Opening the game up.....

[JerBear77]

Ok, here's the situation.
Im a pretty successful 1/2 and 2/4 player (1.2BB/100 40K hands)and I am at a VPIP of 15% and an aggression of 2.1

So basically, i have to get a little more open with my hands and be more aggressive, but I really haven't read anything on how to do this in a systematic way (ie. Without burning my bankroll until I find something that works). How did the good players on here startout getting more aggression in their game. Don't tell me to reread SSH, i have several times but everytime i loosen up i get spanked.

Im sure im not the only person on here that is at this stage in the game

[oxymoron]

I'm definitely at this point in my game. I've read many books but I'm still working on the experience portion. What has helped lately has been to take notes on players; pay more attention to HUD stats and to look into the detailed stats rather than generic stats (I've begun to check the specific street stats in certain situations before I make a decision).

I'm basically paying more attention but I know that I still get lazy or go on tilt and throw chips across the table when I shouldn't. I can't believe that I'm just now taking notes...just me being lazy.

[JerBear77]

[ QUOTE ]
pay more attention to HUD stats and to look into the detailed stats rather than generic stats (I've begun to check the specific street stats in certain situations before I make a decision).


[/ QUOTE ]


Huh?? HUD stats and what stats are there on specific streets to look at?

Maybe im not using PT to its fullest ability.

[oxymoron]

WtS% would show you the difference between a tight player that goes to far with their hands and a tight player that can fold. Also, some players will autobet the flop but give up on the turn. For them you will see a high flop aggression and a higher frequency of folding to a bet/raise on the flop. Knowing these things can make a big difference of whether to fold/call/raise someone.

An example would be two players with a 20% VPIP and an aggression factor of 2 but player A has a WtS% of 20 and player B has a WtS% of 40%. Bluffing/re-raising player A is a good idea where bluffing at player B is not.

The main ways I've been trying to increase my VPIP% (based on coaching I've received) are:
- much looser play in the blinds sensitive to the pot odds I get to call versus my pot equity
- much more aggressive blind stealing

e.g # 1 I have A7o in the SB and 3 guys limp to me. In the past, I folded this but now I'm calling and am gauging the flop as to whether to proceed with the hand either with the best hand (good flop) or on a steal (missed flop)

e.g. # 2 If I don't think that the blinds will properly defend, especially if I have PT stats on them that suggest they are passive and/or ABC, then I will raise from steal position with nothing. I did it twice last night with 72o and won both times.

My VPIP% is now running around 20% and my BB/100 from blinds and from steal positions are collectively about .5 BB/100 better.

While you adapt this into your game, DON'T multi-table until you get used to reading the situation.

[TripleH68]

[ QUOTE ]
i have to get a little more open with my hands and be more aggressive

[/ QUOTE ]

I think the best way to do this is to review your sessions.

Go through hand by hand and look at the marginal hands/situations you opted not to play.
I am going through this process right now myself.
You only need to find 1 or 2 or 3 spots per 100 hands.

If you are like me you have run into some players who seem to be there. In that place you would like to be.

[bennyk]

Read You Play Too Tight, courtesy of Nate tha' Great.

bk

[TripleH68]

<font color="green">important quote from nate's post... </font>

"being a rock-peddler may preclude you from future profits by preventing you developing a sense for how to play your more marginal sorts of hands as well as you could."

[oxymoron]

I play a fair amount of SnG's (not as much anymore with the bonus chasing) and for me it is easier to get people off of hands in NL but limit monkey's call all the time. Probably part of my problem is four tabling before I am a better player.

Has anyone here read Harrington on Hold 'em for tournament play Volume II and apply his heads up strategy? At first I started calling more when it was going to be heads up in the BB (even if it was an UTG or MP raise) and it didn't seem to work for me well.

I am definitly defending a raise if it comes from LP or the button but what about other BB heads up situations? For now I've gone back to tightening that up...

[ QUOTE ]

I am definitly defending a raise if it comes from LP or the button but what about other BB heads up situations? For now I've gone back to tightening that up...

[/ QUOTE ]
Ditto