SSNL Starting Hands for 10-max Cash Game

[TakeMeToTheRiver]

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(5) AKo/AQo/KJs/KQs - Mix limping with raising when first in the pot. I fold all but AKo when there is significant aggression from a player (or players) I respect.


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I am not really sure I understand what you are suggesting, here.


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I will elaborate because that didn't make much sense. With these hands, I mix limping with raising when I am first to enter or the pot is unraised.

I think AK is far superior to the other hands listed in this group. I would rarely fold the AK preflop unless I was pretty certain I was facing an AA or KK.

With AQo/KQ/KJ, I will fold pre-flop significantly more often. When the pot is raised, my decision of whether to stay in or get out is often based on my observation of the player making the raise. If the pot is reraised, I am nearly always folding these hands.

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My rules have become far less rigid. The more tightly you follow your rules (which many multitable players online do), the easier it is for me to put you on a hand.

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Unfortunatly, I start "adjusting" my standard play when I get tired or tilted. Would you pick up on that nuance in play, also?

Thanks for your help!
Mike L.

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I play far more live games than online these days. I certainly do notice when a player in a live game is getting tired or is on tilt.

I think you said that you are a multitable player and my suggestions are not entirely suited for multitable play. I never play more than two tables at a time online (often just one). Using strict rules, I think you may make less per table but more per hour than I do. I would think it is much easier for me to adjust my game to the table and randomize the way I play certain hands when I can see everything that is going on.

When I do play online, I can easily pick out the multitable players and I treat them differently than the others. Indeed, one of the first notes I write about a player is "plays 4 tables" or something like that. If those players adjust their style (usually playing more hands) it is noticable.

[gulebjorn]

Good thread. I think while this stuff seems pretty obvious to the more experienced, it certainly is not for newbies like me. And i think they may have forgotten how long it takes before all this stuff becomes so clear that you no longer have to think about it before you act, or before you can start making variations on this play. If you can keep your preflop play within these rules 90% of the time, i think you've already stopped being a losing player.
Teach us more! [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[PinkSteel]

I don't see any mention of Axs. I'm sure this is a leak for me. How do you play them? Never EP, limp MP/LP?

[edge]

I only play Axs on the CO or Button. I'll raise with a decent kicker first in, or limp behind.

[swolfe]

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If you are uncomfortable varying it based on the content of your hand (which is fine)

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wha?? you should never base your PF raise sizes on your holding. it's too easy then for someone to put you on exactly the range of hands that you have. you should have a standard raise and raise that much every time...it should generally be based on the number of limpers. i use 3-4XBB + 1BB per limper.

[swolfe]

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Call any small raise that is less than 10% of your stack and less than 10% of the raiser's stack.

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this is a misquote of the 5/10 rule.

the rule is that with pocket pairs you:
a) ALWAYS call the raise if it's less than 5% of the shorter stack
b) NEVER call (when playing for set value) when the raise is more than 10% of the shorter stack
c) it's a judgement call if the raise is between 5-10%.

examples:
you have 5[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]5[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] and $100
a) someone with $300 raises to $4 (4% of $100) - ALWAYS call
b) someone with $30 raises to $4 (13% of $30) - NEVER CALL
c) someone with $50 raises to $4 (8% of $50) - call sometimes based on read, respect, etc...basically whether you think you can get their stack if you hit your set.

be careful when overcalling with low pocket pairs because the previous cold-callers may very well have pocket pairs of their own.

[MikeL]

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I don't see any mention of Axs. I'm sure this is a leak for me. How do you play them? Never EP, limp MP/LP?

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Yeah, I didn't want to get into the "marginal" hands discussion, yet. But, I play Axs CO/Button and BB if limped only. And I only play them in CO/Button if there are already 3 or more limpers ahead of me.

MikeL.

[jhall23]

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Call any small raise that is less than 10% of your stack and less than 10% of the raiser's stack.

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this is a misquote of the 5/10 rule.

the rule is that with pocket pairs you:
a) ALWAYS call the raise if it's less than 5% of the shorter stack
b) NEVER call (when playing for set value) when the raise is more than 10% of the shorter stack
c) it's a judgement call if the raise is between 5-10%.

examples:
you have 5[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]5[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] and $100
a) someone with $300 raises to $4 (4% of $100) - ALWAYS call
b) someone with $30 raises to $4 (13% of $30) - NEVER CALL
c) someone with $50 raises to $4 (8% of $50) - call sometimes based on read, respect, etc...basically whether you think you can get their stack if you hit your set.

be careful when overcalling with low pocket pairs because the previous cold-callers may very well have pocket pairs of their own.

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You forgot one important additonal detail of the rule. The rule is specifc to situations where you have good position on the raiser. This is in terms of both relative position and absolute position. Especially important with the SC's as you need postion throught the hand to make money. PP's you won't pick up draws with so it's not as important.

[TakeMeToTheRiver]

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If you are uncomfortable varying it based on the content of your hand (which is fine)

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wha?? you should never base your PF raise sizes on your holding. it's too easy then for someone to put you on exactly the range of hands that you have. you should have a standard raise and raise that much every time...it should generally be based on the number of limpers. i use 3-4XBB + 1BB per limper.

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That is one school of thought -- and it is fine. But many good players (including at least one 2+2 author) advocate varying your raise amounts. That doesn't mean you always raise to a certain amount with a particular hand (i.e., I would never say to always raise 4xBB with AQs and 6xBB with JJ). It does mean that your raise can be within a range for a particular holding.

The reason to not vary your raise size is that most players are very predictable -- a big raise means a vulnerable PP, an average raise means a premium hand, a small raise means a drawing hand (or something like that). Thus my comment...

[pzhon]

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If you are uncomfortable varying it based on the content of your hand (which is fine)

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wha?? you should never base your PF raise sizes on your holding. it's too easy then for someone to put you on exactly the range of hands that you have. you should have a standard raise and raise that much every time...it should generally be based on the number of limpers.

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Although many people vehemently object to varying the size of your raise (or bets at other times) based on your hand, it is a good tool to use. Of course, you should avoid playing like one player at Party who always raises to 14 BB with AA, and to 10 BB with KK. However, HOH and others have sensible recommendations for varying your open-raises. Harrington explicitly says you should vary the size of your raises based on what you have.

Your raise can limit the field and/or get more money into the pot. With some hands you prefer to do one more than the other. It's like raising preflop in the first place: You give away some information about your hand, but it is worth it. By not raising the same amount every time you have AA, for example, you give away much less information.

In addition to the type of hand you have, you should also vary the size of your raises based on your position and the positions of limpers. If you are open-raising, you should tend to make smaller raises in early position than in late position since your late position raises are often blind-steals, while in early position you are more concerned about people outside the blinds.

Another reason to adjust the size of your raises is the distribution of stack sizes, particularly if there are short stacks left to act after you. You may want to provoke a short-stack to push, or you may want to make sure you are not pot-committed if one does, or you may want to give yourself the option to reraise after a push.