Q&A #97: Rebuilding Your Game From Scratch, AKA Using Basic Principles To Beat A $3-$6 Limit Game

Got it. Now for the new year what kind of bankroll do we need?

I’ve expierienced the exact same problems as well. I think it stems from the fact that you’re playing low limit “no fold-em” hold-em. I used to win and lose then lose again at that game as well. You can read all the books you want and be on the plus side of all the percentages, but if you can’t get no one to fold your usually on the minus side. I’ve changed games and have done pretty well as of late. I play $1-$2 no-limit. This is where a guy who plays tight-conservative can wait for a big hand and score a big win. The blinds are small, so you won’t get eaten away. Just don’t call raises cold, with weak hands. It took some time, but now it seems to be paying off. You will learn to be aggressive, which takes time for some of us. Plus you can bluff a person off a hand with an all-in bet.

Good stuff!!

1. Could you elaborate on where this is not optimal and why?

2. Could you discuss appropriate aggression at say $1/$2 NL in the same format you layed out $3/$6 limit?

This was the post that got my LHE game back on track. It enabled me to regain my confidence and kept me out of too many difficult post flop situations.

One of the reasons it’s not optimal is because you can be passing up on potentially profitable hands against weak players, but, I think that until you reach a certain level of confidence in your post flop play it’s best to stick to premium hands and punish your opponents when you hit.

When I started using this strategy I completely ignored blind stealing and blind defence until my belief in my own game grew, now I open raise with a much wider range, I try to steal blinds and isolate weak players and I will defend my blinds with more marginal hands, all thanks to using this strategy as my building block.

Skipatore,

What’s a reasonable estimate of your winrate?

IMO most players fall into the trap of thinking about bankroll *WAY* too early, before they’ve established themselves even as marginal winners. Until you’re confident you can beat the game you play in, and can articulate why (i.e., you know your opponents make more and worse mistakes than you do), you don’t need a bankroll. You need a training budget.

vito,

When you say, “You can read all the books you want and be on the plus side of all the percentages, but if you can’t get no one to fold your usually on the minus side,” you’re either thinking about loose games all wrong or making a very subtle and important point.

You simply *will* lose more contested pots than you win in those games. But the huge money you win in those big LHE pots will, if you’re playing reasonably well, make up for the losses over time. QQ and AKs win pots in loose games, not as many as in tougher games, but when they win they’re immense pots!

Anyone not thinking, “Yeah, that’s why vito said /usually/ on the minus side, because you usually lose, but when you win a huge pot it makes up for it,” needs to reread the later chapters of GSIHE.

Mike,

If blind stealing and blind defense is a concern, I don’t think you’re playing in games similar to most US cardrooms’ $3/6 LHE games.

Ed
Will this work at 5c/10c $4 buy in no Limit? Or would i need to change anything. What about missing flop, do I always continuation bet?
Thanks
John

thought you were offering very bizarre/bad advice till I realized this was a limit holdem article

hi guys,
everyone having a good time during the holidays?
Believe it or not, I used the same techniques described here. Only I thought I fiqured it out for myself, LOL!! Would have saved me about 1 1/2 years of losing, if read this book (or website). Simply put, hammer them right away. Naturally, make sure you have enough in the pot before you make a big bet. Pot odds does count, alot. You flop a set?, hammer them. Don’t wait and don’t trap. Because the trapper becomes the trapee. Its a lot easier in no-limit, and the young guys today think old people can’t play when it comes to aggression. Beat them into the pot. Also, know who you’re raising. In low limit poker, you can’t do this. You have to go to the river and get lucky. No one is afraid of a $3 cap. In AC, if there’s more than 2 in the hand you can only go to 4 bets. Not scaring anyone for $12, if the betting goes that far….which it doesn’t. Aces get brutalized all the time. Like I said, I’ve improved my game pretty well in the last 6 months. I’m sure I’ll hit a spell, where this doesn’t work. So, I change casinos alot.

Great summary, low-limit games can be disheartening, putting it on a plate like that should help with all the outdraws.

My only question is on the occasions when we stand out as the most aggressive player we invite check raises and that affects the confidence to continuation bet.