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From what I recall, the $.50/1 game at Party Poker has an absurdly high ante ($.25). The ante at $1/2 is also a bit high ($.25). The obvious adjustment seems to be to play faster and looser. With such high antes, will I be picking up a lot of bad habits that I'll need to un-learn as I start to move up in stakes? If so, what are they (so I can be consciously aware of them as I play)?
Are there any general tips for playing these super-large ante games?
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Aaron -
I would temper your notion of "faster and loose" -- think of it as being "slightly less tight." As for general tips - call more small pairs for the bring in (they still need to be live though!), and be more open playing lower end str8 draws and flush draws (again, they still need to be live).
In general, you should avoid doing anything in poker based on habit, no matter what the stakes might be. Being "slightly less tight" in lower limit games is good as long as you understand why you are doing so. When you move up, those conditions won't exist, and your poker acumen will realize it and make you turn up your nose at hands you might gladly at a lower stakes, looser table.
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I like the change in terminology that you suggested. It clicks with me better than the one I used.
The bolded part above is the part of the learning curve which I'm trying to scope out ahead of time. I've read the 2+2 standards (TOP, 7CSAP, HLSAP - or however those are acronym...ized). I'm worried about 'habits' because the mistakes I'm going to end up making are places where my judgment is flawed. A lot of judgment will be built up from experience (plus knowledge), and if I develop a lot of experience with very bad players, I could very well end up winning while still making bad errors. These are the ones that I'm really concerned about.
The
recent discussion of high pairs illustrates the sorts of mistakes that I'm trying my best to avoid. My understanding of a situation was apparently quite flawed, but it's the sort of "habitual" mistake that might take a long time to figure out against very bad opposition.
The bulk of my experience is Hold'em. There, leaks only exist because you don't know they exist. I have no reason to believe that this principle changes as I switch games.