You Should Play NL (Seriously)

[GrunchCan]

In NL, you can't play even breakeven poker unless you can read the opponent. In limit, you can still be quite +EV without reading well. If you could read better, you'd play even more +EV.

This is kind of like saying that you can be moderately +EV without being terribly good at late-position and blinds play. You'd be more successful if you were better at it, but you won't go broke if you're not.

The fix for the later problem is to play 1/2 6m type games a lot. When I used to tell people this, I got a lot of strange looks and "meh" responses. Now everybody is doing it, and I can tell from the posts that the quality of play has increased.

Now I'm going to tell you that you should play the 25NL games, too. Just like playing 1/2 6m hard both emotionally and on your bankroll at first, starting out at 25NL will be hard too. But it will teach you things that 50k hands in limit won't. Reading your opponent. Knowing when to get away from a bad position. The effect of implied odds (and reverse implied odds) on strategy. These are things that effect your +EV in limit, but not as much as other things do, so they are deemphasized. NL is like boot camp for these skills.

So, everybody should play 25NL. That is all.

[bottomset]

I played a little NL50 6max couple weeks ago, its just too boring for me, might give it another run sooner or later

[aK13]

I was actually thinking of dedicating my next ~250 posts solely to SSNL, as I find it embarassing that I can make like couple hundred playing 3/6 limit online, but lose in $20 home games -_-.

[davelin]

I'm finding myself stacking off too often when I play NL, any thoughts? [img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

[Rev. Good Will]

Sample size is small, but I've been hating this.

[SCfuji]

i thought this was a joke post at first then saw the sample size. looks kind of like a canyon or mountains or something =]

[bottomset]

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In NL, you can't play even breakeven poker unless you can read the opponent

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Now I'm going to tell you that you should play the 25NL games

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I've heard this level is superdonkish, like a lot softer than .5/1 limit, not quite PL08 level, but close

you don't need reads to stomp donkeys that call big bets with nothing

[irishpint]

when i have home games we play 2/4, since i dont play no limit. the day i fold my top pair on the flop to an all-in...in all seriousness im looking to learn but we'll see. right now im cheating on 2/4 ring w/ 1/2 6max and it's going great. and you're asking me to risk my side loving w/ 1/2 6max on some romantic notion of $25 NL? whoa.

[GrunchCan]

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you don't need reads to stomp donkeys that call big bets with nothing

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You need to know what they are holding so you aren't the donk. At least, that's my experience so far. Maybe NL50 is a better starting ground.

[GrunchCan]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm finding myself stacking off too often when I play NL, any thoughts? [img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

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Overplaying hands that are strong in limit? That was the first major hurdle I came to, and I'm still crawling over it.

Spend time in SSNL. They got good posters there. I'm not one of them.