The move to cash

[Muahahahaha]

I've been told ( by you lot ) that playing to pot odds isn't the be all & end all in tourneys.

But now I'm dipping my toes into ring cash games.  10c / 20c `10 seaters on micro gaming to be precise.

I'm sitting with $20.  Big stack ( $50 ) is 2 to my right.  Everyone else is $25 or less.

A few questions have already cropped up.

1) 99 on the button.
Passed to Big Stack (BS) who limps.  So I limp as well.  SB then raises to $1.40.  BS calls.  Pot is now $3.60, I've got $1.20 to call.
I folded, assuming one of the 2 probably has a higher pair & I'm going to need to hit to win.
As it happens flop comes 922, so I grit my teeth & continue.
Should I have called ?

2) 9To mid position.  Ten minutes later.
I limp.  2 more limpers +SB makes it up. Pot $1
Flop 778. 
I've got the up & down draw, but the paired board is scary.  Checked to me, so I bet the pot to see what happens.  2 callers ( including BS )
Turn 7. 
Yuk.  I check. BS bets. 1 caller. I fold.
River comes J, so I'd have got my straight, but the board was toooooo scary. 
I think that was a decent fold, but should I have kept going?

3) KK in BB.  Next circuit.
2 limpers. I raise to 60c ( I meant to raise it to $1, but something went wrong with the buttons )
1 caller ( plus some dead money) Pot $1.90
Flop 24A rainbow.
I check. Villains bets 95c, I check raise to $2.37 ( because that's roughly the right amount I thought, & I cant get the right figures in - I blame the software ).  He immediately calls. Pot $6.64
Turn A.
Two aces. Do I not like this .
I check / fold ( his bet was only $1.66 - is it worth another pop at it ? )

4) TT UTG.  Next time round again.
I raise to $1. I caller.  Pot $2.50 ( more dead money )
Flop 2T6 ( 2 spades )
I bet out $1.25.  He raises to $3.50.  Now for my cock up.  I wanted to reraise him enough so I was taking away the pot odds to call for a flush, if he had 2 spades.
The pot is now $7.25, I need to put in $2.25 to call, making it $9.50 
My stack is now $15.58.  I was running out of time, & I ended up sticking it all in.  He immediately folded.
What would have been the correct bet size ?

Sorry there are loads of questions there.  But all this happened in a 30 min session, which helped show me how true it is every time someone says that minimising your losses is as important as maximising your winnings.  How did I do in this mini session ?

[jakally]

1.  99 On the Button

I would have been tempted to raise PF to get rid of the blinds, however calling isn't a bad play.

If you think SB has a higher pair, then you are calling for set value (i.e. to spike a 9 on the flop).
Chances of this happening are about 7 to 1 - therefore you need to believe you will get paid at least 7 times the extra amount you need to call to make it worth it.

You are getting 3 to 1 from the pot ($1.20 into a $3.60 pot).
Therefore, if you can extract at least another $4.80 each time you hit a set then you are making a profitable play.

We don't know the SB's stack ( it is unlikely to be less than $4.80) but this is a no brainer call for me.

2.      9To MP

I don't play 10 handed therefore probably play fewer drawing hands, but I wouldn't recommend limping first into the pot OOP with this hand.

The flop bet is brave, but could take it down if noone has a 7.
Once the 7 comes down on the turn I lose interest - clear fold.

3.     KK in BB

PF bet (size of it as you mention) puts you in a bit of bother as it increase calling range for those acting behind you.

I would probably have bet out on the turn, but if you are going to check raise then it needs to be bigger.
Your opponent needs only to put in $1.42 into a $6.64 pot to call.
He could do this with a weak A, 22, 44, mid PP, straight draw etc...
In other words, you don't really know where you are.

I would have probably had another pop at it on the turn, depending on the opponent.
Given his small bet, a call is ok, and see what he does on the river.

4.      TT UTG

I constantly think that I've cocked these situations up if I don't get all of the other persons stack, but, in reality, it depends to some extent on what he is holding as to how much you can extract.
If he has nothing, it may be that you have already got the max out of him.

I would be tempted to call his raise and let him make another mistake on the turn, if he is an aggressive player.
A push is a bit strong, but you will sometimes be read for a flush draw, or AK and get paid off by a range of hands.

Sorry if this is a bit rushed but better get some work done.

BTW, your original post is very clear and easy to understand - wish all posts were to that standard.

Jak.

[doubleup]

1) 99 on the button.
Passed to Big Stack (BS) who limps.  So I limp as well.  SB then raises to $1.40.  BS calls.  Pot is now $3.60, I've got $1.20 to call.
I folded, assuming one of the 2 probably has a higher pair & I'm going to need to hit to win.
As it happens flop comes 922, so I grit my teeth & continue.
Should I have called ?

Marginal either way - you've barely got the implied odds to call in the hope of hitting a set - I think that you need to be getting 10-1 to cover for the times you hit and still lose, but it is possible that you have the best hand and might be able to take the pot down if you lead out on a low flop.

2) 9To mid position.  Ten minutes later.
I limp.  2 more limpers +SB makes it up. Pot $1
Flop 778. 
I've got the up & down draw, but the paired board is scary.  Checked to me, so I bet the pot to see what happens.  2 callers ( including BS )
Turn 7. 
Yuk.  I check. BS bets. 1 caller. I fold.
River comes J, so I'd have got my straight, but the board was toooooo scary. 
I think that was a decent fold, but should I have kept going?

