Triumph36
03-03-2005, 06:49 PM
I've played mostly on Paradise Poker in my online career: I don't like the stack depths on Party and I don't like the bet pot button on UB. Paradise Poker recently introduced 5 max tables in addition to full ring. When I sat at a full ring table, it was the tightest game I'd ever played in. No showdowns, all small pots. So I resolved to play in the 5 max games.
Now while I've made quite a lot in the past few days, I think there are a lot of leaks in my 5 max game. I've played a lot of 5 handed live but that was for 20 or 40 BB, so there was a lot less turn and river play.
So my questions are as follows:
1: What kind of starting hands should I play, from what positions?
I've been raising hands like 9K and TJ when it's folded around to me, but folding them to raises in the SB and BB, as well as folding them UTG. I've sometimes been limping hands like QQ, KK, and AA in first position (if i've been playing tight), hoping to play small pots with them if I sense danger. I've been raising with any pocket pair when it's folded around to me. Since sets rarely seem to get paid off at this level, I've been trying to create raised pots with them.
2. How to play overcards?
At full ring, I would never hesistate to fold overcards to even a 1/2 pot bet. It could be a set, and I don't know what I want to hit. But here, usually a bet signals first or second pair, which I could easily beat when I hit my overcard, and I could have my opponent calling me down.
3. How to play out of the blinds?
I am unsure whether to call min-raises with hands like 9T suited or KJ offsuit in the big blind. I am also unsure whether to complete with hands like 78 offsuit or Q9 offsuit. The same goes for raising; do I want to be raising A9 or AT out of the blinds?
In 5 max, I know I must get involved in more marginal situations than I did at full ring. This means stabbing at lots of pots with nothing, check raising with marginal hands, and so on. I'm just wondering what the general strategy is for that kind of play.
Now while I've made quite a lot in the past few days, I think there are a lot of leaks in my 5 max game. I've played a lot of 5 handed live but that was for 20 or 40 BB, so there was a lot less turn and river play.
So my questions are as follows:
1: What kind of starting hands should I play, from what positions?
I've been raising hands like 9K and TJ when it's folded around to me, but folding them to raises in the SB and BB, as well as folding them UTG. I've sometimes been limping hands like QQ, KK, and AA in first position (if i've been playing tight), hoping to play small pots with them if I sense danger. I've been raising with any pocket pair when it's folded around to me. Since sets rarely seem to get paid off at this level, I've been trying to create raised pots with them.
2. How to play overcards?
At full ring, I would never hesistate to fold overcards to even a 1/2 pot bet. It could be a set, and I don't know what I want to hit. But here, usually a bet signals first or second pair, which I could easily beat when I hit my overcard, and I could have my opponent calling me down.
3. How to play out of the blinds?
I am unsure whether to call min-raises with hands like 9T suited or KJ offsuit in the big blind. I am also unsure whether to complete with hands like 78 offsuit or Q9 offsuit. The same goes for raising; do I want to be raising A9 or AT out of the blinds?
In 5 max, I know I must get involved in more marginal situations than I did at full ring. This means stabbing at lots of pots with nothing, check raising with marginal hands, and so on. I'm just wondering what the general strategy is for that kind of play.