Poker Math question

Quinner

Hello all it has been awhile!

Quick question on some poker math. How do I calculate what cards I should be calling with in the Small or Big Blind. Ie. when I'm typically getting a discount to call.

Here's the scenario I'm referring too.

6 max table 5/10 cent level.

Utg raises to 3BB's, CO calls, BTN calls, SB calls Hero is BB. Is this a scenario I can call with any two? And could someone help me out with the math here so I know when I'm actually making a profitable call in spots like these? There must be some quick way to factor in the equity of my cards vs. the pot odds.

Thanks!

T8urmoney

Curious to know what the math says on this as well......my PLO instincts tell me to snap call any 2.....as well, what is the 3-bet range.....any 2 as well?

MickeyHoldem

The math will say you can widen your range slightly given the discount but in reality, any discount is more than off-set by you bad position throughout the remainder of the hand. Calling raises just because of a blind discount will bleed money over the long run... General poker tracker stats have shown loose blind play to be a problem for large percentage of players starting out and even long time vets.

Wetts1012

MickeyHoldem wrote: »

The math will say you can widen your range slightly given the discount but in reality, any discount is more than off-set by you bad position throughout the remainder of the hand. Calling raises just because of a blind discount will bleed money over the long run... General poker tracker stats have shown loose blind play to be a problem for large percentage of players starting out and even long time vets.

This is very accurate - particularly talking about NL vs. FL.

NL is more about implied rather than pot odds. Alot of people look at Pot Odds in this situation in NL and leak money long term - which is compounded because you are OOP the whole way.

Assuming 6max NL - You should not be calling ATC in the situation you described in the OP.

Quinner

Nice, thats exactly what i was looking for. I dont have the benefit of a poker tracker so It's hard sometimes to figure out all the little leaks in my game.

Kristy

Grunch: 42

Quinner

I tried it out today. I end up playing only about 20-23% of my hands in 6 max cash. Is that a normal statistic or am i being too tight?

wildbill7145

And just where the hell have you and your interesting posts been? Nice to see you back Quinner. I've tended to school off your interesting questions in the past and missed them. Keep 'em coming.

westside8

What Wetts have said so far, but also factor in how well you play post flop, how deep each players' stacks are, how well your opponents play post-flop. This isn't really a math question imo.

syphilaids

Interesting post, even though its old.

I was reading harrington's on cash games vol.2. Pick it up. They have a brief but valuable section on multi-way pots and odds. Also, run some sims on Pokerstove.

Anyway, you have a raiser and 2 callers. Say the raiser has AA, the 2 callers have hands like 44, 89s. AA has about 60% equity while the other 2 have about 20% each preflop.

If you called with a hand like K7 you only have about 6% equity. Although it may seem like you're getting good odds, you're actually a 12:1 underdog. More importantly, if you hit your hand softly most times you hate it.

Harrington implies that in this spot you want your 2 cards to be connected in some way. eg Axs, T7, even 25 would have better value in this spot. You got the right price, but play a hand that actually can compete. Otherwise you're just wasting money.

Richard~

westside8 wrote: »

What Wetts have said so far, but also factor in how well you play post flop, how deep each players' stacks are, how well your opponents play post-flop. This isn't really a math question imo.

This.

If we're deep, especially in tournaments against bad players I'll call with many hands that hava potential and hope to spike two pair or a set on the flop, then I lead into them for 3/4 of the pot and often get at least one taker. I then just keep firing a bit over half the pot for as long as they'll keep calling me.

TheBowlBoy

Your almost 50:1 to flop two pair which with any non connected unsuited trashy hand thats about the best you can really hope for. You have a lot of ground to make up when you do actually spike two pair, which can be difficult without everybody going home or somebody drawing out on you, not to mention as syph said, your hand hits but not so well and you end up getting into trouble.