Idea for Low Stakes Game

[KenProspero]

Primarily, I play low stakes games. I recently had the following idea (which I've had a little success with, and want people's views).

Early in the tournament, you've limped in, and missed your flop.

Usually, what I do is check/fold here. But, now, 50% of the time, I try throw in a mini-raise.

The thoughts are many people in these games will fold to any mini raise and that I want to know who these people are. A more aggressive bet will more likely take the pot down right there, but the information is what I'm really after.

Between my play, and watching how people are reacting to this at the table, I get a pretty good feel for how someone will play, which is very useful late in the tournament or one on one.

Of course, if the person changes gears when the table is thinned out, the information isn't too useful. However, at the lower levels, I'm finding that most players only have one gear, and their style is readily discoverable.

[The Yugoslavian]

Meh.

Yugoslav

[Slim Pickens]

Really...? I love seeing who'll minraise to fold me out of a 100-chip pot early, so when they try it later I can come back over the top on Level 4 and pick up a free 400 chips.

Slim

[KenProspero]

Slim:

I prefaced this by saying that it's a low stakes game, where I've observed that very few are varying their play. Occasionally, I get caught in the manner you suggested, but in general, I think I'm getting a lot of cheap information.

Overall, I think I've answered my own question -- the mini-raise (as described) is a bad play, unless you're playing against very predictible players. And if you're playing against very predictible players anything that lets you analyze their games is worthwhile.

I'm rethinking the issue, figuring that I can get most of the information by watching other's mini-bets, and avoiding developing a bad habit.

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so when they try it later I can come back over the top on Level 4 and pick up a free 400 chips

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Something like this actually happened to me yesterday. However, I suspected the player was on to what I was doing, so when he came over the top, I put him all in with my KK. (It's nice when a plan comes together, even if the theory isn't as sound as I had thought it was.)

[Slim Pickens]

[ QUOTE ]
I prefaced this by saying that it's a low stakes game, where I've observed that very few are varying their play.

[/ QUOTE ]
I am exclusively a low-stakes rec player at this point. /images/graemlins/tongue.gif Overall I agree, but I'm really more worried about the three other decent players at the table, one or two of whom I'll probably be facing if I get to the bubble. The nutjob with 4000 chips from calling all-ins with pocket 2's is predictable and easy to take down through his own mistakes. It's the sharks I need to try to outplay. I doubt you get any info by seeing someone fold or call your minraise that you couldn't get just by watching what they do to someone else's. Pros buy info because the other pros don't give it out for free, but at least at the 10+1's, most players are open books anyway.

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However, I suspected the player was on to what I was doing, so when he came over the top, I put him all in with my KK.

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Ha! This is probably why 7th is the mode of my finish distribution. Sometimes you get busted, but I think it's still a +EV play overall.

[Big Limpin']

Ken, trying to "out-think" the low stakes game is like trying to mentally picture what a second-squared is. As in m/s2. Its futile, confusing, and unproductive.