Button Doing Worse than Earlier Positions. Why? (Stats Incld.)

[TomBrooks]

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Are you limping in with speculative hands without enough players involved in the pot?

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Hi Aaron,
I think so. Thats something I just became aware of a couple of weeks ago. I was using the SSH Loose Game starting chart even when there were only 1-3 limpers ahead of me. From late position without at least 4 limpers in front of me, I think I may still be limping with K7s-K4s, some middle suited one-gappers and J9s-J8s. I'll cut that out. That will probably take another point off my VPIP also, which seems pretty high.

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Are you open-limping with hands that you want to play because you're afraid to raise T9s and A7s from that spot?

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I have usually been limping with ATs and never raising A9s-A8s at all. OK, I see that error and will raise them always now from late position. A7s and T9s though? I would not have thought those were good to raise.

[TomBrooks]

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It's been pointed out that you cold-call a lot more from the button than anywhere else.

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Hi bozlax,
Ya, I see everybody is remarking on the cold calls. I just realized a couple of weeks ago that I was cold calling way too much in general and I started toning it down. My all-position average cold calling a couple of months ago was something like 1.25%! What I didn't realize until just now though is that I was cold calling from the button especially a lot and I'm still doing it. I'll bet these button cold calls are a big part of my button problems.

[davelin]

It also looks like you call down second best hands a lot.

[Entity]

Tom,

I'll be honest. You're so loose upfront that playing much looser on the button isn't going to be a significant advantage to you. You coldcall way too much, don't raise enough, and go to showdown way the [censored] more than I do. Your W$SD reflects this.

The problem most likely lies in coldcalling too much and "not believing" people have what they're representing.

I'd really like to see what hands you're playing UTG vs. on the Button.

I also don't think there's much of a problem playing "speculative" hands against one or two limpers that we generally want lots of players with. I overlimped with 75s the other day after one limper on the Button in a shorthanded game -- the jury is still out on whether or not we like that one. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[Aaron W.]

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Are you open-limping with hands that you want to play because you're afraid to raise T9s and A7s from that spot?

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I have usually been limping with ATs and never raising A9s-A8s at all. OK, I see that error and will raise them always now from late position. A7s and T9s though? I would not have thought those were good to raise.

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If you're consistently opportunities to open-limp those hands in position then you're probably in a weak-tight game, and you can make $$ by picking up pots betting on the flop. Raising in position is far better than limping in those games. Just don't go overboard with it. Raise only hands you want to play, and not junk that you normally muck.

[droolie]

Tom,

I agree with the others. You are too loose. Start using the tight SSH chart for a while as I think you need to break some bad habits. (Don't be afraid to muck AQo to an EP raise!)

You are also a bit of a sherrif. You need to work on you hand reading skill. Try to guess the hole cards of the other players based on the board and the betting pattern every hand. This should help you to fold when you are clearly beaten. Calling down is OK when your HU and there's a decent chance your ahead but I suspect you're way too optimistic in many situations and aren't believing what your heart is telling you enough.

You also need to be thinking about position more. You have a decent pfr% but it hardly changes by position. That's a pretty good indicator that you aren't pushing small edges when you're in LP. It seems like if you could take a bunch of those CC's and make them raises instead.