Ultra-conservative in the Small Blind

[BoxTree]

Yahoo.

It's time for me to start playing some 5/10 6-max. (Thanks, Evan and Blair.)

I plan on having no idea how to play in the blinds.

So...until I figure out how to play this game, I plan on playing virtually nothing when HU in the SB against the BB.

What is "virtually nothing"?

Please keep in mind that I am NOT looking for an optimal HU-in-the-SB starting strategy. I'm looking for a way to make my small blind play really fricking easy until I learn the basics of this game.

Here's what I have so far:

I plan on raising or folding in the small blind. I'm getting 3:1 to play. So I shouldn't be playing fewer than 25% of hands. But SB has crappy position. So I'll just play the top 20% of hands because I'm being ultra-tight and choosing to take a small loss in the small blind right now. There are 169 unique hands. If I play only the top 20%, my postflop play should be easy and my losses from the SB shouldn't be staggering.

So, the Top 20% (34 unique hands)

AA-55 (10 hands)
AKs-A8s (6 hands)
AK-A9 (5 hands)
KQs-K9s (4 hands)
KQ-KT (3 hands)
QJs-Q9s (3 hands)
QJ (1 hand)
JTs (1 hand)
JT (1 hand)

Is this too tight even for a rank newbie?

[Trix]

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I'm getting 3:1 to play. So I shouldn't be playing fewer than 25% of hands

[/ QUOTE ]

You should play 75% when getting 3:1 in an allin situation, not 25..

[jph0424]

So if it folds around to you in the sb with 22-44 or T9s you are going to fold? I think even a newbie can play these and a few others profitably HU from the sb.

[BoxTree]

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So if it folds around to you in the sb with 22-44 or T9s you are going to fold? I think even a newbie can play these and a few others profitably HU from the sb.

[/ QUOTE ]

I just don't think 22 is very easy to play in this situation. T9s might be okay. I'll toss 55. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[BoxTree]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I'm getting 3:1 to play. So I shouldn't be playing fewer than 25% of hands

[/ QUOTE ]

You should play 75% when getting 3:1 in an allin situation, not 25..

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, you're right. My 25% logic doesn't actually follow from anything. I sort of arbitrarily picked a low percentage so I wouldn't have to include hands like 87s in my list of must-play hands.

[Spicymoose]

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So, the Top 20% (34 unique hands)

AA-55 (10 hands)
AKs-A8s (6 hands)
AK-A9 (5 hands)
KQs-K9s (4 hands)
KQ-KT (3 hands)
QJs-Q9s (3 hands)
QJ (1 hand)
JTs (1 hand)
JT (1 hand)


[/ QUOTE ]

The top 20% of hands shouldn't be weighted for uniqueness, as you get some types of hands far more often than others. AKs has 4 combos, while JT has 16. According to Poker Stove the top 20% of hands are:

66+,A4s+,K8s+,Q9s+,J9s+,T9s,A9o+,KTo+,QTo+,JTo

Poker Stove doesn't use a weighting for heads up situations, but I think it is a fairly good estimate anyways.

As for your plan, I think you should broaden your standards a bit, and try to work on how to actually play well, rather then limiting your play in attempts of not losing money.

[jph0424]

I am not saying it is easy to play, I just think you could play it profitably by showing a little aggression.

[BoxTree]

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As for your plan, I think you should broaden your standards a bit, and try to work on how to actually play well, rather then limiting your play in attempts of not losing money.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm interested in playing well everywhere but HU in the SB against the BB. For now.

There's SO MUCH to learn right now that I'd rather wait until I've logged a few thousand hands before I even consider what to do HU in the SB.

It's not about losing money -- it's about avoiding situations where I know I'm going to play like a fish. I'm simply choosing to lose money in the small blind while I learn how to play in the other five seats.

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I'm getting 3:1 to play. So I shouldn't be playing fewer than 25% of hands

[/ QUOTE ]

You should play 75% when getting 3:1 in an allin situation, not 25..

[/ QUOTE ]

You're both wrong. Two undercards against two overcards (e.g., 78 vs AK) is only a 2:1 dog, so with 3:1 odds all-in, he should play 100% of the time.

Of course, you're not getting all-in odds, so you fold the SB more often because of the reverse implied odds you're laying.

[Spicymoose]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I'm getting 3:1 to play. So I shouldn't be playing fewer than 25% of hands

[/ QUOTE ]

You should play 75% when getting 3:1 in an allin situation, not 25..

[/ QUOTE ]

You're both wrong. Two undercards against two overcards (e.g., 78 vs AK) is only a 2:1 dog, so with 3:1 odds all-in, he should play 100% of the time.


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Hilarious, all 3 of you are wrong. You can't assume opponent has two overcards. Sometimes he has an overpair and your undercards are crushed with those odds.