Here is another edition of the hand review from 2CardsCollegeexpert Yuri, aka “Ivantbearich”. This time, we have our training program students’ hands on the short-list. Visit 2CardsCollege Pro Poker Training!

Hand 1: https://www.weaktight.com/h/55c8d195d3904336158b488d

First off, I would like to note an alternate way of playing premium hands in the BB against UTG. I would call with AKo against a strong regular, i.e. an opponent who would at least begin to think about my 3bet range from that position.

Basically, you call with premium hands in the BB primarily to conceal the strength of your hand since a 3bet from the BB against an early position raiser looks very strong. I would not go for this option in this case because the opponent is unlikely to be a strong regular. Usually, you should already have a decent sample of stats on your stake’s regulars.

Let us begin with defining our opponent’s open raising range and then analyze which hands he checks behind on a flop like that.

The opponent’s average open raising range from early position:

Our range hits this flop, so the opponent checks behind, which makes me think there are no overpairs or the majority of Tx hands in his range since he needs to value bet all of those. I am discounting the probability of him checking Tx hands behind, although some opponents may find a reason to slow-play those hands.

In addition, some weak pocket pairs would bluff bet and medium pocket pairs would check behind. To distribute the probabilities, I suggest we leave a portion of AT hands, quads, and full houses in his checking range; T9s is more likely to check than a hand like 99.

Range of checking behind:

I could not precisely evaluate the probability of him checking behind Ax hands, so I suggested that the opponent tends to check Ax that are overcards to the board and bet his weaker aces.

With an ace coming on the turn, we want to value bet. Interestingly enough, it is the ace of clubs, which removes a decent portion of Ax hands from his range.

The opponent’s calling range:

I guess the opponent would sometimes call with 77 and 88, using them as bluff catchers. Otherwise, it is a pretty standard calling range.

The opponent gets to the river with 42 combos and we want to continue value betting. Even if he would not call with 9x or if he would turn it into a bluff, we have an easy value bet. About 12% of combos would raise us, which means we need at least 62% equity against his calling range, and we have 66%. Actually, we have even more equity because the opponent would often call with bluff catchers (in his opinion, we have many busted draws).

However, our river bet was raised. Let us evaluate the decision factors:

1. The opponent should often bet his strongest value hands on this flop.
2. We block some bluffs from his float-calls; besides, he would not bluff in 100% of cases.
3. The opponent would not turn his weak and medium showdown value into a bluff.
4. The opponent would not overplay top pairs on a board with possible trips.

If we consider all these factors, we can see that the ones that tell us to bet/fold are prevailing. And judging by the opponent’s range, there is a chance he would call some Kx hands to catch a bluff since those hands are the same as 9x and 77-88 apart from them being blockers to some of our bluffs. However, we have enough of those hands in our range to make him call sometimes.

Conclusion: the student played this hand correctly, except for pre-flop.

Hand 2: https://www.weaktight.com/h/55c9d542d390438d668b472c

We have 500 hands on the opponent. He has 18/13 VPIP/PFR and 77% fold to steal on average, but would get into multi-pots more often. He is also moderately aggressive.

Let us approximate his calling range:

This is an ambiguous hand. It might be difficult to assess a line when your opponent check/calls pre-flop and donks turn, especially in a multi-pot. Thus, I will distribute all of the key hands with a 50% probability since he might:

1. Check/raise them on the flop right away
2. Try to check/raise the turn

Let us deal with his flop check/call range first. Considering it is a multi-pot, I believe the opponent mostly has strong draws, maybe Ax gutshots and strong made hands like top pairs or better.

Let us evaluate his check/call range:

The only gutshots and third pairs I decided to leave are those that have outs for a backdoor flush and a straight. I assume he would check/call one street with second pairs with a king or an ace kicker and hands that may strengthen to straights on later streets.

Considering there are still three opponents in the hand, I think he would bet all strong hands on this turn because it could have strengthened the opponents’ top pairs to a flush draw and the opponent would bluff sometimes. Since the pre-flop aggressor might have bluffed widely at this board and the Hero’s range is wide, consisting of top pairs, pocket pairs below QQ, and flush draws, there are hands the opponent might get to fold.

Opponent’s turn donk bet range:

I decided that the probability of betting with a flush draw is 50% because he would either use the above-mentioned line or try to make his opponents fold or play passively. He would be more inclined to check/call with turned flush draws and top pairs since he has showdown value in this case. I do not think he would ever donk bet top pair because he might end up in a complicated spot on the river and does not really have enough equity for a value bet against two opponents.

Thus, the opponent has a few bluffs on the river because Th completes most of the flushes and there are not many busted diamond draws and straights. I guess on the river he would bet 100% of bluffs and weak pairs turned into a bluff because the river card strengthens his donk bet range and he can bluff efficiently.

Our hand has no equity for a call:

Our only option is turning hands with a blocker for the nut flush into a bluff. Let us calculate if we can bluff efficiently. We would risk our remaining stack of 4611 to win 2296 + 1285 = 3581, 4611 / (3581 + 4611) * 100% = 51.7% folds the opponent should have for our bluff to be break even.

The opponent only has 32 combos on the river. I think he would mostly call the flushes with blockers to our strong flush, so I left 9-high and 8-high flushes in his range because the Hero can only have two or three flushes then. At the same time, the opponent should generally fold straights, sets, and definitely two pair.

Moreover, with two pairs, he has a Q blocker for the Hero’s turned into bluff hands. Actually, the Hero’s line looks very strong since to make a call, the opponent should think the Hero might turn a top pair into a bluff in this spot because the Hero’s range consists only of flushes, sets, and top pairs. The Hero would just called with sets, folded top pairs, or called or bluffed, and since the latter is rare, he can efficiently turn top pair into a bluff.

Opponent’s river push calling range:

We need 52% folds for a break-even bluff, while we are getting almost 69%.

Conclusion: Hero played ideally on every street.

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