Absolution
12-21-2004, 12:04 PM
I've also been playing the low stakes SnGs (UB for me) and here are some of my thoughts:
- I rarely limp because of the structure. I will sometimes try and sneak in with low pocket pairs or some suited connectors when it's cheap (and almost always from mid-late position), but you can really shortstack yourself this way.
- The majority of players seem to have this deal where everybody limps, then there is some hilarious slowplaying and/or bluffing, but of course nobody can even guess what anybody else has so it's all a crap shoot. If nobody hits anything the deal is 'let's all check or minbet until somebody hits'. If you deviate from this deal they will get suspicious and call you with some very mediocre hands 'just because'. For the player with a brain this generally means you have to play extra tight and pretty much can't bluff for the first 4 or so rounds.
- Sometimes you get the super maniac player who thinks it's best to go all in with anything resembling a hand. I think their logic is to build a big stack fast and then use it bully their way to the end. Of course, these people are usually gone quickly, but when they do get lucky it's great for the tight player. You can usually just sit back and wait for either a monster to call them or for them to tilt everybody else. This is almost always good for at least a 3rd place.
- YOU CAN'T ASSUME ANYTHING. /images/graemlins/smile.gif I have to keep reminding myself of that. It's generally best not to try and put them on a hand. Just because they called your raise pre-flop, doesn't mean they have a hand worth calling. So, if you raise 4xBB with AK for example, and they call and the board comes all rags, caution is suggested. If you bet and they call...who knows. The majority of the time they probably have Ax or Kx and hit the x. After that, draws are the most likely, followed by sets, followed by 'I thought you were bluffing' and hitting something on the river.
- I rarely limp because of the structure. I will sometimes try and sneak in with low pocket pairs or some suited connectors when it's cheap (and almost always from mid-late position), but you can really shortstack yourself this way.
- The majority of players seem to have this deal where everybody limps, then there is some hilarious slowplaying and/or bluffing, but of course nobody can even guess what anybody else has so it's all a crap shoot. If nobody hits anything the deal is 'let's all check or minbet until somebody hits'. If you deviate from this deal they will get suspicious and call you with some very mediocre hands 'just because'. For the player with a brain this generally means you have to play extra tight and pretty much can't bluff for the first 4 or so rounds.
- Sometimes you get the super maniac player who thinks it's best to go all in with anything resembling a hand. I think their logic is to build a big stack fast and then use it bully their way to the end. Of course, these people are usually gone quickly, but when they do get lucky it's great for the tight player. You can usually just sit back and wait for either a monster to call them or for them to tilt everybody else. This is almost always good for at least a 3rd place.
- YOU CAN'T ASSUME ANYTHING. /images/graemlins/smile.gif I have to keep reminding myself of that. It's generally best not to try and put them on a hand. Just because they called your raise pre-flop, doesn't mean they have a hand worth calling. So, if you raise 4xBB with AK for example, and they call and the board comes all rags, caution is suggested. If you bet and they call...who knows. The majority of the time they probably have Ax or Kx and hit the x. After that, draws are the most likely, followed by sets, followed by 'I thought you were bluffing' and hitting something on the river.