Having coated quite a lot of essential methods for tournaments, right now’s lesson will deal with a considerably narrower however nonetheless essential space of the sport: paired boards.
In earlier classes, we talked about various kinds of dry and draw-heavy textures, that includes aces, broadways, and low playing cards.
Right this moment’s article can be all about tailoring your in-position match technique as a preflop raiser on various kinds of paired flops. We’ll be specializing in the commonest situation of elevating from the button and getting a name from the massive blind.
Earlier than we proceed to consultant examples of those eventualities, listed below are a number of predominant takeaways:
- Continuation guess 100% of flops containing a pair of aces, utilizing 25% of the pot sizing
- C-bet small & all the time on high-pair boards with a low kicker
- On high-pair boards containing an ace, c-bet round 80%
- Use solely small sizing on low pair boards & c-bet at round 60%
Tip #1: C-Guess Ace-Paired Flops 100%, Principally Utilizing Small Sizing
When it comes to complexity, our technique on flops that includes a pair of aces can be fairly easy, as these are the boards we’ll be c-betting 100% of the time as soon as the massive blind checks to us.
In commonest eventualities, the place we’re enjoying round 40 large blind efficient, our go-to sizing on a majority of these boards can be a small, quarter-pot continuation guess, as we are able to see on the instance of A♠A♥6♦:

At 60 large blinds deep, our technique doesn’t actually change, as we’re nonetheless c-betting each time. We’re utilizing the larger sizing barely extra typically, betting 67% of the pot round 13% of the time, primarily with arms like AK right down to A7 and a few weaker backdoor attracts like JTo, T9o, and T7o.
As soon as the efficient stacks get to 25 large blinds, it’s fascinating that the solver begins utilizing the bigger sizing extra often, betting 60% of the pot at a frequency of over 28%:

The vary of arms that we’re betting large with expands to all high pairs (round one-third of the time), balancing it out by including some additional backdoor attracts to the combination.
With shallower stacks, we’re completely comfortable to get chips within the center with all sturdy arms, however to realize the right steadiness, we have to increase our vary to incorporate extra weak arms as nicely. In any other case, our technique can be simply exploitable.
It’s essential to notice, nevertheless, that the small, 25% pot guess continues to be our default choice in these eventualities, and we’re utilizing it virtually with no exceptions with all sturdy non-made arms, like KJ, KQ, KT, QJ, and many others.
Tip #2: Guess Small & At all times on Excessive Pair Flops
On the subject of flops containing a excessive pair, similar to Ok♠Ok♥5&golf equipment;, our technique at 40 large blinds is even less complicated. You’ll wish to c-bet these textures 100%, and you have to be utilizing 25% of the pot sizing with none exceptions:

You will need to word that this technique applies throughout all high-pair boards with low kicker, i.e. KKx, QQx, JJX, and even TTx. On flops containing a pair of queens particularly, we’re checking again round 10%, primarily doing so with QQ, pocket aces, and pocket kings, after which a wide range of arms at very low frequencies:

It’s fascinating that the GTO technique at efficient stacks of 60 and 25 large blinds doesn’t change in any respect, so we’re nonetheless betting all high-paired boards at 100% utilizing a small sizing.
The one situation the place we’ll be checking again at some frequency as an alternative of c-betting is on flops that includes a excessive pair and an ace. For instance, on a board like A♦Ok♠Ok♥, we’ll be persevering with round 80% and checking again about 20%:

As you’ll be able to see, the arms that we’re checking again at some frequency (10% – 30%) are primarily arms containing an ace in addition to pairs like QQ, JJ, and TT, which we’re checking again 100% to guard our fairness and attempt to attain an affordable showdown.
Tip #3: Proceed round 60% on Low Pair Flops
Flop textures containing a low pair and one other decrease card are often extra favorable to the massive blind participant than the button raiser. Thus, on a board like 6♠6♥2&golf equipment;, we’ll be c-betting solely round 65% of the time:

As you’ll be able to see, we’re all the time utilizing the small, quarter-pot guess in these conditions, and our c-bet vary is kind of unfold out. Palms that we’re c-betting 100% are those containing a six and virtually all pocket pairs, however we’re additionally persevering with with a good proportion of suited arms containing overcards, similar to AK, AQ, AJ, KJ, QJ, TJ, and many others.
As for the checking vary, it incorporates plenty of off-suit ace-high and king-high combos.
A completely GTO-approved technique in these eventualities is kind of complicated, however at the very least you don’t must cope with totally different guess sizings, which makes issues a bit simpler. You may also make issues less complicated by eradicating any fringe frequencies and including them to different combos.
For instance, J8o c-bets at a really excessive frequency in these spots and checks again solely a fraction of the time. You may make memorizing a bit simpler by all the time c-betting J8o and checking again barely extra with JTs, a hand that’s already virtually fully within the check-back bucket.
As for the 60 large blind technique, it stays nearly unchanged. The one seen change is that the solver throws in a tiny proportion of bigger c-bets with a number of combos, however these are so small and rare that you just don’t must memorize them.
Lastly, at 25% large blinds efficient, our c-bet frequency will increase a bit of bit, going as much as virtually 69%. It’s a small change, however you’ll discover how, at this stack depth, all of our pocket pairs turn into necessary c-bets, and our c-betting frequency with A-x arms is barely greater as nicely:

The submit MTTs: Final GTO Technique for Taking part in Button vs. Large Blind on Paired Flops appeared first on My Poker Teaching.