question for high stakes NL players (10/20+)

[TheHoss]

few random questions just because im curious ;o

1. going up the limits, which transition was the most difficult?

2. what is the biggest change you had to make from the lower limits? i.e. not just what you learned by the time you got to the higher limits that made you a better player, but like...how the optimal approach changes in your view at high limits from the optimal approach at lower limits (i hope that made sense). Anything besides more reads?

[SheridanCat]

I would suggest you ask this in the high stakes NL forum, I'm sure you'll get more replies there.

Regards,

T

[TaoTe]

I would agree with SheridanCat on this, that you will get better responses in another forum. However, there are many good posters to draw information from. But, since I'm in the the mood to talk about poker, I'll give you my opinion. The highest I've ever played NL is $100 at which I found most players soft. It's easy to win at the nano limits. Why? Because the ABC approach to poker wlll be a winner. The players are not thinking on high levels, are not making situational decsicions, and are not as sophisticated as lower limit players.

The biggest change in moving up is psychologically. A good example is in a
$100 game I played a few weeks back against an opponent who I respect and know that he knows how to play, even at a low limit. He has countless hours online and has been a successful winner. We are also good friends and talk poker a lot, so I know he knows my game.

If you can get where I'm going to about knowing what he knows I know he knows, than it'll be a lot easier to grasp what I'm saying. So, without more delay I'll replay the following hand we played.

Short handed 1/1 NLHE. 5 players, two fold to me with AQo. I make a standard raise to four dollars and get only one caller, from the previously mentioned thinking player.

Now, let's forget the cards for a moment. 90% of the time I'm going to make a continuation bet with this hand regardless of what the flop is. I know this and so does my opponent. He knows I know I won't check a flop OOP with only one caller and representing a strong hand. I also know he won't call a pot sized bet on the flop without a hand. So, knowing that, we'll continue with the card part of the hand.

The floop is: 872r. I'm thrilled about this flop. It's, as I often say, a pasta flop. Except for the two connecting cards, there's nothing out there for anyone. I'm confident I have the best hand as most hands that could beat me would have raised prefloop. I make a bet of $10 expecting my opponent to go away. Instead he makes a raise.

Against someone I don't know, I'd generally lay this hand down, but against this opponent I know he plays very strong PF and that he didn't have much of a hand. Also, I know that he knows I'll make continuation bets on the flop almost every time I raise. Since most of the time I won't have hit the flop or have an overpair to the board, he knows that he can drive me out with a raise a lot of the times and knows that when I play back at him he can safely fold his hand.

It's at this point in the hand when I consider what he actually has. If he has a small pair, he will fold most of the time if I raise because I've, up to this point, represented an overpair to the board. If he has nothing he will have to fold. If he flopped a set, he's likely to slowplay. I don't think about a lot of the math while playing the hand, but him holding a pair and flopping a set is unlikely. Why a set? Because he can only call if he can beat an overpair to the board and a set (and two pair) is the only thing that can beat my hand.

My action. I push all in for the rest of my chips. He takes only a few seconds to fold. He said he was a "dog" in the hand and told me he folded 9T, which was actually the favorite in the hand. BTW, the 9T of diamonds is my favorite HE hand.

So, what's the difference in limits? The thinking of the players in the game, mostly. Also, know that I consider myself one of the donkeys in the game, yet I'm still putting a lot of thought into the hands. Imagine how much thought a higher limit player puts into it all. That's your difference.