Early Play - Button Strategy

[Scuba Chuck]

I'm interested in hearing how others play the button in early play for the following scenarios. Specifically, how loose does your starting hand criteria become? I think we would find the most interest on how your strategy differs from any other position. Thanks ahead of time.

What hand choices do you CALL with when the table either calls or folds to you on the button?

What hand choices do you RAISE with when the table either calls or folds to you on the button?

How do you play AQ on the button when the table either calls or folds to you?

Scuba

[Phil Van Sexton]

---What hand choices do you CALL with when the table either calls or folds to you on the button?

If you're talking about the first couple levels, I'd call on the button with a lot of hands if there were callers ahead of me. J9s, 22, KTo, 87o, etc. I'd love to see a cheap flop with any of these hands. Maybe I get lucky and flop a monster. Maybe I can pick up the pot on the flop if it's checked around to me (ie good position) or someone makes a weak bet. If neither of these things happen, I'll play very cautiously. I'm not going to lose a lot of chips with 2nd pair or even top pair.

If it's folded to me, I'd never call. I'd make a medium sized raise (3x bb) with any of the hands that I would've called with.

---What hand choices do you RAISE with when the table either calls or folds to you on the button?

When there are several callers ahead of me, I need a really good hand (AK, AQ, AA-JJ) to raise unless I have a big stack and can afford a big raise. If I have 800, I can't really be raising to 200 unless I'm willing to go allin if re-raised.

Making a smaller raise (ie 3-4x BB) might get a couple folds, but basically just creates a big multi-way pot. If you build a $300 pot against 4 players, you aren't going to be able to buy that pot cheaply. If you hit a piece of the flop, it's going to be very hard to bet or call without pot-committing yourself.

I think this is where a lot of people get into trouble. They build a big pot, then hit top pair or a big draw and then call off their stack because of the pot odds they are getting on the later streets. These calls are probably correct. However, the problem was that they created a bad situation for themselves pre-flop by building a big pot without a great hand or a big enough stack.

This all depends on the number of callers, of course. If there's only 1 or 2 callers, then I'm raising 3-4xBB with AJ, AT, KQ, 99, etc. Even if they call, the pot won't get that big, and its more likely that I can take down the pot with a bet on the flop.

---How do you play AQ on the button when the table either calls or folds to you?

I consider AQ to be a very good hand in this spot. Most people will raise with AK, so all the calls/folds make my AQ very attractive. I'd usually make significant raise, but without pot-committing myself. Something like 100-150 depending on blinds and # of callers. Often, this will win the pot right away, which is fine. If someone moves allin, I'd usually fold, but would certainly call if they had shown signs of being a maniac/dufus.

If the flop comes with an A or Q, I'd put all my chips in if a pot sized bet would pot-commit me. If the flop is checked to me or min-bet, I'd bet 150-200 and try to take it down (even if the flop missed me completely).

[The Yugoslavian]

I would imagine that a players' game plan will hinge on the buyin level, notes on any other players at the table, and how many other tables one is playing on.

In general I try to make my decisions as easy as possible in the early rounds -- I DO NOT want to make a mistake for all of my chips in a Party Poker SNG payout structure. The more tables I'm playing, the more cautious I am and the higher the limit the more cautious I am. For instance I think there is a significant difference between 10+1 SNGs and 20+2 SNGs (the level of play is not as identical as many posts in this forum state).

On level 1 I will call with many hands I will not call with on level 2 (several 30 chip limps in Party Poker's structure for under 50+5 SNGs is quite significant).

I will limp with *many* hands on level 1 on the button when there are limpers. Basically any cards that can flop big. I will abandon the hand on almost all flops but the implied odds on the initial 15 chip investment seems worth it. I will only raise AA-JJ and AK if there are many limpers (I do not believe I am a strong enough post flop player to extract +$EV with preflop value raises against a big field with other hands -- I am willing to err on the side of being weak/tight here). I will raise these hands against a big field to between 4xBB-8xBB (~60-100 chips).

If there are few limpers I will call with high suited cards, Axs, and pocket pairs. I will raise as I outlined above.

If there are no limpers and I am generally more willing to value bet decent hands (this happens so infrequently on level 1 or 2 in most low SNG limits I'm not sure it's all that important what you do).

I will call with AQs with many limpers in front, I fold AQo. I may throw in a raise with either if there are no or few limpers.

On level 2 I tighten up and am quite weak/tight. There is still so much limping going on I will still play pocket pairs for set value, Axs, and big suited connectors. I will raise AA-JJ and AK (suited or not). Sometimes when four tabling I tighten up even more.

On level 3 sometimes the field is thinned enough to steal a big and/or isolate against an opponent who seems weak. I am only going to be calling when there are many limpers and I can play for set value or have AJs+. I still raise AA-JJ, AK. I will fold AQo unless the field is thin and I think I can take the blinds with it (1 or two limpers).

