Contemplating the Flip Side: Recalling Moments When We Busted Them

Anyone can play like a pro when they have the nuts.

The Nuts

When reviewing my winning hands, I often recall the aforementioned quotes. Yes, if you have the nuts, you can play like Phil Ivey or Daniel Negreanu. So, essentially, if we hold the winning hands and the villain also has a strong hand, then everything we do is correct, as he would call us, right?

Let's take a look at my hand below: 

Full House VS Flush | Click to view the poker hand details

PokerStars, Hold'em No Limit - $0.01/$0.02 - 6 players

Replay this hand on CardsChat

UTG (Hero): $2.52 (126 bb)

MP: $2.61 (131 bb)

CO: $0.42 (21 bb)

BU: $3.91 (196 bb)

SB: $2.60 (130 bb)

BB: $1.36 (68 bb)

Pre-Flop: ($0.03) Hero is UTG with 5♦ 5♣

Hero raises to $0.06, MP calls $0.06, CO calls $0.06, 2 players fold, BB calls $0.04

Flop: ($0.25) J♦ J♠ 2♠ (4 players)

BB bets $0.02, Hero calls $0.02, MP raises to $0.04, CO calls $0.04, BB folds, Hero calls $0.02

Turn: ($0.39) 5♠ (3 players)

Hero checks, MP bets $0.10, CO folds, Hero raises to $0.54, MP raises to $0.98, Hero raises to $2.42 (all-in), MP calls $1.44

River: ($5.23) A♦ (2 players, 1 all-in)

Total pot: $5.23 (Rake: $0.18)

Showdown:

UTG (Hero) shows 5♦ 5♣ (a full house, Fives full of Jacks)

(Equity - Pre-Flop: 66%, Flop: 58%, Turn: 100%, River: 100%)

MP shows 3♠ Q♠ (a flush, Queen high)

(Equity - Pre-Flop: 34%, Flop: 42%, Turn: 0%, River: 0%)

UTG (Hero) wins $5.05

Preflop is pretty standard, right? I opened with a standard 3BB raise for set mining, and we had three callers. The big blind made a donk bet on the flop, and I considered it as a check. Others followed suit, except for the cutoff, who reraised small, and everyone called.

The turn changed everything; we had the nuts here. Despite the presence of a whale and a maniac, J2 or J5 is not a common holding. I checked with the purpose of inducing a bluff, and the middle position (MP) bet small, only 1/4 of the pot. I didn't want to slow play, so I decided to re-raise big, 5x his bet size. 

This was quite effective in prompting him to make a min reraise, which looked like a bluff. However, I had the nuts, and it was time to shove it all in. He called, revealing a flush - Queen High. A typical calling station that overvalued a flush on a very wet board and didn't even have the nut flush.

I played well in that hand and extracted the maximum value, which was his whole stack. But, this guy wasn't going to fold, right? I didn't have to check-raise him; if I shoved all in on the turn, he would simply call. It simply was a cooler 🍻🍺.

Now, let's see the all-in preflop below: 

AA VS QQ | Click to view the poker hand details

PokerStars, Hold'em No Limit - $0.01/$0.02 - 5 players

Replay this hand on CardsChat

UTG: $1.47 (74 bb)

CO: $2.61 (131 bb)

BU: $1.75 (88 bb)

SB (Hero): $2.09 (105 bb)

BB: $2.00 (100 bb)

Pre-Flop: ($0.05) Hero is SB with A♥ A♠

UTG raises to $0.08, CO calls $0.08, 1 fold, Hero 3-bets to $0.30, 1 fold, UTG 4-bets to $1.47 (all-in), 1 fold, Hero calls $1.17

Flop: ($3.04) 5♦ 9♣ 2♦ (2 players, 1 all-in)

Turn: ($3.04) 2♥ (2 players, 1 all-in)

River: ($3.04) 8♦ (2 players, 1 all-in)

Total pot: $3.04 (Rake: $0.11)

Showdown:

UTG shows Q♣ Q♠ (two pair, Queens and Twos)

(Equity - Pre-Flop: 18%, Flop: 8%, Turn: 5%, River: 0%)

SB (Hero) shows A♥ A♠ (two pair, Aces and Twos)

(Equity - Pre-Flop: 82%, Flop: 92%, Turn: 95%, River: 100%)

SB (Hero) wins $2.93

The opponent just joined the room and got pocket queens. At 2NL, it's common for players to overvalue pocket queens. Previously, I often went broke with QQ too. Everyone knows not to slow play with AA, right? Despite the villain overvaluing QQ, It simply was a cooler 🍻🍺.

