LL Hold'em Do's and Don'ts

[wdbaker]

All,
Trying to formulate a list of do's and don'ts for low limit hold'em, things that will stand up as rules most of the time and if played consistently will make money.

Please give me your input on the rules that I have and why they are or are not correct, modifications you would make, things you would add.

Hold'em Do's and Don'ts

Pre-Flop:
Use starting hands
Play position
5 callers minimum for non starting hands, 54o etc…
Don't protect blinds with anything you wouldn't normally call with.

Reason's to stay in after Flop:
4 to flush with odds
4 to open ended straight with odds
top pair
trips

play aggressive, fold on turn if bet into unless you have the odds then check call to river.

Your thoughts please
wdbaker Denver, Co

[Ed Miller]

To be honest, I'm not sure exactly how helpful this approach is. Having said that, there was one thing I specifically wanted to take exception to.

5 callers minimum for non starting hands, 54o etc…

You shouldn't be voluntarily paying to see a flop with 54o. It is a wretched hand.

[Bob T.]

5 callers minimum for non starting hands, 54o etc…

Save your money. Play some other hand later.

Don't protect blinds with anything you wouldn't normally call with.

Actually, because of the better odds, and the reduced chance of a raise coming after you commit, you can do this.

Also, I think after the flop there are some times when second or third pair might be good, and should be played.

[eh923]

How about a few DON'Ts:
- Don't get fancy with deception. Sometimes it will work, but not often enough to make it profitable.
- Don't go on tilt! You're going to be outdrawn by people with no business being in the hand, and it's going to be frustrating.
- (connected to the previous) Don't place a premium on putting someone else on a hand since lots of LL players will play ANYTHING aggressively.
- Don't berate bad players. If they leave the table, you can't win their money. If you get a bad beat, say "nice hand" and move on.

Good luck!

[wdbaker]

Ok, no 54o stuff as per MajorKong and Bob T whom I both respect.

Just want to clarify on the protecting blinds, when i said that, I meant that if there is a raise then I should only call or raise if I have something I would normally call or raise with. I should always check from the big blind if there is no raise with anything, and call most anything in the small blind except trash (72o etc....), would this be correct?

[BTAL]

I would agree with your standards for calling and raising in the BB, but with your current SB preflop standards, you will lose more money than you make when in the SB. Although it may only cost you half or two-thirds of a bet to see the flop, that doesn't mean that it should be an automatic call. Use the same stardards that you apply to BB, i.e. only call with a hand you would call with in EP and only raise with cards you would raise with in EP. I see far too many players playing 50% of their SB hands.

Think of it this way...If there's 40 hands/hour at your table of 8, that's 5 SB's for you an hour. Let's say you're calling half a bet each time and folding out on the flop. That's 1.25 BB's an hour that you are simply giving away. I don't know what you're average take is per hour as far as BB's go, but in the last 300 hours I've logged, mine's right around 2.2. That 1.25 is HUGE! Yes, a flop will hit you every once in a while with your trash cards, but you're still losing money here. I find in my statistics, that I see the least amount of flops from the SB than from any other position. Play it tight, don't be giving away anything.

[wdbaker]

OK, based on the feed back that I've received here is the revised list

Hold'em Do's and Don'ts

Pre-Flop:
Use starting hands
Play position

Blinds:
If there is a raise then I should only call or raise if I have something I would normally call or raise with in EP. I should always check from the big blind if there is no raise with anything, and in the small blind call or raise if I have something I would normally call or raise with in EP.

Reason's to stay in after Flop:
4 to flush with odds
4 to open ended straight with odds
top pair
sometimes 2nd & 3rd pair (how do I quantify this, what makes me play it one time and not the other???)
trips


Play aggressive, fold on turn if bet into unless you have the odds then check call to river. Play it tight, don't be giving away anything.


Don'ts:
- Don't get fancy with deception. Sometimes it will work, but not often enough to make it profitable.
- Don't go on tilt! You're going to be outdrawn by people with no business being in the hand, and it's going to be frustrating.
- (connected to the previous) Don't place a premium on putting someone else on a hand since lots of LL players will play ANYTHING aggressively.
- Don't berate bad players. If they leave the table, you can't win their money. If you get a bad beat, say "nice hand" and move on.

