The Great Debate: 1 Year On.

[john kane]

i'm trying to do an essay today, and as ever this turns into surfing 2+2 for 50mins of every hour. i was searching over my old posts to see how i used to view poker, given i like to think ive improved a lot from a year ago.

the great debate post was 367 days ago http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/showfl...rue#Post5494287

and still i think preflop decisions like this shape and effectively determine how high someone like myself's win rate will be.

i'd like to think postflop i am a competent player, im at 6ptbb/100 over 100k+ hands at 2-4nl, and i generally think i can make decent decisions, as a lot of us can on this forum.

however, it is still preflop which is the problem.

for example, in november and december i was playing a 30/20 game and crushing the game. in jan and feb i went down to around 25/16 and turning over 6ptbb/100 or so. in march i played 20/12 and ran at 3ptbb/100. i want to play around 22-26/18-22.

all months 8 tabling, so no change in number of tables, or any other factors.

my belief is that it hassle and annoy people preflop is getting increasingly important. the rise of the 3 bet pf in the past year has been very noticeable, although maybe gone too far in some instances.

personally, i try to avoid 3 betting. i find it just increases my variance way too much. ill only 3 bet fish, im not looking to make money off the tag regulars.

i remember in nov-dec i would get comments such as 'blind stealer' 'stop doing that you dick' due to my frequent raising pf. this was especially evident when there were one or two limpers and i was on the button and i'd chunk it up to 6big blinds. or i'd raise every single button when it was folded round to me, sometimes most cutoff if button was tight. id still be very tight utg and utg+1, but i'd punish limpers when i had position and steal as much as i could.

also if it was folded round to sb who limped and i was in bb every single time id raise 5-6bb.

i think this was a very good preflop strategy and one ill use over summer when i get back playing in 4 weeks time after exams.

so, i'd like to put a question in, one to reflect my post 1 year ago. this time, its a slight moderation. this time utg+1 is tighter, to reflect the tighter game we play in.

i'd also like to thank everyone on this forum who has helped me improve my game in the past 12 months.

good luck, thoughts very much appreciated.

john

[BobboFitos]

how is this a great debate? [img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

[john kane]

ps i understand this will also depend on how frequent you have raised in the last few hands, but as a general 'will never raise that' or 'will always aim to raise that to xbb'.

[john kane]

lol sorry it is more of a review of last year's great debate.

i'll try to come up with a even greater debate when i think of someone which has been blowing my mind with confusion.

[dtan05]

what? I raise with all.

[True]

i havent seen anybody over 35/25 for a long time.

[dtan05]

True, I see a lot of good players at like 29/22 ish.

[Big_Jim]

[ QUOTE ]
personally, i try to avoid 3 betting. i find it just increases my variance way too much. ill only 3 bet fish, im not looking to make money off the tag regulars.

[/ QUOTE ]
Party poker?

Why do you want to play tighter, John? It sounds like you're crushing the games.

[john kane]

dtan, i agree i think a lot of the good winners are playing high 20s vpip and low 20s pfr, i know that is not mindblowing statement from me there, but given how much harder the games are getting, especially now with people becoming more competent postflop, i think mastering the preflop game is getting increasingly important. obv a lot of mistakes are made postflop, but to keep a high winrate i think both pre and postflop need to be nailed.

big jim, i play on quite a few sites, one of which is party.

if i find a fish i will make a real effort to isolate him pf by frequent 3 betting. if he is a really big fish i will 3 bet or raise him when he limps with any average or better hand.

i just read here sometimes about people 3 betting 26/18s and i just dont see the point of it really.

[True]

3 betting a tag is worth a million times more than 3-betting a fish.

Also you shoudln't really be 3-bet isolating fish unless you are like 200bb deep unless obviously you are doing it for value. Regular isolating fish when they limp is tres standard though.