Adjusting Calling Ranges

[dsmith19711]

Is there a 2+2 standard for loosening your oppenents' calling ranges after several pushes, to account for the table recognizing that you can't have a hand every time? As an example, if I am on the bubble and assign calling ranges of top 15% and top 20% and successfully (and properly) push (success being SB and BB folded), how do I re-evaluate their calling ranges the next time around to determine if I am pushing properly?

Until recently, I have evaluated my pushes using the same ranges the third time, but now realize that this is most likely an error. The first push is less likely to be called than is the third or fourth. Any thoughts or reading ideas appreciated - thanks.

[NHFunkii]

well it's all incredibly player dependent, so I think you just have to play enough so that you can intuitively assign a range that's somewhat accurate. Just loosen it up 'a pinch or two' when you think they're sick of your crap.

[BHokie1]

For the lower levels my rule of thumb is 3 - third push and someone is opening up a wide calling range.

I'm taking this from a local live game experience - everyone moans on the first one - 2nd one gets some raised eyebrows and third one someone looks me up with K2.

It is player dependent.

Solid players that know what you are doing - will open up if the math makes sense - these are few and far between.

Your average Joe will open up, and you'll see Q9o spite calls, or they just play the 2 cards in front of them and never realize you are pushing a wide range of hands.

[Hollandicus]

I think you have an important point here dsmith... for the experienced players this must be kind of intuative, however from the perspective of someone making the transition from being a recreational player to trying to beat the game (thats me btw) some rules of thumb for this would be very useful. If only to avoid those 'spite call' situations which seem common at the lower levels...

Whether a particular villan understands the dynamics of bubble play should be a consideration. Persumably those that do will have a calling range and (approximately) be sticking to it. As you play more with them this should reach some kind of equilibrum with your perceived pushing range...

For those villans who do not understand the bubble this is a completely different subject and an area where sngpt can seem to be at odds with the reality of the table. A couple of things noticed over recent weeks.

1) Bad to assume that the presence of a micro-stack at the bubble makes a difference to a villans calling range until you have evidence for this. (saw an example only today where a guy called a push from a big stack with 7's when the micro-stack would have been all in in the bb next hand).

2) Loosen the villans calling range not only when pushing hands successively but when pushing from the same position several times in a row. (called by 10 7 off the other day because I was "stealing his blind every f*&*(^% time" !!)

Going to have a look through my histories this week and find some examples. I think starting with the "average" range for push 1 and moving to maniac for push 3 in a row sums up the low level games (mostly PS16s).

Has anyone else had any thoughts on this??

[recondite7]

I think at low limits the players ranges will not adjust enough to change your push/fold strategy. There will be exceptions of course, but you should just keep an eye out for people you identify as solid. The thing is that most solid players are multitablers who aren't going to pick up on your aggressive style as fast.