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Old 07-01-2004, 11:37 AM
SkippingGoat SkippingGoat is offline
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Join Date: May 2004
Location: Princeton
Posts: 162
Default Re: Help! NL Home game advice needed.

First, I'd consider either increasing the buyins or decreasing the blinds. Often buyins are made too small to make the games more "friendly" especially to new players. Additionally, making the stacks drastically too small increases the role of luck in the game which also tends to be new player/socially friendly. You'll be blinded out by sitting back and waiting for a strong hand (unless you annoyingly constantly rebuy back up to $15) and once any real action gets going the players in question will be all-in, making the game very coin-flippy. By lowering the blinds you can keep the buyin low without sacrificing decent gameplay.

As far as game play, I'd fold any kind of drawing hand preflop. Suited aces, suited connectors, and even low pairs simply aren't going to give you the implied odds to play. If the pot is raised preflop I'd push with 99-QQ but would consider just min-reraising with KK or AA to get more money in the pot. Of course you would then push on the flop (barring an ace flop with KK). AK is pushable preflop as well to any kind of real raise. I also think it's almost impossible to get away from TPTK on the flop unless the board is very scary or you have a very strong read on someone. It seems like any real raise in this game would be pot committing.

Bottom line, get it all-in with a strong hand, double up, and start playing some real poker where it's neccessary to make meaningful decisions.
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