pokerJAH;289549 wroteSo are you winning pots with good timed raises/bluffs or superior hands? This statement would seem to indicate the former.
As one of the few successful cash game players on this forum, I would like to better understand where you are making money. Personally, I have really tried to cut back on bluffs, semi bluffs as I find it just leads to bleeding chips and it cuts into your overall win rate. I realize that bluffing has to be considered in the context of the other players at the table, but I try to win big pots with big hands and lose small pots with weak hands.
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Both. When playing with tight regs I win lots of pots setting up flop or multi-street bluffs. I have lately made the mistake of running too many bluffs vs unknowns right when I sit at a table. For example, last night I told myself I was going to play TIGHHHHHT since I seem to be unable to do so any more and really need to have that tight gear early in a session vs unknowns. I was completely card dead so I picked what I thought at the time were 3 good spots for bluffs...but they were more out of boredom than really picking the right spots. So, I lost in 2/3 spots and started another session down $250 or so (pattern as of late).
I ended up plus $320 for the night due to one big pot where I flopped the nuts 5 ways with 34 on the button...so what you would call bad cards but vs other deep stacks that can't fold top pair I'm happy to play them (it was $25 to me 5 ways to close the action on the button vs at least 3 players who I know are stackable). Anyhow, flop comes A25 rainbow and I raise on the turn after flatting the flop...fish shoves on me with AJ drawing dead. He then says to me that he did it because I bluffed him earlier in a similar spot (pot was $50 3 handed and he bet $20 on the river of a Q96Ax rainbow board and I made it $120 with 7 high then showed him when he folded). So, I am sitting there completely card dead last night thinking that I should start playing tighter early in my sessions vs unknowns but then I win a $1100 pot likely due to showing a bluff 4 hours earlier to this guy...I'm a bit torn as to what to do now. I have had 2 of my worst sessions of the year this month, but it may just be larger variance with a larger overall winrate playing LAG vs TAG. I'm still determined to play super tight for the first hour or so of a few sessions and see how it goes as I've been in the hole for 150bb early in sessions more frequently than I'd like lately.
I think we have far different concepts of what big hands are in NL cash. When I get dealt big pairs preflop I am looking at ways to win pots but I am also looking to protect my stack. Not many flops improve these hands. I would rather be dealt 56 suited in position vs a tight raiser than see a flop 5 ways with AA. I'm always telling myself to look for a reason to get away from an overpair vs certain players and I probably lose less money with overpairs than most players and win more money vs overpairs than most players. I think that knowing certain regs that NEVER change their game is a benefit to me. I will call a decent sized bet with bottom pair vs players that I know will stack an overpair or top pair to my 2 pair, etc.
I have been thinking about what makes me profitable in cash games. I think a major spot is hand reading and betting for value on the river -- bet sizing an amount that is optimal is key to increasing profit in many spots. Realizing what the other player thinks of you and how he interprets your bets is important. One example of a hand from Vegas went something like this:
2/5 NLH
Limped 5-6 ways to my button and I call with Q5hh
Worst player at the table (calling station) raises to 25 and it is called around to me and I call (pot 125-150). When a station raises he typically has a huge hand, but I had seen him raise this spot with KT suited once before as well.
Flop Q52sss...checked around -- I bet this spot around 1/2 the time, but with position and 5-6 players in the hand I don't want to get check raised off my hand.
Turn Brick -- he looks at both cards again and bets $100, folded to me and I call (pot $325-350).
River brick -- he checks to me and I bet $180 which is the most I think he will call with an overpair/AQ which it is now glaringly obvious he is holding and he calls. I show, he mucks. I am thinking he puts me on a polarized range -- flush or a bluff and figures he is getting almost 3:1 to look me up as many players do not bet hands as strong as a set in this spot. I know what he has so I can bet for value.
I see soooooo many players checking behind on the river and missing value in these spots or betting a ridiculously small fearful bet like $50. A few spots like this a session make a huge difference in winrate.
Of course I got very lucky to flop 2 pair, but I will always put myself in a position to play pots vs the worst players at the table, especially in position.
