Spewing on a budget

[rjsob]

This is a work in progress, but so far has met with decent results. It seems to be more productive early in a tournament.

I generally play taggy and wanted to find a way to loosen up some. So I start with a 20% spew budget. At the start of a tourney (1500), a have a 300 spew budget. I use it to play marginal starting hands like 79s, JQoff, 45s without regard for position. I will try to limp, but will call a preflop raise if it is both within my budget and leaves enough budget to manuever post flop. But I will also raise with these type hands, LP in an unopened pot or sometimes with one limper. I know what type of flop I am looking for and don't consider TP with these hands as generally playable post flop.

If I fold it, then I know how much spew budget I have left
and stick with it. If I win a big pot, I reset my 20% budget based on my stack at that time.

I am coming to find it easier to play these types of hands than it is AK, JJ, etc and tend to make more when I do hit the flop or sense weakness and can bluff. And this has clarified a big leak in my game - having premium cards and not being able to let them go, whereas with the marginal hands, I have no problem getting away from the hand.

Comments, flames, kudos, wtf's!!!

[ssnyc]

okay idea but each table is so different...if you get a passive one you should be speculating anyway though QJ off is a recipe for trouble...if crazy aggressive spew budget can cost you too much unless you get lucky...tough to plan ahead but interesting idea to set cap

[tomek322]

I usually give myself a one call with SC per tourney budget.

[jjyykk]

I think this is a great idea, but a better one might simply be opening your requirements when you feel there's value. You can use guidelines like position, opponent's tightness, stacks of opponent's remaining, and hand quality to decide to enter or open a pot. I think using the "spew budget" to justify limping and calling raises oop with marginal hands is spew :P.

[rjsob]

I do use table dymanics, stacks, reads to determine when to speculate. I guess you could call it justifying, but the goal is to loosen up some, not alot. The budget just keeps me from going overboard and helps me be selective about picking my spots. But thanks.

[kenny7]

Interesting idea to set a budget. I agree with everyone that says table dynamics is important here. You probably won't be too successful at an aggro preflop table,if it's a passive one,totally different story. Wouldn't do it with QJ though,that could get seriously expensive for you!!

Uh-oh,just read some of the replies and realized I wrote pretty much word-for-word what ssnyc said.... [img]/images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img]....oh well,on the upside guess that means I'm right.