Video Analysis: Understanding Triple Barrels
In this video, MTT Poker School head coach Gareth James uses PIOSolver to take things further from his last video on the triple barrel and help you get a better understanding of ranges and GTO poker strategies. He also reveals the results... but you'll have to watch to the end of the video for that!
A reminder of the hand then: Hero opens from the CO and the BB calls. They're playing roughly 50bb effective. The flop is 7?J?Q?, Hero bets 1/4 pot and the BB calls. The turn is 5? and Hero bets 1.25x pot and the BB calls. The river is the K? and Hero jams.
His PIOSolver analysis starts with confirming his assumptions that this board is better for the in position player. He then uses Range Explorer to go through the hands he would bet on the flop for a small sizing, and highlights hands like QxJx and 7x7x might not get to the turn at full frequency after betting flop for a small size since they should be using a big size some of the time. He then goes through hands that we don't have for a small size like overpairs, for example.
On the turn he discusses a viewer comment about whether there might be some small betting on this blank 5? turn. He uses the Runouts EV comparison feature in PIOSolver to show that only certain turn cards will result in us wanting to use a small size and explains later how we have a very polarised betting strategy, which is why we want to use a big bet or overbet rather than a small bet.
Finally, he goes through what the river strategy looks like and again re-iterates the idea of understanding what your range looks like.
[SPOILER ALERT] He wraps the video up by explaining the importance of continuous improvement and not blaming your opponent's poor calls for your losses... especially if you make a mistake yourself.
You can watch the video here:
Gareth James is the head coach and founder of MTT Poker School and the lead instructor for MTT Game Changer, an interactive group coaching program aimed at low and mid-stakes MTT players and bankrolls. For more information on group coaching and courses, click here.