The Basics of Hand Reading and How to Exploit:
Hand reading is a skill learned through practice and repetition. Determining the most +EV play ( call/fold/raise/etc) is heavily dependent on board texture, opponent, dynamic, flow, and hundreds of other random variables. These are the pieces of a puzzle that must be solved as long as your time bank allows. When I think about the hand ranges of opponents there is a process I take:
1) Opponent type. In SSNL, there are many player categories that are definable through style and tendencies. As you move up and encounter stiffer competition, 'TAG' or 'LAG' will fail to define a particular style or player. In SSNL/Micros you WILL see many player tendencies that are comparable across all sites/stakes (1/2 and below). With the availibility of PA hud/PT/etc, true poker reads have evolved to 3-20 numbers across a screen, defining a player and his tendencies. While PA is useful I feel that true reads are attained instead by watching the table and identifying what particular hands opponents are calling down with/what they are bluffing with/etc.
When playing a hand, I first identify my opponent and how I think he will play. TAGs in SSNL take very predictable lines, including checking behind marginal hands on the turn, using check/call lines when their hands are faceup (think if their flop bet is raised, they check call the turn and check the river, this is very often some overpair looking to get to showdown). And there are of course hundreds of others. Further when loose passive players check and call multiple streets their ranges can be hugely widened compared to the more definable TAG's. There are hundreds of various opponent types and as each street passes, more information is given.
There is no complete science for hand reading. As stated previously, board texture and opponent psychology are two highly important factors when determining the correct play.
An example hand: villan is semi loose and passive. His PT stats were 23/7/1.5 over a smaller sample (150 hands). I was playing loose and aggressive (though I'm not sure if this player was observant of my table image). I will break this down street by street:
Absolute Poker $1/$2 No Limit Hold'em - 6 players
The Official 2+2 Hand Converter Powered By DeucesCracked.com
Hero (BTN): $427.55
SB: $243.00
BB: $164.50
UTG: $330.50
MP: $554.85
CO: $297.50
Pre Flop: Hero is BTN with 8
Q2 folds, CO calls $2, Hero raises to $10, 2 folds, CO calls $8
**With semi deeper stacks, a nice hand in position, this is a very easy iso-raise. Because Villan was slightly passive, I expect his range to be any hand like 22-99, stuff like 67s, and perhaps KQ/AJ. In other words, its slightly wide.**
Flop: ($23.00) 9
5
9
(2 players)CO checks, Hero bets $14, CO calls $14
**Flop c-bet should be fairly standard. I am targeting the unpaired hands (KQ/AJ) etc as well as the 46s type hands as well. Even though I technically 'beat' those types of hands, I want to protect my equity as well as take down the pot now. (The basics of a c-bet are clear and will not be discussed). After he calls the flop, I think his range can be narrowed a bit. I feel that he will fold nearly all his air hands (in terms of the 46s type hands/JTs). He (may) peel with KQ once as these players sometimes hope to get lucky. Nonetheless, I feel that I can often get much of his range to fold to a second barrel (stuff like 22/33/etc) on nicer cards (any paint or T+). On a total brick turn though (3x) I think I would just check back or fold to a bet. These players often still tell themselves I have missed overs and will stubbornly call down.
Now, think about his range compared to a TAGs. Had I been playing a TAG, I can often cut out hands like AJ/KQ automatically after his flop call. His range is almost always weighted towards hands like 22-88 and sometimes even weak overpairs like TT. (Though admittingly a TAG would not limp/call preflop). But had a TAG gotten in this situation OOP against me, my plan can change dramatically- I can choose to double barrel the turn and perhaps triple barrel the river depending on how the board changes. The 23/7 opponent will not fold 66 on this board but a TAG will use a very predictable check/call, check/fold the turn line very often.
