So I decided to play some cash games tonight, instead of the usual tourneys and sit and go's. It's been a while since I had played in cash games, so I took it slow at first. I wanted to test the waters, and see how they were going to play. I wanted to scout out the tables and get my cash game together again. There are differences between cash games and tourneys. In a cash game, most of the stacks are pretty deep, so you have to be able to see and play flops well. Post flop play is a major part of cash games. Just because you play squeeky tight and wait for the top 5 hands, doesn't mean you are guaranteed to win. You have to be able to play flops, and know when you are getting the right price, when to push on weak bets, and when to three bet properly before the flop to win pots uncontested.
Cash games are a lot of fun, but can also be very frustrating at the lower levels. This is because you will find a lot of very loose calls both before the flop and on the flop. Here's a classic example. A player just joined the game and decided to post in early-late position. He was sitting in two behind the button. Personally, I don't post until it's my big blind. I don't like putting money out there, then trying to protect money that I didn't have to. That might be a pretty tight image, but that's what I want to set up early in the game. I want players to know that I'm playing tight, then prepare to change gears pretty often. So back to the hand. I get KQ suited, and decide to raise with nobody ahead of me coming in. For a tourney, it's a marginal play. However, in a cash game, with some dead money out, it's a good idea to try and eliminate a few players. The player who posted called, as did the small blind. The flop came A-K-8 with two hearts. I had KQ of hearts, so with second pair and the nut flush draw, I fire $4 into the $6.50 pot. The poster called and the blind folded. The turn brought a 9, so I checked, which was probably a mistake, and he checked behind. I should have bet the turn, but when he called my bet on the flop, I thought he had a weak ace and was another player that can't find the fold button. The river brought a 10 of spades. I hated that card most of all. There was a little over $14 in the pot, so I fired a defensive bet of $6, he just called. He showed QJ of diamonds. He called on the flop with a gut shot straight draw, no pair and no other draw. Just gross.
I made a dumb move against a good player. He limped UTG and I limped in the SB with AK off. The flop came A-Q-8, and I check raised when he bet the flop. He flat called the flop. A 10 came on the turn, so I fired out, and he pushed. I thought about it for a minute then called. I should have folded. Another thing to remember about cash games, is that most players will play very typical to position. If you see an early limper, most of the time they are limping with a strong hand, or at least AK or AQ. Of course, you have to watch the players and try to determine who the LAG's are, but if a tight player is limping, watch out. Bluffing is a part of cash games, and should be utilized, but under specific conditions and from time to time. My point though, is that most players in cash games are waiting for strong hands. If they are calling bets, they probably have top pair with a good kicker. If they are raising, take a second and try to determine a range of hands that are beating you and a range that you are beating. Try to put the player on a hand, and decide how to proceed from there. Don't go broke with one pair, and if you are facing big bets, don't be surprised if you're up against the nuts. Most cash game players are not willing to fire most of their money off without a very strong hand. So anywho, back to the hand. He showed QQ for second set, and I bricked the river and was down a buy-in. I eventually won it back from a pretty tricky play.
I was in the big blind and the button had been raising every single one of my blinds. He was a very aggressive player, but I hadn't seen what he was raising with, he didn't have to show down any hands. SO I get 63 suited in the big blind, and I had decided before the action that if one of two players raised my blinds, both of whom were attacking my blind, I was going to try and put a play on them. You want to pull off plays from time to time, but with any play, you have to watch out for who you are doing it to and how often. If you try to get too cute too often, you will just hurt yourself and your table image. Remember, you want to get respect and not hurt your ability to steal when you can't pick up any hands. So the button raised me again, and I three bet him with 63 suited. Some people will say that it was a dumb idea out of position. But look at the rationale. First, he had been raising a lot from position, good play on his part. Second, I hadn't made a play at him so far, good on my part. Third, by three betting I am telling him I have a strong hand and trying to take control of the action away from him. So he flat calls before the flop. The flop hits me hard, it comes 6-4-3. The great thing about my hand, is that it is very easy to get away from if I miss the flop. But if I hit the flop, like I did, I can win a really big pot. SO I fire about 2/3 the pot. He flat calls. When he flat called the flop, I knew he had a big pair. Think about it, how could a flop of 6-4-3 help his hand out? Unless he called with 44 or a hand with a 5, this is not a good flop for him. The turn brings an 8, so I fire $20 into the pot, at which point, he shoves on me. I had to think about it for a second. Did he hit a set of 8's on the turn? Did he slow play the flop? I decided to go with my initial read, that he had a big pair, and called. Sure enough, he had QQ, and I won a huge pot. Let me explain one more thing.
First, by three betting out of position, and him not four betting, he allowed me to take control of the hand. Sure he had the better hand pre-flop and he had a big pair, but think about the hand for a second. If an ace or king flops, I am going to make a continuation bet, and he will probably fold. If the flop comes down like it did and hits me hard, I'm going to make the same bet and he will think that he is ahead with his big overpair. But if the flop comes coordinated like 8-10-J, I can get away from my hand. There are a lot of flops that I can either bluff and win the pot on the flop, or get away from for a very minimal amount. Again, if he had four bet me, I would have folded before the flop. He raised to $2, and I re-raised to $6.50. If he made a standard re-raise, he would have made it $16-$20, I would not invest that much of my stack with 63 suited. Because he was either trying to slowplay the hand, or played the hand too tentatively, he let me catch my flop and he couldn't fold to the action. By the way I was betting the flop and turn, I had to have a big pair beat. I thought he would fold thinking I had AA or KK, or had hit a set, but he just kept coming. It was just too hilarious.
So I won a few small pots the rest of the way and ended up + for the night. So it was a fun night, and I learned my first lesson all over again. Don't go broke with one pair, and don't put too much money in the pot with a lot of resistance without a strong hand. So anywho. Time to get to bed and get ready for another fun night. Good Luck!
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