What is ABC poker?

[crovax4444]

Since ABC poker is always recommended for uNL, I'd like to ask, what is your definition of this?

I see it as 18/16/3.5-4 TAG, very little bluffing, straight value betting

I know others have a different point of view, so spill

Crovax

[Nemesis69]

No fancy, straightforward poker.

[Nemesis69]

imo

[creamfillin]

raising strong hands in early position
opening a wider range in late position
avoid calling with marginal hands OOP
C-bet 90% of flops HU, only c-bet "perfect" flops multiway
never slowplay monsters, unless the conditions are absolutely perfect
don't make elaborate multi-street bluffs aside from the occasional double barrel

[rrrorrim]

You play ABC poker in the micros or against lesser players in other stakes, because bad players come in all shapes and sizes... ranging from easy-to-read/can-anyone-really-be-this-stupid to unpredictable/volatile.

They're (presumably) not as knowledgeable as you at poker. By trying to outplay these kinds of opponents - by not playing ABC poker - you are giving them more credit than they deserve. That mindset gives you the wrong reads and screws your game up.

It's best to assume all players are dumb until they prove you otherwise (which they will, in ways that become easy to detect over time).

Your advantage when playing ABC poker against fish comes not from "outplaying" them but from having a better understanding of values of hands, position, and, in general, the math behind poker...

You will lose in the micros if you don't play ABC poker.

[rrrorrim]

I guess I should have read the first post before responding...

I thought OP was a fish who didn't know what ABC poker was. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[yegon]

[ QUOTE ]
raising strong hands in early position
opening a wider range in late position
avoid calling with marginal hands OOP
C-bet 90% of flops HU, only c-bet "perfect" flops multiway
never slowplay monsters, unless the conditions are absolutely perfect
don't make elaborate multi-street bluffs aside from the occasional double barrel

[/ QUOTE ]

very well put - I agree 100% - still can't do it tho /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[rrrorrim]

[ QUOTE ]
very well put - I agree 100% - still can't do it tho /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Why not? Print that [censored] out and tape it to your monitor. /images/graemlins/smile.gif Tape it in the middle and put your tables around it.

[crovax4444]

Here is the reason why I started this thread. Our favorite Terp and I were discussing bluffing, and I said it didn't belong in ABC poker. He posed this question:

How is it possible to play 30/25 poker and still be ABC in his eyes?

I responded that to play with that sort of style would involve playing with hands that were subpar to atc in poor positions. It would involve a reasonable amount of bluffing
(which I don't include in my definition of ABC)

His response was

ABC poker means not pushing all edges, but you're probably hitting on all basic aspects of a balanced game plan
You basically bluff and valuebet, not to the extremes, but if it's clearly profitable within a tolerable range of variance

Discuss this aspect of bluffing at uNL along with ABC. I'm mostly interested in some of our pooh-bah's ideas

Crovax

[kroeliewoelie]

I think bluffing at scary boards in position against is very profitable. Roughly we have 4 types of opponents at microstakes

1) Weak tight players (fold anything except good hands, but plays good hands passively)
2) Calling station (is so afraid that is bluffed out of a pot, that he will call with any pair, any draw, any overcard)
3) Maniak (think they have the biggest dick in the universe and try to prove it all the time. play the game to bluff and win big pots.)
4) Solid players (2+2'ers etc, rare at microstakes)

I think you should not bluff 2) and 3) for the obvious reasons. Against 1) and 4) it can definitely be profitable.

Against a habitual cbetter playing mainly high cards I consider floating in position with ATC on a low card two tone flop and betting a turn card that completes the flush.

[john voight]

no trickery.

give up some edge in order to play low variance style. You wait for opportunities that are +EV to a higher magnitude.

IMO you should throw away ABC once you start playing higher than NL25.

Then you adopt a new ABC style. One that makes tricker plays light 3betting lighter and squeezing really light standard.

Then you move up to NL400 and do things that I can't comprehend.