he can play perfectly when you bet. The river check back is good in a sense, you played the previous streets so poorly that you forced his range to be sets (barring a very rare AQcc or something). Do you two really have a dynamic where he is calling off TT here? I think not!

If I had played this hand I would have called pre called flop called turn and called river (maybe I lose more in the hand but think about all the things I am getting value from AQ, AJ, Axs, mid pairs, suited connectors that missed, etc) You lost a ton of value vs those hands with a rather straightforward (I have AK so I raise) play.

I really enjoyed these hands and see alot of talent and potential in your play. Don't be afraid to show big mistakes or easy takes just to double check your plays.

[Azurehaze]

Thank you so much for your replies, sixpeppers! I feel like I just saved a ton of money from learning how to play AK better.