lastchance
04-01-2005, 10:49 PM
I think there are a lot of holes to this guide, and there are also things that need to be put in that aren't there. But this is the basic nuts and bolts, IMHO. It gives something to play off of.
Things I'm wondering about though are: JJ and AK in L1 and L2. Play them more aggressively, and call all-in?
Patheticness of postflop guide and ITM guide (those are the hardest sections IMHO).
Pushing ranges in the L4.
Clearness of guide.
Explanations of the gap concept and ICM (wondering if they should be put in).
Limpfest situations.
Well, here it is:
Beating the Party Poker $10+1, expanded beta
This guide will assume you know some basic poker terms. If you do not, pick up a copy of the “Theory of Poker” from your local library. It gives you a very good rundown of every standard concept and play in poker.
There’s one thing I have to tell you though. Your opponents are stupid. Don’t worry about mixing up your play or being formulaic, because your opponents make a lot of mistakes.
Beating the Party Poker $10+1, expanded:
Levels 1-2
EP hands (from UTG to CO-2) The first six players to act:
--Be incredibly tight. There are only a very few hands worth playing, and even less worth raising. Bleeding chips off here is total death.
Small Pocket pairs (JJ-22):
--Limp these. Don’t raise. Call raises up to 3 times the big blind. You are playing solely to hit a set, to have 44 and have a 4 come on the flop. When this happens, do not slowplay. Bet, and don’t bet the minimum either. Otherwise, fold.
Big Pocket Pairs (AA-QQ):
--Bet 3 times the big blind, and if raised, move all-in.
High cards (AK):
--Bet 3 times the big blind and if raised with AK, raise all-in. If you have to call all-in, I would suggest folding.
Late Position:
--Play more high cards, especially those of the suited variety, specifically:
(AQs, AQ, AJs, ATs, KJs, KQs, QJs, JTs):
--Raise with these hands if it is folded to you, limp if there are limpers to you. Also raise pairs 77+ if there are no limpers to you.
Other things of note:
-When calling a raise, you need a better hand than you needed to raise in the first place
-When a raise has already been called, you need an even better hand
-When in the small blind, you can limp with slightly worse hands than normal
-When calling min raises once already in for one bet, almost any calling hand is still playable
Postflop play:
The Flop
General rules:
--Always bet the size of the pot, unless the size of the pot is 40% or more of your stack, in which case you should move all-in.
--Don’t play with marginal hands. If you don’t have at least Top pair, second kicker or multiple good draws, just lay it down.
A set or better:
Bet and raise. Don’t slowplay, don’t try to do anything fancy. Just lead out and raise, because they will call. Remember, people will call with anything, take advantage of that. Don’t let them miss their draws and fold, or hit them.
Two Pair (without a pair on the board):
Play them like sets or other really good hands, but fold the turn if it means anyone who has a card that matches the highest card on the board hits you. Your hand is also more vulnerable to straights and flushes on the turn without many of the full house outs sets have.
TPGK or Overpairs:
Be really careful. Oftentimes, two pair or a set will have drowning nearly dead on the turn, and that sucks. But also, at the $10+1, where your opponents suck, you will get paid off very often. The more the pot is in comparison to your stack, the better these hands are. If the pot is a quarter of your stack or more, I don’t see how you can get away from it. If the pot is a fifteenth of your stack, you can fold.
Draws (numerous (10+) outs to two pair or better/nuts): The nuts are the hand that can’t be beat. AK on QJT83 board without 3 to a flush, for example.
--It’s good to be the one raising all-in with a lot of live outs.
--Semibluff when there aren’t a lot of players in the pot acting last.
--If reraised while semibluffing, fold.
Level 3:
It is time to start raising. If you are shortstacked (if your stack is less than 15 times the big blind) from limping a bit too much, or perhaps a missed AK, or a bad overpair, you should stop limping. The same basic advice for levels 1 and 2 go here, except I suggest raising in certain situations.
--If it is folded to you in CO or later, you should raise with AJ, as well as the hands already mentioned.
--If there are two or more limpers to you, and you have less than 13 times the big blind, move all-in with AJ+, and 88+.
--Only limp with small pocket pairs and opponents limping ahead of you.
Level 4-6:
Blind stealing time. You are very likely to be shortstacked here. Don’t limp. You need to be ready and willing to send your chips at the pot, and be willing to fold a lot. The most important things here is picking up t150 without a showdown. Doing this consistently, and without too much risk will make you a winner. There’s a reason you add so many hands
--First, if you have less than ten times the big blind: don’t raise to 3 times the big blind, raise all-in. If you have more, than raise to 3 times the big blind.
--If your stack is bigger than anyone else’s that still has a hand, use the biggest of your opponent’s stack.
Raising hands from any position are:
77-AA, AJ+, ATs, A9s, KQs.
