I know this is a rather odd question, “default situational plays” – just seems like an oxymoron, doesn’t it?

Anyway, since success at NL poker depends greatly on ability to “play the players”, ie, make situational plays, I thought it be prudent to ask what your favourite moves/adaptions are when you have solid reads on active opponents in various situations?

Just a few starters:

Preflop

Often limp AA/KK in EP/MP when there are overly aggressive/loose and weak players in LP on big stacks, and go for a huge reraise/ push. There’s a good chance to get a terrible call from AK/JJ or even worse.

Frequently call tight PFRs on big stacks who can’t lay down big pairs with any pair or SC or other holding with any real potential.

On the flop
As PFR, holding value (>=TPTK) on draw-friendly flop (2-flush and/or connectors) against two muppets who just can’t fold a flush draw or OE-draw, overbet massively and give them a chance to really make an appalling call.


Of course there are myriads of useful plays to resort to when up against well known opponents. What are your favourites?

Cheers,
Rush

If I'm in a blind and am in the hand for what ever reason and the flop comes something like and there are only one or two people in the hand with me I love to check raise the flop if anybody bets.

This takes down alot of nice little pots. I don't do it alot but if my sets are not getting any action I will do this a couple of times and then wait until I do have a set and do it again.

Something i've only recently started doing since playing 6-max is that lets say someone raises preflop and i'm holding hoping to hit the set and we're HU when the flop comes. If it brings something like and they lead into me, i'll usually raise the pot a substantial amount and take it away right there. Perhaps it's due to a small sample size, however this has been a major +EV play for me at FTP's 6-max NL $50 game. This only works against good players so you have to have at least that much of a read on the person you try it against, but most solid players will lay down their hands here. Especially in 6-max when the odds of the other person have either AA or KK is much less and it's more probably that they have a lower PP or a missed broadway hand. Of course sometimes they'll actually have the trips but most people who do have them won't lead out on you on the flop.

How about suggesting both "creative" situational moves as well as "obvious" ones?

I for one may am not really sure how to adapt my play in many common situations even if I have a good read ...

Clearly "never bluff a calling station" is an obvious one that I'm understanding. But what other plays are obvious to more experienced players given a solid read of some kind?

Good initiative Rush to start up a thread on this!

/snok

snok, here is an example of how to adapt you play with a good read on the opponent.

In this hand I knew the villian had AK when he raised, and althought the flop was a little strange by him, like he was trying to trap me or something, but I was the hunter the whole time and I knew it.

This is also a good example of how not to loose your stack on a TPTK hand. I knew my all in bet on the river would be called because it looked like an obvious bluff to him.

So this is how to adapt your play to a common situation with a good read.

My weak bet on the flop is to try and get him to raise me which he doesn't so I decide to get aggressive on the turn to see if he will play back at me and he doesn't and then finally on the river he thinks he has me beat and is trying to value bet me.

I know he does not have the flush because of my read on him. Big pair or TPTK which is what I had initially put him on so I can re-raise him with ease knowing I have the best hand.


PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.10 BB (9 handed)

SB ($13.10)
BB ($3.55)
UTG ($5.60)
UTG+1 ($13.40)
MP1 ($16.90)
MP2 ($8.75)
MP3 ($11.50)
Hero ($12.65)
Button ($4.60)

Preflop: Hero is CO with , .
1 fold, UTG+1 raises to $0.5, 3 folds, Hero calls $0.50, 3 folds.

Flop: ($1.15) , , (2 players)
UTG+1 checks, Hero bets $0.3, UTG+1 calls $0.30.

Turn: ($1.75) (2 players)
UTG+1 checks, Hero bets $2, UTG+1 calls $2.

River: ($5.75) (2 players)
UTG+1 bets $3, Hero raises to $9.85, UTG+1 calls $6.85.

Final Pot: $25.45

Results in white below:
UTG+1 has As Kd (one pair, kings).
Hero has Jh Js (three of a kind, jacks).
Outcome: Hero wins $25.45.

So in a sense this was both a creative and obvious situational play.

Play i make all the time that nearly always works.

MP limper,
LP raise,
i call in blind as does MP.

flop comes rags
flop action goes, MP: weak bet (like 1/3 the pot), raiser smooth calls, I'll checkraise the size of the pot - nearly always takes down the pot, barring the initial MP bettor leading out small with a set or something.

My favorite default situational play is to give my girlfriend a glass of wine as it leads to me getting lucky!

Oh wait, you meant poker! Ooops.

And no "all-in" jokes!!!