NL Party Poker Philosophy

[soda]

I thought about posting this under General Theory, but after reading titles like "Should straights be ranked higher than flushes in Hold'em" and "Is poker a sport" I decided against it.

I've been playing the $100 buyin games at Party Poker for 2 months now. Was coasting along quite well and have now hit a solid brick wall. I'm actually down 2k in the last week. But, still well up since the start.

My question is what is the best strategy for this game? For those who are unfamiliar with the structure it is a $100 buyin max with the blinds at $1, $2. This is a very high blind structure in relation to the buyin compared to Paradise and Stars.

The players are mostly terrible and the main fault is that they call too much. I think my recent losses can be blamed on my trying to run over tables full of calling stations.

If anyone has experience playing here and being very successful, I'd love to hear your thoughts on strategy.

My own thoughts are that a very tight, very aggressive style will work best.

On a side note. I had AKs in the BB with 5 limpers ahead of me. I raised to $20 figuring everyone would fold and I'd pick up the $10 or $12 in the pot. What are your thoughts on this play?

soda

[happyjaypee]

[ QUOTE ]
My question is what is the best strategy for this game? For those who are unfamiliar with the structure it is a $100 buyin max with the blinds at $1, $2. This is a very high blind structure in relation to the buyin compared to Paradise and Stars.

[/ QUOTE ]

In those games I find that semi-bluffing good draws by chk-raising, raising or reraising all-in on the flop is very profitable since the stack are so small compared to the blinds. Hand like AKs flopping a K and two small of your suite, small suited connecters floping gutshot and flush draw or open-ender and flush draw, Big suited connecter flopping open-ender and 2 overcards... etc.


[ QUOTE ]
On a side note. I had AKs in the BB with 5 limpers ahead of me. I raised to $20 figuring everyone would fold and I'd pick up the $10 or $12 in the pot. What are your thoughts on this play?


[/ QUOTE ]

In a game full of calling station I prefer to limp along and see what the flop brings. Raise only BigPairs in that position and nobody will notice. If you flop say a K or A and 2 small of your suite, reread above. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]


-Happy [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[Josh W]

You remind me of a guy who used to post on here under the name of "sodapop".

Seriously, tho...

In my experience in NL games (paradise and stars only), I've found that aggressive is more important than tight. Build pots. When you have a hand like your AKs, I wouldn't push hoping to pick up the dead money, I'd raise to about $8, hoping to build a decent pot. You aren't tied to the pot, but if you flop an A or K, you can get allin, and win a decent $50 pot instead of $8.

Look at what isn't working for you. Where are you losing your chips? Just being blinded off (unlikely), then loosen up, and play KK as well as AA. If you are losing a lot of money when AA runs into a set, then maybe raise a little more preflop w/ AA (unless it's just a statistical abberration). KK running into AA too often? Um, yeah...no cure there. Losing too much with an unimproved AK? Don't chase overcards/gutshots as much. Losing too much with improved AK against twopair/set? Maybe raise more preflop, unless it's just a statistical abberration.

But basically, build pots. $6 bets build pots in a hurry. Don't commit yourself to the hand, just cuz you raised, tho. And don't feel obligated to bet when checked to.

Lastly, find the pots you can steal. Online, this is most easily done by looking at betsize. A ton of players bet small hoping to pickup the pot. Checkraise them big, and win. Are you bluffing at all?

Three limpers, you are in the blind with two cards. Flop comes A75, rainbow. Checked around. Turn pairs the 5, and a limper now bets. Checkraise a hefty chunk. He doesn't have a 7 (well, depending...), and doesn't have an ace he likes. Take that pot.

But, mostly, glad to hear yer still at it...We gotta meet up again sometime...

Josh

[crockpot]

in a loose no-limit game, probably the most important thing to do is be confident of your hand being the best when you and an opponent go all in.

this translates into playing mostly pairs hoping for a set (or overpair if the pot is big) and A-big suited hoping to hit a big flop like two pair or top pair and nut flush draw, or a flush made against a lower flush. if the game is passive preflop, speculative hands like JTs can be nice to have, hoping to flop a big draw.

i don't play much NLHE online these days, but i'm a firm believer that the best way to maximize your profits with AA or KK on party (and get mad at the server rather than at yourself) is to just push in with it preflop, especially if the pot is already at least ten big blinds. if you're going to raise more than a fifth of your stack, you may as well just go all in; the mindset of the typical player will not be swayed by a much bigger bet. if you're in early position and your table is aggressive, a limp-reraise all in may be better, or a min-raise followed by an all in if anyone reraises you. the loosies at your table will often call your aces with any pair or A-big. this is a big reason i prefer pot-limit games (especially omaha), as they require that you play well on all betting rounds.

