Microlimit Pokerstars = Rocky?

[Manomanman]

I just lost 15x minimum buyin at the .01/.02 NL tables at pokerstars. I'm used to playing against much looser players - felt like I was up against a monster every single hand.

Do you guys find Pokerstars to be particularly rocky in the cash games?

[Manomanman]

Also, it seems like you only get 1/2 players per flop into raised pots. You can't really bet much in these games or you just get reamed over and over by made hands.

[Manomanman]

Also, I'm in poker (at the moment) to relax, have fun, and pawn noobs. The actual $$ amounts I'm playing for are irrelevant (I play play money from time to time).

[knightmare_37]

You lost the equilavalent of 2 or 3 buyins which is pretty standard.

[Poker Clif]

[ QUOTE ]
I just lost 15x minimum buyin at the .01/.02 NL tables at pokerstars. I'm used to playing against much looser players - felt like I was up against a monster every single hand.

Do you guys find Pokerstars to be particularly rocky in the cash games? [/quote


If you want a loose game, check the see-the-flop percentages. Depending on the time of day, the loosest games will be anywhere from 60% to 76% seeing the flop. Nothing loose about that.

Find a percentage of 65+, play your king-rag suited, your 64s, and your pocket twos (see Small Stakes Hold'em by Miller/Sklansky/Malmuth, starting hand charts on pages 80-83). Not a lot of rocks in those games!

[infinity235]

ehm... when u play SSS YOU are supposed to have the monster when u enter the pot.

[phydaux]

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ehm... when u play SSS YOU are supposed to have the monster when u enter the pot.

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Not entirely.

SSS is all about four things:

1) Stealing the blinds and limps with big pre-flop raises
2) Denying your opponents correct implied odds to call your big pre-flop raises
3) Denying your opponent correct pot odds to call your flop all-in
4) Taking down pots with top pair when your all-in gets called

To execute this you need to keep three things in mind:

1) Hand Selection
2) Commitment
3) Exit Strategy

Hand Selection

You're looking for hands that either are a big pair or will make a big pair. You have to exercise some positional awareness.

EP: AA, KK, QQ, AK
MP: AA-TT, AK-AJ
LP: AA-TT, any two cards J or higher

Commitment

Always make a big pre-flop raise, around 8xBB. If there was a raise ahead of you and and at least one caller, or several limpers and a raise, then shove pre-flop. If someone calls your pre-flop raise then you shove on the flop. Shove on the flop. You SHOVE on the flop.

SSS isn't "hit-to-win" poker. It isn't really poker at all. It's an exploitation of the rules and mathematics of the game. But it takes commitment. You want the other players at the table to know that if you enter a pot then all your chips are going in the middle. That's part of your fold equity. That's why you'll win so many pots pre-flop uncontested. But for this to happen, you must demonstrate your willingness to go all-in on the flop.

Exit Strategy

You buy in with ~25BB. When your stack hits 50BB you leave the table. A foundational part of the SSS is denying your opponent the implied odds to play hands with you. When your stack reaches ~50BB, you begin to offer correct implied odds for your opponents to play speculative hands. So when your stack reaches 50BB you must either adjust your strategy or take the money and run.

I prefer to take the money and run. I also like to type "Meep! Meep! Roadrunner!" in the chat window as I leave the table just after doubling up.

I'm fairly sure I have caused several players to break their keyboards, and hurl their cordless mice across the room at their cats.

[CasinoR7]

Nice strategy, I am going to try this out.

A few questions, do you shove on the flop with two or one overcards. What do you do when you miss the flop completely? Are there any bankroll requirements to do this? Does this strategy work best full ring or short handed? In loose tables or in tight tables?

[Dogballs88]

I tried this out for awhile - it works, trust me. Even at $200 NL I had all sorts of people calling my big raises with Q9s and trying to limp RR AI with pocket 5's and stuff like that. You will make money. It's horribly boring, though.

To answer the last poster's question - you shove. Period. Amen. There's no gurantee your opponent hit one of the overcards, and even if he puts you in, I still almost always call - this is a bluff much of the time (countless people that are otherwise very good don't know how to play vs. a short stack and think they can bluff them out).

Rarely will I fold the flop, but if I raise with something like TT in EP, get 3 callers and a flop of AKx and someone bets big and is called before it gets back to me, then, yes, I'll lay down.

I'll use a little more discresion if my stack is on the "bigger side" - i.e. 30-35BB.

[CasinoR7]

thanks for the explanation

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LP: AA-TT, any two cards J or higher

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Does this mean any two cards with a jack or higher? Or any two cards that are both a jack or higher?