Thread: Quick Question
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  #36  
Old 01-20-2004, 06:42 PM
Matt Flynn Matt Flynn is offline
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Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 301
Default Play tighter

Mason,

Good question and I know you know the answer. We need some idea of how tight the blinds are, but both blinds would half to play too tightly and adjust too much to the rake in order for you to increase your steals.

When BB calls you get 5:4 or 6:4 on your money normally heading into the flop. With the rake you get 4:4 or 5:4. If the blinds don't adjust at all you play considerably fewer hands. If the blinds adjust moderately such that they collectively fold 25% more often then you don't change your strategy (not quite, but it's easier to understand the back-of-the-envelope version - to be correct you have to adjust to the changes in both calling, change in relative hand strength that comes when everyone tightens up, the way the smaller pot affects postflop play etc).

By simple BOTE, the blinds would have to significantly overtighten for you to raise more. However, a lot of players just won't play time pots without a group 1 hand. If you get two of those in the blinds you should raise much more often from late position but only slightly more from early position because once you raise you dramatically reduce the adjustment required of the players between you and the small blind. Anytime you raise loosely and get called before the blinds, you lose significant money.

Matt
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