FWIW I think you are not giving up that much +$EV by folding just about everything on levels 1 and 2 in lower limit SNGs (sub 50+5). MHO is that bubble play is far more important (and ability to switch gears at the right moments given your table read) to the SNG player and until I feel I've mastered that (which I haven't and maybe never will), I am not *too* concerned with squeezing out every ounce of +$EV on the early levels (as just one or two big mistakes due to impatience or boredome can erase it all).

DISCLAIMER: I am *far* from the SNG expert that many other posters on 2+2 obviously are, so there may be several grains of salt (but hopefully not a whole bucket) in this post.

Note: I am reading Harrington on Hold Em which includes several SNG HH quizzes (where Dan explains what he would do and how the subsequent play was poor or solid) and am considering the possiblity that there is more +$EV to be had at early levels. Dan seems to advocate playing quite a few hands for value and does not shy away from losing 1/4 - 1/2 of his stack early if he thinks he has a +CEV situation. I've found that when the bubble comes I cannot steal at all with the resulting short stack I end up with and am not sure I wield a medium to big stack well enough to make the +CEV into +$EV given the top 3 payout structure at Party and shallow starting chips.

Yugoslav

Note: now that I've written all that I'm actually much more intersted in the subject and would love to hear more thoughts on this thread. This is all off the top of my head and I doubt I play exactly as I've written (guess I still haven't mastered consistency).

[floppy]

I posted this on another thread in reply to Scuba's request, so I'll repost it here:




Admittedly, I haven't really thought this through, so I guess now is as good a time as any:

First off, I'd split it between Level 1 and 2-3. This is site dependent, but at Paradise the first level is 5/10 and you start with 1000 chips. A limp for 1/100th of your stack seems pretty reasonable to me.

For that reason, at Level 1, with 5 or more limpers I'd limp with anything and look to hit 2 pair. That's 3/5ths of the times the flop hits with two of your cards (trips on either is the other), so it's about a 33:1 shot, and with a lot of limpers $T330 seems reasonable (actually, it would have to be a little more to account for the suckouts, but it's not unreasonable)

With less than 5 limpers I guess I'd stay in with connectors or 1-gappers, Axs, maybe Kxs and Qxs, AJ-AK, KQ and pocket pairs.

In either case, QQ or better or AK and I raise (3 + #limpers) * BB.

I'm not interested in the suitedness of low cards because I'm afraid of the higher flush. This could be a leak, since it might not be as likely as I think it is.

Level 2, I'd limp with any pocket pair, mid range connector or 1-gapper, Axs, maybe Kxs, AJ and up (very careful on the flop, though) and KQ. Raise with QQ-AA and AK as before.

Level 3 about the same as Level 2. Probably get rid of Kxs.

Postflop Play:

With 5 or more limpers I'd be inclined to check and just let it go. At that point, it seems likely that someone is laying a trap. With 4 or fewer I suppose a pot sized bet is reasonable, but it's an obvious enough play that a second bet will probably be needed on the turn, and the pot at that point is going to be huge. It's probably level dependent, since the pot has to be small enough for people to let it go, and big enough to make calling with nothing a bad idea.

If the flop hits me good, bet it to see where you stand.

If the flop hits me for a boat, I might smooth-check to set up the turn (depends on the boat, though. I've smooth-checked a rag boat into a smaller boat. Worth the risk, perhaps, but something to be aware of).

Set or two pair, probably bet to take it down now. On the other hand, this makes implied payoff for two pair less than 33:1, so I guess a check may be in order. You're probably better off with a rag two pair against a min raise than against all limpers for that reason. I might also get fancy with a set if the flop isn't very coordinated, but it is a risk (and you're already getting the 7.5:1 odds you needed to limp with your pocket pair, so there's no sin in preventing free cards)

A few notes:

- At all of levels 1-3, I'd call a minraise. The pot odds are just too juicy.

- I might be picky about connectors where both cards are 9-J, since your straight draw is more likely to be up against top pair or two pair.

- Against limpers, I think KQ can be pretty powerful if you know that AK and AQ would have been raised. For this same reason, I think limping with AK in early position is a good idea. /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[ilya]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm interested in hearing how others play the button in early play for the following scenarios. Specifically, how loose does your starting hand criteria become? I think we would find the most interest on how your strategy differs from any other position. Thanks ahead of time.

What hand choices do you CALL with when the table either calls or folds to you on the button?

What hand choices do you RAISE with when the table either calls or folds to you on the button?

How do you play AQ on the button when the table either calls or folds to you?

Scuba

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't like to get too fancy early on no matter how good my position.

On levels 1-2...

If there is one or more limpers to me, I'll call with TT-22, AJs, ATs, KQs, KQo...and that's about it. If I'm feeling looser that day, I might call with Axs and suited connectors down to about 76s. I'll do this sometimes on level 1 and rarely on level 2 unless I've already won a pot.
I'll raise with AK, perhaps AQ, and AA-JJ -- although I might just call with JJ, too.

If it's folded to me, I'll raise with AKs-ATs, AK-AQ, and AA-88 or so. I will fold everything else.