Party Poker Suggestions

[2+2 Junkie]

I have been struggling w/ crushing Party Poker, in fact I have been having trouble breaking even. Without giving the classic, I can win in tight games can't win in loose games, i have some questions.

What avg. pot size do you pick when selecting tables? Which is too loose, too tight?

What starting hands increase in value (some of the more premium hands get sucked out more to reverse domination/two pair)?

What should your VPIP be in regards to these loose games? Does it increase/decrease? (mine is currently 17)

I find myself becoming more and more passive because as I begin to push, I am losing more (AA lost to a cold call 92, made me less agressive with the crappy wait and see if I win betting....). Any suggestions (I have read SSHE 3 times, so please refrain from that advice) would be helpful. Thanks in advance.

[Rev. Good Will]

don't worry man, you just could have the sh*t end of varience right now.

i don't know what your sample size is, but if its a decent one, 17 VPIP is too low IMHO

best advice? if you've already gotten SSH (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1880685329/qid%3D1113244889/sr%3D2-1/ref%3Dpd%5Fbbs%5Fb%5F2%5F1/103-8922397-6993453), study it more, if you don't have it, buy it. In addition, start to post hands you have problems/questions with.

its the best thing I've done to my game

[McGahee]

I was a decent sized loser on Party, as embarassing as that is to admit. I made uh, well, too many deposits. Became a decent winner at "ultra-tight" UB, and now I'm crushing Paradise. Every now & then I venture back to Party and think "uh oh here we go again" as soon as I get sucked out on.

It sounds like your problems might also be largely psychological. Try a different site and see how that works.
It kind of sucks being the ugly duckling who doesn't play Party regularly, but oh well, I like winning.

[BatsShadow]

I don't really have any answers to your first questions about table selection, but I would say do not get less agressive with AA just because it gets sucked out on. I have nearly an 80% winrate with AA (only 6500 hands, but...). Fold it only if you have evidence that you are beat.

My VPIP is a little higher than I'd like, hovering just over 24. I'd like to bring it down a few percent. Most people agree that for the party .5/1 you should be a little over 20.

I'd say if you are having trouble, re-read SSH, and try playing only one table. If you don't spot any bad players at the table in a few minutes, switch tables. Party tables seem to be quite varied. Some are loose, some are too weak-tight, and some are just tough for me. When at a tight table, steal more, and at a loose table, play more big drawing hands.

[deception5]

I usually play at a table which has a decent sized but not huge avg pot size.

It sounds like you are letting your short-term results get the better of you. Your AA will be cracked by 92 and even worse. If this:

[ QUOTE ]
made me less agressive with the crappy wait and see if I win betting

[/ QUOTE ]

means that you are not betting when you likely have the best hand then you are letting your opponents draw out on you. With aces you should not even think about slowing down until you are raised (probably more than once unless the board is scary). And even then you should only fold when you are clearly beaten.

If you are sitting down at the tables with the mentality that "I'm probably going to have a losing session" you might think about taking a few days off and going back refreshed. Or maybe a few days of reading/posting/etc.

You might be just on a bad run, but routinely playing passively postflop because you are afraid you will be drawn out on is a self-fulfilling prophecy - you are letting them draw out on you...

[istewart]

I'm a real table selection Nazi, but in general I'll just have four running in the background for datamining anyway, and when I want to play I watch them all for a bit. Usually I don't look at the table stats, mostly just looking for "old friends" and the occasional table with 7 limpers.

[YM2K58]

I found that I was folding my decent hands on the river because I thought someone had me beat (flush, straight, set, whatever). I quickly found out that they don't hold the "nuts" and in some cases, nothing at all. Be very careful about folding a big pot on the river for 1 bet. And, unless your slow-playing a monster, raise or fold.

As far as table selection - medium sized pots, VPIP ~30, PFR < 5, only 1 or 2 big stacks.

[2+2 Junkie]

Thanks for the VPIP and PFR numbers as far as table selection. I know that we aren't supposed to fold big pots, but how many BB's do we have to have to consider a pot big?

[SteveM]

Re: PP table selection. Here's what I've been doing - please feel free to add suggestions. I play mostly $.50/$1 and $1/$2. I don't use GT or PV, so when I sit at a table I usually have little info on it and just have to assume it is a "normal" PP table. I do use PT after each session and I meticulously export the notes on my opponents. Based on this information, I have an extensive buddy list (and a separate "all-star" superfish list). To select a table, I search for my buddies, especially the all-stars, and open up the tables where they're sitting. If there are too many TAAs already staking out my fish, I'll leave. If there are just a bunch of unknowns or average players I'll join the wait list (making sure the fish is still there when my seat opens up). I do this for as many tables as I can until I'm too busy playing (I usually 3-table because it lets me use my 4th table to check for jucier games while I'm playing). Oh yeah, another thing is that I'll often get up and leave soon if the table is too tight or if some of the unknowns seem scary. There are lots of tables to choose from, so no need to sit with 3 other known TAAs. So far, so good, but I'm sure it could be improved.

