Question for those with <19.5 VP$IP

[ChicagoTroy]

I've had a heck of a time calculating which hands you're throwing away that I don't. Can folks with low VP$IP post what they do with their small pairs and unsuited connectors? Also, anybody who has tightened up to this range from a looser style, if you could post what changes you made it would be appreciated.

[krubban]

my VP$IP is at 16.38 although my sample is small with only 6500 hands. I really don't like playing offsuited connectors like QJ and JT and when I do it is almost always in late position.

Small pocket pairs i generally fold if i'm the first one in and I don't expect 4-5 callers behind me. I preferably want 1-2 callers before me if im sitting mid to late position before i decide to limp in with them.
The same goes with small suited connectors down to 45s, I want at least 2 callers before me to enter the pot with those.
ATo and KJo I really dont like either and tend to muck them in early position if the table is a bit aggressive. I like to play them from late position though.

But these calling standards may vary quite a lot if i'm sitting at a good table then small pockets and small suited aces becomes playable UTG.

I would like to hear if someone with quite a lot of hands can tell me if it is worth it to play JTo in late position because as it is now I almost alway fold it.

I have only been playing since may though and recently made the jump to 2/4 which probably tightened me up a bit since i'm not quite used to the 100$ swings that seem to occur every session [img]/images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img]

[challenger84]

I'm guessing you play too many unsuited broadways in early position, i.e. KJ, QJ, K10... that kind of crap needs to be thrown away in the first few positions.

[adamstewart]

Have you read SSH? Just stick to Miller's guidelines. (I usually use the "Tight" starting hands, if I remember correctly).

I don't have my stats here, but I think my VP$IP is around 17% (at mainly $2/$4).

FIRST AND FOREMOST, don't cold-call 2 bets preflop, except AQs, AJs, and KQs. Otherwise, you're folding or re-raising. (I also cold-call sometimes with with pocket pairs if there are already a lot of callers, with not much chance of a reraise).

TIGHTEN UP IN FRONT, early position, I stopped playing hands like KJo, QJo, K10o, Q10o .... I also fold pocket 6's or less.

But again, this is all right out of SSH.

Hope this helps...

Adam

[aces up]

I was under the impression that around 20% of poker hands were playable from any position, and at the lower limits where people are looser, you could play a little more. Am I wrong on this fact...if not, isn't having a VP$IP &lt; 20 more detrimental than helpful, since you may be throwing away winning hands too much?

[challenger84]

no

[ChicagoTroy]

Actually, I fold all of those in early position. KT I'll play in the blinds only, KJ &amp; QJ late position.

[aces up]

there is a point at which tightening up is detrimental, right? Anyone know where that point is?

[ChicagoTroy]

If your VP$IP is under 20, you are folding some hands in some circumstances that could be profitable with solid post flop play. You are also reducing your variance, which is the primary benefit.

[ChicagoTroy]

I've read it and used the standards. While I haven't performed the calcuations, I would expect using a mix of tight and loose depending on current game texture, would yield a VP$IP of around 23%, certainly over 20%.

Using the tight standards regardless of the actual number of callers would probably yield a sub 20% VP$IP, but I haven't tried that because most tables I'm playing have 4+ players to a flop fairly often.