adapting to NLHE from PLO

[cmyr]

So I guess this is the most appropriate forum for this particular question... Outside of a bit of time spent playing SNGs and some micro-limits LHE, PLO is the only game I've ever played at all seriously.

Occasionally I get bored and go play other games, but I tend not to stick with it for very long, and I tend not to really focus. I took a few weeks shot at playing 6-max NL late last year, and after that went south I haven't really looked back.

that said, I'd like to take another look.

I think a major problem with my NL game is that I don't focus as much as I should on PF play. What else should I keep in mind when moving from a PLO mindset to a NL mindset? I'm a solidly winning player in omaha, and I would expect to be able to beat mid stakes NL.

[glass_onion]

Don't know why you'd even want to play NL, but here's my :02 from the year I played it exclusively at $200 and $400 NL (primarily Party poker - if you remember that site).

obviously you know PF means a lot more in NL.

You understand domination?

Its all about hand ranges. if you think there are nut peddlers in PLO, wait until you multitalble NLHE. at full ring you can dismiss 5 off any table as a multi tabling ultra nit. Some will consistantly go to the felt with top pair, decent kicker. Others won't without a set, others top set. Know the difference or don't bother.

Pokertracker becomes way more important. As does HUD, if you have it. I don't think anyone could play that game profitably without both. To that end datamining becomes a nescessity. Those reads become so important that you can't be at a table without a good read on at least half the players. Otherwise, better table selection and mroe datamining.

Tighten WAAAAY up. I'm 40% 15% PLO. 18%, 4% HE. And i'm 'average'.

There are less situations where pot building is important. Its NL after all, and if you search out the LAGs they will be setting you in during situations that don't warrant it, i.e. all in $300 when initial pot was $75. It seriously happens.

[fnord_too]

The main difference from my perspective is post flop play. Showdown values go up dramatically for non nut hands; made hands are much less vulnerable; overbetting is allowed and often exactly the right play. Pre flop small pairs go way up in value, position is as always uber important (though it is more important in PLO). Occasionally, the option to push will save you from checking a hand you would like to raise but cannot because it creates a bad stack/position combination in pot limit. Back to post flop, continuation betting is safer (though still you need to not overdo it) because it is so less likely that your opponent has hit (and you are usually against only one opponent). There is less information in checks in NLHE, too. There are lots of specific tactical differences, but you should be able to work through these. As an example of what I am talking about, it is often good to call with a draw that you think may dominate your opponents draw. Like you have the nfd and you think there is a decent chance your opponent is drawing to a lesser flush, it is often right to just call his semi bluff, as you are will be able to stack him if the flush comes almost always, but raising could lose your customer and folding in that exact situation is just awful from an FTOP perspective.

The biggest thing is still isolate the dead money players. A lot of the exploitive play is the same, just with added betting options and different hand equities. If I had to guess, I would say the biggest problem one would tend to have in the transition is folding too much post flop. Most of the time there just are not monsters under the bed in hold'em. Also, people pay off with the damndest things.

[TheRempel]

18/4 is nowhere near average stats for even FR NL.

[grizy]

18/4 on NLHE is a rock.

[TheRempel]

Yeah that's raising KK+ AKs and QQ sometimes by accident.

[grizy]

and a little passive preflop calling almost 4 times as often as raising.

[certifiable]

Consider studying the midstakes NL forum a week...here are three "best of threads" 2 get u started [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

2006
Retro Retro II

[beset]

I would play like 20k hands of full ring playing by a preflop script (not literally but you get the idea) that is very tight in EP and a little more open in later position and just play close attention. Look to get a feel for the most common stacking situations (set versus overpair, flush over flush, set or two pair versus top pair top kicker). Get a feel for spots where it is right to fold TPTK or TPGK and practice the most effective lines for getting your stack in the middle with a set or other strong hand.

I think one of the most important things in NL is to decide in each game and versus each player "Where is the money going to come from? Small pots or big ones?" In today's games, small pot play is more and more important. Identify the nits, nut peddlers and ABC players and push them hard for small pots and refuse to play big ones with them without strong hands. Another good thing in NL about winning lots of small pots is you can justify a lot of "doyle brunson freerolls" and get more aggressive with your semi-bluffing if you are getting more then your fair share of the unwanted pots. One thing it took me a while to realize about hold em is that most of the time nobody flops much of anything.

Datamining+PT+HUD is great for this. I recently started multi-tabling 200nl because I don't have much money online at the moment. I datamined for four days or so before I started and it has been pure gold.

Oh and paying for a little coaching with a good NL coach after you've played a nice set of hands is probably a good idea if you learn well that way. When I decided to get serious about NL after playing most PLO and LHE I did a few coaching sessions with some solid mid-stakes players and learned quite a bit.