Book notes continued, by Bill Haywood

Limit Hold'em: Winning Short-Handed Strategies

"Chapter 9, The River"

In the introduction to river strategy, the authors say online shorthand players bluff way too much, so you should call the river heads-up with nearly any chance to win. They add that river tricks rarely work — people call.

Random tips: you'll be in the most hands vs. loose players, so sitting to their left is most important. (picking spots chapter). Don't mix types of games (limit and no-limit at same time).

HAND TYPES

Nothing

• Bluff often heads-up, especially against likely missed draws.
• Bluff plausibly — represent a specific hand.

Weak, such as bottom pair

• Check-call elicits bluffs, limits loses when they ahead.
• Bet if they might fold a superior hand.

Medium, like second pair.

• Bet often, to get called by bottom pairs and ace high.
• In position, don't give up after scare cards. If they had it, would probably bet to prevent a check behind.
• Example p.178, authors recommend calling even after ace flush-card fell, because plenty beatable hands remained.

Good, top pair, good kicker and up

• Generally bet and raise river, unless checking to elicit bluffs.
• Don't hesitate for not having the nuts — two pair is huge short-handed.
• Don't bet unless they'll call — gains nothing for the risk.
• River check-raise on occasion, especially vs. TAGs.

Avoid spooking opponent by going into the tank — plan river action on the turn.

River bluffs

• Don't bluff:
  • Internet players bluff too much, everyone calls, so be picky.
  • A or K high. What better hand folds?? They call only if ahead.
• Do bluff
  • If can't win showdown
  • J,Q high, to get A to fold.
  • Missed draws.
  • Scare cards, especially if they "complete a narrative," i.e., a flush card after you've been limping.
• Track bluffs. Authors suggest 20% success rate is ideal. Above 40%, you don't bluff enough; below 20%, too much.

River value bets

• Value bet liberally — very different from live play. With bluffing rampant, people call down light.
• "Be fearless out of position" p. 185.
• In position bet hard, but be willing to fold to a raise.
• Bet ace-high against good players who call down with weaker aces.

Reading ace high: most players check-call their lone aces, so bets mean something else — pat hand or busted draw.

Call river

• Against possible busted draws, with king-high even.
• Against bluffers, with ace-high or any pair.
• Weak image presented — they think they can push you around.
• When bets "feel wrong," — unclear what they representing.

Bluff river raises force them to call other times when you're strong, and may stifle their value bets.

Donk betting

• Useful on river with a shaky hand that might be good.
• They are unlikely to raise, because coming alive like that suggests so much strength.
• Costs the same as check-calling.
• Gains a bet if they are weak and would check behind.

Coping with river aggressors

• Raises usually mean two pair or better.
• Bluff three-betting very rarely works, since they are strong.
• Their three-bets mean a huge hand, if not nuts.
• Reraise straights and flushes even on a paired board.

The slow-play, then river raise

• Use against aggressive bettors.
• Gains a bet if they are likely to fold to a turn raise.
• Smallish pots need little protection, so extract the max with slow-plays.
• Saves a bet if they'd have three-bet a raise on the turn — river raises are so scary, they are unlikely to reraise.

Check if they are probably on a draw. Can induce a bluff, and they aren't calling anyway when weak, but will raise when strong.

The river check-raise

• After betting steadily, you suddenly check river, representing weakness, then raise your strong holding.
• Use against aggros, or multihanded (more chance of a bet).
• Elicits bluffs from busted draws.
• Trains adversaries to fear checks.

The river rebluff

• Internetters bluff too much, so rebluffs can work.
• Don't use if you have any showdown equity at all — too expensive.
• Situations:
  • against potential busted draws
  • scare card falls
  • tight adversary
• Tight image helps.

"Chapter 14, Personal Development"

This chapter discusses the importance of study, coaching, finding a mentor, and an informal discussion group.

"Chapter 15, All About Tilt"

An acquaintance of the authors says his biggest edge is spotting tilt in others. Authors say it is the biggest leak there is.

Someone once provided a wonderfully pithy definition of tilt: doing something even though you know better.

The advice I (Bill Haywood) found most helpful:

Preventing tilt

• Don't try to always end sessions in the black.
• Keep sessions short because we play best early.
• Play lower limits when not 100%. Author who plays 100/200 will drop down as low as 3/6!
• Focus on career winnings, not the past week.

Noticing your tilt

• You start checking for fear of raises.
• Playing very fast, without thinking (autopilot).
• "You don't respect bets and you call everyone down." (p.284)
• That pessimistic certainty you are a loser (BH).

Spotting their tilt

• Angry chat.
• A good player shows bad cards.
• Bad beat victims.
• Short stack (notice what people bought in for).
• BH: tilters are especially prone to overplaying pairs, so keep raise/calling.

Stopping tilt

• Stop playing or take a recess.
• Tighten.
• Reduce number of tables.
• Drop down a limit.
• Say "I'm tilting" out loud.
• Stop checking your session bankroll.
• Keep your hand off the mouse, to force a bit more deliberation (BH).

"Chapter 16, Etiquette"

Don't be a cheater or a whiner.

"Chapter 17, All-in Situations"

Don't bluff. If you are the one going all-in, they call. If they are near all-in, they call.

Facing a preflop all-in: raise and isolate, their range is loose, and you want the blinds too.

When nearly all-in yourself: play just pocket pairs and aces — showdown hands.

In big blind: against an all-in of less than one bet, defend with any two. You are getting about 2:1 with no further risk.

Play draws slowly against the nearly all-in. You can't push them off, so just wait and see if you hit. Can save a bet.

River: play fast. The nearly all-in cannot punish you with reraises, so value bet liberally.