Hand Description
Watch the replay of the hand if you want to follow along at home.
Stakes: $0.05 / $0.10 NL Hold’em (6-max)
Session note: This hand occurred 32 hands into the session. I had been playing tight-aggressive, voluntarily entering only one pot prior to this hand (won preflop with a raise).
Hero: VoightKampf
Stack: $10.03
Sitting in the cutoff, I was dealt 3♦ 3♥.
Preflop
The Hijack player limped.
I raised to $0.20.
The Button called behind me
Both Blinds folded.
The Hijack called.
We went to the flop 3 handed
Flop ($0.65)
7♦ 7♠ 8♦
The Hijack checked to me.
I checked.
The button checked behind.
We went to the turn 3 handed
Turn ($0.65)
5♥
The Hijack checked.
I checked.
The Button bet $0.45.
The Hijack called.
I folded.
River (uncontested by Hero)
4♥
Bet and raise occurred between the remaining players.
Hands were shown:
- Caller: 2♠ 6♣
- Bettor: 6♥ 7♥
Coach Analysis
Hand Breakdown — What You Misplayed and Why
Let’s start with the most important thing:
👉 Your fold on the turn is correct.
You did not make a big mistake here.
This is a good hand to analyze because it shows discipline, but also reveals where EV is being left on the table earlier.
Preflop: Slightly Too Passive, But Not a Punt
You raised pocket threes after a limp. That’s fine.
However:
- Raise size to $0.20 is on the small side
- You allow multiple callers
- You go to a flop out of position, multiway, with a small pair
Better Option
Raise to $0.30–$0.35 here.
Why?
- You isolate more often
- You reduce multiway variance
- You keep initiative clearer
This isn’t a major error — just a small optimization.
Flop: The Missed Opportunity (Key Learning Spot)
Board: 7♦ 7♠ 8♦
Pot: $0.65
This is the most interesting street.
You checked. That feels “safe,” but let’s examine it.
Why This Is a Good C-Bet Spot
- Paired board heavily favors the preflop raiser
- Limp-callers rarely have trips
- You have range advantage
- A small bet folds out:
- Ace-high
- Overcards
- Weak pairs
- Gutshots without diamonds
A small c-bet (⅓ pot, ~$0.20) prints money here.
By checking, you:
- Give free cards
- Invite multiway realization
- Lose initiative
- Turn your hand face-up as “small pair / give up”
This is a classic missed low-risk, high-EV continuation bet.
Turn: The Fold Is Correct
After the turn 5♥, you check again.
Now the button bets $0.45 into $0.65 with a caller.
This is where your earlier self-diagnosis shines.
Ask the right question:
“What worse hands are betting here?”
Very few.
- Random overcards? No.
- Bluffs? Rare at microstakes.
- Draws? Maybe, but usually diamonds bet flop.
This is value-heavy, multiway aggression.
Your fold is:
✔ Disciplined
✔ Correct
✔ Exactly what you said you want to improve at
Nice job.
The Big Leak This Hand Reveals (Subtle but Important)
This isn’t about calling too much.
It’s about failing to leverage aggression when you have the advantage.
You:
- Raised preflop
- Had range advantage on the flop
- Checked twice
- Ended up folding a hand that could have won the pot cheaply
That’s passive EV loss, not spew.
What You Should Take Forward From This Hand
1️⃣ Pocket Pairs Aren’t Just for Set Mining
On paired, dry boards:
- You don’t need to hit a set
- You need to represent strength
Small bets win small pots — and those add up fast.
2️⃣ Initiative Is a Weapon
Once you check twice:
- Villains sense weakness
- Any bet puts you in a guessing game
You didn’t misplay the fold — you misplayed the lead-up.
3️⃣ This Hand Shows Growth
This is important:
You:
- Didn’t hero-call
- Didn’t “see one more card”
- Folded correctly to pressure
That’s a net positive session decision, even though you lost the pot
Followup Question
What would have been a “better” raise than simply 2 times the BB?
Followup Answer
Short answer first, then the why.
The Better Raise Size (Clear & Actionable)
In this spot, a better raise would have been:
$0.30–$0.40 (3×–4× the big blind)
Instead of $0.20 (2× BB).
Why 2× BB Is Too Small Here
Your raise wasn’t wrong, but it was sub-optimal given the situation.
Context Matters:
- There was already a limper
- You were out of position
- You were holding a hand that wants folds OR isolation
A 2× raise:
- Gives excellent odds to call
- Invites multiple callers
- Fails to isolate the limper
At microstakes, players do not punish small raises — they welcome them.
The Correct Microstakes Formula
Here’s a simple rule you can apply immediately:
Raise size = 3× BB + 1 BB per limper
In your hand:
- BB = $0.10
- 1 limper
So:
- 3× BB = $0.30
- +1 BB for the limper = $0.40
That’s the ideal raise size.
What This Accomplishes
Raising to $0.40:
- Isolates more often
- Reduces multiway pots
- Makes c-betting more effective
- Builds a pot when you hit a set
You’re not trying to be fancy — you’re trying to make poker easier.
“But Isn’t That Too Big for 33?”
No — and this is important.
You are not raising because you have 33.
You are raising because:
- Someone limped
- You want initiative
- You want to punish passivity
Your hand strength does not dictate raise size here.
The Raise Size You Should Standardize
To keep things simple and consistent:
- Unopened pot (no limpers): 2.5×–3× BB
- Vs 1 limper: 4× BB
- Vs 2 limpers: 5× BB
Consistency prevents tells and improves results.
How This Ties Back to Your Leak
Small raises → more callers → more “guessing” → more calling later.
Bigger raises:
- Force decisions
- Create fold equity
- Reduce temptation to “see one more card”
That directly attacks your main leak.
One-Line Takeaway
If I’m raising to $0.20 at $0.05/$0.10, I’m inviting trouble.
Bump it up, simplify the hand, and let the table make mistake