Let's discuss a moment when I played the nut hand cautiously here:

Full House VS Flush | Click to view the poker hand details

PokerStars, Hold'em No Limit - $0.01/$0.02 - 5 players

Replay this hand on CardsChat

NA: $0.00 (0 bb)

UTG: $0.98 (49 bb)

BU (Hero): $2.16 (108 bb)

SB: $2.10 (105 bb)

BB: $2.99 (150 bb)

Pre-Flop: ($0.03) Hero is BTN with 2♣ 2♠

1 fold, Hero raises to $0.06, 1 fold, BB calls $0.04

Flop: ($0.13) Q♦ 5♥ Q♥ (3 players)

BB checks, Hero checks

Turn: ($0.13) 2♥ (3 players)

BB checks, Hero bets $0.10, BB calls $0.10

River: ($0.33) T♣ (3 players)

BB bets $0.24, Hero calls $0.24

Total pot: $0.81 (Rake: $0.03)

Showdown:

BB shows 7♥ K♥ (a flush, King high)

(Equity - Pre-Flop: 51%, Flop: 58%, Turn: 0%, River: 0%)

NA mucks

BU (Hero) shows 2♣ 2♠ (a full house, Twos full of Queens)

(Equity - Pre-Flop: 49%, Flop: 42%, Turn: 100%, River: 100%)

BU (Hero) wins $0.78

QT and Pocket Tens are common holdings, and the villain is a NIT. In the past, I often went broke with these mediocre hands. While it might seem like a very nitty play, I played cautiously against a NIT. It's a different story if my opponent is a Whale or a Maniac. Understanding the player's tight tendencies, I opted for a more conservative approach, avoiding unnecessary risks.

Perhaps it's a suboptimal play, but I'm willing to make a small mistake rather than a significant one. In the context of 2NL, where value is key, prioritizing sound decision-making is crucial for success. I am open to adapting and refining my playing style as I move up to higher stakes.

Okay, let's see another hand, and this one is another cooler: 

Nut Flush VS King High Flush | Click to view the poker hand details

GGPoker, Hold'em No Limit - $0.01/$0.02 - 5 players

Replay this hand on CardsChat

UTG: $2.08 (104 bb)

CO (Hero): $2.00 (100 bb)

BU: $1.91 (96 bb)

SB: $3.80 (190 bb)

BB: $1.29 (65 bb)

Pre-Flop: ($0.03) Hero is CO with A♣ 8♣

1 fold, Hero raises to $0.06, 1 fold, SB calls $0.05, 1 fold

Flop: ($0.14) 7♣ T♣ 5♣ (2 players)

SB checks, Hero checks

Turn: ($0.14) 3♥ (2 players)

SB bets $0.07, Hero calls $0.07

River: ($0.28) 9♦ (2 players)

SB bets $0.14, Hero raises to $1.87 (all-in), SB calls $1.73

Total pot: $4.02 (Rake: $0.22)

Showdown:

CO (Hero) shows A♣ 8♣ (a flush, Ace high)

(Equity - Pre-Flop: 65%, Flop: 100%, Turn: 100%, River: 100%)

SB shows 2♣ K♣ (a flush, King high)

(Equity - Pre-Flop: 35%, Flop: 0%, Turn: 0%, River: 0%)

CO (Hero) wins $3.80

Once again, I maximized my value on the river. At 2NL, nobody is willing to fold a King High Flush, making it yet another unavoidable cooler 🍻🍺. While I could argue that my skill allowed me to extract the maximum value at 2NL, the truth is, it was simply a cooler—no one at this level is ever going to fold such a hand. That's the beauty of 2NL, isn't it?

The Focus

In 2NL or 5NL, we focus on winning and making EV+ plays based on value. Consequently, a significant portion of our winnings often arises from coolers or bad beats. Patience is the key. 

Hence, my primary focus is on refining my strategy against opponents with weaker hands and mastering the art of compelling them to call our thin-value bets on the river.  I've learned a great deal in this regard, setting aside my greediness to secure the last remaining value attainable. 