Thanks so far to those who have participated (majorkong
, Bob T., eh923, BTAL)and look forward to many more as we continue to refine this list.

wdbaker Denver, Co

[DiamondDave]

Don't view LL Hold 'Em as a struggle for the antes.
Consider it an opportunity to bet against people who will call with hands that aren't as good as yours.
Pretend that you're all there taking turns having the best cards.
You win by having proper (not to much, nor too little) respect for others' claims about whose turn it is.
Knowing what a player has shown down gives you some clues about the validity of his claims.
Respect calls - not just bets - from strong players.
When it's your turn tax the max.
If everyone folds when you bet, start betting some of your draws like you have trips.
That should get them interested again.
And don't act too serious at the table.

[bernie]

fact is, there is no 'set' way to play any limit. there's too many factors. you could be on a loose passive game, 2 new players come in and now it's a cap fest. your 'rules' would be punished on the adjustment phase of the game. not all LL games play alike.

"Blinds:
If there is a raise then I should only call or raise if I have something I would normally call or raise with in EP. I should always check from the big blind if there is no raise with anything, and in the small blind call or raise if I have something I would normally call or raise with in EP."

you should study blind play and pot odds along with hand relations to odds. this is way too tight for many games and you'll be missing out on lots of opportuniies. btw...i studied blind play as a seperate element in the game. then as i learned some other basic stuff, i integrated and opened up my blind play. just a thought.

"sometimes 2nd & 3rd pair (how do I quantify this, what makes me play it one time and not the other???)"

player knowledge and pot odds to draw to likely outs

"Play aggressive, fold on turn if bet into unless you have the odds then check call to river. Play it tight, don't be giving away anything"

ever hear the term weak tight? using this ploy routinely will cost you many chips

"Don't get fancy with deception. Sometimes it will work, but not often enough to make it profitable."

understand the difference between deception and tactical. some players think waiting for the turn in some hands is only deception when in reality its a great tactical play that actually makes you more chips.

"Don't place a premium on putting someone else on a hand since lots of LL players will play ANYTHING aggressively."

another gross generalization. know your players. some have wide ranges. some will limp with anything but their betting/getting actively involved standards are very high. know how they bet street by street. dont assume because they get wild on the flop that they wont up their standards on the bigger bets.

i dont mean to sound harsh, since it's all criticism. but it's a pet peeve when one tries to make exact notes that can fit on an index card as if that's the magic approach. it just isnt going to happen. there is no cookie cutter approach. in blackjack you can do this. it's a very definitive game. there's one sure way to play every hand. holdem is a whole different animal.

id suggest studying more. get the basics down. no offense but some of your rules, and questions following them. show some holes in your game. once you get a solid feel fo the basics, read the loose games section in HPFAP. it's the section everyone seems to ignore or forget about. but that section alone has made me lots of chips. on many different limits.

also, learn to judge a game by the texture, not the limit. you dont make adjustments to your game because of the limit before you sit down. make them based on how the texture of the game is going.

i could add more, but this is enough for now

good luck

b

[wdbaker]

All good points, my effort to put together a list is simply so that those of us getting started in the game can possibly be break even players or at least slow the bleeding while we gain the wisdom afforded to us by the many books, knowledgeable people here at 2+2 and hours spent playing real money. So if you have any things that could be considered "most of the time rules" that would accomplish that, that is what I'm looking for.

Thanks
wdbaker Denver, Co

[Jeff V]

When I first started playing, I always looked for rules to help my play, but understand that there are no "magic bullets" or formulas/rules that will make you win. Guidelines are good, but time spent thinking about the game, and starting hand selection would be what I worked on first. ie 5 callers to play 54o- I wouldn't put $ into a pot voluntarily w/ this hand. Jeff

[Bob T.]

Read Bernie's post again.

Then remember this. It isn't about rules, it is about adjustments.

If the player to my right open raises, there are players who is probably right to muck KK against. There are two who I have played against enough to know that they don't even open raise with KK. Not to say that I would do it, but it would probably save me money. At the same time, there are players who I would three bet with K8 suited.

There is that much variation preflop, and then we throw three cards out there, and depending on how your opponents react, the best way to play changes all the time.

You asked about playing second pair, here is a hand that I played with second pair, and you can see how the value of my hand changed with the players involved.

4-8 holdem.

The game is on tilt, because one player is playing any two cards to the river, and running over it.

I am in the BB with 83 off. I am pretty much waiting until the pot is raised, so that I can get rid of this hand. 5 players limp, the SB calls, and I check.

Flop J84, rainbow. I still am mucking the first time anyone touches their chips.

checked to the button who bets. The button is an aggressive loose player. He would bet 100% of the time if checked to on the button. I checkraise, and get called by AnyTwo, and the button. Anytwo is very aggressive, and he absolutely does not have a pair with this action.

Turn, J.

Well, if I was ahead before, I am certainly ahead now. I bet, and both call.

River K.

I Check, Anytwo bets, the Button folds, and I call.

Anytwo shows 9 high, no pair, and my second pair is good. The button later told me that he had T7 suited for a gut shot, and a flush draw on the turn.

There are a lot of reasons that I thought my hand was good. The table was on tilt, because of AnyTwo, and was playing very aggressively. The absence of aggression on the flop showed that top pair and probably even second pair wasn't out there. The two players that I was playing against after the flop were loose aggressive, and they didn't give me any indication that I was beat. Additionally, this was a great image play for the tightest player at the table. At the end of the hand, I said something like, 'Just because I don't usually play 83off, doesn't mean that I can't play it well. /forums/images/icons/smirk.gif '

You have to think all the time about the action, and what it means, and what your opponents might have, and how that compares to what you have, or are drawing to, and how likely it is that you will improve, and what the likely action is along the way.

The only rule that I think I really nearly always follow is don't cold call preflop. Three bet, or get out. But like I just said, nearly always /forums/images/icons/grin.gif .

The game itself is too tough to win based on the information that you could put on one index card. What worked for a lot of us, is to play the lowest limit that you can tolerate, and learn how to beat that, and then move up do it again. Playing at a low limit, means that the lessons, and there will be a lot, will be as cheap as they possibly can be.

I realized the other day, that I have been playing almost daily for about three years, and I have learned an incredible amount about this game. But I still learn something every time I play, and I know that there is a lot more to learn.

A couple of months ago, I posted a hand that I had a problem with, went to the refridgerator, to get something to drink, and looked at my post, and Dynasty had already posted a response that answered my question. The refridgerator isn't far away, and I don't even know if I could type that fast let alone think that fast. It scares me if I ever get in a game with him. But at the same time, I hope I do some day. Maybe someday soon.

Go out, play the game, have fun, learn something, post a question, learn something else, share it with the forum, play some more, have some more fun, good luck, and see you at the tables.

[AmericanAirlines]

Well.... here's Dan Kimberg's "only bleed 3BB/hr." article:

http://www.seriouspoker.com/articles/CP_14_26.html

Sincerely,
AA

[cferejohn]

Well, you can take advantage of the fact that you do get to act last the first time around in the SB. If there have been many callers, you can call with smaller suited connectors or pocket pairs that you might not call with in EP.

[cferejohn]

This was buried in Bob T's response, but it bears repeating, and inclusion on this list (although I will echo caveats of others reguarding the utility of the list in general):

Don't coldcall pre-flop raises.

This is the single biggest mistake decent low-limit players make. If you have a strong hand (definitely AK, JJ-AA, adding more depending on how loose/aggressive the raiser is, and how likely he is to be on a blind steal), 3-bet. If there is a raise and several cold-callers, it can be correct to 3-bet with something like JTs.

The only exception I can think of is if there were several limpers, then a raise. In this case, you might want to cold-call with a strong drawing hand (others agree with this? I wouldn't think you would want to 3-bet JTs in this case since you might end up isolating against a stronger hand, when what you really want is to have many players see the flop for 2 bets each, then fit-or-fold).

[bernie]

to stop the bleeding....

rule #1. learn to play tight. and i mean tight. even overtight at first. get used to the boredom of not playing. then train yourself to be involved in the hand, watching, even though youre not in the hand.

then, as you learn more, you can loosen up your starters. even if you loosen up a little bit from being overtight for awhile, it will feel like your playing loose. when in actuality, you'll be closer to playing right.

preflp play is the quickest way to stop some holes.

post flop, just use fit or fold. with tight preflop standards, your flop decisions shouldnt be that difficult. get those down first. then, expand your game...........

one way to learn the game is breaking it into streets and learn each street seperately. most books are split up this way too. so if you think you need work on one street, read up on it. i used to find many examples in the books i have that gave me great ideas to try. or confirming ideas i already had but wasnt sure of. but again, start with preflop. build from there.

the last real indepth stuff i did was blinds and tell play. that was after i had the other stuff down pretty good. not that i didnt learn anything about those earlier, it's just i didnt concentrate on that aspect that hard, that early. i got to it later. but basic play really isnt that difficult to get a line on.

cya

b

[bernie]

i was very serious about learning the texture instead of the limit.

example...ever see an overlimit guy sit down and then complain that he cant beat the low limit games? how do you think he does when his normal, higher limit game texture starts resembling the LL games he cant beat? he probably cant beat that game either. even though it's 'his' limit.

and vice versa. i used to see players say you have to beat LL before you beat higher limits. bull. if you have the money to start at any limit, play what you can afford that isnt going to bother you. just because you can beat a 'LL' type table doesnt mean youll be any better in a higher limit if the texture is opposite. you'll be lost and youll still have to burn chips to learn how to deal with that texture anyways.

just remember the overlimit guy. how good is he really? some players are one trick ponies and can only play against 1 or 2 textures. and those are usually closely related. listen for these whining wimps. it's a weakness in their game. dont become one though. once your game becomes more rounded, it will be entertaining to hear these pussies mope and bitch. it always makes me smile inside knowing this guy is limited in his play and isnt afraid to say it.

ciao

b

[strategem]

hi wd
I'm a newbie, but I wanted to share a couple of things with you, since the posters here have been giving me such a lot of help. All of what is to follow applies only to on-line LL, as far as I know.

I have become profitable (touch wood) at the .25/.50 tables at UB - i.e. ran $35 up to $105 so far. (No guarantee of future success, obviously.)This is after losing about $150 at PP .50/1.00 tables (my first experience with hold-em).

I found that when I started implementing some table selection rules, I had fewer losing sessions. I keep records of every player I face and eventually I started to know who would i.e. call me down with nothing, go in with weak kickers, etc. I look for these players. I also don't sit down at tables at which the stats show very large average pots. I have been curious about this strategy; what will the very good LL players say about it? Okay for beginners but not what they do? Exactly what they do? A bad idea? Of course, as others have pointed out to you, it is pointless to try to put the rules for winning play on index cards. OK, I'll go one step further - for me right now, it is working better to avoid tables where a large percentage of players are seeing the flop!! All of this is backwards, isn't it? I hope for a response to these points.

One more thing - I noticed that I was constantly getting beaten in the following situation - I have i.e. AK, two or three others see the flop with me. The flop misses me. I had to learn to let go of the fact that I had great cards, and not try to bet others out of the hand. I got beaten a lot by i.e. a pair of 7s. As you know, a lot of players will go in with cards that 'aint in the book' and once they see the pair, they will stay in. I don't need to win every one of these hands to be profitable. Changing my approach when a flop misses my high cards (with which I have just raised pre-flop) has helped me a lot. I am not saying throw them all in immediately - it depends on your position and who you are playing.

I was hesitant to post here because I am such a newbie; I hope these comments aren't misleading. I am sure I will be told if they are. The last thing I will say is - I am just starting to understand what Bernie told me about 'texture', and recognizing it and reacting to it is crucial.

BTW... do you play at UB by any chance? Thought I recognized your handle

[Bob T.]

Strategem, Nice post, thanks for contributing.

On your table selection rules. It is a little against the grain, but if it works for you, then go for it. Something that has been repeated here frequently, is that there aren't good hands, or good flops, but good situations. If the games you are selecting get you into situations that you understand and are comfortable with, then go for it. I think bernie posted in this thread about learning different textures, if you can recognize a texture that you can succeed in, then you have a big part of the picture down.

[BTAL]

Okay, this has nothing to do with poker, but something just bugged me about your post. You used the phrase "i.e." twice when what you meant to say was "e.g." "i.e." means "that is" while "e.g." means "for example." Sorry, that was just bugging me.

[bernie]

"do you play at UB by any chance? Thought I recognized your handle "

me? yep. i havent played there in awhile though. but soon i should be back. although 'bernie' isnt my handle. but it's close

"I also don't sit down at tables at which the stats show very large average pots. I have been curious about this strategy; what will the very good LL players say about it? "

really depends on what you like to play. some really like the ram n jam games. but they can be nice to play once in awhile. if anything, just for the experience and change of pace. and another challenge to beat that type of game.
i think youre doing well in using table selection. game selection, to me, is one of the most important parts of winning. if youre able to select that is, some in cardrooms have to go the roundabout way to get to their desired table.

a good way to become better is by posting and letting others give you ideas. we've all been newbies before and played like crap. even played like crap when i knew better. i folded a str8flush on the river in vegas. wanna talk about a little off one's game? i didnt realize it til a little after the showdown.

we all have our moments.

b

[bernie]

i also think that how some say take a shot at higher limits can relate to taking shots at different textures. if youre used to a nice passive game, try playing a tougher game once in awhile. many times it can help your play in the other style by allowing you to see different angles.

i learned alot about shorthanded, 5 or less, in fake money games. since it was a close simulation for correct play.
another texture you can learn in fake money games is cap happy, at least 7-8 to the flop game. although in fake money games it can take forever to get to the flop the way the betting goes. those are about the only 2 i can imagine using fake cash games for as far as texture...

just a thought...

b

[wdbaker]

All,
Well, based on all the info that I have received, i need to revamp this list, there is so much good info though it will take me some time. If someone else would like to take a stab at it great, otherwise when I get sometime will go through and repost in a new thread titled the same as above part II. In the mean time please continue to post ideas and things that could be considered rudimentary rules for the less studied players.

Thanks for all of your input, man you guys should get together and right a book /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

wdbaker Denver, Co

[Flashy]

My own personal rule is I want to be able to beat a pair of 10s or top pair (J,Q,K,A) after the flop, or have a good draw. Else it is a quick muck unless I want to smei-bluff. That means I don't play off suits with a card below 10.
If I am playing smaller suit conecectors, I better pair one and have at least a runner,runner.

If there is a raise on the turn, I figure I better be able to beat two pairs (top pair over) or a small set. I adjust my outs accordingly. Too many low limit players pay for dead draws. Now I better be open ended to a straight or flush or have two pair.

I will call one player down with a pair (preferably 10s or better) if I think they are capable of a bluff. It is amazing how many times you can catch someone. A lot of people who play know that at the end the only way to win the pot is to bet. A pair of tens will beat most semi-bluffers with a small pair.

Finally, in low limit, don't try the "bet to win" at the end if there is either an Ace or a King on the board. I have never seen a river bluff work if a one of those two cards are on the board. If it is going to work, it will work on the flop when no one has an A or K.

Overall, bluffing should be minimized in low limit unless you are near the button with a semi bluff. Getting the button and a possible free card are two valid reasons to bet or raise beyond the value of the bluff.

Being able to beat a pair of tens or better may be too simplistic a rule, but I find it helps keep me out of trouble. I usually muck far more losers than the occasional miracle winner.

[wdbaker]

Hi all,
Just wanted to let you know that I placed 3rd in my first tournament freeroll on party, made $140

thanks for all your good advice
wdbaker Denver, Co

[Bob T.]

Congratulations.

[RockLobster]

[RockLobster]

Very nice, b. One thing in particular:

another gross generalization. know your players. some have wide ranges. some will limp with anything but their betting/getting actively involved standards are very high. know how they bet street by street. dont assume because they get wild on the flop that they wont up their standards on the bigger bets.

The lack of the above information cost me money when I left the gate. I believed that any knucklehead that sees 50% of the flops (over the course of 100's of hands) is an easy target. Not necessarily. I have LL players in my Poker Tracker database that actually win when seeing 50% of the flops (not many, but it does happen). What they have in common is that they can outplay most other LL players from the flop on. They don't show down nearly as often as fish, and they manage to win > 55% of their showdowns.

Side note: the upcoming release of Poker Tracker will include street by street betting patterns, which will be even more helpful in figuring out some of your opponents.

That's all for now, thanks...

[Louie Landale]

Turn "54o" into "54s". You are not giving up much (if at all) if you NEVER play an unsuited hand with a card less than 9.

You CAN and SHOULD protect your blinds since you are getting usually twice the odds for you money. A reasonable rule-of-thumb is to play the blinds like you would play on the button.

On the flop: Change the 4-flush/4-straight "with odds" to "no pair on board". Its about 100:1 that you will NOT have the right "odds" to play the flush draw, and about 25:1 for the straight draw.

Add "Kickers matter a lot". Flopping Kings with KQ is a LOT better than with K2 when someone else bets.

- Louie

[wdbaker]

Louie,
You said:
"Turn "54o" into "54s". You are not giving up much (if at all) if you NEVER play an unsuited hand with a card less than 9."

got it, that makes perfect sense now

you said:
"You CAN and SHOULD protect your blinds since you are getting usually twice the odds for you money. A reasonable rule-of-thumb is to play the blinds like you would play on the button."

