Winning in Tough Hold 'em Games

[jfk]

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i would like to hear why you, mason, and maybe jfk thought it was so wonderful, and what parts all of you thought improved your game.

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At the most fundamental level I appreciated the book for the marriage between empirical data, winning play, solid writing and stark advice. Previously, there wasn't much in the way of very specific writing towards the sort of BSB battles that are now at the heart of modern online hold 'em. WTHIG plugged that gap in the literature.

I think about the very good past titles from 2+2, like HEFAP or Zee's Hi/lo split and marvel at the progress made in terms of very specific, very finely shaded advice which can be given due to the availability of databases with millions of hands played.

Though I'm not at all a quant. in terms of training, it is clear that players with this bent now enjoy an enormous edge versus those more traditionally schooled in poker skills. As such, I find great value in being bludgeoned with the hard facts of what the data says about correct ranges and play.

In terms of the way it has improved (or at least changed) my play, I've opened up both my blind steal and defense ranges appreciably. I run med. and small pairs harder, especially with position. I've added a little more balance into my play in terms of tempering some needless aggression.

Of course, I can't definitely say that these adjustments have been correct, as my tighter than the mean profile means that when I get push back, it may be more indicative of strength than that same play against a more mainstream opponent. As anyone would, I sometimes need to re-adjust some of the principles applied.

Perhaps most importantly, I've also been far more mindful and appreciative of game selection. Since reading WITHG I've actually tended to move down in stakes, move away from shorthanded play, play live more, and play a lot less online limit hold 'em. Part of this is because the mid-high, full ring limit games at the site I prefer (World Poker Exchange) rarely run, but I'm also seeing a lot of merit in staying away from online limit games where much or all of the table has the same general skill set as I.

I give a lot of credit to the authors for addressing this. Page 4 describes upper mid-stakes limit games as, "These games are tight and aggressive. You will find tables full of players that play just like you. You should avoid them." The next page gives the frank assessement that most high limit games, "...are not worth playing."

Further they show a data pool from a mid-limt full ring grinder who after 430K worth of hands is up a little less than 12K while playing at levels as high as $1/2. That's a very bleak picture of the possibilities in today's limit hold 'em. Assuming he's holding the 1000BB bankroll (or $200K) described as being needed to ply $1/$2, this player could've made about as much in interest from a money market account as he did playing 430K hands of limit hold 'em.

WTHIG is the most sophisticated book on the subject but sadly this advanced, nuanced level of play brings the realization that heavily raked online limit hold 'em is an increasingly bad gamble, even for winning players.