2-5 Limit at Brantford
Hi Everyone,
I went to play 2-5 limit at Brantford today. Played for about 8 hours, and won 20 bucks (woo-hoo!). I know most of you may not play that low of a limit, but if you have, how does it compare to the 5-10 game there?
I was told by someone there I wasn't playing enough pots. Most of the time there were 6-7 players to a flop. I've never played in a game that loose (hardly any pre-flop raising)... and I would have thought that many calling stations would be amazing, but you really have to have the nuts!!! I found I'd win a big pot, then lose a bunch of small ones (for a really long time)... then win a big one...
My pre-flop raises didn't seem to make anyone fold either, even though I wasn't playing that many hands. Neither did many of my bets. But when I did hit I got paid pretty well, often 2-3 callers to my bets. Most hands went to showdown.
How would you adjust your game for this? Would you get into the action more often knowing that you'd probably get paid off big if you hit your 6-3 offsuit? Maybe that's what I should have done? Then fold when you miss (unlike most of the others who would keep calling).
I haven't played a lot of limit poker, and I'd appreciate any advice. I read "Small stakes hold-em" about a year ago... maybe I should do that again.
I went to play 2-5 limit at Brantford today. Played for about 8 hours, and won 20 bucks (woo-hoo!). I know most of you may not play that low of a limit, but if you have, how does it compare to the 5-10 game there?
I was told by someone there I wasn't playing enough pots. Most of the time there were 6-7 players to a flop. I've never played in a game that loose (hardly any pre-flop raising)... and I would have thought that many calling stations would be amazing, but you really have to have the nuts!!! I found I'd win a big pot, then lose a bunch of small ones (for a really long time)... then win a big one...
My pre-flop raises didn't seem to make anyone fold either, even though I wasn't playing that many hands. Neither did many of my bets. But when I did hit I got paid pretty well, often 2-3 callers to my bets. Most hands went to showdown.
How would you adjust your game for this? Would you get into the action more often knowing that you'd probably get paid off big if you hit your 6-3 offsuit? Maybe that's what I should have done? Then fold when you miss (unlike most of the others who would keep calling).
I haven't played a lot of limit poker, and I'd appreciate any advice. I read "Small stakes hold-em" about a year ago... maybe I should do that again.
Comments
Any hand in limit will win a decent sized pot, so it isn`t really important to think of how big a pot you win is (okay, it is, but follow me here). In the `big picture`, when you win a pot, it will (usually) be sizeable, somewhere in the neighbourhood of 6 BB at least - that`s a pretty good amount to win / hour, but the trick is to limit the amount you LOSE in any given hand.
Calling with 3-6o, or drawing to gutshots is the perfect way to piss away those moderately big pots you do win. Limit poker is all about math with regards to preventing your losses, but it's about knowing the other players with regards to earning your winnings.
As for BCC in particular, I've played 2-5 and have only recently gotten into 5-10. The game's still soft, but the swings are bigger, last weekend I was down there and got up 300ish in the first 6 hours of play, and ended up down $60 overall in the last 3 hours.
Just to give you an idea, MP dude raises, I see AA and re-raise, and the SB called and eventually won with 83hh... yea...
Mark
5-10 BCC = 2-5 BCC with bigger swings.
Same players (ATC).
Just be careful you don't pick up any of their bad habits. I know I've started and it cost me about $400 last time I was there.
But the rake effect is less since the pots are larger. Most pots are >$50 preflop.
5/10 Limit
No Limit
or even better is she 1 of the girls in the 3rd pic?:)
That's not her...but it's an accurate picture of her poker strategy.
Play 5-10 next time
And now that I know that happens at 5-10... I'll stay at the lower limit until I've played a lot more hands!!!
oh well, replaced.
Basically in a game like this no one is folding. Which is exactly what you want - a whole bunch of people making horrible mistakes by calling. Will they suck out on you? A lot? Heck yes the will. But as you noted, the pots you WIN will be much bigger on average.
Stop trying to make raises that fold people out, as you can see they don't much work. Instead make raises that are positive in expectation. If 5 people limp to a player who raises, reraise with your AKo or your AJs. No one will fold, but your hand has more than it's share of equity. Remember you're going to need a hand that is strong multiway to win. Top pair isn't great agains 5 opponents, but any flush or straight probably is. I'd rather be playing 67dd than AJo in a game like that (and I'd raise that too in late position). Your goal should be to play MORE hands at a loose game like that in order to maximize your profits ( and have more fun, imo).
The comment about rake is very right tho - if you can afford to play 5/10 you will be much better off. Rake is a KILLER at 2/5 live.
Maybe we were at the same table?
Whilst this may be true, I find the 5/10 game much tighter than the 2/5 for the most part.
You raise pre-flop at the 5/10 table and you see a flop 4 handed instead of 7.
You bet or raise on the turn and you'll almost always be heads up.. At least at my experience.
Sounds good. Keep playing your AK top pair hands - they will still be very profitable - but frustrating. On a flop of K36 you should still be raising and reraising with it (to get value from the guy with Q6o or QKo). But if your opponent is giving tons of action on the turn, slow down. Then laugh at him when the board comes K36 9 9 and you win.
Had the perfect table...a bunch of older people who play the garbage hands and a couple of middle-age Asian gambler degenerates who didn't know the meaning of the word "fold".
With the big pocket pairs or TPTK, you really do have to raise/reraise. True, there will be times when they call raises with the strangest hands and win. Other times, you will win a nice size pot.
Today was pretty good card wise. Aces twice and KK once and got paid off with all three. Also a bunch of small pairs, AK, AQ, AJ....some paid off while others were outflopped.
A couple of observations:
1. Can someone explain to me how someone could be about $400 down for the day at that game. I could swear this one guy must have bought in for that amount over the course of those few hours. Of course, he played every hand but still....
2. I had one guy who is your typical "sees monsters under the bed" type of player. Basically a guy who thinks everyone else has the nuts who plays against him. He was sitting next to me and explaining his play when he won a pot with the nut straight. I, of course, listened to his every word making note of his playing style. Of course, in the back of my mind I'm thinking "he has the nut straight on the river and just calls the guy who bet into him...umm shouldn't he re-raise there and get another bet out of him?".
Fun stuff.
A few people sat down with $50.... and they busted out in 20-30 minutes.
I'm excited to go back... but probably won't be until November...:(
Let me know when you are there, I'll likely be around and would like to come by and say "hello"
Too bad I didn't read this until just now. Just got back from playing there today up another $70 dollars or so. Pretty card dead for most of today (no aces/kings...I think my biggest starting hand for the day was pocket jacks) but things picked up in the last couple of hours of play.