Part One on Strategy for Micro-No-Limit cashgames (what you are doing wrong)
Reposted with permission from WCGRider (2+2 forums) (Originally Titled Why you suck at uNL Part One: Playing Aggresively)
Note: uNL = Micro No-Limit
Stats are VPIP (Voluntarily Put In Pot %) and PFR (Pre-Flop Raising %)
1) STOP CALLING PREFLOP. ASKDJFKLASJDFLKASDJFLAKS STOP IT! STOP IT RIGHT NOW!!!!
- Explanation: Calling preflop, in general is terrible. Most of the time in poker, you do not have a hand. You have something speculative. The SAME goes for your opponent. By raising, you take most flops down with a cbet and do not get credit when you hit. By calling they have control and you have to fold when you miss (unless you are c/r raising a wide range [even then its bad, just slightly less bad] but come on this is uNL no one is check raising a wide range.) Seriously if your stats are.
33/14
12/3
25/11
Dont ask me what the problem is. The problem is you play too much crap without raising it. Not that you should be playing crap, but playing crap aggressively is like a MILLION% better then playing it passively. There are TWO (ONE TWO) times you should be calling preflop (Unless you are setting up for a squeeze from a lag opponent but again this is uNL so that doesnt mean anything.)
ONE --- YOU HAVE A POCKET PAIR FACING A RAISE
TWO --- YOU HAVE A MARGINAL HAND (pocket pairs and suited connectors) AND A SMALLISH STACK HAS LIMPED BEHIND.
THAT IS IT!!! NO MORE CALLING!!!
[Caps lock - Cruise Control for Cool]
2) Please please please please get more aggressive WHEN YOUR OPPONENTS DO NOT SHOW STRENGTH.
- Explanation: At uNL, people dont bet when they have nothing. They call when they have nothing. So unless your opponent has given you a reason to stop betting when you have something even remotely decent, continue to bet. Honest to god here is an example hand i see SOOO much at uNL.
1/2c NL
Hero is CO with Ad Ks
3 Limpers to Hero, Hero makes it 14, 2 callers.
Flop: As 8c 4d
check, check, Hero bets 36c, 1 fold, MP calls
Turn: As 8c 4d [5h]
check, HERO BETTER BET OR WCGRIDER IS HUNTING HIM DOWN, villain calls.
River: As 8c 4d 5h [4s]
check, HERO BETS A BIG % OF THE POT SO HE CAN BUY A CHEEZEBURGER AFTER.
If they raise you anywhere along the way, without a read you can fold!! If they are crazy dont fold but dear god if your opponent is 57/3/.3 YOU CAN FOLD TPTK. BUT ONLY FOLD WHEN THEY RAISE.
So please bet as MUCH as you can.
3) Get a real sample size. Come on 3k hands means nothing. Get 20k, thats 2 days for me, that might be 2 months for you. I dont care, before you talk ptbb/100 and stuff to me play more hands. VPIP/PFR ok w/e but seriously play more hands.
Part 2 to follow..
Note: uNL = Micro No-Limit
Stats are VPIP (Voluntarily Put In Pot %) and PFR (Pre-Flop Raising %)
1) STOP CALLING PREFLOP. ASKDJFKLASJDFLKASDJFLAKS STOP IT! STOP IT RIGHT NOW!!!!
- Explanation: Calling preflop, in general is terrible. Most of the time in poker, you do not have a hand. You have something speculative. The SAME goes for your opponent. By raising, you take most flops down with a cbet and do not get credit when you hit. By calling they have control and you have to fold when you miss (unless you are c/r raising a wide range [even then its bad, just slightly less bad] but come on this is uNL no one is check raising a wide range.) Seriously if your stats are.
33/14
12/3
25/11
Dont ask me what the problem is. The problem is you play too much crap without raising it. Not that you should be playing crap, but playing crap aggressively is like a MILLION% better then playing it passively. There are TWO (ONE TWO) times you should be calling preflop (Unless you are setting up for a squeeze from a lag opponent but again this is uNL so that doesnt mean anything.)
ONE --- YOU HAVE A POCKET PAIR FACING A RAISE
TWO --- YOU HAVE A MARGINAL HAND (pocket pairs and suited connectors) AND A SMALLISH STACK HAS LIMPED BEHIND.
THAT IS IT!!! NO MORE CALLING!!!
[Caps lock - Cruise Control for Cool]
2) Please please please please get more aggressive WHEN YOUR OPPONENTS DO NOT SHOW STRENGTH.
- Explanation: At uNL, people dont bet when they have nothing. They call when they have nothing. So unless your opponent has given you a reason to stop betting when you have something even remotely decent, continue to bet. Honest to god here is an example hand i see SOOO much at uNL.
1/2c NL
Hero is CO with Ad Ks
3 Limpers to Hero, Hero makes it 14, 2 callers.
Flop: As 8c 4d
check, check, Hero bets 36c, 1 fold, MP calls
Turn: As 8c 4d [5h]
check, HERO BETTER BET OR WCGRIDER IS HUNTING HIM DOWN, villain calls.
River: As 8c 4d 5h [4s]
check, HERO BETS A BIG % OF THE POT SO HE CAN BUY A CHEEZEBURGER AFTER.
If they raise you anywhere along the way, without a read you can fold!! If they are crazy dont fold but dear god if your opponent is 57/3/.3 YOU CAN FOLD TPTK. BUT ONLY FOLD WHEN THEY RAISE.
So please bet as MUCH as you can.
3) Get a real sample size. Come on 3k hands means nothing. Get 20k, thats 2 days for me, that might be 2 months for you. I dont care, before you talk ptbb/100 and stuff to me play more hands. VPIP/PFR ok w/e but seriously play more hands.
Part 2 to follow..
Comments
"By raising, you take most flops down with a cbet and do not get credit when you hit." This statement is contradictory. Cbets in uNL do get called and way to often to profitably do this. And players at this level are not giving "credit". They are playing their cards and if they have any hope in the hand they will call. And hope could be a little as A on a three flush, three straight board. Cbetting is a form of bluffing and all bluffing should be tossed out the window unless you have a specific read on a specific player in a specific situation.
"The problem is you play too much crap without raising it." If the game has few pf raises, and most are like this, then you want to get into as many hands as possible with all but trash hands. After the flop, all scenarios are rosy. If you made a hand, you can get value bets in down to the river. If you have a draw, a lot of the time you will not be charged enough to pay for the draw so you can continue cheaply. Plus the implied odds are great if you make a strong hand since lots of players will stack off with overpairs, TPTK, two pair, etc.
Raise pf for value only. You are not going steal anything and medium hands will get lots of callers and you will be outflopped often.
Here is my short list of micro stakes strategy:
1. Never or almost never bluff.
2. Never or almost never slowplay.
3. Raise pf for value.
4. Bet for value and bet enough to charge draws.
5. Get into as many pots cheaply as you can with all sorts of speculative hands.
6. Play ABC poker.
7. Betting pattern reads will make the six above points even easier.