Folded to you In CO:
Add 66, KQ, AT, A9, A7s+, KJs to KTs.
Folded to you On the Button:
Raise A7+, KT+, any pair, QJ, suited aces, K9s.
Folded to you In SB:
Any ace, any pair, QT+, K8+, JTs-76s, J9s-86s, J8s, any suited king down to K5s, and suited queens down to Q7s.
If there are limpers, move your raising requirement back one position for every limper. For example, if there is one limper to button, you should raise with CO hands.
If there’s a raise to you, you should tighten up a lot. If your opponent raised more than 40% of his stack, only reraise or call all-in with 88+, AQ+. If your opponent raised less than that 40% number, you can reraise with the hands you raise normally from with any position. The exceptions are when you have less than 5 times the big blind, or your opponent has less than a third of your stack, in which case CO hands are good enough to call with.
Postflop play:
Continuation bets:
You raise to 3x BB with A9 on the button. You have 15x BB. One of the blinds, who has you covered by about 2x BB calls you. They check the K22 flop. What do you do?
A: Move all-in. You’re not going to be called here, at least not often enough.
That’s pretty much it after L4 and before HU. It’s really about getting the other guy to lay hands down.
Bubble play (4, maybe 5 players left):
--Spot the weak-tight players who are looking to sneak into the money. If there are one to the left of you, you can move-in with any two cards in the SB and watch yourself pick up the blinds.
--The gap concept is most important here. You can loosen up raising a slight bit, but your calling standards have to become even shorter than they already are. You need to be the first person raising, and you need to have more than 4x BB to make your opponents fold.
--Fold anything besides 99-AA, AQ+, unless, of course, the person pushing into you is short compared to you, or you are the shortest stack.
--Tighten up even more if your stack is small (less than 6x BB) but another person’s stack is 2x BB shorter.
--If shortstack has 2BB or less, it is worth calling from BB with almost anything.
In the money:
This is where formulaic play will kill you. Shorthanded, it’s all math and pure poker skills. I will give you a few pointers though.
--Ramp up your aggression. Your opponents will often have nothing, you need to play very aggressively.
--Loosen up, a lot. The worst thing you can do ITM is get run over. Be ready to gamble, with hands that you wouldn’t dream of playing normally.
--Be aware of how your opponent plays. If they never bluff, pay attention. If they fold to most of your raises, pay attention to that. Put them to the test often. That's the biggest mistake HU.
Links: Favorite threads (http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/showthreaded.php?Cat=&Number=1918735&page=4&view=c ollapsed&sb=5&o=14&fpart=1)
Things I'm wondering about though are: JJ and AK in L1 and L2. Play them more aggressively, and call all-in?
Patheticness of postflop guide and ITM guide (those are the hardest sections IMHO).
Pushing ranges in the L4.
Clearness of guide.
Explanations of the gap concept and ICM (wondering if they should be put in).
Limpfest situations.
Well, here it is:
Beating the Party Poker $10+1, expanded beta
This guide will assume you know some basic poker terms. If you do not, pick up a copy of the “Theory of Poker” from your local library. It gives you a very good rundown of every standard concept and play in poker.
There’s one thing I have to tell you though. Your opponents are stupid. Don’t worry about mixing up your play or being formulaic, because your opponents make a lot of mistakes.
Beating the Party Poker $10+1, expanded:
Levels 1-2
EP hands (from UTG to CO-2) The first six players to act:
--Be incredibly tight. There are only a very few hands worth playing, and even less worth raising. Bleeding chips off here is total death.
Small Pocket pairs (JJ-22):
--Limp these. Don’t raise. Call raises up to 3 times the big blind. You are playing solely to hit a set, to have 44 and have a 4 come on the flop. When this happens, do not slowplay. Bet, and don’t bet the minimum either. Otherwise, fold.
Big Pocket Pairs (AA-QQ):
--Bet 3 times the big blind, and if raised, move all-in.
High cards (AK):
--Bet 3 times the big blind and if raised with AK, raise all-in. If you have to call all-in, I would suggest folding.
Late Position:
--Play more high cards, especially those of the suited variety, specifically:
(AQs, AQ, AJs, ATs, KJs, KQs, QJs, JTs):
--Raise with these hands if it is folded to you, limp if there are limpers to you. Also raise pairs 77+ if there are no limpers to you.
Other things of note:
-When calling a raise, you need a better hand than you needed to raise in the first place
-When a raise has already been called, you need an even better hand
-When in the small blind, you can limp with slightly worse hands than normal
-When calling min raises once already in for one bet, almost any calling hand is still playable
Postflop play:
The Flop
General rules:
--Always bet the size of the pot, unless the size of the pot is 40% or more of your stack, in which case you should move all-in.
--Don’t play with marginal hands. If you don’t have at least Top pair, second kicker or multiple good draws, just lay it down.
