I'm still too tight

[beachbum]

I know a lot of folks on here are looking for ways to loosen up a bit preflop so we're not passing up even the smallest of edges available. The points I got from Nate's post were basically loosen up from the CO and button, be a bit more aggressive in blind steals, and defend my blinds a bit more liberally to blind steals.

Good news: My VPIP from that point is almost 2 points higher.

Bad news: It still was only in the low 17's.

This was playing 2/4, and now that I've moved to 3/6 where there's more raising and reraising preflop, and a larger amount (2/3 SB) necessary to complete in the small blind, my VPIP should fall a few points because of this to ~15 again.

I'm really struggling to find spots where I can loosen up. At 3/6, I'll naturally be playing less suited Ace-little's and small pocket pairs in EP since I don't want to be isolation-raised with these hands. I've come up with 12 hands and situations where I'm typically folding 75% of the time or more. I'd like to see what everyone else thinks.


1) A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 4[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] in the SB. 32/2 limps UTG, 17/8/1.8 raises MP2, 28/3 cold calls CO. BB is 20/5.

Call, raise, or fold?


2) 7[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 9[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] MP2. 24/4 limps UTG+1, folded to you. There are 2 LP-P's and a LA-A behind you. Blinds are typical.

Call, raise, or fold?


3) Same as 2) except you have Q[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 9[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img].

Call, raise, or fold?


4) A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 6[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] UTG+1. Typical 3/6 table, folded to you.

Call, raise, or fold?


5) 8[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 8[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] MP3. 16/5/2 openraises in UTG+1, then folded to you. The rest of the table is a typical Party 3/6.

Call, raise, or fold?


6) Same as 5) except you have A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] Q[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img].

Call, raise, or fold?


7) 3[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 3[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] MP1. Typical 3/6 table, folded to you.

Call, raise, or fold?


8) 5[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 7[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] SB. 32/1/0.5 limps MP1, 25/2/0.5 limps CO. BB is 40/3/1. Party 2/4.

Call or fold?


9) T [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 8 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] SB. Again, 32/1/0.5 limps MP1, 25/2/0.5 limps CO. BB is 40/3/1. However this is Party 3/6.

Call or fold?


10) K[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 3[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] button. 28/3/1 limps UTG+1, 23/4/1 limps MP2, 19/5/1.9 limps CO.

Call, raise, or fold?


11) A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] T[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] in MP2. Folded to you. Those left to act are mostly LP-P and will play their hand if they like it for any number of bets.

Call, raise, or fold?


12) T[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 8[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] BB. 18/8/0.8 openraises UTG+2, 36/1/0.3 cold-calls CO. SB folds.

Call, raise, or fold?


Answers will not be given by me as I'm looking for them myself.

Also, I'd like to add my PFR is about 8.5. It did increase about 1 point over this period as well. For those of you who beat their respective games, have a VPIP they can't get below 20 if they wanted to, and comfortably play in this range: Should increasing VPIP lead to almost a 1:1 increase in PFR? I mean, if I'm a 15/8, if my VPIP increases to 19 should this be because my PFR increases 4 points too (to 12)? Or said a different way, should I be adding hands to those that I play by finding new ones to raise with?

[shelly]

Call 3. (It's close, I think)
Raise 11.
Call 12.

Fold the rest of the trash.

I'd like to 3-bet with 5, but PFR of 5% is too little.

[NoChance]

I do the same except I will also call #10.

[TimM]

[ QUOTE ]
I do the same except I will also call #10.

[/ QUOTE ]

[gchaos]

Call: 7, 12
Raise: 11
Fold: the rest

[Evan]

1: Fold
2: Fold
3: Call
4: Call
5: Fold
6: Fold
7: Fold
8: Fold
9: Fold
10: Call
11: Raise
12: Call


I think the everyone has folded #4 so far, I'm pretty surprised.

[kim2005]

how about if it is 15/30? how is the best play?

[Seether]

I think you are looking in the wrong areas to increase your vpip. I think you should look more at open raising in mp/lp with more broadway type hands instead of the raggy hands you posted. I.e KJo, KTs, KTo in LP, QJs. JTs, J9s, small-mid pocket pairs...
This is comming from a 20.01/10.26/2.66 5/10 full player

[beachbum]

If I increased my PFR by a couple points, my VPIP would still be less than 18. I'll definitely look for these additional opportunities though.

[billyjex]

My 3/6 VPIP is around 15%, PFR of about 9. I would like to get to something more like 17/10.

My answers:

1) Easy fold. Weak ace OOP sucks.
2) Fold. I would need to be in later position with another limper to play this hand.
3) Fold.
4) Fold. I would limp with hands like these in EP and often would face a raise at 3/6 and be isolated and not make up for it enough. If UTG limps I would be tempted to limp however.
5) Fold. The guy's too passive to consider 88 strong vs. an EP raise.
6) Fold. Easy domination
7) Call.. not sure if it's right but I like sets.
8) Fold.. 76o I would call though.
9) Definetely fold. The 1/3 blind structure doesn't allow for junk like this.
10) Fold. If both blinds were to come along.. maybe a call. You have too great a chance to be dominated.
11) Raise.
12) Fold.. one more CC and I would call.

I'm still too tight so maybe my answers aren't that great. But like one poster said, opening with weaker hands in late MP/LP should help boost up your VPIP.

Edit: After reading other's responses, it looks like I am too tight with some weak hands.