The New Stars

[spazm6666]

Stars has always IMO been a harder sight to beat than Party in the SnGo's. Partially because of a blind structure designed to let you play poker. But the players there have always just been better. SO I have been trying to really take in the play in my recent tourneys to see just HOW these people were playing "in general" to adapt and create a strategy that would readily push me ahead of them and into the money. Unfortunately I am a bit stuck.

They seem to play a decent amount of hands early. And this includes calling raises they probably shouldn't and just treating their pre-flop cards like they all have monster pocket pairs when it comes to calls. They generally will not raise if there is a raise in front of them but will raise with limpers ahead of them. They almost always will call all-ins with A10-AK. while we want this, it puts one in more race situations than preferred when we sometimes just want to take a few chips pre-flop.

Qx and Kx suited also seem fairly popular. We know the odds of that flush and the general lousiness of that kicker but hey, they don't.

So this doesn't seem to make them better, but post flop they seem smart enough not to chase very often and love to check raise. Since they play with so many hands this makes it a real guessing game as to what they called you with pre flop and just what they hit now. Worse when there are 3 doing it.

So tighten up? Loosen up? Aggression just seems dangerous without qq, kk, ak aa or limping and trying for a set. I have moderate success with suited connectors limping when possible and almost never betting when i miss the flop with any hand. qq and there is a k or a, fold. ak and no a or k on the flop, fold.

So... opinions, suggestions, comments on my observations? Give it to me baby! Unh hunh Un hunh!

spazm

[Michael Davis]

I think it is unlikely that any decent player is routinely calling all-in bets early on with AT-AK.

-Michael

[Al_Capone_Junior]

I have a suggestion... follow me here...

I cashed out completely and won't play there anymore except for occasional 2+2 events.

al

[Jason Strasser]

Your problem is that you're a rock. Your game seems uncreative, and you are trying to follow a certain set of guidelines, instead of playing with instinct.

I play the 100-200 dollar sit and gos on Party (I am hovering in between because the 200 dollars are tough for me), and I play a very tight game. But I also look for every opportunity to get chips. I make steal raises when I sense a weak raise, I love moves like the stop and go, or betting with good hands (you see, on party, betting the really good hands is deception!).

Play tight, but dont be a rock. Your style of poker will yield small gains at the smaller levels, but will not win you money as you move up. Your style of poker will also do better far away from PokerStars. [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[peiper]

What is the "stop and go"? A check/raise?

[tolbiny]

A stop and go is when you switch from agressive to passive to aggressive. In football a stop and go can be when a reciever breaks off the line fast and then throws in a hesitation 5-10 yards down field. the corner back then has to guess if he is going to break back deep or cut off his route underneath, or maybe curl back to the QB.
in poker you might hit a flop hard, bet out, then check the turn with the intention of check raising or simply betting the river. It is designed to make your opponents guess at the strength of your hand.

[peiper]

Thanks, never heard that term before.

[Che]

[ QUOTE ]
stop-and-go.

Call preflop, and then bet the flop no matter what.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is a quote from a Fossilman thread in the multitable forum. When you see the term used around here (the 2+2 forums), this is usually what the poster is talking about.

Note: This quote doesn't mention it, but the stop-and-go is normally done from the SB or BB so that you act first after the flop. Otherwise, the opponent will have the opportunity to bet before you do and you will lose the folding equity in the move.

The stop-and-go is a regular topic of discussion in the multitable forum so you might search there (especially for posts by "Greg (Fossilman)") to learn more about it. It will be a valuable addition to your toolbox if you're not already using it.

Later,
Che

[spazm6666]

I like to think that I am slowly getting out of the 'rock' style and slowly starting to change up my style as my confidence in my skill/abilities permits. My difficulty coems in that the way these tables seem to be playing very very very few showdowns are happening making it hard to see just what the other players are really holding. And if they bet appropriately, to look them up can be pretty expensive.

Any more play criticism based on what anyone has seen from my 2+2 tourney play would also be welcome.

spazm

[M.B.E.]

Click here for explanation by the World Champion of stop-and-go, and when to use it.