$2 NL HE 6-max: Lost the whole buy-in trying to defend my SB

[miklcct]

Game

Hold'em

Game Format

No Limit

Stakes

$.01/$.02

Table Format

6-max (6 seats)

Currency

$

GGPoker, Hold'em No Limit - $0.01/$0.02 - 5 players
Replay this hand on CardsChat

UTG: $2.26 (113 bb)
CO: $3.02 (151 bb)
BU: $2.00 (100 bb)
SB (Hero): $1.52 (76 bb)
BB: $2.42 (121 bb)

Pre-Flop: ($0.03) Hero is SB with 5♦ 3♦
1 fold, CO raises to $0.04, 1 fold, Hero calls $0.03, BB calls $0.02

Flop: ($0.12) T♦ A♦ Q♠ (3 players)
Hero checks, BB checks, CO bets $0.06, Hero calls $0.06, BB calls $0.06

Turn: ($0.30) 9♥ (3 players)
Hero checks, BB checks, CO bets $0.15, Hero calls $0.15, BB calls $0.15

River: ($0.75) K♦ (3 players)
Hero bets $0.57, BB raises to $2.17 (all-in), CO folds, Hero calls $0.70 (all-in)

Total pot: $3.29 (Rake: $0.18)

Showdown:
BB shows 9♦ 6♦ (a flush, Ace high - higher flush)
(Equity - Pre-Flop: 66%, Flop: 77%, Turn: 100%, River: 100%)

SB (Hero) shows 5♦ 3♦ (a flush, Ace high)
(Equity - Pre-Flop: 34%, Flop: 23%, Turn: 0%, River: 0%)

BB wins $3.11

It turned out that the BB was also defending his blind with the same suited cards as me. Should I have found a fold after he shoved?

 

[Goggelheimer]

You should work on your ranges.
Also don´t try to look like a fish, serious players don´t buy in for less than 100BB and they don`t fall below 100 BB.
Additional try to have a bankrollmanagement strategy, this is also explained in all sources I mentioned.
Poker is way more than sitting with money at a real or virtual poker table and playing any funny hand you find.
If you started with 100 BB try to get auto top up working for you, there is a setting in the GG-PokerSoftware.
Perhaps try the new beginner strategy(6max) at pokerstrategy.com. Google it, direct links to other forums may not work here.
The ranges are free and there is a community around this new beginner strategy.
Also use the CC Course: CardsChat 30 Day Poker Training Course to refresh your poker knowledge.
A point to learn or relearn every day something fine.
If you got the basic of this strategy you can try to evolve.
I hope that these tips don´t crash with your ego, like "oh man what does this silly guy try to tell me".

Defending is a bad move sometimess, the money posted as blinds is no longer yours since it is the pots money.

Also don´t play R&C/Zoom/Fast Fold, play regular tables and use the time bank to fullest, think about your hand.
Which Hand should you have, to have the best non beatable hand in this spot?
The answer is Q♦ X♦.
Try to play only 1 to max 2 tables.

 

[burba]

Yes, you should have folded after the BB’s shove. It’s definitely tough to let a pot go when you have a flush, but in the long run, folding in spots like this is much better than calling every shove. Discipline here saves chips and keeps you from making costly mistakes over time.
But it's already gambling calling the 2BB pre-flop. Folding there would not be wrong.

 

[monkeytilter]

"Defending your small blind" - I'm not sure this the correct framing in a cash game, you should be considering more if you have a profitable situation (that is likely to develop geometrically post flop), don't get confused with tournament strategy where we have a limited supply of chips, there is no rake to pay and potential antes to gain.

From the small blind you want to be calling almost never, in fact you can simplify and just never call in the small blind and do just fine at 2nl.
By calling you give the BB a great price to call (remember you will be out of position to 2 players if he calls) or squeeze you with a 3 bet, which you will just have to fold to - not a great line of defence is it?

Instead of calling you should be 3 betting about 10% of your hands from the SB, this should be predominantly the best hands (AJ+, 99+ etc.) and a few suited ace "bluffs" - you can adjust to your perception of the players around you and what you are comfortable with (tighter is always ok). The fact you was playing a less than full stack means you should play a bit tighter as you have less implied odds with some hands (another reason to play full stack - you get more "tools in your tool bag").

So to be clear 53s should have been a snap fold, but as played, once you see a flop I don't hate calling to try and hit your flush.

The turn should have been a fold, chasing with one card to come is not a good idea especially as your draw could now be dead if you hit it as two players are still showing interest in this board.. and unfortunately you were drawing dead (Classic reverse implied odds).

I think betting the river was thin, but I don't hate thin value betting if you have the discipline to fold to a raise.

A series of mistakes, starting with what looked like a relatively small one preflop compounded into losing 75bb here, you paid for this lesson, learn from it!

 

[fundiver199]

Preflop
I would defend 53s to a min-raise from BB but not from SB for the reasons already stated.

Flop
You literally have the worst possible showdown value, so your hand is a candidate to check-raise. However I dont think, you get enough folds on this board, so I am onboard with just calling and trying to hit your flush.

Turn
If it was heads-up, maybe you could call a half pot sized bet again and try to get there, assuming there is at least some extra money to be made on the river. However when its multiway, its very important to be drawing to the nuts. If one guy has a made hand like top pair, and the other one a better flushdraw, you are drawing completely dead. And for that reason you need to fold now.

River
As played I am ok with leading the river for value, since a lot of previously strong hands are now going to check back. However given your stack size I would go smaller to not commit yourself to the pot. This both increase the chance of getting someone to call with worse, and it also potentially open the door for someone to attempt a bluff.

As played I dont think, it even matter, if you call or fold to the raise. Its very typical to want to focus on that last decision, but its far more important to focus on, how you ended up here in the first place. You need to be good 1 in 4-5 times, and that is probably just about as often, as he is overplaying a straight or attempting some stupid bluff. So you are not making money long term by calling, but you are also not losing money.