BTW, this is a change from my previous strategy of choosing the table with the higest ave. pot size. I've found those games to be unpredictable. Sometimes very loose and sometimes very aggressive.

[Deamon2]

If you're not looking for specific fish, try to find shorthanded .5/1 games. Most of the players there were there when everyone left, or are waiting for it to fill up. That being said, they don't know how to adjust to a shorthanded game, and will either fold everything or call down everything. They'll continue to suck when the game fills up.

Other criteria I use is a table where no one is above 20bb. It's worked really well for me in the past (before PT at least)

[deception5]

[ QUOTE ]
If you're not looking for specific fish, try to find shorthanded .5/1 games. Most of the players there were there when everyone left, or are waiting for it to fill up. That being said, they don't know how to adjust to a shorthanded game, and will either fold everything or call down everything. They'll continue to suck when the game fills up.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is only a good idea if you can adjust to shorthanded yourself /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[Deamon2]

lol good point

[TripleH68]

I don't spend time on table selection. The texture of a table is changing all the time.

What I do spend time on is leaving tables when the game gets bad for me. It took me a long time to learn this lesson, but I think it is important.

As for adjusting your game I think a lot has been said about adjusting your VP$IP for the sake of numbers. You shouldn't worry about that. Be more aware of your pfr%. It is in learning which spots to play or pass that make the winrate go up.

BTW, I play at party and stars and will toss in my two cents that party is usually a bit looser.

[2+2 Junkie]

My PFR % is around 6, how good/bad is this?

[Chex]

rotten

[MrWookie47]

Terrible. Doubling it would be better.

[2+2 Junkie]

I know this is difficult to answer, but how do I do that. What hands are raisable that I am not raising with

PP 99-AA
AK-AJ
KQ
KQs-KJs
QJs
AKs-ATs

Suggestions would help.

[BatsShadow]

For the most part, you can't just make a list of hands to raise. Some hands you can say "raise every time", but you'd still be wrong. The point is that you raise both on the quality of your cards, and the table situation. To get in more raises, go for more steals, and maybe more isolation attempts. Other than that, just read the SSHE chart.

[TripleH68]

[ QUOTE ]
I know this is difficult to answer, but how do I do that. What hands are raisable that I am not raising with

PP 99-AA
AK-AJ
KQ
KQs-KJs
QJs
AKs-ATs

Suggestions would help.

[/ QUOTE ]

A wide range of hands can be raised in the correct situations. Today the guy two seats to my left quit the table because I "always raised on the button." Of course I did not 'always' raise on the button, just quite a bit.

It takes a bit of experience to understand that a pfr is only 1 SB, it does not commit you to anything postflop and makes hands easier to play for you...and tougher for your opponents.

Last session I recall raising Q9s from the CO versus two limpers who were slightly loose/passive. If I am going to play this hand, why not raise?

[fflyer]

[ QUOTE ]
Re: PP table selection. Here's what I've been doing - please feel free to add suggestions. I play mostly $.50/$1 and $1/$2. I don't use GT or PV, so when I sit at a table I usually have little info on it and just have to assume it is a "normal" PP table. I do use PT after each session and I meticulously export the notes on my opponents. Based on this information, I have an extensive buddy list (and a separate "all-star" superfish list). To select a table, I search for my buddies, especially the all-stars, and open up the tables where they're sitting. If there are too many TAAs already staking out my fish, I'll leave. If there are just a bunch of unknowns or average players I'll join the wait list (making sure the fish is still there when my seat opens up). I do this for as many tables as I can until I'm too busy playing (I usually 3-table because it lets me use my 4th table to check for jucier games while I'm playing). Oh yeah, another thing is that I'll often get up and leave soon if the table is too tight or if some of the unknowns seem scary. There are lots of tables to choose from, so no need to sit with 3 other known TAAs. So far, so good, but I'm sure it could be improved.

BTW, this is a change from my previous strategy of choosing the table with the higest ave. pot size. I've found those games to be unpredictable. Sometimes very loose and sometimes very aggressive.

[/ QUOTE ]


How do you find your "buddies" on Party? I only recently started playing on the site, and I haven't stumbled across any guide on how to create a buddies list.

[SteveM]

Log in, then go to "my account" and select "buddy list." Click the button to "add buddy," repeat. Then you can select "search tables" from the main lobby and click the tab for "player search." click on "buddies" (only shows those currently logged in) then click all their boxes, hit Enter, then "search." Now you can see where they're all playing.

Good luck!

[Shillx]

There are the hands that I will always raise if the pot has not been raised and the table isn't super tight.

TT+ or 99+
AJo+, KQo
ATs+, KJs+

Then you have the hands that you will open-raise after a few have folded...

77-99
ATo, KJo, A9s, KTs, QJs, QTs, JTs
Some others at random

All in all, these are the hands that I will usually keep an open mind about raising (not steal raising)...

55+ or 66+
A9o+, A6s+
KTo+, K7s+
QTo+, Q9s+
JTo, J9s+
T9s, T8s, 98s, 97s, 87s

That is a lot of different hands. Think outside the box.

Brad