How to play tricky hands with 20-30 bbs

[jasonv12]

I find hands like AK, 99-JJ, etc always put me in awkward spots when shallow, but not shallow enough to be in push fold mode. If I raise 1010 and the flop is Q94, I'm only getting action when I'm beat, but my hand is so vulnerable, it makes it hard not to just shove a flop like that, but usually I'd be forced to check and give the hand up upon my opponent's aggression.

If I have AK, the flop comes J96, I'll have no idea where I'm at.

Lately, in micros, I've been open shoving these hands with more stack behind than someone should open shove. It would be a big tell if someone were to pick up on it, but I just don't know how to play these without getting awkwardly stuck with half my stack in and no idea where I'm at.

Advice?

[LCDaBoss]

AK on J96 board I would c bet, any raise I fold, call, c bet the turn, a raise I fold, a call I slow down, unless I connect, AK is a drawing hand, dont give it more value than it actually has which is nothing on that board.

as far as 99-JJ, good flipping hands but know when to pick your spots, know when someone has a better, know when to fold if an over card is on board. You are looking for a set or top pair.

Just my $.02 might be better ways to play those hands.

EDIT//

10 BBs or less, auto shove pre flop with these hands

[MadAdo]

You need to gather feel for the game (feel how strong your opponent is). If you got it, you will have no doubt how to play on various flops with various hands

[MadAdo]

You have "Money Won $486.90" I can't imagine that you do not know how to play those 'basic' situations. I won near nothing, but try to play the best poker possible to got some values from weaker opponents in many spots.

[jasonv12]

You have "Money Won $486.90" I can't imagine that you do not know how to play those 'basic' situations. I won near nothing, but try to play the best poker possible to got some values from weaker opponents in many spots.

Hmm I asking for a more narrow range of advice than you are presenting. The stack size I am questioning about is one in which is very difficult in that after a preflop raise, you like have less than 2 cbets behind (flop cbet and turn cbet) and will likely only get that last bit in when you are behind if you are playing a loose aggro style (my style).

Playing these hands very short or deeper than this is no problem.

[rghy2]

It sounds like you are making very large bets if you'll have less than 2 cbets when you start with a stack of 20-30 bbs. If your standard bet is large then I would treat your stack more like a short stack. If it's the standard 3-4x the bb if you're dominated you might lose half your stack, but you still will have a decent opportunity to lay the hand down and find another spot to shove and double back up. After the flop the best, most straight forward way to play is bet if no one else has and fold if someone else bets or raises. This is what you should do if you don't have any other information. But these are the situations you should really use the information you've gathered on your opponents. How likely are they to call any c-bet, chase hands down, raise, etc. You should be trying to pin them down on specific hands they would have had to enter the pot with. If you are up against a tricky player, it's better to lay the hand down and wait for a better spot against more marginal opponents who you have more information on.

[jasonv12]

It sounds like you are making very large bets if you'll have less than 2 cbets when you start with a stack of 20-30 bbs. If your standard bet is large then I would treat your stack more like a short stack. If it's the standard 3-4x the bb if you're dominated you might lose half your stack, but you still will have a decent opportunity to lay the hand down and find another spot to shove and double back up. After the flop the best, most straight forward way to play is bet if no one else has and fold if someone else bets or raises. This is what you should do if you don't have any other information. But these are the situations you should really use the information you've gathered on your opponents. How likely are they to call any c-bet, chase hands down, raise, etc. You should be trying to pin them down on specific hands they would have had to enter the pot with. If you are up against a tricky player, it's better to lay the hand down and wait for a better spot against more marginal opponents who you have more information on.

Thanks. Keep in mind, the more micro the stakes get, the faster I am forced to play these hands in the best interest of not being more than 3 handed. In anything $5 and up, I would have more bets because I would have the ability to bet less to accomplish the same thing. Like if I play $.30 or $.60 tournaments, I find it's best to just treat them as AIOF and destroy the bubble. If I shove AA or AK, with 100 bbs early on, someone with A7o will call anyways. Then I just have to hold.

Similarly, in $1-$3 tournaments, there is a tendency for losing players to be too passive and "clingy when they hit" (depending on the table of course) and there is massive inflated value in never giving them a chance to fold their weak/marginal holdings. Again, this comes with knowing your opponent. There is one guy I keep running into that's a reg in micros, with an roi of over 200% in thousands of games, with him on my left or in a pot I am, the whole game would have to change altogether.

[squid300]

I see a lot of flaws in your thinking. but I will post more about it later.