Live Low Limit Stuff

[Frond]

Just got done from playing a low limit live O8 game at a card room. It was 2-4 with a kill. Typical loose passive table with 6-7 per flop. In about 2 1/2 hours I managed to scoop 2 pots, both were pretty good in size. Also won a lone low half pot that was not bad in size as well. My win rate tonight was around 2.5 BB per hr. I guess that this is pretty good? Not sure. Got a few hands that were really good that held up but for the most part folded most stuff preflop. Still can't believe the crap that people play on any given hand. Is there a rough avg. of good playable hands per hr that one can expect to get over the long run? Seems like my avg. is about 3-5 per hr. or around there. Playable to me=The typical A2, A3 hands, some high hands etc. Bascially the hands that you read about in most books as far as starting hands requirements go(hands not in the blinds). Too tight? I got an AAxx hand tonight that I dumped preflop to a raise. One of the most misplayed hands in O8 to me is an AA hand with not much of a low draw to go with it. Funny, I still got plenty of action even though I was dumping just about everything preflop. Should I play a few more hands than this or stick with this style at the lower limits? Throw in a few more hands like A4sxx A5sxx etc?

[Murakawa]

Can't comment on hands but from what I hear you had a fantastic rate per hour. 2.5bb/100 hands is possible, I'm told, but at a b&m i assume it was less than 100h/hr

[franknagaijr]

Preface: These are just opinions with no track record.

I've run some spreadsheet exercises, and I think that about 10% of starters are decent scoop-opportunity hands. If you stuck with those and saw 25 HPH in a B&M, that's about 2.5 hands per hour. If the table has a lot of pre-flop raises, that might be a reasonable way to go.

If the table is passive pre-flop, you can probably loosen up considerably in the SB, and loosen up somewhat on the button when you've seen a lot of limpers along for the ride. Anytime you've got five limpers in before the button, you might consider hands with only (strong) high-side possibilities. If every single deal had a guarantee of six limpers, you could also consider speculative high siders from early position, but only if it wasn't a pre-flop raising bunch.

A45x? There's about a 3.5% chance of flopping 23x, or any other desired 2-card combination. For that reason, I like A34x, A35x, 234x better, since you only need one specific card to fall.

If you try this live at passive table, I'd love to hear back.

[Frond]

I think I counted 2 PF raises in the session. Totally passive table. Typical players just playing for half the pot. This is one part of my game that I have finally got a grip on(half the pot play). In fact, last night I twice dumped nut low draws when I didn't have any high potential at all. Both times it turned out to be good decisions for me because the lows never materialized at all and there were only a few players in these 2 pots. This is a part of my O8 game that has taken a while to get but I finally have a handle on this part now. It is so cliche' sounding, but it truly is a scooping game. I guess I have to get used to folding a lot PF since it seems to be working for me(even though it not the most exciting way to play).

Here is a hand from last night(try to keep it brief). Not sure if I should have pulled or pushed people in this one so I opted to just bet it. UTG I got A229, Ace suited in spades, first to act, I merely called, 4 other limpers, flop came 2 more low cards and 2 spades so I have the nut draws on both low and high. Checked to me, I just decided to bet it cause I thought I'd have plenty of callers, I was right, turn gave me nut flush, 2 callers with me, river gave me nut low as well. Ended up scooping. I guess utg, was it correct to just call the bet PF instead of raising PF and knocking to many people out with my potential scoop hand? Happy with the results. Wish I was in a LP so I then I may have raised it up PF or raised more later on!