Poker Heresy

[Eder]

In TOP David has a nice chapter on slowplay/deception. He illustrates that never mixing your play is a large tell for your opponents, but that slowplaying strong hands preflop can often result in huge pots where several of your opponents are making big mistakes.

It got me to thinking how to disguise your cards to play as deceptively as possible. I'm talking about the standard 1/2 2/4 6 max internet games here ...~45% on the flop ~12% pfr.

I am doing an experiment, so far ~5k hands with stats about 25/ 1 /1.7 ...if flop seems favourable I use the passive check call crap then come alive on the river.

Interesting is that what I am losing in fold equity/ ability to protect my hand/ and the inability to isolate seems to be offset to a great degree by winning many monster pots where opponents are making huge mistakes only to face a river check raise.

I havnt tried this at higher stakes, as after 15 minutes most players would figure out what I'm doing.

The recent DERB threads got me to consider different style options. Although this style is very limited in application it has resulted with decent results short term here, with maximum pressure on my post flop play. Still toying with this for awhile yet...but the fact that no one can put me on a hand has hand very interesting benefits.

Tell me I'm insane.

[Alex/Mugaaz]

Honestly deception is more or less completely useless at those limits. The only time I used it was basically not capping with big pairs in blind vs blind battles to get more action later. Straightforward play gets the money for a long, long time. Honestly if you don't think that's true try telling a table that you're going to never bluff and showdown only big hands: see if anyone makes a real change. Hint: They wont.

[ QUOTE ]
In TOP David has a nice chapter on slowplay/deception. He illustrates that never mixing your play is a large tell for your opponents, but that slowplaying strong hands preflop can often result in huge pots where several of your opponents are making big mistakes.

Tell me I'm insane.

[/ QUOTE ]

I wouldn't say insane, but you need to keep things in context and perspective.

When Sklansky talks about slowplaying, he sets very specific and strict criteria for situation when you are considering doing so.

Slow-playing a big hand like AA, KK or QQ against 4 or 5 limpers in a low limit game does not typically meet the criteria IMHO.

Never mixing your play should only come into play if opponents are reacting to certain aspects of your play. For example, if everyone has folded 3 times in a row when you raise UTG, then maybe you vary your play by raising with more hands from there (e.g., JTs, etc.). But I would almost never stop raising with AA and KK from there under the conditions you describe. It just gives up too much from a good hand.

[Dennisa]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
In TOP David has a nice chapter on slowplay/deception. He illustrates that never mixing your play is a large tell for your opponents, but that slowplaying strong hands preflop can often result in huge pots where several of your opponents are making big mistakes.

Tell me I'm insane.

[/ QUOTE ]

I wouldn't say insane, but you need to keep things in context and perspective.

When Sklansky talks about slowplaying, he sets very specific and strict criteria for situation when you are considering doing so.

Slow-playing a big hand like AA, KK or QQ against 4 or 5 limpers in a low limit game does not typically meet the criteria IMHO.

Never mixing your play should only come into play if opponents are reacting to certain aspects of your play. For example, if everyone has folded 3 times in a row when you raise UTG, then maybe you vary your play by raising with more hands from there (e.g., JTs, etc.). But I would almost never stop raising with AA and KK from there under the conditions you describe. It just gives up too much from a good hand.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think what the author is saying is raising preflop with the big 4 or 5 top hands, but stop raising with crap like a9, small pairs etc. Much more passive preflop play so that when he hits is tp hands on the 6 max games, the useual assortment of lunatics pay him of as they will die with bottom pairs / ace high in these games. If I am correct, you are giving up preflop steal equity, for outplaying them postflop with hands they will not put you on.