I need suggestions on becoming more balanced

[Andyreas]

Hey forum,

recently I've been playing a few MTTs and have been doing quite well, improving my BR on one site from $600 to $800 within 2-3 days (although not following proper BRM).

But today, I think I gave away a potential top 3 result by not playing more balanced.

The situation was as follows:
We're down to 2 tables and on my right there are two big stacks 60-80 BBs.

I'm down to 30-40 BBs by not winning anything significant over the last rounds.

Big stack on BN has been playing quite decent and I think he realised I became a bit too passive:
He opens 90% of the hands on BN (when I'm in BB) and c-bets nearly every time.

I was thinking about widening my range to 3-bet but I don't really like putting around 8 BBs at risk which is 20%-30% of my stack and then missing the flop. So I decided to wait for a solid pair or Broadways to do so but they did not come.

Instead I called with anything remotely decent but missed most flops (as probably he did as well) and folded to his c-bets most of the time.

Whenever I hit something, I called his cbet but ofc he didn't bet turn or river mostly. When I bet the river, he mostly folded.

Another idea was to check-raise as bluff but somehow I didn't find the guts to do so.

I probably lost too many BBs in hands like these which made me finish 8th when I was 4th/5th for a good while.

Any comments/suggestions from your side?

 

[Kinalha]

Hey forum,

recently I've been playing a few MTTs and have been doing quite well, improving my BR on one site from $600 to $800 within 2-3 days (although not following proper BRM).

But today, I think I gave away a potential top 3 result by not playing more balanced.

The situation was as follows:
We're down to 2 tables and on my right there are two big stacks 60-80 BBs.

I'm down to 30-40 BBs by not winning anything significant over the last rounds.

Big stack on BN has been playing quite decent and I think he realised I became a bit too passive:
He opens 90% of the hands on BN (when I'm in BB) and c-bets nearly every time.

I was thinking about widening my range to 3-bet but I don't really like putting around 8 BBs at risk which is 20%-30% of my stack and then missing the flop. So I decided to wait for a solid pair or Broadways to do so but they did not come.

Instead I called with anything remotely decent but missed most flops (as probably he did as well) and folded to his c-bets most of the time.

Whenever I hit something, I called his cbet but ofc he didn't bet turn or river mostly. When I bet the river, he mostly folded.

Another idea was to check-raise as bluff but somehow I didn't find the guts to do so.

I probably lost too many BBs in hands like these which made me finish 8th when I was 4th/5th for a good while.

Any comments/suggestions from your side?

In the theory, with more ICM more passive you need to play against big stacks, but in these situation i think you need to be more agressive against some pressure from button. You need to find your game strategy, if i play these situation, i gonna take the risk to spew and play more agressive. Not only Ax, but medium conecctors+. I see a lot of lessons about gamestyles, and i prefeer run with a big stack in FT than a small money diference bettwen 15/8 place. Probably it's more personal than a obvious answer

 

[dreamer13]

Don't get hung up on playing a balanced game unless it means making the optimal decision - the one that maximizes your EV. If you see strategic flaws in your opponent's game - exploit them whenever you have the opportunity.The main criterion that will dictate to you how to play - balanced or not - will be your opponent himself. The more he "screws up", the more we will allow ourselves to deviate from balance.

 

[63burner]

If you are way down on yourself, but seeing some of the missteps you've made, walk awaty, take a break. EV isn't the same as actual. In poker, say ten person table, the odds of losing are 90%(9 of them, 1 of you). Sometimes you will run well, cathching cards, you defy odds against you. But the balanced approach is: expect to lose, enjoy thed exception of winning.

 

[puzzlefish]

I'm not really following your thought process here - you want to be more balanced, how? Do you not bluff enough? It's hard to do in BTN vs BB because both your ranges are pretty wide. Maybe check-raise more with wheel and Broadway AXs and suited hands and then barrel hard on boards where you connect or have a good draw. The only way to see if it's profitable is to try it. It's scary but the alternative is just withering away to nothing. Sometimes we have to run the bluffs and get called down, but ideally we will realize our equity enough to get a good prize.

 

[Andyreas]

Do you not bluff enough?

Yes, for me it's way more easy to bluff in position when I'm the last to act than oop.

I'm pretty sure he bluffed quite a lot since he (c-)bet in like 95% and ofc he can't have a hit all the time.

 

[MK_]

I think if someone is betting on 90% of your bbs they're definitely spotting an opportunity.....,

there's no way he's dealt a hand 90% of the time, it's hard to hit a flop too..., the answers are in your post,

when you hit something and called his cbet he slowed down, when you bet the river he folded...,

this sounds like face up passive play that he's naturally going to take advantage of if you only bet when you hit,

maybe try some hu to get more comfortable fighting for pots when the perfect cards don't appear👍

 

[fundiver199]

I was thinking about widening my range to 3-bet but I don't really like putting around 8 BBs at risk which is 20%-30% of my stack and then missing the flop. So I decided to wait for a solid pair or Broadways to do so but they did not come.

I think, the main point is to just find the courage to pull that trigger and do it. Putting in 30% of your stack is a bit to much, but 20% is ok. And if they dont fold preflop, then maybe a flop C-bet will get the job done. Of course sometimes you will be bluffing away a decent percentage of your stack, but it will work often enough and also force them to pull back a little bit, if they are literally opening 90% of hands.

Another idea was to check-raise as bluff but somehow I didn't find the guts to do so.

Same kind of story as above. Sometimes we just need to find the courage to pull the trigger, especially if they are way over C-betting.

 

[dannystanks]

Your best counter is to find the check raise on his C-bet. He is taking advantage that you are playing too passive. If you do this early in the game a few times he will get the message that you will fight back on your BB and you’re not just going to keep giving it away.
If you are never fighting back by 3 betting him pre flop or check raising or even donk leading a flop, then he is just going to keep doing his job and taking your blinds.

 

[Mr.$t0k]

I think you can do preflop raise with good hand and then play aggressive put c bet and raise on tern
Good luck

 

[SpanRmonka]

Sometimes I think standard poker strategy just has to go out of the window. You have to simply play the person.

If he's raised your BB 2-3 times in a row, in any game in any situation, similar to above, maybe not stone bubble, you have to learn to pull the trigger on a 3 bet pre.

You then have to learn to pull the trigger on a flop check float too, then you have to pull the trigger on flop check raise......its doesn't matter what cards you have, obviously better cards are more advisable tho.

If you identify that you are giving away chips and someone is taking them you HAVE to adjust.....it's that straightforward. But you also need a plan.

If you 3 bet, and you don't hit, you have to C -bet all non totally scary flops, if you've floated, you have to be prepared to bet air when he checks the turn, if you've check raised the flop, you have to willing to bet air on the turn when he checks.

The things is with poker, in my opinion, is that these obvious situations don't actually come around that often, so when they do, you really really need to take advantage. The villain will slow down once you mix up your play and become less predictable by playing back at him!!