Wrapping up some basics

[Pulp]

Just moved over from 2/4NL thought I'd give some 5/10 limit a shot.

I'm 15/10 over 20k hands and I'm having trouble getting the last 5% vpip.

What's the worst hand you'd be calling 2 bets cold after 1 caller on the button?
Do you auto fold 22-66 UTG? (In a general sense)
Whats the worst hand you would limp with after 1 caller on the button? 3 callers?
Do you c-bet on the flop with AK high against 2 players? 4 players?
I auto 3bet AQo. Bad?
Any other adivice to gain the 5%?

Thank you all

[TripleH68]

I just moved up to 5/10, have played 10k hands at 16/9.

It is tough to answer your questions as they are all game conditions dependent. I do fold 22-66 in EP nearly all of the time. I do not auto 3-bet AQo. etc.

I think the key to playing more hands is being able to play them well postflop. The VP$IP I have played to is in a sort of comfort zone for me. If it comes up it will have to be through a building of confidence in playing marginal spots. Seek out a few hands you thought were borderline preflop and post.

Good luck.

[BenA]

I'm 15/9.5/2.7 over 50K hands. I'm also trying to up my VPIP a notch or two, but I get by okay. The only thing I personally think I need to add a big more of is smaller suited connectors in MP after maybe 2 limpers. I have a hard time bringing myself to call, even in passive games. Otherwise, I'm good with my hand selection.

Mason Malmuth's 15% rule may be a little outdated, but it still has some merit. Don't play more hands just cause of a statistic. Do it only if you have some postflop strategic advantages with it. My best suggestion is to start loosening up in the later positions, but keep it the same EP and MP.

[Allday Everyday]

Well, I'm don't have a VPIP of 20% (mine is 17.5%). I played 5/10 for the first time a few months ago. I'm still there enjoying my time. Like the other guys have said, there are no hard and fast rules to preflop play. However, I'll answer your questions for the exercise. But it all depends...

[ QUOTE ]
What's the worst hand you'd be calling 2 bets cold after 1 caller on the button?


[/ QUOTE ]

Depends on where the open-raise came from. Maybe AJs.

[ QUOTE ]
Do you auto fold 22-66 UTG? (In a general sense)

[/ QUOTE ]

In a general sense? Yes.

[ QUOTE ]
Whats the worst hand you would limp with after 1 caller on the button?

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm on the button? Think I'd try not to call there. Raise or fold generally.

[ QUOTE ]
3 callers?


[/ QUOTE ]
Maybe a suited broadway. KJs. QTs even. Lot of these should be raised though. Maybe a decent suited ace. A8s. KJo maybe.

[ QUOTE ]
Do you c-bet on the flop with AK high against 2 players?

[/ QUOTE ]

Continuation bet? I'd almost always bet against 2 players especially when I have position.

[ QUOTE ]
4 players?


[/ QUOTE ]

Sometimes I would. It depends on a lot of factors.

[ QUOTE ]
I auto 3bet AQo. Bad?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, I think this is bad. Automatically reraising AQ suited or not PF can be a big problem. I think you have to pick the right situations against the right opponents. I rarely do it myself. In fact, I'll usually fold AQo to a PF raise. Many better players than I will usually raise it though. It's debatable.

[ QUOTE ]
Any other advice to gain the 5%?


[/ QUOTE ]

I wouldn't be so keen to get to 20% VPIP. Wait until you master the postflop limit game. Then, you can expand your range. I think the best players should actually go beyond 20% VPIP. However, if you haven't yet mastered postflop play, the other 5% of hands can very easily become big money losers. The dramatic impact of rake in SS games must be remembered here. Hands that would be marginal winners without rake become losers with it. Winning players can have VPIPs of 15% and below. The top 15% of hands are obviously the most profitable.

Hope you enjoy your time playing 5/10 limit hold 'em and beyond.

BenA, if you read this, would you mind telling me where I can read more about Mason Malmuth's 15% rule? I hadn't heard of that before. Or if anyone else knows for that matter. I'd be grateful...

[Harv72b]

[ QUOTE ]
What's the worst hand you'd be calling 2 bets cold after 1 caller on the button?

[/ QUOTE ]

Depends entirely on the raiser & how loose the blinds are. I really can't get more specific than that without writing a book.

[ QUOTE ]
Do you auto fold 22-66 UTG? (In a general sense)

[/ QUOTE ]

Generally, yes. On a tight table I might bring them in for a raise, on a loose/passive table I'm obviously limping. Sometimes I'll limp anyway just to change things up.

[ QUOTE ]
Whats the worst hand you would limp with after 1 caller on the button? 3 callers?

[/ QUOTE ]

After 1 caller, there aren't a whole lot of hands I'm limping with. Maybe a crap suited ace, or a small PP if the limper is tight; otherwise, I'm raising. Behind 3 limpers, any pocket pair, any suited ace, most suited kings, any unsuited broadway not worth raising with, suited connectors & 1-gappers down to 54/75s, unsuited connectors down to 98o.

[ QUOTE ]
Do you c-bet on the flop with AK high against 2 players?

[/ QUOTE ]

Almost every time.

[ QUOTE ]
4 players?

[/ QUOTE ]

Almost every time.

[ QUOTE ]
I auto 3bet AQo. Bad?

[/ QUOTE ]

3-betting it 100% of the time is bad, yes. You need to look at who made the raise & where it came from, as well as how many (if any) coldcallers there have been before the action gets to you. I'm usually playing AQo vs. a PFR, but this is one of the hands that I'll coldcall with fairly regularly depending on the conditions above--if there are several coldcallers already, I'm coldcalling about 100% of the time. If the PFR came from a solid player in EP, I'll often coldcall & play the hand postflop. If I'm in the blind & the raise came from EP or behind a few limpers, I'll also usually just call & see what the flop brings.

[ QUOTE ]
Any other adivice to gain the 5%?

[/ QUOTE ]

Steal blinds. A lot of them. This is where the 5% comes from in almost all cases. Aside from that, make sure you're raising hands like JJ/TT for value from out of the blinds, as well as hands like AJs. Consider raising hands like QJs/JTs behind many limpers, especially if you are in LP, as your pot equity often justifies it.