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View Full Version : Sklansky's All In NLHE strategy?


thylacine
09-16-2004, 01:03 PM
I recall seeing some posts about a detailed, maybe optimal, strategy for No Limit Holdem in which your only moves are fold or go all in pre-flop. (Of course, it is to be optimal for such strategies, not amongst all strategies.)

I understand you considered you cards, stack sizes relative to blinds, position, previous action, maybe some other things, and then made your move --- Fold or Allin.


Does anyone have any information on this, such as where to find it or what it was called? Was it for ring games or tournaments (and what else had to be factored in)?

TomCollins
09-16-2004, 01:26 PM
Would this be a game theory type question where all strategies are known ahead of time? This would be the only way I could think of the problem, otherwise you have to guess if someone has caught on to you or not. I like the game theory type approach to this.

Also, are you assuming 10 handed or 2? 10 will be MUCH harder.

BruceZ
09-16-2004, 01:35 PM
[ QUOTE ]
I recall seeing some posts about a detailed, maybe optimal, strategy for No Limit Holdem in which your only moves are fold or go all in pre-flop. (Of course, it is to be optimal for such strategies, not amongst all strategies.)

I understand you considered you cards, stack sizes relative to blinds, position, previous action, maybe some other things, and then made your move --- Fold or Allin.


Does anyone have any information on this, such as where to find it or what it was called? Was it for ring games or tournaments (and what else had to be factored in)?

[/ QUOTE ]

I think you are referring to "The System" presented in Sklansky's Tournament Poker for Advanced Players. This was intended to be a highly simplified strategy for someone who knew absolutely nothing about poker, and as a thought experiment, but not in any way an optimal strategy. Stack sizes and position were not considered, at least not in the first edition. David has made some more refinements since then, and I believe those are in the 21st century edition of TPFAP.

Officer Farva
09-16-2004, 01:35 PM
Its in Tournament Poker for Advanced Players, by Sklansky.

thylacine
09-16-2004, 02:01 PM
Thanks for the info. Is this a good book generally -- i presume it is. Obviously `the system' is not globally optimal, but is it good for what it is?

housenuts
09-19-2004, 09:33 PM
the system is meant for people who have no idea what they are doing and basically ensures they will only be putting in money when they have the best of it.

if i remember correctly you fold every hand unless you are dealt AA, KK, QQ, or AKs, in which case you go all-in. That's it, no strings attached you simply follow that strategy. in his book he talks about a few experiments with the strategy and it seemed to fair pretty well, but of course it is so basic that it wouldn't make sense for any decent player to try

Precision1C
09-20-2004, 01:34 AM
The fold or all-in strategy is interesting and in theory wins the blinds often enough to survive and gives a reasonable chance to win in a showdown. However the strategy assumes that the other players are significantly better than you at poker and know it and hence dislike risking it all in a possible coinflip. The all-in tactic is a equalizer allowing novices to annoy pros and it is effective. However if someone knows you are playing this strategy it becomes relatively simple for someone to pick you off when you are the first one to enter the pot all-in since the strategy has you doing so on medium+ suited connectors, medium+ pocket pairs, along with: AQ AK AKs KK AA. The reason why so many hands are played all-in when you are the bring in is to ensure that you pick up enough blinds so you don't get ground down by the cost per hand. So say I had QQ on the button and I see you go all-in in middle position. I call and enjoy a 65% chance of doubling up and crippling you, or being out. Not too attractive for Johnny Chan but a pretty good shot for dead money.

Cerril
09-20-2004, 03:24 AM
By the way, I've tried the revised system several times in PS $1 and $3 big tourneys, it's done very well and while I've never placed in the money, every time I got knocked out it was as a big favorite (though technically it could get you taken out on a coinflip, I always got knocked out with an overpair or two overcards to no pair).