Turn: ($51.00) 4
(2 players)CO checks, Hero bets $37, CO calls $37
**Turn is obviously a great card for me. It targets the range that I stated previously. Checking is certainly a viable option as well as I'm not quite sure how often he will fold those low pocket pair type hands. However I feel that I have plenty of cards to use as scare cards by the river (any paint really) as well as cards to improve me (any Q/8/spade). This double barrel would be highly +EV against a TAG in many SSNL games as I feel that double barreling is somewhat unused and given lots of credit. However against this opponent I would say that it is a bit closer (though still a double). Had this been an offsuite 4, I think checking and folding is probably best. But with the spade + added equity, barreling this turn (and perhaps many good river cards) helps control frequencies as well. After he calls the turn, I feel his range is solidly something like TT/stronger pairs like 66+/5x (think A5s or something). I can cut out the KQ/AJ type hands that perhaps peeled the flop. On a brick river I am probably checking and giving up as I do not feel he will fold these hands. On others, I have a variety of options.
River: ($125.00) 8
(2 players)CO checks, Hero bets $77, CO calls $77
**An nice river card. As stated, I felt his range was heavily weighted towards something like 22-TT, or even moreso 5x. I think this is a fairly easy value bet in most cases. Sure you will get valueowned sometimes by stuff like TT or whatever but in general I expect to be ahead here alot.
Think about how ranges would differ by player type. I would expect most TAGs to check raise 9x somewhere in the hand before the river. Despite their range NEVER being ANYTHING but a boat/9x they continue to use lines that are so heavily weighted towards the nuts and nothing else. Better players will use lines where their ranges are more blended/merged/whatever word you want to use.
(results: I win vs. 77).
One more hand vs. a TAG:
Alright, background, villan is a multitabling TAG plays like 21/17. I feel I have an edge over him and have been messing with him on multiple tables. I will explain my thought process street by street.
Absolute Poker $1/$2 No Limit Hold'em - 6 players
The Official 2+2 Hand Converter Powered By DeucesCracked.com
UTG: $591.20
MP: $169.40
CO: $563.65
Hero (BTN): $397.00
SB: $276.20
BB: $49.55
Pre Flop: Hero is BTN with 8
82 folds, CO raises to $7, Hero calls $7, 2 folds
** 3-betting is an option but I much prefer calling here in position. There are advantages to 3-betting preflop (forcing villan to play in an inflated pot OOP or just winning the pot now). My preference is to call though.
Flop: ($17.00) 3
9 3 (2 players)CO bets $12, Hero calls $12
** I think this flop is pretty cut and dry. I think raising accomplishes little in this spot. I don't really fold any better hands at all, I don't gain value from much else. I have position and a nice showdown hand/can control the pot easier. I would probably raise here with FD/3x and total air but not much else.
Turn: ($41.00) K
(2 players)CO bets $31, Hero calls $31
**Here is the interesting street. TAGs have been taught to double barrrel these boards with air no matter what. THERE IS A HUGE PROBLEM HERE. TAGs do not often value bet 9x/TT/etc here though. A common line I've observed is check/calling from his standpoint with such hands. When one's range becomes polarized towards either nuts (in this case, Kx) or bluffs (total air which he could very well have) and not much in between (I did not feel that this opponent was good enough to value bet A9 or something like that on the turn and/or river). This is a key concept against better opponents- do not play such that your ranges are so weighted towards one side or the other. When you are bluffing this card often you must also value bet it as well with your lesser hands.
River: ($103.00) 6
(2 players)CO bets $62, Hero calls $62
**By the time he fires the river, my thoughts are confirmed. I did NOT feel villan was capable of value betting QQ here on the river and would often check A9/JJ/etc. His range becomes very polarized between nuts (K+/3x) or nothing. I felt this was a pretty easy call on the river due to this fact. Can you see how much more difficult this call would be had I did factor in those more medium/strong hands? So many more combos that I would have to factor in. Instead, this opponent played fairly cut and dry and while sometimes I will get valueowned by KQ or something, I think this is a pretty easy call.
(alas, I win vs. 64s).
So, sorry I didnt finish this entire article. I'll add more later on board texture and how many TAGs freeze up when they really shouldnt. cheers.
No comments:
Post a Comment