Monopoly Poker - Las Vegas - 600m win with annotated play strategy
For my team - some strategy tips:
3-handed tables are quite different from bigger poker tables. You can play a wider range of hands and you can expect the other players' cards are often as bad as your own.
With our tournament style increasing blinds, it's crucial to gain a chips advantage early on in the game.
Playing pairs, Ace-high and King-high aggressively can secure you the chip lead early on.
My strategy is to bet to force the 1v1, to indicate a strong hand, and to mostly continue the impression that I have hit the flop.
If I don't hit the flop and the other person checks, I keep raising and making further cards expensive. You get a lot of folds here.
I don't play my hand but I play the hand I want the other person to think I have.
Too many people call 3BB bets with any semi-playable hands pre-flop in hope of hitting a pair or straight or flush draw.
They will fold upon not hitting the flop or only hitting low or middle pair.
Where I am cautious is when I got called my 3BB A-high bet and flop is K J 3. Now there are 2 broadway cards on the table that the opponent might have called with initially.
I am aggressive with no or only one broadway card at the flop. I can represent having had a pair or having hit exactly that card. 80% of the time we will win the missed flop right there.
See what we do? We play the cards we never had because our opponent also doesn't have them.
Pairs: Play all pairs 77+ strongly pre-flop (3.5-4k chips), enter a 1v1, pull the opponent all-in if only 1 higher card flops
A10+: 3BB and continuation bet of 3BB if you don't hit on the flop. 2BB continuation bet if you hit the flop with the A.
Continuation bets tell a story: Have I hit? Have I missed?
I REVERSE MY STORYTELLING!
Small continuation bet indicates I missed. I play that strat when I HIT!!
Same or bigger continuation bet indicates I hit. I play it when I MISSED!!
Careful on callers of big continuation bets though. We want fold equity, not callers here. It's meant to be a bluff.
Second continuation bet on the turn, but be mindful how the other player reacts. If you still haven't hit anything, don’t raise the river unless you have a read.
Continuation bets create so called fold equity and are essential in building your stack.
Continuation bets give the impression you have hit top pair or flush or straight draw (whatever the table offers).
Our play style tells a story. The story of having hit the flop (or the turn in case we checked the flop and the turn card offers a good story to tell).
Where I am cautious is when I got called my 3BB A-high bet and flop is KJ3. There are 2 Broadway cards on the table that villain might have called with initially.
Hitting middle (or even low) pairs: 1-2k bets to secure the pot or get a read on the opponent. If they call, keep raising turn or river but be careful.
In summary, play strong hands strongly, rarely initiate the all-in, tell a strong story with your betting to create fold equity.