CARDRUNNERS

What's Your Edge

verneer's Poker Blog

January 02, 2009

So as Katy and I are making dinner, I told her that I am about even for the day. I was quite proud of this since at one point I was stuck more than 5 BI's. She asked if I was getting it in good (hold the jokes please) as this is a concept we've often talked about as it relates to expected winnings. I told her "well ... kind of."

I got KK in pre-flop and ran into AA. So ... I'm getting it in with 18% equity, and thus mathematically I'm getting it in badly. But ... vs. the player's range, (he opens MP, CO cold-calls, I squeeze KK on the button, he 4-bets, I shove) I am getting it in very good.

In another hand, I cold-call 99 on the button vs. a loose CO open. The flop is A 6 9 with two hearts and a club. He bets, I raise, he calls. The tuns is the 2c. he checks, I bet enough to leave about a PSB left for the river and he calls. The river is the 3c. He checks, I shove for value and he snap-calls with A7c for a backdoored flush. So here I got it in with 0 equity, but the play was correct.

Finally, I have QQ in the BB 140BB's deep. Button (19/18) raises, SB (48/21) flats, and I 3-bet from the BB to $30. Button folds and SB ships it in. I snap call, spike a queen, and put a bad beat on his KK. This is one that I acutally did wonder about. I'm still not good enough to fold QQ here vs. a 48/21 type player in a obvious squeeze situation. I've seen players shove AJ in this spot before.

Finally, consider this: You get AA in pre-flop 6 times and win all six hands. What most players forget is that you are now running above expection. Whenever your hands hold up vs. other player's non-zero equity, we are "running good" - even if we continue getting it in with great odds. Thus, I'm starting to think less and less about "running above or below equity" and just start focusing on making optimal plays vs. other player's ranges.

I did end up putting in an evening session and finished up about 2.5 BI's on the day making a very nice comback.

This puts me at 11,243 hands for the month and 5,585 VPPs so I feel like I'm taking care of business.

Entry Tags:

Jan 2, 09 21:18:42

It's amazing how the "running good" way of thinking is misconceived. LJJones does a great job at discussing this in his HU series videos.

Nickw1979

Jan 2, 09 23:41:53

hey

like the blog, are u going for elite?

Yesbo

Jan 3, 09 04:54:06

Yesbo - that is not the plan right now.

verneer

Jan 3, 09 08:13:45

"getting it in good?"... Thats what she said... Couldn't help it.

The idea behind getting it in with AA 6 times and winning is something that a lot of players (myself included) fail to think about. I took on a friend who has been playing poker about 4 years but is a losing player and basically unknown and he had a really hard time just grasping the concept. If only it were that easy to say "well, he did have 12 percent equity, so I cant complain." Its just hard to not get emotional about it.

xlengthy

Jan 3, 09 17:47:59

booo @ deleted blog

AceCR9