How tight is too tight?

MasterShakes · #1 08-21-2005, 10:03 PM

I've been playing .50/1 and 1/2 6-max at Party + skins. My VPIP is 19.5, PFR 12.5. I have been winning over 50,000 hands. I've only had one significant downswing of 160 BB. Given how absolutely incomprehensibly horrible people play at these limits, I'm surprised I've even had that big of a downswing.

I'm just wondering if I'm playing too conservatively. Keep in mind that these limits play VERY differently from 5/10 and 10/20. There are players who CHRONICALLY open limp, slowplay when it doesn't make sense to slowplay, play fast and bluff when it doesn't make sense to do so, play timidly and fear the worst constantly, go for check raises on three consecutive streets, hit trip 4s with 54o from the blinds with 4 people left to act and they check, disregarding the fact that nobody has bet through the whole hand... I think you get the picture - they do anything except play correctly.

The reason I'm not raising more is that there is LOTS of open limping in this game, so my open raise opportunities with hands like offsuit aces goes way down. On the button, facing three limpers, I have a hard time raising 66-22 or the lower suited aces.

I know I'm likely not playing completely optimally, but am I playing so tightly that it's going to be bad for my growth as I move up?

J.R. · #2 08-21-2005, 10:06 PM

playing more hands is about playing better postflop.

stay at 1-2 and try to loosen up while working on your postflop game. opening up your game can be a painful process of trial and error, so why not get that out of the way at 1-2 than at a bigger limit.

nervous · #3 08-21-2005, 10:29 PM

6max Starting Guide

Follow that, and then defend a lot of hands in your BB, and I do mean a lot.

Sakuraba · #4 08-21-2005, 10:40 PM

Here is a thread that you will probably find interesting.

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/sh...v=#Post2674730

MasterShakes · #5 08-22-2005, 03:14 AM

Thanks to all three of you for your advice. You pretty much summed up the subject in three posts. I'm sticking to the chart provided, and I'm going with the more conservative guidelines (i.e., if it says, raise or fold, I fold). There are far fewer open raising opportunties at these limits. It's also amazing how many times the button open limps when I'm in the small blind... dozens of times a day.

It's just value bet until you're check raised. Laying down marginal hands against these raises are cake. 90% of the players are ridiculously passive.

That's not to say that it's not frustrating...