Play Along: Low PP and Blind Defense

[MrWookie47]

Playing low pocket pairs and defending blinds are two issues that come up at least once a week. This is a hand that may be boring to some, but this is an example of playing low pocket pairs and defending your blinds that some might find interesting. I think I'll post it in play along mode.

Reads: I'm bonus whoring over at Absolute, and, man, is it tight. Like, sticking your dick in a vice tight. Never more that 3 players per flop. However, I've been running fairly well and have had great success stealing blinds for fun and profit. The villains in this hand appear to be on the weak-tight side of TAG, but the combination of a lack of GT+ and not very many hands prevented me from having stats. I'd seen both of them make bet/folding plays, or even raising the flop after a PFR and then immediately folding to a 3bet. Not getting to see many of their hands, it was hard to tell if they were weak-tight or flagrant bluffers. I have never seen a preflop raise not followed by an auto-bet if checked to. Anyway, here goes.

Absolute Poker 0.50/1 Hold'em (8 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

Preflop: Hero is SB with 4/images/graemlins/club.gif, 4/images/graemlins/heart.gif.
<font color="#666666">4 folds</font>, <font color="#CC3333">CO raises</font>, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, <font color="blue"> Hero???</font>

[toss]

I'll tell you my secret for clearing bonuses at Absolute a lot more quickly. Play shorthanded!!! About 50% of the players at shorthanded buy in at the minimum. Thats like free money dude. And I fold this one depending on what BB is like.

[MrWookie47]

Short handed, eh? Are the players that much worse? I guess I was basing my decision on the table at bonuswhores.com that lists the bonus as clearing marginally faster at 0.50/1 full as marginally faster than at 0.50/1 short handed. They do list 1/2 6max as faster than full, however. Hmmmm. While I have made the move up to 1/2, I haven't tried any 6max play, although playing full ring at Absolute is short handed virtually every flop.