micros, rippy & pornstars

[Vixen]

Ok so after six months into my poker vibe (yes I'm just a baby) I have a need to talk about it so forgive me if my first post is rambling nonsense. I've checked out all the forums and decided to make FTR my home because quite simply you guys rock.

I started out on FT with a $50 dollar deposit playing $1 sngs and after an initial high broke even for a while then blew out, or rather my ego did after my initial success. Didn't make another deposit due to no rakeback and moved over to stars depositing $50. Broke even at $1 sng's for a while, realised I was actually too tight early and too loose late for this level so rectified that and now playing £3 sngs which are actually fishier (whats that all about?). Which brings me to my first point- micro stake sngs are not nearly as fishy as many articles conclude. Sure, you get 2 or 3 idiots at a table but looking at the lobby a lot of players seem to be grinding up a roll from the amount of multi tabling going on and there is usually a couple of decentish players with me at the end. I guess times change.

Which brings me to now. I've decided I needed to work on my post flop play so started playing cash. Started at $2nl but those guys just freaked me out- what a fkn nightmare! I mean seriously...

I've joined Grinderschool and can't thank you guys enough. Now grinding up a roll at $5nl at $5 an hour playing 2 tables. Accidentally found myself at a $10nl table and felt quite comfortable there but not bankrolled for it yet so sticking with $5 for now. I'm firmly of the opinion that poker is going to pay for itself and I'm looking forward to learning a little more at each level as I move up. I did fork out for Grinderschool and HEM but worth every penny. Still getting to grips with HEM but even knowing someones pfr is bloody brilliant.

Anyway I'm sure this is really boring but just wanted to introduce myself as I intend to stick around for a while. Just a couple of randoms to finish...

Its been on my mind all day and would love to hear your thoughts and the math if anyone would be so kind. I'm not lazy just not quite sure how to do it yet. Everything I read recently seems to say something like 'if he's got xxwhateverxx I'm just gonna have to pay him off' I understand this as you can't play all your good hands scared that someone is slowplaying the nuts and playing TAG is all about getting the money in when you probably have the best of it. I just don't want to pay anyone off!

Obviously the amount you win playing this style will more than compensate for the times you're beat but just how profitable is it to play this way? Its probably a moot point but I'm interested in the numbers (if it can be done). Its a particular concern of mine playing micros as so often people will call you down with just an overcard when you've got TPTK that you can't not bet these hands for value (I'd happy to throw these hands away if I thought I was beat at bigger stakes but micros pay these hands off). I'm torn between playing in a way that beats most microstakes players and playing correctly regardless of donkmanship which will obviously get me into good habits in the long run.

The other thing thats been on my mind today is a shit hot username. Started of as Belladonna on the basis that its a poisonous plant but I just got leared at they thought I was a pornstar. Sure I aspire to that and I love the girl but this is poker not pokeher (sorry). Currently Severin but found out that name belongs to a dominatrix (venus in furs - velvet underground) so not having much luck there... I wanted Rip_tyde but unfortunately its already taken (kudos to Rippy). Thought about Suck_stream but you can see the problems I'd face there

Really sorry about the length of this post. Promise I'll be more salient in future!

Vixen

[Stacks]

Nice first post. It's always a relief to read an intro post that is in English, and can actually be understood.

Okay now for the poker related stuff. First you said that the $1 and $3 SNGs aren't as donk infested as some articles much suggest. Well this is obviously in the eye of the beholder. A breakeven poker player at the micro sng level (as you said you were at one point) isn't going to notice all of the leaks from the villains that a better player would. Therefore, the better you get the more people are 'fish', as there are more people you play that you are better than. If durrrr/nutsinho/ivey/etc were to sit at say 100nl, then obviously everyone at that level would be a fish. But from your perspective, 100nl isn't filled with fish.

Also, you said something about "If he has 'whatever' I guess I'll pay him off", and wondering if this is a correct way to play. Even though that has been said in some discussions, that isn't the thought process that is swaying the decision. The thought process that is swaying the decision is determining the correct play based on their entire range. If I have KK on a KQ923 board, and I'm wondering if I should call your river shove or not, then I wouldn't just factor in the possibility of you having JT. That would only be a part of your range. The rest of your range could be hands like QQ/99/KQ/Q9/AK/AA/etc. So I would have to consider my hand versus your entire range. And if compared to your entire range, I have enough equity to call, then I call. If you have JT (or another hand that beats me), then I guess I'm paying you off. It's fine though because as a whole, I'm ahead of your range often enough to make the call correct.

It seems at one point you were talking about an exploitative strategy versus an un-exploitative strategy. You definitely want to be playing an exploitative strategy. That is you want to identify your villains, understand their leaks and mistakes, and determine how to exploit their mistakes. So if I see that you are calling with too many hands postflop, then it likely wouldn't be profitable to bluff you often. However, on the flip side, it would be great to value bet somewhat marginal hands, because you are going to call with so many worse hands.

The fact that I'm not bluffing rarely, and value betting often, means I have a pretty unbalanced range. (The reverse would be a balanced range, where I mix in bluffs and value bets somewhat equally). Well this would be an example of me playing an exploitative strategy tailored to emphasize your mistakes.

[StillDeadMoney]

A word about slowplaying: unless you have the absolute nuts and the flop looks harmless (example: you have 45 suited, and the flop comes 554, or 236, etc.), I would not slowplay until you get really good.

Username: if you really want to have fun, put a female username (veronica0984) etc. People will comment on it at the table, and it will throw some people off and they may even underestimate you.

Just a couple of tips. Best of luck!

In regards to your question, if you put people on ONE hand that beats you and fold you're losing money. Quite simply, people bet weaker hands often and people bluff. You also have to only be good one third of the time when you make a river call that is the size of the pot. So if you think your opponent has you 60% of the time on the river and he bets pot, you should CALL. You're paying him off, sure, but you also win the pot enough to profit from calling. If you don't make that call YOU'RE LOSING MONEY AND PLAYING BADLY.

Also, you have donks at EVERY level. And you have to learn to beat them as fast as possible before someone else takes their money.

[Vixen]

Thanks for your replies

Stacks: I take your point about donkmanship being relative - I'm gonna hate my game in 6 months time I'm sure. Liked your thoughts about exploitative v unexploitative and I'm definitely leaning towards exploitative for example if someones gonna keep folding I'm gonna keep raising. Getting the range thing too, inch by inch..

StillDead: I agree with you re slowplaying but I don't think people are really taken in by the female username thing anymore. Reminded me of an interesting hand though: I limped behind several limpers on the button with Q 9s knowing I had position and that if I hit I'd get paid. Flop K J 10 rainbow. Villan bet with what I presumed to be Kx possibly slowplayed KK/JJ/1010 (no way put him on AQ would have raised pre) and we got it all in. Chat box went ape with abuse which I couldn't care less about but I seemed to care about being called 'he'. I ignored the abuse and corrected him that 'he' was a 'she' and he went on ubertilt. Guess people some people hate being beaten by a girl even more than they hate being beaten but its all good.

iopq: Thanks a lot. This is what I meant though I didn't explain it very well. Thinking particularly of AA /KK on otherwise safe board when only small pocket pair that made a set can beat you. Calling a pot sized bet is profitable even as a perceived 40/60 dog is definitely one to commit to memory.

[Warpe]

welcome to FTR

[WillburForce]

7nd