Let's examine a hand where I executed a thin value bet on the river: 

Over Pair VS Top Pair | Click to view the poker hand details

PokerStars, Hold'em No Limit - $0.01/$0.02 - 6 players

Replay this hand on CardsChat

UTG: $0.30 (15 bb)

MP: $3.82 (191 bb)

CO: $2.05 (103 bb)

BU: $2.10 (105 bb)

SB (Hero): $4.82 (241 bb)

BB: $2.02 (101 bb)

Pre-Flop: ($0.03) Hero is SB with K♣ K♥

2 players fold, CO raises to $0.05, 1 fold, Hero 3-bets to $0.18, BB calls $0.16, 1 fold

Flop: ($0.41) 3♣ Q♠ 9♠ (2 players)

Hero bets $0.30, BB calls $0.30

Turn: ($1.01) A♣ (2 players)

Hero checks, BB checks

River: ($1.01) 5♣ (2 players)

Hero bets $0.10, BB calls $0.10

Total pot: $1.21 (Rake: $0.04)

Showdown:

SB (Hero) shows K♣ K♥ (a pair of Kings)

(Equity - Pre-Flop: 82%, Flop: 80%, Turn: 89%, River: 100%)

BB mucks J♦ Q♦ (a pair of Queens)

(Equity - Pre-Flop: 18%, Flop: 20%, Turn: 11%, River: 0%)

SB (Hero) wins $1.17

He called my 3bet preflop, indicating that he likely didn't have Pocket Aces unless he was intentionally playing AA poorly with a slow-play strategy. I also doubt he held QQ or JJ, as it's quite common for players at this stake to 4-bet with those hands. This guy is a loose passive player, so his range is really wide. 

On the flop, I placed a bet at 3/4 of the pot size, which was relatively substantial, and he opted for a flat call. This allows us to narrow down his possible hand range. Given his tendency as a calling station, he could be holding a top pair, a mid pair, or on a draw. Therefore, I've assigned him a range that includes hands like AQ, KQ, QJ, QT, A9, Q9, K9, J9 TJ, and any suited ♠️ hand.

The turn is a scary card for us. If he called us on the flop with A9, then we're in a very, very big problem. I checked, and he checked back. What does it mean? Now, I can narrow down his range again. I eliminated all the possibilities of two pairs since he would have likely re-raised us, right?

The river is another scary card, completing the ♣️ flush. However, I initially put him on a ♠️ flush draw or one pair. Now, how can we extract value here? If he had a flush draw, he might check back, and if he had a pair, he would likely do the same. I opted for a really small bet, considering the possibility that he was slow-playing AA, two pairs, or even a set. Surprisingly, he called. It turned out he had the top pair with an okay kicker. He couldn't fold to a 5BB bet on the river, right?

I'm learning how to execute a thin value bet in situations like this when I believe the opponent holds a mediocre hand. Why? Because if I only check, I risk missing out on extracting that thin value, and more often than not, they will fold if I bet aggressively. 

And another reason is to play cautiously. With my mediocre hand on a very wet board, I couldn't afford to call his shove or a big reraise on the river, right? 

The Reflection

Winning a big pot with our strong hands is my main strategy in 2NL, given the limited fold equity at this stake. There's no reason to play fancy with constant bluffing; the tactics seen in high roller games on TV don't apply in Microstakes. 

Based on that reasoning, I find it essential to constantly remind myself of several keynotes:

1. If a passive player shows aggression on a wet board, consider folding. Overfolding is acceptable. While it may seem overly cautious, this is Microstakes—opting for a small mistake over a big one is a prudent approach.
2. When a cooler or bad beat occurs, reflect on instances when you were on the other side. These are inherent parts of the game.
3. Engage with weaker players and avoid regulars to maximize your winning rate.
4. Practice patience and humility. Keep in mind that many players will call with mediocre hands. Refrain from berating them or becoming overly proud of your victories. 
5. Remember: Anyone can play like a pro when they have the nuts.

The last one: 

Anyone can play like a pro when they have the nuts.

This is indeed crucial. During good runs, it's common to feel overconfident, leading to overbetting or excessive aggression. However, it's important to stay cautious, especially in Microstakes. Many players tend to slowly play strong hands like sets or AA, so it's acceptable to resist the temptation of being too greedy and to maintain a more measured approach.

The Session

If you're interested, you can view my session on YouTube. The hands discussed earlier in this session are highlighted here: