1/2 NLH @ B&M Strategy Considerations

[DMMx69]

I play mostly online, but once a week try to get to a B&M casino for some 1/2 NLH.
I generally am playing in Atlantic City, but I would assume the same stuff goes on most places.

With blinds of 1/2, "standard raises should be between 4 and 10. However, in practice, raises are more like 7 or 10 to 20, sometimes higher.

Also, and somewhat counterintuitive to the last statement, a higher percentage of pots go unraised pre-flop then would be expected in a higher stakes game, or even a 1/2 online game or online tourney.

This has obvious strategy implications.

Some basic things I see are that one could call with much weaker drawing hands in early position (76s, sm pairs, etc) since a lot of pots go unraised.
Also, and somewhat antithetical to that statement, a tighter approach should be beneficial. Since the blinds are so tiny compared to raises, a player at the table is essentially sitting there for free, and folding a close-to-premium hand in the face of even a small raise doesnt really hurt the folder.

I am pretty new to poker in general, but these seemed obvious to me.
Im hoping some of the more experienced in here could expound on what I have found, and add more specific strategies that are relevant to such a game.

Thanks, look forward to hearing what people have to say!

[bottomset]

how deep is the game?

is it a small 100-200 max, or bigger say 500max

I play a lot of hands in the deep stack game, especially in late position, but a lot depends on the players, and how much action goes in on the big streets, since if you have a hand like 76s and you call a $10 raise preflop, you need to get paid well when you hit something big.

[wslee00]

yeah - stack sizes are important here for your strategy.

hands w/ good implied odds (suited connectors, low pp's) go up if it's deep stacked, and hands that have reverse implied odds (AK-AT, KQ, etc) go up if it's short stacked.

[MyTurn2Raise]

my approach to live 1/2 games:

I ask myself,
"How do I stack player X (or Y, or Z, or anyone else)?"

I watch every single players cards and betting patterns and form a plan on how to get every last chip they put in play. All of these guys have weaknesses. After all, they are at 1/2 (with me [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]). Most are very exploitable. Just think about what these guys would hate to have happen and do it to them. Of course, I am very LAGgy in live games preflop (but much more controlled aggression postflop). Getting in and rumbling with guys who don't have near the experience postflop is an uber-good thing.

[dchz]

[ QUOTE ]
my approach to live 1/2 games:

I ask myself,
"How do I stack player X (or Y, or Z, or anyone else)?"

I watch every single players cards and betting patterns and form a plan on how to get every last chip they put in play. All of these guys have weaknesses. After all, they are at 1/2 (with me [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]). Most are very exploitable. Just think about what these guys would hate to have happen and do it to them. Of course, I am very LAGgy in live games preflop (but much more controlled aggression postflop). Getting in and rumbling with guys who don't have near the experience postflop is an uber-good thing.

[/ QUOTE ]

the only problem with this advice is that the OP doesn't have much EXP post flop :-p but yes this is a very good way to go

[MyTurn2Raise]

yeah...but I figure he is way ahead of most of the other players in that game

[MLSchaff]

You have to be much more active in live games as compared to online. If you haven't played a hand in an orbit or two, everyone knows it including the bad players. Online, only the good ones notice.

I find in these games (most of my experience is in low buy-in games - $100 for 2/3 blinds, $200 for 3/5 blinds in LA cardrooms is standard), you will find many more players seeing the flop whether the pots are raised or unraised. This makes smaller pocket pairs and suited connectors much more playable than they otherwise might be despite the shorter stacks, as the implied odds can come from a combination of several opponents.

I'm very TAGgy online in full ring, but live full ring I find that LAG works a lot better.

[AKQJ10]

[ QUOTE ]
You have to be much more active in live games as compared to online. If you haven't played a hand in an orbit or two, everyone knows it including the bad players, but they'll still possibly call your $15 PFR with suited two gappers.

[/ QUOTE ]

FYP. But you're right, table image is much more important, and occasionally you can exploit this. "You must have aces or kings," when you raise AT on the button.

[Heine]

I just got back from Vegas. All my time was spent at the stardust 1-2NL game.

I mucked almost everything. Played my big Aces (ONLY IN POSITION). suited cappers i'd call with 2+ limpers from the CO or OTB. Mucked all 1 gappers (except small blind). It is amazing how transparent all the playing can be. You'll find a couple of "tricky" players but even then they don't mix up their tricky play with normal play.

Over all the 1-2 game i sat at was horrible. 3-4 rocks with a maniac and a couple weak-tighties.

Even the "tells" were hilarious. If one person raised and stopped talking, he had a good hand and he was married to it. If the other made it 17, he had a made hand, 13 he was two big cards. Granted these aren't 100%, more like 80%.

When you sit down, watch EVERYTHING. Don't drink alot (my downfall), and be very curtious. People are willing to tell you cards and their tendancies when they think you are friends.

GL and HF

[4_2_it]

[ QUOTE ]
I just got back from Vegas. All my time was spent at the stardust 1-2NL game .

[/ QUOTE ]

My condolences. Any reason you didn't venture into juicier waters?