Poker Help

[gbpfan1231]

I see once in a while you guys play on Friday nights. Do you ever need players? What site do you guys use?

 

Anyone play on Pokerstars? If so usernames?

[Easy n Dirty]

OK Menudo - my boss is out this afternoon, so I'm gonna' join a 10-man $20 SnG and try the strategy advocated by your article. I typically play 6-man SnGs and have done fairly well - I play very slow and patient early on, but I don't necessarily push all my chips in as readily as this guy seems to suggest. I'll let you know hot it goes.

 

EDIT - it is a turbo tournament, with 5-minute levels, be interesting to know if this changes this guy's strategy, I would think it does.

 

Ugh - 8 hands in, haven't seen a flop yet, I get dealt A-K off one seat off the button with blinds at 15/30. UTG limps in, all fold to me, I make it 240 - more than I normally would, but I'm following this article. Both blinds and UTG call (!!).

 

Flop comes A-K-7. Both blinds check, UTG makes a minimum bet of 30. I simply call 'cause I wanna' slow play it, which perhaps is not consistent with the article. Both blinds call. Turn is a 4, small blind checks, BB goes all in, UTG limps, I call, and SB folds. BB turns over pocket 4s and I am now down to 190 chips from a starting 1500.

 

Perhaps not a good test of the article strategy because he might have had me push after that flop.

 

Update #2 - just tripled up with pocket 4s of my own, still in trouble at 600 though.

 

Update #3 - still at 600, but blinds are now 30/60 with next level being 50/100. I'm abandoning the strategy, maybe another time. Had J-K off with one limper in front of me, couldn't fold it, pushed and everyone folded, now up to 750.

 

Update #4 - went all in with Q-8 off (blinds now at 50/100) just to take advantage of first-in vigorish, was disappointed to get 2 callers, one with 5-5 and one with A-10. Flopped a Q and held on, now up to 1,830. shortest stack of 5 remaining players, but within shouting distance.

 

Update - got up to 2800 with A-K when I flopped a K, then hit this tough spot. Q-7 off in big blind, with one limper and small blind. Flop comes 4-6-7, 2 spades. Small blind bets 100, I make it 300, limper calls, small blind goes all in. Could easily be on a straight or flush draw, but I decided to wait for a better spot. Now at 2,500, with the 4 other guys at 2600, 2900, 3000 and 4200.

 

Final - came back to finish second, got $60 back on my $22 entry fee, I'll take it. Went to heads up with 4k in chips versus 11k for the other guy, never really made him sweat from there (blinds were 400/800).

 

Not a great test of Menudo's strategy based on how it developed - but it does seem to me that this strategy is more suited to 10-man versus 6-man tournaments, and to standard levels rather than turbo or super turbo. As an example, when the blinds hit 50/100 in this particular tournament, 7 of the 10 players still remained, meaning average stack size was about 2,150 (15,000 chips total). That's an M of only 14, I don't think you can afford to be as ultra-selective as the article suggests under thse conditions.

Edited June 29, 2007 by Easy n Dirty

[Big Country]

I've see na similar article posted on CardPlayer, though I think it was built towards the turbos. I'll try search for it at home (work blocks CP) and make sure it isnt the same article as the one posted by Menudo.

[Menudo]

OK Menudo - my boss is out this afternoon, so I'm gonna' join a 10-man $20 SnG and try the strategy advocated by your article. I typically play 6-man SnGs and have done fairly well - I play very slow and patient early on, but I don't necessarily push all my chips in as readily as this guy seems to suggest. I'll let you know hot it goes.

 

EDIT - it is a turbo tournament, with 5-minute levels, be interesting to know if this changes this guy's strategy, I would think it does.

 

Ugh - 8 hands in, haven't seen a flop yet, I get dealt A-K off one seat off the button with blinds at 15/30. UTG limps in, all fold to me, I make it 240 - more than I normally would, but I'm following this article. Both blinds and UTG call (!!).

