NL Cash game strategy

KuuKOOKuuKOO
in Brags, Beats & Variance
First of all, I want to introduce myself.  I've been playing 4-5 years now and can't say I'm a great player, but I read a lot and am trying to improve.  I'll be the fish for one of these TO home games soon.

My question is this.  I find the hardest thing switching from limit and tourney sonline to my regular .5-1 NL cash game.  It's shorthanded usually as it's an excuse to drink away from the significant other mostly,  5-7 players.  Limit, I do ok.  NL tourneys, well I think I'm alright. 

I realize that 1) shorthanded and 2) drinking is going to make it a different game from grinding away at limit.  That said, I win most times, but I don't win that much.  It's safe.  The guys who tend to make the most are running big bluffs most of the night.  I try to up the aggression level when I have position and a hand and it works sometimes.  However, I've noticed that playing safe just isn't paying much.

Do you guys have any sites/books/advice for NL cash games?  All my books are in the SSHE vein.

Thanks in advance.


On another note-- so I'm playing this game and am dealt  :qc :9c in the BB.  Flop is  :jc :7c :qd.  Headsup.  I bet 3 bucks as a test.  I'm doubled to 6.  I call.  Turn is a blank.  Other player puts 15 in.  Call?

I called and folded on the river when no flush came and it was 25 to me. He showed :7s :7h in fairness.

Comments

  • BBC ZBBC Z
    On another note-- so I'm playing this game and am dealt in the BB. Flop is . Headsup. I bet 3 bucks as a test. I'm doubled to 6. I call. Turn is a blank. Other player puts 15 in. Call?

    I called and folded on the river when no flush came and it was 25 to me. He showed in fairness.

    NEI (Not Enough Information) .. You have to include your reads of the villain along with the stack sizes in order to get a reasonable answer.
  • KuuKOOKuuKOO
    BBC Z wrote:
    NEI (Not Enough Information) .. You have to include your reads of the villain along with the stack sizes in order to get a reasonable answer.

    Ok fair enough. I put him on 2 pair or a straight draw as there was no raise in a shorthanded game. I had probably about $40 in front of me and he had about $100.

    KK
  • BBC ZBBC Z
    KuuKOO wrote:
    BBC Z wrote:
    NEI (Not Enough Information) .. You have to include your reads of the villain along with the stack sizes in order to get a reasonable answer.

    Ok fair enough. I put him on 2 pair or a straight draw as there was no raise in a shorthanded game. I had probably about $40 in front of me and he had about $100.

    KK

    When I say "your reads on the villian", I don't refer to what hand you thought he had. I'm asking if he's loose/tight passive/aggressive.

    If he's tight, you probably want to draw to the flush cheaply. If he's loose, you probably want to get all your money in on the flop.
  • KuuKOOKuuKOO
    BBC Z wrote:

    When I say "your reads on the villian", I don't refer to what hand you thought he had. I'm asking if he's loose/tight passive/aggressive.

    If he's tight, you probably want to draw to the flush cheaply. If he's loose, you probably want to get all your money in on the flop.

    Sorry-- well it does show I'm new here. He was loose/aggressive for sure. Thanks for the advice.

    Any other thoughts on where to go for NL cash game tips?
  • Dave ScharfDave Scharf
    Regarding your Q-9 hand, I lose A LOT more money than you do. I make it 3 on flop, he makes it 6, and I would the re-raise. He is defined as loose aggressive. Your Q might be the best hand. If not, you figure to have 12 outs, maybe 14 outs (not actually the case). I think I would have wound up with all my money in with your hand.

    Resources for NL? I don't know of any really good ones. I like Ciaffone's book"pot-limit and no-limit hold'em" I think it's best.
  • GTA PokerGTA Poker
    I agree with Dave.

    You have to realize that paying off loose aggressive players is part of playing NL cash games. I'm all in on the reraise on that flop if it's the type of player that you're thinking is 50% likely to be making a move. (All in assuming you have like 3-4x the pot infront of you, not $200...this is a .5/1 game after all).

    For example, last night I'm playing a 1/2NL cash game and make a small raise UTG with AQo, clueless player calls along with a few others. Flop AT8 rainbow, I bet out so the pot is somewhere around $30-$40 including my bet of 1/2 the pot, he goes all in for another 40 (I have $300 infront of me). I think about it, and put him on one of 3 hands AJ, AT or most likely A8...I say, "you have A8" and call and he has A8. I just have to pay off weak players sometime because they overvalue their hands. Hands that I think are marginal they think are huge. So, they are raising with hands that I consider tossing away. Now, a tight player makes that move and I toss my hand after some thought.

    Sometimes you have to lose in the short-term to win in the long term.

    You have to know your players, try not to make big moves with new players, take some time and get to know them for a few orbits.

    What was the question? :D
  • KuuKOOKuuKOO
    Some great advice guys. I've been playing with the same group of people for a while but one of them keeps ringing my bell as it were. I think my biggest problem is that a raise on a scary board makes me play weak-- in the case above, I sensed more than a bluff so probably got cautious.

    I played the same crowd this week and had a few similar hands. The game seems to me to be very beatable-- but I find it much harder than the average online tourney or cash game...

    KK
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