Posted Wed Apr 27, 2005 5:42 am GMT by Tall Kitchen
In $.02/$.04 and $.05/$.10 in Paradise, I found I was a big favorite, neting between 10BB and 20BB/Hr. Encouraged, last night I jumped to $.25/$.50 for 75 games. There I lost 20BB, saw my flop drop to 18% (down from 28% in the lower limit games) and my win rate drop to 2% (down from 7% in the lower limit games). I didn't change my strategy (at all), so I'm a little confused. What I think happened was that in the lower limit games, I was able check into the flop with a lot of trash, saw it improve and won with some it. Whereas in $.25/$.50, I could almost NEVER check into the flop, often prohibiting me from seeing the flop with less than nut potential. Here's my strategy: exclusively play face cards, or JT, or any pocket pair. That's it. Fold anything else right there. AT? It's gone. That and a little observation worked like a champ in $.02/$.04 and $.05/$.10.
Should I loosen up in $.25/$.50?
Many thanks in advance. 
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Posted Wed Apr 27, 2005 7:16 am GMT by Muck
You seem to be playing very mechanically. You shouldn’t be too strict with your openers, try to factor in your position and how many opponents have called the BB.
From what you say it sounds like people in the very low limit games don’t play very well : they don’t raise with good hands pre-flop so allow other players to limp in and hit with rubbish.
I can’t say I play much Limit but I’d say the answer isn’t going to be as simple as just loosening up. Your problem seems to be more skill opponents.
Posted Wed Apr 27, 2005 4:03 pm GMT by snoogins47
75 hands means almost exactly nothing in the scheme of things. That's the important part here. Anything can happen in 75 hands, whether you're a big winner or a big loser. So don't think of it as any indication of your winrate.
That said, you probably could loosen up, but only if you're better than your opponents post flop. Hands like KJo and QJo tend to be pretty poor performers in big bet games btw. You definitely have a lot of improvement to do, but you seem like you might be on the right track. Muck is right, don't stick to rigid standards like that. It may win you some money, but you're going to learn next to nothing.
Posted Thu Apr 28, 2005 11:48 am GMT by krakajak
I think a certain amount of rigidity pre-flop can be good for a beginning player, but a strategy that holds "Play these hands and fold those"is way too simplistic. I would break it up into hands I play in early position, hands I play in late position, (maybe add a mid-position category as well), hands I call raises with, and hands I raise with.
For example, playing KJo from early position is a mistake, but so is folding it on the button in an unraised pot.
Also, I notice that you play JT and fold AT. I don't know what the other users of this forum think, but I consider AT to be a much more powerful hand than JT. I recommend mucking JT, QT, KT (except maybe on the button, and sometimes play it from mid/late if suited) but I rarely fold AT pre-flop if the pot has not been raised.
Also, as for adjusting your strategy specifically for .25/.50, I don't know. I've never played .02/.04, so I don't know how it is, but I've played .25/.50, and I can't imagine it being much fishier than that. I would think that what worked at .02/.04 should work fine there as well.
Posted Thu Apr 28, 2005 12:29 pm GMT by suitedaces84
| Tall Kitchen wrote: | | Here's my strategy: exclusively play face cards, or JT, or any pocket pair. That's it. |
Don't do this. If you're playing two cards on the basis that they are big, they'd better be the two biggest cards at the table. K J and A T from LP unraised are fine, but the same cards from EP are trouble. Believe it or not small pocket pairs are money losers from EP (if you're up against a ton of passive fish they're ok). There are many more hands you can play from LP with several limpers. It's great that you're disciplined, but there are many more things to consider than your cards.
Posted Thu Apr 28, 2005 4:50 pm GMT by ibarrio
I'm not saying to go Gus Hansen but You need to open up a bit. Notice your tables action, notice your postion, and bet your postion (Bluffing is ok). Getting your hand caught in the cookie jar is ok..
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