I've had conflicting reports on that, some say only EP hands and some say BB type hands, wish you all would duke this one out so I know for sure cause I know you can lose a lot in the blinds.

You said:
"On the flop: Change the 4-flush/4-straight "with odds" to "no pair on board". Its about 100:1 that you will NOT have the right "odds" to play the flush draw, and about 25:1 for the straight draw."

I want to make sure I understand what you're saying here, i'm saying if i have 2 /forums/images/icons/club.gif's in the pocket and get 2 more /forums/images/icons/club.gif's on the flop, which should give me about 1.8:1 through the river, that I should play it if i have i have the odds, are you saying that I will rarely have the odds unless i am paired with the 4flush/str8?

You Said:
"Add "Kickers matter a lot". Flopping Kings with KQ is a LOT better than with K2 when someone else bets."

I'm all over this one, i rarely play with out good kickers anymore, had my head handed to me to many times.

Thanks, there are some great adds for the list here

One street at a time
wdbaker Denver, Co

[Louie Landale]

I'm saying that when you flop a 4-flush you will RARELY not "have the odds" to play. This really only comes up when you are heads-up with no raise pre-flop, against someone who never bets without top-pair. Likewise to a lesser extent with a straight draw.

Therefore you should routinely play your 4-flushes and 4-staights. Unless, like I thought I said, there is a pair ON BOARD. Then your draws quickly lose a lot of their value and passing is a prime option.

- Louie

[nathanielt]

Playing LL I've noticed it's just best to play straightforward. Stick to good starting hands and bet your strong hands. No point making any fancy plays, because your opponent won't see what you're doing. Don't try to check your strong hands, because they'll probably call a bet anyways.

[wdbaker]

I got it now, thanks

One street at a time
wdbaker Denver, Co

[wdbaker]

Good advice

One street at a time
wdbaker Denver, Co

[eh923]

How's the list coming? I hope that it's becoming apparent that Hold 'Em is fairly complex! Don't sweat the small stuff. Stick to the basics, and you'll be ahead of a lot of people (except for 2+2 visitors!).

Anyway, one post mentioned playing the blinds like you'd play the button. I have to call bullsh*t to that (or at least put a huge BUT in there)!!!

It's definitely true that you're getting better odds since you have to put in less money. Because of this, you can CALL some hands a bit more loosely. Even still, think about how many times an hour you'll be in the blinds. Routinely calling with trash adds up VERY FAST. Playing in the blinds severely limits the number of hands that you can RAISE since very few people will call one bet, and then fold when a blind raises. Finally, your reward for playing a lot of hands from the blinds is that you're in AWFUL position for the remainder of the hand.

That being said, I play the blinds very similar to how I'd play in EP. The only exception is that I'll call with more pocket pairs hoping to flop a set, and I'll play a few more suited connectors than in EP.

[wdbaker]

How's the list coming? I hope that it's becoming apparent that Hold 'Em is fairly complex! Don't sweat the small stuff. Stick to the basics, and you'll be ahead of a lot of people (except for 2+2 visitors!).

Getting there with the list, just looking for a baseline to fall back to if I get to smart for my britches. Basics as you say

Anyway, one post mentioned playing the blinds like you'd play the button. I have to call bullsh*t to that (or at least put a huge BUT in there)!!!

Thats what I needed to know

It's definitely true that you're getting better odds since you have to put in less money. Because of this, you can CALL some hands a bit more loosely. Even still, think about how many times an hour you'll be in the blinds. Routinely calling with trash adds up VERY FAST. Playing in the blinds severely limits the number of hands that you can RAISE since very few people will call one bet, and then fold when a blind raises. Finally, your reward for playing a lot of hands from the blinds is that you're in AWFUL position for the remainder of the hand.

I've been playing your way and doing alright(I was getting killed before when playing loose), i've just heard so many say to loosen up in the blinds that wasn't sure if I was missing out.

That being said, I play the blinds very similar to how I'd play in EP. The only exception is that I'll call with more pocket pairs hoping to flop a set, and I'll play a few more suited connectors than in EP.

Sounds good to me, LP hands and below are out. EP and some MP for sets and suited connectors it is.

One street at a time
wdbaker Denver, Co

I think you have received quite a few good responses especially from bernie, who often share his nuggets wisdom that I can't add anything more except a humorous quote I heard a while ago: "DON'T TRY TO MAKE CHICKEN SALAD OUT OF CHICKEN [censored]". GL /forums/images/icons/wink.gif