nl 25 FR: adjusting to the beginning of a session/table

[roll]

A lot of the hands that I read about and even post on these forums begin with something like, "not much info on villain yet" or "just sat down so no reads yet"

I've come to realize that some of the hardest decisions that I am faced with at the 25 max full ring games on stars are in big pots against unknown villains at the beggining of a session. Before I fully understood why I was agonizing so much over these hands I was just posting them here or asking people about them. This post is to take the place of any future readless hand that I would ever have posted.


HAND 1
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Stars 25 max nl, 9 handed

Hero is in the BB with: A [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] K [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]

UTG + 1 limps, button limps, Hero raises to $1.5, UTG + 1 folds, button reraises to $5

Two things I've never seen before: Ace King of Bling in my first hand of the session and an opponent who plays second hand low from the button...

My immediate reaction is damn, readless poker sucks, but even still villain's range seems wide here. However, it seems unlikely that he has a premium hand. Few players would limp big hands in late position after another player has already limped.
If villain is thinking at all, what might he think that I have? His re-raise might suggest that he thinks I'm full of it, maybe he thinks I just read the section of NLHET&P about raising big with air once in a while from the BB after some people have limped.
If that is the case it seems like a good spot to push, and continue my perceived bluff, trying to get him to call with a hand I'm dominating, but that play seems a bit daft given that I really am just speculating.

Hero?



HAND 2
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Stars 25 max nl, 9 handed

Hero is MP2 with: K [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] K [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]

UTG calls, Hero raises to $1.25, UTG calls.

Flop: 7 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 7 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 3 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] (pot: 2.75)

UTG bets $3

Now it is UTG who is new to the table and at this point he has ~ $12 left in his stack. I start trying to decide if calling or raising is more profitable. If villain isnt bluffing with air he could have a smaller pair than mine (possibly 22 - 99), in which case if I act like I'm call bluffing with AK or AQ I have a good shot at his stack on the turn assuming a scare card doesnt fall. Calling is obviously better if villain is on a total bluff. But getting all in on the flop against trips or the A high flush draw (12 outter with the A draw) seems undesirable as well, so I just look him up hoping he has a hand like 88 or 99 and I stack him.

Turn: 7 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 7 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 3 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 8 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (pot: 8.75)

UTG is all-in for $12

hero?


Against certain players this is an easy fold, against others its an easy call, but an unkown player betting $12 into an $8.75 pot leaves me dazed and confused.

That said, do either of these hands look like pots that I want to just let go of without more information to work with?

One thing that I'm learning about this game is that it is very important to be able to adapt to different types of games. In what ways can I "adapt" to a table or specific opponent that is unknown to me. I.E. does a TAG (and somewhat loose from the button or c/o) strategy remain the best against unknowns or is it better to play weaker at first and just let some of these early big pots go?

Another way I thought of approaching this problem is the "default" strategy approach commonly taken to micro limit games where you simply assume that the players at the table are loose until proven otherwise because *a lot* of the players at micro limit games are loose, so the generalization will often hold. I haven't been playing Stars 25 max FR tables for very long. Anyone else care to make such a generalization and suggest a good "default" strategy to use until more is known about a player or table at micro no limit?

So my overall goal is to form some abstractions about playing in big pots against unknown opponents/tables. How do I avoid these scenarios? What if I can't? Feel free to post other relevant hands or threads to help make your point.

As always, thanks a lot for the help guys.