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Take quizPoker Cash Game Strategy is full of nuance, whilst there are solver outputs, and we can know after the fact how we should approach certain spots from a theoretical perspective. Poker is a game that involves humans who, realistically, are often nowhere near as balanced as a solver would tell them to be. So the opportunity to deviate from a theoretical approach and exploit opponents often presents itself.Today we dive into a spot Matthias Eibinger ran through from a recent session, discussing his play and thought process as he navigated a fascinating hand.
Blinds $500/$1,000
Wiktor Malinowski Opens to $2,400 (2.2bb) from the HJ
Matthias Calls from the CO with T❤️8❤️
SB Folds
BB Calls
Pot $8,300 (8.3bb)
Flop T♠️8♠️5♣️
BB Checks
Malinowski Checks
Mattias bets out $3,000 (3bb), remarking that with top two pair, he’s looking to get value from this hand, deciding on a bet sizing around 35% but also stating that sizing isn’t that important here.
BB Calls
Malinowski folds
Pot $14,300 (14.3bb)
Turn 7♠️
The nuance of Cash Game Strategy starts to come into play here. Matthias explains that this spot is different from CO vs BB, as when he bet on the flop, he was betting into two opponents. His range is more robust than if he was c-betting CO vs BB.
The impact of this is that the BB will defend significantly tighter because, as mentioned, Matthias’ range is solid, and BB still has the original raiser to act behind.
So BB has no bottom of range hands, stuff like 5♦️2♦️, but since they are uncapped, they can have all of the sets and over-pairs as well as straight and flush draws, which the turn 7♠️ connects with.
BB is aware that this card is much better for his range and acts accordingly.
BB bets $3,575 (3.58bb)
Matthias Calls
Pot $21,450 (21.45bb)
River 6❤️
BB Checks
When BB checks here, Matthias dives back into the Poker Cash Game Strategy, looking at how best to approach this spot from a theoretical perspective.
Outlining that with BB having such a strong range with how the flop played out, both flush and straight draws getting there even with top two pair this spot feels like a check back.
On the other side of the coin, Matthias also feels opponents are often too unbalanced in that if the BB has flush, they will bet it almost 100% of the time. The same goes for a straight.
The BB should have a lot of straights and flushes in this spot, solver outputs are balanced, and these hands make up a part of the BB’s range that can check on the river. So based on that information checking back makes the most sense.
However, the unbalanced nature of opponents is playing on Matthias’ mind, with a feeling that he could make a greedy value bet here.
Having run the hand through a solver, Matthias confirmed this not to be the case and even with a set here, solver outputs show this spot is 100% a check back.
Matthias felt in real-time, however, that this was an excellent exploit opportunity due to villains not being balanced enough in this spot that, in hindsight, should be a pure check back.
Matthias bets $11,500 (11.5bb)
BB raises to $44,000
Matthias folds
As Matthias laments on the hand after the fact, he pinpoints the need to steer away from an exploit based approach when in these spots with solid regs as he opens himself up to punishment.
Using the information from the flop, we should be giving the villain a lot of respect on the river, even with the check. Deviating from the theory here has cost us in this spot, but every “mistake” is a learning opportunity presenting itself!
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