 

Flop comes A-K-7. Both blinds check, UTG makes a minimum bet of 30. I simply call 'cause I wanna' slow play it, which perhaps is not consistent with the article. Both blinds call. Turn is a 4, small blind checks, BB goes all in, UTG limps, I call, and SB folds. BB turns over pocket 4s and I am now down to 190 chips from a starting 1500.

 

Perhaps not a good test of the article strategy because he might have had me push after that flop.

 

Update #2 - just tripled up with pocket 4s of my own, still in trouble at 600 though.

 

Update #3 - still at 600, but blinds are now 30/60 with next level being 50/100. I'm abandoning the strategy, maybe another time. Had J-K off with one limper in front of me, couldn't fold it, pushed and everyone folded, now up to 750.

 

Update #4 - went all in with Q-8 off (blinds now at 50/100) just to take advantage of first-in vigorish, was disappointed to get 2 callers, one with 5-5 and one with A-10. Flopped a Q and held on, now up to 1,830. shortest stack of 5 remaining players, but within shouting distance.

 

Update - got up to 2800 with A-K when I flopped a K, then hit this tough spot. Q-7 off in big blind, with one limper and small blind. Flop comes 4-6-7, 2 spades. Small blind bets 100, I make it 300, limper calls, small blind goes all in. Could easily be on a straight or flush draw, but I decided to wait for a better spot. Now at 2,500, with the 4 other guys at 2600, 2900, 3000 and 4200.

 

Final - came back to finish second, got $60 back on my $22 entry fee, I'll take it. Went to heads up with 4k in chips versus 11k for the other guy, never really made him sweat from there (blinds were 400/800).

 

Not a great test of Menudo's strategy based on how it developed - but it does seem to me that this strategy is more suited to 10-man versus 6-man tournaments, and to standard levels rather than turbo or super turbo. As an example, when the blinds hit 50/100 in this particular tournament, 7 of the 10 players still remained, meaning average stack size was about 2,150 (15,000 chips total). That's an M of only 14, I don't think you can afford to be as ultra-selective as the article suggests under thse conditions.

 

 

 

Very interesting. I don't believe this will work as well on 6 players, as the blinds are too low with too few players. Also, I do not play it quite as tight as he suggests. I play two face cards pre-flop, as well as A-10o.

As you mentioned, the one place where you strayed from the strategy was that with A-K and that flop, you would go all-in. The 4 would have folded to you. Cool to hear of your efforts, it is just a guide that helped me learn to play with more patience. However, as you know, sometimes the cards simply kill you and there is no strategy out there that can help that. Good job battling for 2nd.

[Menudo]

O.k. Is Melo747 at Bodog a Huddler ?

 

Melo747: ricky martin is in da house..

Melo747: she bang she bang..

Menudo: lol - no, I'm not a fan of the band Menudo

Melo747: ahhh...

Melo747: im a fan of cow stomach as well

Menudo: lol

[Menudo]

Got a bit of time to play over the weekend, and I now cannot win. I'm trying to play the same way that got me all of that money so quickly, but, it doesn't seem to be working anymore. It certainly is a streaky game....... Down in the $900's already........

[Easy n Dirty]

I tried playing this way over the weekend and just couldn't bring myself to limp in with J-J with no callers in front of me...so I abandoned it. When playing SnGs I almost always play 6-seated turbo tournaments, and this approach just doesn't make sense to me for those tournaments. I agree with the general principle of being very patient early on, but not to the extremes advocated in this article...and I hate the idea of pushing all-in with A-A or K-K pre-flop. With 10 players I guess there's a better chance of getting some clown to call you, but with 6 players not so much, especially if you're already in middle position.

[Menudo]

I tried playing this way over the weekend and just couldn't bring myself to limp in with J-J with no callers in front of me...so I abandoned it. When playing SnGs I almost always play 6-seated turbo tournaments, and this approach just doesn't make sense to me for those tournaments. I agree with the general principle of being very patient early on, but not to the extremes advocated in this article...and I hate the idea of pushing all-in with A-A or K-K pre-flop. With 10 players I guess there's a better chance of getting some clown to call you, but with 6 players not so much, especially if you're already in middle position.