[1800GAMBLER]

Don't bluff. Value bet only. If you feel the huge need to bluff do it on 1 street only so you don't lose your whole stack.

Ray Zee complains about NL could be easy won by just waiting for AA KK AK because of the bad blind structure, saying it doesn't punish people who play too tight. Looks like these structures might get more popular. [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

If your game has a lot of weak players you should be loosing up a lot in late position, it's surprising on what hands will get paid off from bad players. But make sure you are capable of avoiding trouble and can hand read these hard to read players.

AKs shouldn't be picking up blinds with weak players, raise them so they keep AQ AJ AT A9s A8 etc, if you miss and get the odds to draw to overcards be careful since you might be the dominated fish then if they hit a 9 with A9 etc.

[happyjaypee]

[ QUOTE ]
Three limpers, you are in the blind with two cards. Flop comes A75, rainbow.

[/ QUOTE ]

strange Josh... I was reading your post when my table window popup and the flop was A75r... Must be those aliens again. I was in the blinds w/ATo so and toke it down though [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]


-Happy [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[FishyWhale]

[ QUOTE ]
When you have a hand like your AKs, I wouldn't push hoping to pick up the dead money, I'd raise to about $8, hoping to build a decent pot. You aren't tied to the pot, but if you flop an A or K, you can get allin, and win a decent $50 pot instead of $8.

[/ QUOTE ]

Totally correct, a 4*big blind raise is also my standard raise: If you raise more, most players will fold their junk (but you want them to call), if you raise less, you give them the implied odds to call.

[Al_Capone_Junior]

You can't run over calling stations! You already knew that tho, right? So why try? The key to these games (and I play there, sometimes in those very games), is to bet big with GOOD HANDS. Muscling these tables doesn't work because too many players will call you as long as they have a pile of rotting meat or better. However, they'll also call when you have pocket aces, and that's where you make your money. AK, top pair? $$ in the bank. You're going to need a hand in almost all circumstances to win pots on party's small NL games. You make lots of money by making properly sized bets when you're ahead and they keep chasing. Sure, they'll catch up now and then, but if you bet correctly, they will pay a heavy price when they miss. And thus you'll be in lots of situations where you're getting WAY the best of it.

Sit and wait. They will come.

al

[soda]

Thanks for the responses everyone, I'll put some of these new ideas to the test.

I believe that my issues are mainly statistical anamolies, but I want to thoroughly examine my game because I don't like to lose my hard earned cash. Friday, I had someone flop a set three times in a row against my overpair - freaky, and costly. The night before was a hundred dollar NL tourney. I had QQ and a rather large stack against the tourney leader with AJ and a board of KQJ4, he check called my 1.5 times pot all in (this was a huge pot and all my chips) on the turn. Looking for 4 outs. During streaks like this, the ten is a 95% certainty.

[img]/images/graemlins/crazy.gif[/img]

Josh - It's good to hear from you. It's been a long time. Went to Europe for 6 weeks and NY for over two months, but I'm coming back on the 3rd. Yay!

[img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[AeonBlues]

I didn't read all the reply's, but I didn't like where this has been going, because there's a big differance from the $100 buy in and the $50 buy in NL games on Party.

The $100 buy in got really tough after the first month on party. A lot of internet Pro's have decided the the $100 buy in NL game on Party is the place to be. Not unreasonbe, because an expert player can make as much as $20 per hour on these tables....

Personaly, I'm just playing single table tourney games right now, but when I do play table stakes, I offten look at the compititions in the $100 game, and I might find a table that is easy enough to play, but offten step down to the $50 game. The reason is, there is such a difference in skill, that I make about the same hourly rate, but I only have to think half as hard [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

So yah, in the $50 game, you can raise 10 times the BB when you get AA and get a lot of action, but unless there are some loose customers in the $100 you have to make smaller raises pre flop, and raise with more hands. If you just raise $10 with QQ KK AA or AK, then these sharp players will gladly let you steal the blinds. You have to be willing to bluff the pots on the flop, or these sharp players won't give you any action. And you have study your opponets raise standards, so you can use good judgement. My point is, the $100 buy in is a tough game, and if you want to make about the same hourly rate, and just run your basic statisticle game, play the $50 game.

One last thing.... I keep a $4000 bank for the $100 buy in. I could drop $2000 on a bone crushing losing streak, but I would step down for sure, to protect my bank, ofcourse not getting a temp job is a big goal of mine.

AeonBlues