Marooned on Weak-Tight Island

[Festus22]

But I kind of like my island. As long as Ginger and MaryAnn aren't going anywhere. Now if I could just get rid of those pesky Howells.

[lil']

What JTG said is important. Playing out of your comfort zone is hard. However, I would add it is essential if you want to grow.

I come here looking for advice to advance my game and push me onward and upward, and I give the same type of advice in return. I started off playing .25/.50, and have successfully moved up to $10-$20 online using the advice I have received here. I have no intention of slowing down just yet. When I first started out, 10-20 was the highest limit they had on Pokerstars, and I never thought I would be able to play there, but I can, because I pushed myself to try new things and take chances. (Now they play $100-200 at Stars. A wee bit high for my modest bankroll.)

Your style works now but will not always work as you move up in limits. However, there is nothing at all wrong with staying in the lower limits and picking up some extra money, if that's what you want. Not everyone can be a winner no matter what the limit, so you've proven you have skill.

Good luck to you...

[Joe Tall]

Raise JJ every time in every position.

Raise AJs, KQs if opening in EP, and after limpers.

Yes, you do need to raise more preflop.

Peace,
JT

[Festus22]

"I'm not suggesting that weak play is good; I'm just agreeing with you that it can be profitable at these micro-limits, and that I also struggle with the "contradiction" of my success despite my "improper" play."

I think this sums it up. Just what is "good"? A relative term to be sure. I'd say 5 BB/Hr is extremely good. I'm at 2.6 per table and I always play 2 tables - no more, no less. Maybe this style is best for this game. Until micro-limit was separated, I don't think that many small stakes posters played $0.5/1 consistently. And I do see a difference between it and the higher limits. There is absolutely no question that I'd get killed at higher limits (above $3/6) playing my current style. But it's funny how well it seems to do at the lowest limits as you point out.

I guess if it ain't broke, don't fix it despite what the mechanic says.

P.S. If you're at my table, let me know so I can vary my raising standards. Otherwise, when I raise PF, you'll know what I have. [img]/images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img]

[MaxPower]

I think that in these very loose games where most pots are mutiway, the correct strategy looks very close to what people call "weak-tight".

However, I still think you need to be aggessive before the flop. I believe the optimal strategy for these games is to play aggressively before the flop, weak-tight in multiway pots, and aggressively in shorthanded pots.

In fact, I think this is close to being correct in all games. It's just that most micro-limit pots are muti-way, so your play begins to look weak-tight.

If you are uncomfortable with raising too much before the flop, you should start by lowering your raising standards in late position. Keep your early position standards the same for now.

[Fistdantilus]

If you have a 75% showdown win rate, you are losing out on a fantastic amount of money.

It shows that you don't bluff enough, don't take hands too far, and (i'm assuming) don't value bet enough.

There's two ways for you to go here:
1. Stay in pleasantville and make your earn.
2. Step outside your boundaries a little bit and try playing a little stronger poker. I will absolutely guarantee that your win rate will drop for several hundred/thousand hands until you get used to it. The end result is that you'll play better poker, have more *fun* playing poker, and you *will* earn more because you'll be stealing pots you were not able to before because you'll have experience with marginal hands. It pretty much sounds like you only play very strong hands. It's very easy to bet/raise with that.

Fistdantilus

[rkiray]

In general I think JTG gave great advice, but here is something to consider. Move up. Maybe your style will work at a higher limit, or maybe you will have to make a few adjustments. One level won't matter all that much, but if you can get to say 2/4 you can probably make more money in the same time. That's more fun, IMO

[Festus22]

I'm surprised you advocate bluffing. In both Brunson's Super System and Jones WLLHE, bluffing is considered taboo in loose games. How do you think calling stations get their name. It's that implicit collusion thing.

[Fistdantilus]

My point is that I don't think you *ever* try it. Plus, look in brunson's book again, and you'll see that he does advocate betting into simple players. You know, the ones who check if they don't have anything and don't check-raise. I'm not saying do a "check-raise the river" sort of bluff, but if you have something like bottom pair, 1-3 people all check to you and you're on the button, hit it once or twice sometimes.

They fold often enough to make this worthwhile.

Fistdantilus

[HajiShirazu]

I think it's fine to just stay in lower limits and stick to a strategy that works, but to me, part of the fun of poker is improving my game to challenge better competition.
Also, as hard as it is to believe, Party low limits might not stay so fishy forever. Eventually, the fish will get sick of losing and either quit or buy poker books (hopefully phil hellmuth's book) and the games will dry up to some extent. Only by constantly improving your own game can you ensure that will stay ahead of the competition.