Has the calling "all-in" standards at the 50's gone to hell?

[swarm]

The past 3 days have been quite strange... i've been getting called down by extremely marginal holdings from opponnents that have healthy stacks.

Example on a 55

50/100

UTG - 800
UTG+1 - 1100
CO (Villan) - 1200
Button - 3000
SB - 800
Hero (1100) bb

UTG folds, UTG+1 folds, CO limps, Button limps, SB folds, Hero Pushes all in with AJ (makes it 1000 to go)

CO calls all in with J10s
Button folds

Whether I won or lost the hand doesn't matter but what I have been noticing is that people are calling with all kinds of garbage of late.

I've been called by K8off, KJoff, A4s, A5off, 109s, K10o, QJ (everyone calls with QJ why???) and KJ. I never remembered this many odd holding call me down in the 50's. Have people tired of people pushing them around during the bubble. Too many 2+2ers in the 50's blind stealing?

Through all of this I would say I was the favorite 90% of the time and i'm not even pushing great hands. They call and i'm like "ah crap" and then they flip over and i'm the favorite and i'm shocked. I'm just baffled by most of the calls from people who have healthy stacks, it's bizarre.

Anybody else noticing this at the 50's of late?
Is it altering your strategy any?

[adanthar]

Completely random guess as I haven't been playing this week: The forum has hit a critical mass of PVS posts and now people are spite calling everything in sight.

[FMThe2nd]

I was just called by J9o (him=T1600, me=T950) in a $33. I had 96o (doh!).

[ewing55]

If you need to work on your strategy come on down to the 10s and 20s. They call with that crap all the time. *alter* my strategy? Not a bit, my strategy was formed based upon them calling with that crap. Had to! /images/graemlins/laugh.gif

-------------Jeff

[ilya]

IF this is a real phenomenon, one cause may be that players are realizing that many of their opponents are pushing with very wide ranges, and adjusting their calling ranges accordingly.

[Bigwig]

No, I haven't noticed any difference.

Save for me winning.

[Newt_Buggs]

[ QUOTE ]
No, I haven't noticed any difference.

Save for me winning.

[/ QUOTE ]
I agree with this post, except for the winning part (as I was typing this post my AA just got sucked out on, nice). I've been getting called with crap, but nothing out of the ordinary at the $50s.

[Nottom]

I was always called with weak hands whenever I tried to PVS, even before it was the rage of the STT forum. As such I took to just pushing with 99+ after multiple limpers fully expecting to be called by a worse hand a good portion of the time.

[Eevee]

Oh yeah DEFINITELY....I pushed 23o on the bubble and Newt called with 77...WTF. lol. NH newt.

-EV

[Newt_Buggs]

Hahahaha, I didn't know that account was you, or even a 2+2er but I recognized your account name from the empire tournament master board so figured that you would be pushing any two there /images/graemlins/wink.gif

edit: plus I had your poker prophecy stats sitting on my other monitor.

[45suited]

[ QUOTE ]
IF this is a real phenomenon, one cause may be that players are realizing that many of their opponents are pushing with very wide ranges, and adjusting their calling ranges accordingly.

[/ QUOTE ]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!! /images/graemlins/shocked.gif Please God don't let this be true!!!!!!!!!!!!

(Okay, I play the 11s and 22s but this is still a scary prospect.)

Maybe it should be part of the forum by-laws that we can't talk to anyone outside of 2+2 about this website... Make it a secret society - like the Freemasons. You talk about it and you're out. /images/graemlins/smirk.gif

[hummusx]

I've been avoiding posting this same thing for fear that people would flame for suggesting it. I've been getting called by UTTER CRAP since I moved to the 50s. Way worse than it was at the 33s. You'd think this would be an ok thing, except that half the time I AM pushing crap. I've busted out way, way more on the bubble in 55s than I should be.

[45suited]

From today at the 11s in consecutive games, all at bubble time:

1) Blinds 100-200. I'm on the button with t1300 open push with JJ. BB also has t1300, calls with Q2s.

2) Blinds 100-200. I'm in SB with t1200 with A6 and open push. BB, who has me covered by 100 chips, calls with K2o.

3) Blinds 100-200. I'm button with KJs with t1280 and open push, BB again has me covered by about 100 chips. Calls with 57s.

In all of these cases, the caller and I had similar, healthy stacks, so they weren't so desperate that they had to call. Also, in two of the cases, it was the first time I pushed and in the other, it was only the second time I pushed.

Maybe the original poster is right and there really is a trend starting of looser (to say the least) calling standards. (Or this is just more stupid play at the 11s in these cases.) But it is beginning to make me wonder as well...

I should add that in the A6 case when I was called by K2, he won the hand and then said that "he knew that I didn't have anything" and that it "looked like an overbet" so that's why he called. The overbet comment really amused me - would he normally put in a 3BB raise in this spot? /images/graemlins/smirk.gif

[Freudian]

When I know people are pushing close to any two my calling range may be quite wide. That they then suck out on me is probably divine punishment for my insolence.

[ewing55]

I've been thinking about this situation for a while now...

First of all, I don't even want to begin to suggest that this is the best strategy "by the book." but...

If you watch me play...

In the first couple levels I look scared, I mean I rarely play a hand and if I do I usually end up pushing in on the flop or turn and you never see my cards. (I'm pushing AA & KK) You may see me limp a hand or two and then fold on the flop. (small pockets)
In the next level or two I start to push a couple hands. Everyone folds, so you never see my hand.
In levels after 5 I'm pushing a lot.

Do you think I know how to play poker? Do you think I know how to play post-flop? Or am I just a scared player who thinks he can just push a lot and win? ( I know the 2+2's know I don't have a clue /images/graemlins/laugh.gif, but I mean for the normal fishes that play.)

And if you think I don't know how to play, how brave are you going to get in calling me? Braver than normal I'll bet.

When I end up actually "playing" a blind, I seem to get more respect for my pushes later on.

Comments?

------------Jeff