 

Yes, the pushing all-in with Aces & Kings is one I abandoned immediately. Later in the game when the blinds are up and some of the stacks are getting low, they will call, but, early in the game, they fold around, and you make nothing off of your monster.

[Sgt. Ryan]

Im typically known as a tight aggressive player, and most bail when I start raising, so I tried the loose aggressive this past weekend, and learned very quickly why it doesnt work. There are more tight aggressive players than not, and most of those only play big, when they have a hand. So I am here to say getting your hand caught in the cookie jar, didnt work much for me. That said, Ill still bluff every once in a while, but I wont ever bluff all in again, even when my opponent never raises me, just calls my every raise.

Edited July 2, 2007 by Sgt. Ryan

[Big Country]

. That said, Ill still bluff every once in a while, but I wont ever bluff all in again, even when my opponent never raises me, just calls my every raise.

 

If you are up against a calling station, never bluff. Bluffs work better against solid players that are capable of making tough laydowns. Against calling stations and your typical nits, there is never a need to bluff. They will call you with garbage hands and they won't fold a hand, so a bluff has a much lower chance of working, if ever working, against these types of players.

[Bring Back Pat!!!]

If you are up against a calling station, never bluff. Bluffs work better against solid players that are capable of making tough laydowns. Against calling stations and your typical nits, there is never a need to bluff. They will call you with garbage hands and they won't fold a hand, so a bluff has a much lower chance of working, if ever working, against these types of players.

 

 

Good info right there. I was playing over the weekend at my local place. Was at a table with someone I'd never seen before. Early in a $60 buy-in tourney. Blinds 50-100. It's folded around to me on the button, and I raise to 300. BB calls my bet. Flop is A-K-4 rainbow. I bet 400. He calls. Turn is 7, completing the rainbow. I bet 600. He calls. River is 9. No flush draw. No staright draw. I bet 1000. He thinks, looks at his cards. Calls and turns over 4-2 off-suit. I had been semi-bluffing with 33 and muck.

He had no way of knowing I didn't have an Ace, or a King. He called me all the way down to the river with bottom pair. I got up and walked away laughing. When I came back I took him out four hands later when I made the exact same bets after the flop and turn, then went all in after flopping trip 10s.

 

edited due to memory lapse

Edited July 2, 2007 by Bring Back Pat!!!

[Big Country]

Good info right there. I was playing over the weekend at my local place. Was at a table with someone I'd never seen before. Early in a $60 buy-in tourney. Blinds 50-100. It's folded around to me in the cut-off, and I raise to 300. BB calls my bet. Flop is A-K-4 rainbow. I bet 400. He calls. Turn is 7, completing the rainbow. I bet 600. He calls. River is 9. No flush draw. No staright draw. I bet 1000. He thinks, looks at his cards. Calls and turns over 4-2 off-suit. I had been semi-bluffing with 33 and muck.

He had no way of knowing I didn't have an Ace, or a King. He called me all the way down to the river with bottom pair. I got up and walked away laughing. When I came back I took him out four hands later when I made the exact same bets after the flop and turn, then went all in after flopping trip 10s.

 

Did something similar in a tourney I played up in Nor Cal last weekend. Lucky for me though I was not involved in the first hand where the player showed is call with anything tendency, but I was able to benefit from the information.

 

It pays to pay attention to the hands you are not involved in as well as those you are.

[Bring Back Pat!!!]

Did something similar in a tourney I played up in Nor Cal last weekend. Lucky for me though I was not involved in the first hand where the player showed is call with anything tendency, but I was able to benefit from the information.

 

It pays to pay attention to the hands you are not involved in as well as those you are.

 

Yeah, timing wasn't good for me on that one. He had just been moved to my table from one that was broken. Think it was 2nd or 3rd hand at mine, and first I had seen him involded in.