Bovada $0.10/$0.25

[mathmajor]

Umm so this morning I thought I'd tinker around on Bovada's zone 6max. In a couple hours I took $25 and made $200.

Might be variance, I had some somewhat lucky breaks (two-flush cooler holding an ace) but had a few observations:

1) For being so easy to fold, there was a surprising amount of openings from early position on marginal stuff like A8o

2) People didn't like to come off hands easily. On a low semi-coordinated board, a guy holding AK called about $10 worth of bets, every street, which was a bluff from me (holding QTs). BALLSY call given any pair beats him and I repped it hard. He had no business calling turn/river with ace high but that's life.

3) I stopped playing scared poker. Once someone checked the lead I took aggression if it made sense for my range to pair the board. Worked >50%. Just having several buy ins to my name I think helped sell the message.

4) I came off big hands. Opener UTG went for $0.75, I had JJ and raised $3 button. He went all in for $11ish. Fold. Not sure how good a fold, but it's not because I didn't believe I had equity (AK? TT?) but after a flop with an overcard (AKQ) I have no idea if I'm ahead and will be prey to bluffs and off the lead. Finally thinking ahead.

[BallaActuary]

BOOM TABLE!

[Kid Rock]

2) some people will no doubt play A-K to the river as a sacred rule

Like a lot of sacred rules, it is not a good, well thought-out rule

[Dr T Non-Fan]

Originally Posted by mathmajor

4) I came off big hands. Opener UTG went for $0.75, I had JJ and raised $3 button. He went all in for $11ish. Fold. Not sure how good a fold, but it's not because I didn't believe I had equity (AK? TT?) but after a flop with an overcard (AKQ) I have no idea if I'm ahead and will be prey to bluffs and off the lead. Finally thinking ahead.

Were there other players in the pot?
If not, why are you worried about the flop? He's all-in, there will be no further action.

Not sure how Poker-Starsy Bovada is (i.e., [tfh] this hand was set up for you to lose [/tfh]). Probably a good fold since you'd probably be gambling there even with a slight edge. Figure AA, KK, QQ are equally likely as all the other pairs (because of his reraise all-in. And AK, AQ for the rest of his range. What you want to do is keep an eye on this player, see if he makes the same play and note his cards. Could be a crazy guy looking for players without balls. Problem with these players is that they lose their stacks to the better players instead of you. And now you're stuck playing against these better players and their bigger stacks.

[glassy]

Originally Posted by Dr T Non-Fan

What you want to do is keep an eye on this player, see if he makes the same play and note his cards. Could be a crazy guy looking for players without balls. Problem with these players is that they lose their stacks to the better players instead of you. And now you're stuck playing against these better players and their bigger stacks.

Bovada is anonymous, so there is no way to apply previous knowledge of a player's actions.

Originally Posted by Dr T Non-Fan

Not sure how Poker-Starsy Bovada is (i.e., [tfh] this hand was set up for you to lose [/tfh]).

[Dr T Non-Fan]

You mean, no one even has a player name??

[glassy]

Correct. The only identifying label at a cash game is the current seat number at the table.

For MTTs, I think your entry number is the given label, so I guess you could keep notes of that particular player, but only for the scope of the tournament.

[Cohete009]

lol folding JJ preflop.

[mathmajor]

Originally Posted by Cohete009

lol folding JJ preflop.

In the games I've played I think the only pre-flop shoves I've seen were AA-QQ.

A lot of people make huge overbets (generally) in the hopes of being called. Had a lot of shoves on me that made no sense (shoving $25 into a $6 pot) and it was obvious they either had the nuts or didn't like money very much. The math doesn't work regardless.

DTNF - you're right, he didn't shove the $11, I think it was just a 4bet. I could have shoved or called. But like I said, even without an overcard, I still don't know what he's on and will be calling multiple streets of bets hoping for what, a third jack to show? Too dicey.

Yeah, he could have 4bet with a bluff but I expect it was more toward AA-QQ and it was either $3 now or spew a bunch of chips later finding out.

At least he didn't limp AA. Had one of those too.

[Dr T Non-Fan]

Originally Posted by Cohete009

lol folding JJ preflop.

lol didn't go broke with them