5stud

[J5983]

The game is 1/2, .50 ante, .50 bringin. Yeah, the structure is bad, but the players are even worse, so it's okay. Example: My hand is (T)TJJJ, and a flush caps me on the river.

Basic notes I have:

Auto raise high card.
Auto bet high until you get played back at.
Not sure what to do with hidden high cards, really.
With the ante, I do play stuff like QT even with an A and a K showing...think it's okay if I can dump on 3rd/4th.
I've found that being deceptive with a pair is more valuable than raising with it...silly thinking?
Never, ever bet your board on 5th. I see people doing this all the time.
Always pay off on 5th. Not sure about this, but I have caught some people bluffing. I think this is one of the biggest profit centers; if you can bring yourself to fold when you know they have it. But do you become a target then?

I realize this would get me killed in a tough game, but what about a really loose, passive one?

[Al Mirpuri]

This all sounds about right right. Needs fine tuning. But then you are playing against a bunch of fish at Paradise so why worry?

[Iceman]

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Not sure what to do with hidden high cards, really.

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Given the implied odds you're getting, I'd be inclined to at least call the bring-in with a live hidden ace overcard. If there was multiway action and at least one raise, I'd probably dump it if I was pretty sure I was facing a pair.

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With the ante, I do play stuff like QT even with an A and a K showing...think it's okay if I can dump on 3rd/4th.

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I'd still fold them - you have a very thin draw to a hand that will often only be second-best if you hit it.

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I've found that being deceptive with a pair is more valuable than raising with it...silly thinking?

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Small and medium pairs are difficult to play in limit 5-stud. If you limp in and lots of people call, you can easily be outdrawn. But if you play them fast, you will lose a lot of money if anyone else has a higher pair or makes one on a later street. And if you do make trips or two pair, it will be obvious and kill your action. Heads-up, a player with unpaired high cards has a strategic edge over an obvious pair, since he knows exactly what you have. If you fold to his raises, he'll start taking shots at you, and if you don't fold, you'll wind up often paying him off.

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Never, ever bet your board on 5th. I see people doing this all the time.
Always pay off on 5th. Not sure about this, but I have caught some people bluffing. I think this is one of the biggest profit centers; if you can bring yourself to fold when you know they have it. But do you become a target then?

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When you're heads-up and the pot is large, you have to be almost totally sure you're beaten to even consider folding. Some players will bluff automatically in this spot. If you're wrong even a small fraction of the time, it will cost you a lot of money.

[bygmesterf]

[ QUOTE ]
The game is 1/2, .50 ante, .50 bringin. Yeah, the structure is bad, but the players are even worse, so it's okay. Example: My hand is (T)TJJJ, and a flush caps me on the river.

Basic notes I have:

Auto raise high card. -- Not always, sometimes just call


Auto bet high until you get played back at. -- If you can beat everything in sight bet your hand.

Not sure what to do with hidden high cards, really. Tag along, untill you see an open pair. Broadly speaking try to have a high live card in the hole.


With the ante, I do play stuff like QT even with an A and a K showing...think it's okay if I can dump on 3rd/4th. -- Yes, the ante is big, traditional 5stud advice is way too tight.

I've found that being deceptive with a pair is more valuable than raising with it...silly thinking? -- Big pots happen when small pairs start raising early.

Never, ever bet your board on 5th. I see people doing this all the time. You can do this in Big-bet 5stud, at limit you will be called if beat.

Always pay off on 5th. Not sure about this, but I have caught some people bluffing. I think this is one of the biggest profit centers; if you can bring yourself to fold when you know they have it. But do you become a target then?

-- Not really. remebr you do typically have ods to suck out if you have an underpair.

I realize this would get me killed in a tough game, but what about a really loose, passive one?

The right play is a function of the ante's and the players. Personally I quit the 5stud games since the swings are huge.