In general don't call with str8 and flush draws on paired boards - that's not to say that you can't semi-bluff with them under some circumstances.

Unsuited connectors aren't great hands to limp with - you will rarely hit the flop and might not get paid when you do.

3) KK in BB.  Next circuit.
2 limpers. I raise to 60c ( I meant to raise it to $1, but something went wrong with the buttons )
1 caller ( plus some dead money) Pot $1.90
Flop 24A rainbow.
I check. Villains bets 95c, I check raise to $2.37 ( because that's roughly the right amount I thought, & I cant get the right figures in - I blame the software ).  He immediately calls. Pot $6.64
Turn A.
Two aces. Do I not like this .
I check / fold ( his bet was only $1.66 - is it worth another pop at it ? )

I think that you are beaten here - you have shown a lot of strength and your opponent isn't scared.

4) TT UTG.  Next time round again.
I raise to $1. I caller.  Pot $2.50 ( more dead money )
Flop 2T6 ( 2 spades )
I bet out $1.25.  He raises to $3.50.  Now for my cock up.  I wanted to reraise him enough so I was taking away the pot odds to call for a flush, if he had 2 spades.
The pot is now $7.25, I need to put in $2.25 to call, making it $9.50 
My stack is now $15.58.  I was running out of time, & I ended up sticking it all in.  He immediately folded.
What would have been the correct bet size ?

I wouldn't bother to much about this - if you reraised a smaller amount you would probably be called by a flush draw and everything else folds.  Your overbet might be called by a weaker hand putting you on a draw.

[boldie]

I've been told ( by you lot ) that playing to pot odds isn't the be all & end all in tourneys.

But now I'm dipping my toes into ring cash games.  10c / 20c `10 seaters on micro gaming to be precise.

I'm sitting with $20.  Big stack ( $50 ) is 2 to my right.  Everyone else is $25 or less.

A few questions have already cropped up.

1) 99 on the button.
Passed to Big Stack (BS) who limps.  So I limp as well.  SB then raises to $1.40.  BS calls.  Pot is now $3.60, I've got $1.20 to call.
I folded, assuming one of the 2 probably has a higher pair & I'm going to need to hit to win.
As it happens flop comes 922, so I grit my teeth & continue.
Should I have called ?

2) 9To mid position.  Ten minutes later.
I limp.  2 more limpers +SB makes it up. Pot $1
Flop 778. 
I've got the up & down draw, but the paired board is scary.  Checked to me, so I bet the pot to see what happens.  2 callers ( including BS )
Turn 7. 
Yuk.  I check. BS bets. 1 caller. I fold.
River comes J, so I'd have got my straight, but the board was toooooo scary. 
I think that was a decent fold, but should I have kept going?

3) KK in BB.  Next circuit.
2 limpers. I raise to 60c ( I meant to raise it to $1, but something went wrong with the buttons )
1 caller ( plus some dead money) Pot $1.90
Flop 24A rainbow.
I check. Villains bets 95c, I check raise to $2.37 ( because that's roughly the right amount I thought, & I cant get the right figures in - I blame the software ).  He immediately calls. Pot $6.64
Turn A.
Two aces. Do I not like this .
I check / fold ( his bet was only $1.66 - is it worth another pop at it ? )

4) TT UTG.  Next time round again.
I raise to $1. I caller.  Pot $2.50 ( more dead money )
Flop 2T6 ( 2 spades )
I bet out $1.25.  He raises to $3.50.  Now for my cock up.  I wanted to reraise him enough so I was taking away the pot odds to call for a flush, if he had 2 spades.
The pot is now $7.25, I need to put in $2.25 to call, making it $9.50 
My stack is now $15.58.  I was running out of time, & I ended up sticking it all in.  He immediately folded.
What would have been the correct bet size ?

Sorry there are loads of questions there.  But all this happened in a 30 min session, which helped show me how true it is every time someone says that minimising your losses is as important as maximising your winnings.  How did I do in this mini session ?

Just my 2 cents worth;

1 is a call for me. I love to set mine so I'm fine with the limp pre-flop but I definetly don't mind calling 1 raise pre-flop.
I am not convinced either has a higher pair but if you were then that's fine. what you are looking for is implied odds. What would you get paid if you hit your set on the flop? I think you would ussually make more than enough to call this pre-flop bet.

2; Good fold. I don't play 9T off out of position so it's a pre-flop fold for me, but you are right to fold it once the others bet on the turn.

3; the check raise should have been bigger to scare him off.

4; I might have reraised him for a 5'er more or something but definetly not to scare him off. I want him to keep drawing to his flush if he indeed is and keep sticking his chips in. He is more likely to miss hitting it but you do want to make him pay.

Just my two cents and that's probably all the advice is worth.

[Smart Money]

Firstly, "big stacks" are of no concern at the cash table. There is no chip leader and you can't bully in cash, so it is of no relevance really.


1. If I'm pretty sure that someone is raising big w/AA/KK then I'll usually call 7BB with any pair if I know they can't let them go and we're both deep enough.

2. Don't limp w/T9o from MP if you're first into the pot. Your flop bet is too big Vs 4 players, especially seeing as the board is paired- better to check here. Easy check/fold on turn.

3. I don't like the check/raise here. Just bet 3/4 pot here OOP and if he folds great. If not, then check/fold on turn. If you have position, then you could try checking flop. Then betting turn if checked to you, and then check behind on river.

4. Nothing wrong with pushing all-in here. If he has a set, he's calling anyway- and if he has a flush draw then the pot is big enough to push it all in.