Who plays $1-5 stud, beats it, and has fun regularly?

[CMP]

Did I just play too tight?

I played about 5 hours of $1-5 stud at a local card room Saturday.

I saw 5 hands to the river in that time.

I got split Kings on my first hand and just limped -- played weakly, and lost to 2 pair.

Next split Kings, I raised, got it 3 way, one all-in, and won both pots with just the Kings.

I made trips with an open-ended straight flush draw on 5th, didn't improve and called heads up against an opponent showing 8-10-J-Q -- he had the 9 down. Must call or easy fold? I thought he could easily have 2 pair in that zone.

I called with (4J)4 (may have been the bring in, don't remember), went (4J)4422(x), and was betting the double bet the whole way and got called in 1 place - I think the guy had higher trips than 4s and was trying to draw out. I won that one. Good call, or maniacal by that guy, assuming all his pair cards are live?

I lost with an AQ flush to a rivered full house (no pair showing).

I went all in with (KJ)x, and my opponent make Js full of Ks (got all my outs!). Maybe it was just that kind of day.

My starting standards: rolled up (didn't catch any this session), big pairs (buried or split), little pairs buried with a face upcard, live 3-flush (any), live 3-broadway, and live 3-straight over 8. That seems like so many hands, how can I be accused (at the table, even) of being too tight!

$.50 ante, $1 bring in -- how much do you think I paid in antes in 5 hours?

Sorry, this turned into more of a rant than anything.

Advice/comments for $1-5 stud with the above structure appreciated.

CMP

[Andy B]

Yes, you played too tight.

With a pair of Kings, you should probably raise right away to drive people out. I'd be happy stealing the antes.

Assuming that there isn't a lot of third street raising, and that your opponents will pay you off when you hit your door card, you should limp in with most live pairs, especially if you play reasonably well on the later streets. In any case, folding something like (A4)4 for the bring-in, which it sounds like you were doing, is ridiculous.

I am very much in the habit of calling people down with two pair when they are showing four to a straight or flush. You might be surprised at how often people don't have what they're advertising. I'd have to be very, very sure of my opponent to dump trips on the end.

On your 4s full hand, if the other guy had trips higher than 4s, he should probably have raised at some point. By sixth street, the pot is more than big enough for him to draw to his full house. Depending on how big the pot was and how live his cards were, it may have been correct for him to draw to two pair.

[MRBAA]

In this ante structure (big overante) you definitely need to loosen up. That said, I don't think this is a very fun structure for most skilled players, because the overante favors the calling station types who are prevalent at low stakes. I have found it much more profitable to play 1-3 no ante and 2-4 online with .25 ante and am now making the move up to $5-10 wi/ .50 ante. Notice that structure is double the big bet size but the same ante. (the bring in is $2 vs. $1 in $1-5 though). Your tight and trappy play would be better suited for the 1-3 game, btw.