Spread Limit Strategy

[dark_horse]

I'm going to be playing some 2-5 spread limit hold'em in Colorado against terrible players tomorrow and was wondering if anyone has some links to articles here or elsewhere about the differences in strategy between fixed limit and spread limit. The only thing I can think of is that you have more control over the odds you give opponents (a-la NL) and if you have a strong draw in early position against a large field, you can bet a small amount to build the pot and increase your equity/odds to draw to the river.

tanx

[dark_horse]

Found one:
http://www.thepokerforum.com/spreadlimit.htm

[wildwood]

Colorado has state law limiting all gambling bets to $5. The betting in a 2-5 spread limit game does not double on the turn/river here.
In the 2-5 spread limit in most places I know of (Cripple Creek & Black Hawk), there is one $2 blind only. I've heard the Gilpin in Black Hawk has a 2/4 structured game. All games have bad beat jackpots usually aces full of jacks beaten. Rake is 10% most places I know of.
If the table respects your raises, the LRR is more effective from early with your powerful hands since you only win $2 if you raise and win the blind.
There are 5-5 games here where the minimum/maximum bet on all rounds is $5. These games attract the loose aggressive & a few maniacs. Some 5/5 games get wild with betting capped alot. Five raises per round. Sometimes unlimited raising when HU.

[dark_horse]

yep just called The Lodge in blackhawk and they have 2-5 and 5-5. the 2-5 has one $2 blind and the 5-5 has $5 and $5 blinds. i knew immediately the 5-5 game is for the LAGs. i'm not sitting down in that game with any less than $500 in my pocket.. so i'll splash around in the 2-5 for a while. looks like a good game for drawing hands. the above linked article is very good advice for the beginning spread limit player. i like how skill overcomes luck a bit more in the spread limit structure.

[wildwood]

You'll find more passives in the 2-5, but there are a few TAGs and some rocks too.
edit: You will find a few LAGs in the 2-5 who don't have the bankroll for the 5/5.

[wildwood]

In these spread limit games, you have to raise with your better hands to punish the players limping with trash. I never bet less than the maximum. Players who bet straight 5 which is a $3 raise will do that with hands like AK alot. Pay attention and you will see some betting tells. fwiw

[UncleSalty]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm going to be playing some 2-5 spread limit hold'em in Colorado against terrible players tomorrow and was wondering if anyone has some links to articles here or elsewhere about the differences in strategy between fixed limit and spread limit. The only thing I can think of is that you have more control over the odds you give opponents (a-la NL) and if you have a strong draw in early position against a large field, you can bet a small amount to build the pot and increase your equity/odds to draw to the river.

tanx

[/ QUOTE ]

That seems true in theory, but my experience is that every bet from the flop on will be multiples of $5.

I liked the Gilpin's new room quite a bit when I went there a few months back - half of it is no smoking and they do have $2/$4 structured. The Gilpin also has a 2-2-5-5 game, which is 2 blinds of $2 each, with all PF bets in $2 increments. It's straight $5 bets from the flop on. I haven't played it for more than 20 minutes while I was waiting for a NL tourney to start, so I can't offer too much advice on the quality of the players.

I stopped going to Blackhawk once I started playing $2/$4 online, cause the money was no longer worth the disgusting amount of smoke. Have fun!

[dark_horse]

[ QUOTE ]
In these spread limit games, you have to raise with your better hands to punish the players limping with trash. I never bet less than the maximum.

[/ QUOTE ]

In the article linked above, it gives two good examples where it's sound strategy to raise the minimum (raise to $4) preflop against a large field with drawing hands like 55 or 57s. But yeah if I have TPTK I'm betting the max!

I bet the max! I bet the max!

[UncleSalty]

[ QUOTE ]
In these spread limit games, you have to raise with your better hands to punish the players limping with trash. I never bet less than the maximum. Players who bet straight 5 which is a $3 raise will do that with hands like AK alot. Pay attention and you will see some betting tells. fwiw

[/ QUOTE ]

That's an interesting take. I hadn't read much about spread limit strategy when I was playing there, and when I played I was actually always making my PF raises $5 straight, even when I had a monster so I could disguise it. I suppose you're right though. Given the enormous "donk to good player" ratio at those places, it makes sense to push your equity edge every single time you have a raise-worthy hand preflop. I'm gonna change my strategy next time I head up the hill.

[dark_horse]

jeez, such a choice. i just made another call, and between two places in Blackhawk i have a choice of the following:

/images/graemlins/heart.gif2-5 spread (one $2 blind)

/images/graemlins/heart.gif2-5 spread (1/2 blinds)

/images/graemlins/heart.gif5-5 fixed (5/5 blinds)

/images/graemlins/heart.gif1-2-5-5 spread pre, fixed post, hybrid bizarro structure (1/2 blinds, $5 fixed postflop, i'm very confused)

/images/graemlins/heart.gif2/4 fixed (1/2 blinds)

/images/graemlins/heart.gif1/2 fixed (1/1 blinds) - i had no idea this game still existed on the planet. i read that ted forrest started at this level /images/graemlins/smile.gif

ted forrest is my favorite. his hair is awesome. he played like a monster last night at fulltilt's tourney on FSN.

[wildwood]

In 2/5 spread limit games, you get alot of limpers in some of these games constantly trying to flop the nuts for $2. If you make it $7. to go, some will fold to the $5 raise and some will pay the raise to see the flop with their Q5 offsuit. Good for hero either way.

[wildwood]

The rake is the big winner in these games. Ten percent of the pot is raked to a max of $3.50. Then the bad beat jackpot rake is another dollar. (In 5/5, bad beat rake is $2.) I usually tip the dealer $1. most pots. You can see it adds up. This makes alot of marginal hands unprofitable unless the players are REALLY bad. Caro says tight is right in a rake game.

[Stellastarr]

I hated the 2-6 spread at the Excalibur in LV. It was total horsemanure. They had just one $2 blind with was very strange at the time.

[dark_horse]

[ QUOTE ]
I hated the 2-6 spread at the Excalibur in LV. It was total horsemanure. They had just one $2 blind with was very strange at the time.

[/ QUOTE ]

yeah, the one i think i'm going to play is the 2-5 with only one $2 blind. how does play change with one $2 blind, vs a $1 SB and a $2 BB?