KK - Stupidly Cautious?
 

I'm just gettin started in limit, and I figured might as well start at the bottom... I'm not comfortable enough playing .5/1, so I'm at the nanos [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img] Waitin on Neteller to clear so I can register PT and PA, and this guy's new to the table anyway. No reads. I've been solid - not that they'd notice. Anyhow...

PokerStars 0.02/0.04 Hold'em (8 handed) converter

Preflop: Hero is Button with K[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], K[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]. MP2 posts a blind of $0.02.
<font color="#666666">3 folds</font>, MP2 (poster) checks, <font color="#CC3333">Villian raises</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero 3-bets</font>, SB calls, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, MP2 folds, <font color="#CC3333">Villian caps</font>, Hero calls, SB calls.

KK preflop vs a capper. Alright!

Flop: (14 SB) 3[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], J[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], Q[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(3 players)</font>
SB checks, <font color="#CC3333">Villian bets</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises</font>, SB folds, <font color="#CC3333">Villian 3-bets</font>, Hero calls.

He leads. I raise. His 3-bet scares me - should it? We're at the nanos, but is he capping enough crap here - or is this AK enough - that I should cap the flop? He can have AK 8 ways (AKh for the flush draw), QQ 3 ways, JJ 3 ways, AA 4 ways and KK 1 way. Is my call right? I went into c/c mode

Turn: (10 BB) 2[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">Villian bets</font>, Hero calls.

Yep, check/call...

River: (12 BB) 7[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>

Final Pot: 12 BB

Was my line too cautious? What should I expect to be seen from this guy who capped preflop, and bet/raised every single street? Are my Kings gonna be good here? Also, if I decide he's probably got me beat, am I better off just folding? Probably not at the nanos, right?

Thanks for your thoughts.

Re: KK - Stupidly Cautious?
 

I would cap the flop, and call down if he leads the turn. If he doesn't lead the turn, bet, and call down vs a C/R.

Re: KK - Stupidly Cautious?
 

Because it's .02/.04, my first instinct is for you to cap the flop and see if villain leads out on the turn. If he does, I think I call it down from there. If not, I'd bet, call a raise, and call on the river.

Now, if this was .50/1, I like your line better, since the play at .50/1 is sufficiently relatively better to make it less likely that villain is playing like a total donk.

Re: KK - Stupidly Cautious?
 

[ QUOTE ]
Now, if this was .50/1, I like your line better, since the play at .50/1 is sufficiently relatively better to make it less likely that villain is playing like a total donk.

[/ QUOTE ]

Now, I was worrying about this. Its .02/.04, so its a joke at times. People just like to raise - I've already noticed this. Maybe its blowing off steam, like jumping into a $5 SNG and pushing every hand. But don't I want to be playing good poker, and not really adjusting my game to suit the .02/.04 metagame - if you wanna call it that? Or, as long as I realize when I'm making a move that's contrary to what I should do at .5/1 - but I know why I'm making it (its .02/.04) - is this a good idea?

Its all about learning, right now... maximizing profit is a ways off [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

Re: KK - Stupidly Cautious?
 

Looks fine to me.

Seen as though the villain capped preflop his range is quite small {JJ, QQ , KK, AA, AK} if he is reasonable but at this limit he probably isn't so i'm going to showdown with this.

If villain was reasonable i'd call down from his first flop bet.

Re: KK - Stupidly Cautious?
 

[ QUOTE ]
But don't I want to be playing good poker, and not really adjusting my game to suit the .02/.04 metagame - if you wanna call it that? Or, as long as I realize when I'm making a move that's contrary to what I should do at .5/1 - but I know why I'm making it (its .02/.04) - is this a good idea?

Its all about learning, right now... maximizing profit is a ways off [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

If you're just starting out, then yes, it's definitely good to be playing good poker. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] However, part of playing good poker is adjusting to game conditions and table texture. I know you said you were just starting out, but soon enough, you'll have the more basic strategies down and be able to concentrate more on adjusting, so I was just throwing it out there as something to keep in the back of your mind for the future. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

FWIW, I started out at the PS .02/.04 a little over a year ago myself, so I'm speaking from personal experience, looking back and contrasting the differences between the different levels.

Re: KK - Stupidly Cautious?
 

I see no reason to believe AQ, AQh especially, and AKh aren't in his range here. But yeah, call down, you don't beat much that 3-bets the flop. A busted flush draw and AQ are about it.

BTW, what's your screenname?

Re: KK - Stupidly Cautious?
 

This line's fine against an unknown with this kind of board.

Re: KK - Stupidly Cautious?
 

Grunch:
I thought you played it fine. You might cap flop and see if he still leads out on turn. If so I go into call down mode. He could be FOS. At this level I've seen a lot of maniacs. If you get some showdowns on him you might get a better read. I think you are right to play good poker, but I would move up to .05/.10 or little higher asap. I think my game had to change alot after .02/.04

Re: KK - Stupidly Cautious?
 

All,

Is .02/.04 really that horrendous? If so, does moving up to .05/.1 change the game enough that I can expect to gain a lot more from learning that game? I don't want to spend time applying a good skill set to .02/.04 and find out that, once i move up, the idiocy at .02/.04 has caused me to change the way I play the game.

Thoughts?

Re: KK - Stupidly Cautious?
 

At .05/.10, I think the players are slightly better. When I started out at .02/.04, I couldn't wait to get up to .05/.10, since it seemed like everything I was learning and applying was somewhat useless in a game where a bet and a raise usually meant my opponents simply had 2 cards. .05/.10 starts to play more like a real game. You still have your fair share of total idiots, but it starts to feel more like real money and less like play money. I definitely felt like .25/.50 was where I learned the most, however. Not to say that I'm not still learning, but .25/.50 seemed to be the cutoff on Stars between people throwing around money and people trying to play poker (albeit for the most part, still not very well [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]).

Re: KK - Stupidly Cautious?
 

[ QUOTE ]
All,

Is .02/.04 really that horrendous? If so, does moving up to .05/.1 change the game enough that I can expect to gain a lot more from learning that game? I don't want to spend time applying a good skill set to .02/.04 and find out that, once i move up, the idiocy at .02/.04 has caused me to change the way I play the game.

Thoughts?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes I think that game is almost like play money. I played that on stars for 1 mo. I jumped to .25/.50 and started over. I did well and doubled my $50. bankroll in a few months.(Not playing that much but studying alot) Then I got busy and didn't play for 3 wks. Thanksgiving, I got in there and lost my earnings in 4 sessions. ( Bad cards partly but some crappy play) I dropped to .10/.20 and am building again. I'm playing 1 table and maxing reads (without PT) This forum is very helpful but I've got a long way to go.

Re: KK - Stupidly Cautious?
 

[ QUOTE ]
All,

Is .02/.04 really that horrendous? If so, does moving up to .05/.1 change the game enough that I can expect to gain a lot more from learning that game? I don't want to spend time applying a good skill set to .02/.04 and find out that, once i move up, the idiocy at .02/.04 has caused me to change the way I play the game.

Thoughts?

[/ QUOTE ]

Kind of depends on how tight money is for sure, but I would suggest getting up to .5/1 as soon as possible.