Cringe hands

DietChips

Hey all, just a few hands that made me cringe that I would like pointers on... Really messed up on 2 and I think the other is just bad luck?

Hand 1

Player	Action	Cards	Amount	Pot	Balance
Bad_Dog	Small blind		25.00	25.00	2320.00
Alkazz1808	Big blind		50.00	75.00	1915.00
	Your hole cards	A J
waller02	Raise		200.00	275.00	1415.00
GRIZZER89	Call		200.00	475.00	1465.00
DietChips	Call		200.00	675.00	2395.00
daphne56	Fold
Bad_Dog	Fold
Alkazz1808	Fold
Flop
		9 J 3
waller02	Check
GRIZZER89	Bet		100.00	775.00	1365.00
DietChips	Call		100.00	875.00	2295.00
waller02	Call		100.00	975.00	1315.00
Turn
		Q
waller02	Check
GRIZZER89	Bet		100.00	1075.00	1265.00
DietChips	Raise		200.00	1275.00	2095.00
waller02	Fold
GRIZZER89	Call		100.00	1375.00	1165.00
River
		5
GRIZZER89	Bet		50.00	1425.00	1115.00
DietChips	Call		50.00	1475.00	2045.00
GRIZZER89	Show	K Q
DietChips	Muck	A J
GRIZZER89	Win	Pair of Queens	1475.00

Hand 2

Player	Action	Cards	Amount	Pot	Balance
TAMECHEETA	Small blind		25.00	25.00	1725.00
Talon	Big blind		50.00	75.00	2090.00
	Your hole cards	10 <span style="padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:10px;padding-left:0px;margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:2px;color:#000000;background-attachment:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;background-color:#ffffff;display:block;border-image:initial;width:15px;text-align:center;font-size:0.9em;background-position:1px 100%;background-repeat:no-repeat no-repeat;bor

jugglegeek

Hand 1 You have the right idea. Call pre-flop is fine, 3-betting would put you into all sorts of bother if you get called and then miss the flop. On the flop the player who made the initial PFR checks and the other player who only called bets very small, almost 1/7th of the pot (a more typical bet on this wet flop would be around 500). I would raise here to find out why he bet small. He might be trying to trap you in which case he will raise, he might be drawing in which case he'll call or he might be making a bad attempt at a bluff in which case he will fold. As played you turn a draw to the nut flush but there is now an over pair to your jack. If you are going to raise it has to be much bigger to actually force your opponent to make a decision. As it is he has to call 100 to win a pot of 1200 (12:1 pot odds). River is fine.

Hand 2: Raise pre is question able with ATo since you are in bad possition but at least you raise and don't limp (never limp). On the flop you would bet most times, especially with the flush draw out there, you don't want to give a free card. Bet the flop and turn 1/2 pot. When the flush comes and the board pairs on the river I would slow down and check fold. Only a hand that beats you is likely to call two streets and then bet that river (unless of course they are bluffing, but to start with I would advice against trying to out-think yourself and bluff catching)

Hand 3: Don't like the squeeze play pre flop tbh. You have the wrong sized stack to try it. 27BBs you want to be looking for spots to re-raise all in over the top. Just check to see a free flop. On the flop if you are going to continue with the hand then you should just shove. Betting 100 achieves nothing. On the turn the villian has 3:1 pot odds to call. He now pretty much has to call and the way he's played the hand so far I'd expect him to have at least a pair.

Read up on bet sizing. It's the most important thing in no-limit hold em and it's dead easy to get right (and just as easy to get wrong).

Edit: just realised you said in another post that this is in a DYM. In that case fold pre-in all cases except the big-blind hand in which case fold to any bet post flop. Seriously, you should only be playing aces and maybe kings in the first three levels of a DYM

DietChips

Okay, thanks a lot once again.

Just done a little bit of research and going to give it a go with my final free entry

BorinLoner

In Response to Re: Cringe hands:

Hand 1 You have the right idea. Call pre-flop is fine, 3-betting would put you into all sorts of bother if you get called and then miss the flop. On the flop the player who made the initial PFR checks and the other player who only called bets very small, almost 1/7th of the pot (a more typical bet on this wet flop would be around 500). I would raise here to find out why he bet small. He might be trying to trap you in which case he will raise, he might be drawing in which case he'll call or he might be making a bad attempt at a bluff in which case he will fold. As played you turn a draw to the nut flush but there is now an over pair to your jack. If you are going to raise it has to be much bigger to actually force your opponent to make a decision. As it is he has to call 100 to win a pot of 1200 (12:1 pot odds). River is fine. Hand 2: Raise pre is question able with ATo since you are in bad possition but at least you raise and don't limp (never limp). On the flop you would bet most times, especially with the flush draw out there, you don't want to give a free card. Bet the flop and turn 1/2 pot. When the flush comes and the board pairs on the river I would slow down and check fold. Only a hand that beats you is likely to call two streets and then bet that river (unless of course they are bluffing, but to start with I would advice against trying to out-think yourself and bluff catching) Hand 3: Don't like the squeeze play pre flop tbh. You have the wrong sized stack to try it. 27BBs you want to be looking for spots to re-raise all in over the top. Just check to see a free flop. On the flop if you are going to continue with the hand then you should just shove. Betting 100 achieves nothing. On the turn the villian has 3:1 pot odds to call. He now pretty much has to call and the way he's played the hand so far I'd expect him to have at least a pair. Read up on bet sizing. It's the most important thing in no-limit hold em and it's dead easy to get right (and just as easy to get wrong). Edit: just realised you said in another post that this is in a DYM. In that case fold pre-in all cases except the big-blind hand in which case fold to any bet post flop. Seriously, you should only be playing aces and maybe kings in the first three levels of a DYM
Posted by jugglegeek

Everything jugglegeek says is correct and will be very helpful. Practice and read up, just as he says. I'd definitely advise reading Harrington on Hold'em volumes 1 and 2. They're the best available for beginner and intermediate tournament players, in my opinion.

The one thing I need to flag-up is that in the third hand, it's not technically a squeeze play. I usually wouldn't be too pedantic on questions of terminology but it's important that we use it correctly when we're learning, or we might misunderstand what people are suggesting in future.

A squeeze is a pre-flop bluff: We re-raise (3-bet) after someone else has opened with a raise and been called by another player. In this hand there were only limpers before you so no raiser to squeeze. The technicalities of the play aren't something you should be too bothered about as a beginner, though. Just focus on getting the basics right.

poshcole

Hand 3 wouldnt normally call with weak ace not sure has to why but once i had your betting after the flop was to weak once the 3 came i was never going away.Definite fold if you had shoved pre or after flop; in the end you was just unlucky.

DietChips

So again, it's just sorting out my bet sizing  

I'll improve soon enough!