A set or better:
Bet and raise. Don’t slowplay, don’t try to do anything fancy. Just lead out and raise, because they will call. Remember, people will call with anything, take advantage of that. Don’t let them miss their draws and fold, or hit them.
Two Pair (without a pair on the board):
Play them like sets or other really good hands, but fold the turn if it means anyone who has a card that matches the highest card on the board hits you. Your hand is also more vulnerable to straights and flushes on the turn without many of the full house outs sets have.
TPGK or Overpairs:
Be really careful. Oftentimes, two pair or a set will have drowning nearly dead on the turn, and that sucks. But also, at the $10+1, where your opponents suck, you will get paid off very often. The more the pot is in comparison to your stack, the better these hands are. If the pot is a quarter of your stack or more, I don’t see how you can get away from it. If the pot is a fifteenth of your stack, you can fold.
Draws (numerous (10+) outs to two pair or better/nuts): The nuts are the hand that can’t be beat. AK on QJT83 board without 3 to a flush, for example.
--It’s good to be the one raising all-in with a lot of live outs.
--Semibluff when there aren’t a lot of players in the pot acting last.
--If reraised while semibluffing, fold.
Level 3:
It is time to start raising. If you are shortstacked (if your stack is less than 15 times the big blind) from limping a bit too much, or perhaps a missed AK, or a bad overpair, you should stop limping. The same basic advice for levels 1 and 2 go here, except I suggest raising in certain situations.
--If it is folded to you in CO or later, you should raise with AJ, as well as the hands already mentioned.
--If there are two or more limpers to you, and you have less than 13 times the big blind, move all-in with AJ+, and 88+.
--Only limp with small pocket pairs and opponents limping ahead of you.
Level 4-6:
Blind stealing time. You are very likely to be shortstacked here. Don’t limp. You need to be ready and willing to send your chips at the pot, and be willing to fold a lot. The most important things here is picking up t150 without a showdown. Doing this consistently, and without too much risk will make you a winner. There’s a reason you add so many hands
--First, if you have less than ten times the big blind: don’t raise to 3 times the big blind, raise all-in. If you have more, than raise to 3 times the big blind.
--If your stack is bigger than anyone else’s that still has a hand, use the biggest of your opponent’s stack.
Raising hands from any position are:
77-AA, AJ+, ATs, A9s, KQs.
Folded to you In CO:
Add 66, KQ, AT, A9, A7s+, KJs to KTs.
Folded to you On the Button:
Raise A7+, KT+, any pair, QJ, suited aces, K9s.
Folded to you In SB:
Any ace, any pair, QT+, K8+, JTs-76s, J9s-86s, J8s, any suited king down to K5s, and suited queens down to Q7s.
If there are limpers, move your raising requirement back one position for every limper. For example, if there is one limper to button, you should raise with CO hands.
If there’s a raise to you, you should tighten up a lot. If your opponent raised more than 40% of his stack, only reraise or call all-in with 88+, AQ+. If your opponent raised less than that 40% number, you can reraise with the hands you raise normally from with any position. The exceptions are when you have less than 5 times the big blind, or your opponent has less than a third of your stack, in which case CO hands are good enough to call with.
Postflop play:
Continuation bets:
You raise to 3x BB with A9 on the button. You have 15x BB. One of the blinds, who has you covered by about 2x BB calls you. They check the K22 flop. What do you do?
A: Move all-in. You’re not going to be called here, at least not often enough.
That’s pretty much it after L4 and before HU. It’s really about getting the other guy to lay hands down.
Bubble play (4, maybe 5 players left):
--Spot the weak-tight players who are looking to sneak into the money. If there are one to the left of you, you can move-in with any two cards in the SB and watch yourself pick up the blinds.
--The gap concept is most important here. You can loosen up raising a slight bit, but your calling standards have to become even shorter than they already are. You need to be the first person raising, and you need to have more than 4x BB to make your opponents fold.
--Fold anything besides 99-AA, AQ+, unless, of course, the person pushing into you is short compared to you, or you are the shortest stack.
--Tighten up even more if your stack is small (less than 6x BB) but another person’s stack is 2x BB shorter.
--If shortstack has 2BB or less, it is worth calling from BB with almost anything.
In the money:
This is where formulaic play will kill you. Shorthanded, it’s all math and pure poker skills. I will give you a few pointers though.
--Ramp up your aggression. Your opponents will often have nothing, you need to play very aggressively.
--Loosen up, a lot. The worst thing you can do ITM is get run over. Be ready to gamble, with hands that you wouldn’t dream of playing normally.
--Be aware of how your opponent plays. If they never bluff, pay attention. If they fold to most of your raises, pay attention to that. Put them to the test often. That's the biggest mistake HU.
Links: Favorite threads (http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/showthreaded.php?Cat=&Number=1918735&page=4&view=c ollapsed&sb=5&o=14&fpart=1)