Preflop Strategy Question

I've read the preflop strategy article('s) in the poker strategy section(The one with groups 0-7 of starting hands). Actually, that was the first article I read on here. Which helped GREATLY considering I had NO direction at all originally. Now I'm reading it again for the second time, and I thought I would find out some of the profitable players view on it.

My question is how much validity should I give it. Particularly at micro stakes. Should I play tighter than the auther?(Since they describe how they play) Or what? Any sound input is appreciated.

I'm profitable, but waaaaay on the noobie side of most people here... so take my spit with some salt... anyhoo...

Don't know how much you've played -- guessing relatively new based on your reaction to the stickies. And yes, it's all solid sh!t in there!

A couple of thoughts...
1) Early on, I think tighter is better. The better quality your starting hands, the more likely you'll avoid tough decisions post-flop, which will hopefully minimize some of your early variance (aka "cost of learning" ;) )
2) Remember to marry tight pre-flop hand selection with position. Sooner you learn position, the happier you'll be, and the better off you'll be opening up a bit. You can get pretty far being mad tight in early and middle position and then experimenting a little more on the CO of Button.
3) Focus on aggression. Starting with good quality hands, you'll be more comfortable doing this, 'cause there'll be less times you'll look at the flop and go "sh!t..." Start with PF aggression. Roll to picking proper spots for flop c-bets. Use that oppty to pick up on basic reads like whether villains are calling stations, like to 3-bet, weak/tighties you can roll over, etc. Then migrate that sh!t to some two street aggression coupled with better skills in narrowing your villains hand ranges. And finally getting comfortable on the good spots to push your stack, for value and fold equity. All this sh!t is much easier early on when you starting out with something solid...

GL!

I think when someone starts poker, tight is definitely the way to go, even more so at the micro stakes where there's a lot of people who have no idea how to play postflop.

Position is also extremely important as well, I generally don't open from UTG without KQ or better, then on the button I often open with mediocre sc like 67s and such becase position is just so important in this game.

I never limp in, but sometimes if I have a hand like 33 or 56s I might limp behind someone because a hand like that has a of value in a multiway pot. If I have a hand that can't afford to play multiway and i'm in the BB I'll raise it up to try lower the field but will prefer taking it down preflop because my position will suck.(unless I got a premium) starting hand)

pretty much, you just have to play simple straightforward abc poker to win at microstakes. Playing the top 8% of hands varying with position and throwing in continuation bets and such will earn you the monies. Less likely to work at higher limits...but while you have people calling large raises with A2s or K9o you will show a profit.

lol, I'm totally pick'n you up on that "Cost of Learning" thing sarbox.
Thanks for the advice.

That's pretty much my game right now TAGG, I guess. I bet when I have it(Always, no slowplay) and don't when I don't(with rare exceptions). Xpt. That seems a fair deal different than the preflop strategy thing. I'd like to hear more about that.

More input from the "Regs" Pls.

Just to add, TAGG isn't betting when you have it and not betting when you don't. You need to learn what continuation betting is and start implementing that into your game. I don't suggest you begin two-barreling without it that often, as the chances of them calling the turn after they have called the flop at that level is probably high. But beginning to c-bet will start bringing in a good deal of profits.

http://www.pr0crast.com/2+2.NL.Anthology.v1.htm

Begin reading as much as you can there. It will help alot. Try to go in order unless there is a concept you totally don't understand.

Note, I'm not saying start lauching multi-street bluffs as most fo the players call bets with weak holdings and they dont' care what your hand is or the action to them. But c-betting on the flop can take it down a good portion of the time. And by c-betting when you have it and when you don't, as you move up it will make it harder for better players to know when you have it or when you don't.

I'll elaborate on my post since you asked. BTW, what I say may very well be bad advice since I myself am still only grinding 10NL, but I am winning at a rate of 6BB/100 which is alright I guess... I play 6max, and consider myself a TAG but can exploit nits by loosening my starting hand requirements. I guess I could call this my "preflop strategy, which I often stem away from lol" (if I tilt I start opening a much wider range, just cuz well you know... I'm tilted.... and atm I'm trying to learn how to deal with tilt since it seems to be the biggest factor to not helping my progression as a player)

From UTG/UTG+1, I open AT+KQ+ and any pocket pair
From CO , depending on how tight the table is, I open QJ+A9+, if the table is nitty I can even open JT, and high suited connectors such as 78s+
From BU, if the blinds are loose I open the same range as CO, if they are nitty I open any suited connector (including 23s), any A and QT+
My preflop stats are 20/16/3 (pretty standard I think)

If I see a loose player (someone running at around 30/25/x) openning from UTG or EP or CO, I will often 3bet from the button with my range of hands from UTG (AT+KQ+, and 77+) because my range figures to be ahead of his and my constant 3betting will frustrate him and keep him guessing whether I have the goods or not, and eventually he will blow up and 4bet bluff me or 4bet me light, and hopefully when he does, i'll have AA. At the same time if I see a nit openning from UTG, I won't call them with AJ and I might even fold AQ just because they've been so damn nitty, and I'm probably even money at best (I would easily be dominated with a hand like AJ/KQ from an UTG nit open), however I do call with low-mid suited connectors and most pocket pairs because, if I flop well, I figure to stack them. If I get JJ or better against a nit I have to 3bet to find out if my hand is better than theirs or not (I 3bet intending to fold with JJ & QQ against a nit, hell I even fold AK to nits)

If there are five limpers and I am in the BB and I have a decent hand, let's say A9o or QJo or 77+, I will raise it up, because 1. I figure to be ahead of the limping range, and 2. I can often get everybody to fold and pick up the dead money.

If there is a limper from UTG and I have 22-66 or suited connector 23s-9Ts I will mostly limp behind them because those hands do very well in multiway pots and I want to attract more limpers behind me by limping behind myself.

Often in the blinds, I will 3bet hands like 66/AJ/KQ simply because I hate playing OOP and I think I can get them to fold either preflop or on the flop. However with a hand like 88 I will flat call because that hand has a lot of value (I find) against a stealer.

So yeah.... I guess that's kinda how I play preflop, and I don't think it's very different from a standard TAG tbh...

Thanks for the link stax. Very helpful stuff. And(as I'm sure you know) your right. I am working on that some. And already do it, I just don't think I do it strategically enough. I find myself calling raises... I know, fish. That brings me to another question however. I see often that Betting for info is a NO GO for micro-stakes. So if I C-bet on the flop, w/ a call or a raise in response, is that essentially the same thing, or no?
Say I got AK preflop, bet, and get a call. flop hits, low rainbow cards. I bet here right?(That's what I'm doing now.) and If I do get called, then another no-hit on the turn, what do I do there?

Thanks for the elaboration xpt. I know it took time and I appreciate it.


EDIT: If all this info can be found on that page, just tell me and I'll leave it alone.