Played some small stakes NLH today. I thought this hand was kind of hilarious. My miss-click prob ended up winning me $125 instead of $15. Well, we just got it in flipping, but the point is what happened pre-flop :). When I 4-bet in position it might be an idea to make the bet even smaller (100-125bb deep) than I've done before (usually I raise a 10-12bb 3-bet to about 24-26bb), as it gives a 5-bet bluff a worse prize and also can induce calls from his (semi-)bluffs. If he shove all of his value-range (TT+, AK and AQs+ maybe?) and just calls with hands like 42s and T7s, it can't be that bad. In addition I can see him 3-bet/folding hands like AJo and KQo in this spot (if they are a part of his range at all), as they would be too though to play oop. It kind of becomes a "value-bluff" with hands like AJo, Ato, KQo, KJo and KTo. Sometimes you get folds from better hands and sometimes calls by worse. Another pshycological point is that the smaller you can get away with making your 4-bets, the more it frustrates a habitual 3-better. The "head expotion factor" as David Benefield named it...
NL Holdem $1(BB)
silverdemon2 ($117)
NoSash ($124)
GroundStorm ($248)
Klovnen ($196)
eyes7475 ($111)
silverdemon2 posts (SB) $0.50
NoSash posts (BB) $1
Dealt to Klovnen Th As
fold,
Klovnen raises to $3
fold,
silverdemon2 calls $2.50
NoSash raises to $12
Klovnen raises to $21
fold,
NoSash calls $9
Villain was LAGy (3-bet a ton) and I had a nice nitty image. To call here is a bad idea. Even if villains range is wide ATo plays terrible, especeally with another player in the pot. I decided to turn it into a bluff as it got some nice blockers and my image was sick tight at the time. I typed in $26, but for some reason the amount jumped back to the minimum before I hit the raise button. I think the ideal bet amount is somewhere in-between though, maybe $23-24 in this case and $22-23 if 100bb deep. This balance better with your value 4-bet range too. The good pot/implied odds he get is just an illusion, as I will not stack off often enough. I will also be able to push him of the best hand a decent amount of the time when he flops a little bit of something.
FLOP ($45) Tc 6s 7c
NoSash checks
Klovnen bets $16
NoSash raises to $103 (AI)
Klovnen calls $87.55
TURN ($252) Tc 6s 7c 7s
RIVER ($252) Tc 6s 7c 7s Ad
The 1/3 pot bet size is standard in 4-bet pots 100bb deep, as you easily get the money in anyway. In addition such a bet can induce a bluff-raise and gives you a good prize on your own bluffs (or build a bigger pot before picking it up on the turn). 125bb deep $18 would have been a better amount, to leave about a pot-sized bet on the turn. It's no point in being afraid of giving odds to a draw, as aggressive players will push rather than call (after all, I will bet here as a bluff too). In many ways this is a very good example of the "threat of future betting", as I basically risk a small amount to put my opponent to a decision for his whole stack.
NoSash shows 4c 3c
(Pre 40%, Flop 47.8%, Turn 27.3%)
Klovnen shows Th As
(Pre 60%, Flop 52.2%, Turn 72.7%)
Klovnen wins $249
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