CAZ, ready for 2007 with BR $1800

[rontime]

Started this year with $1800 BR for 3/6, really playing carefull (ABC) poker. not hard todo when it took me 4 months to save, not from poker. I am down to $800. Over all can't seem to beat 3/6, with my big pairs preflop I R,RER and everybody calls or caps it, post flop same to river most of the time at river there are 2 other players, I mite show pockets QQ then 1 player will show like 10-7os both paired by the river. I do win pots but loose the big ones
most of the time. Anyway I feel I should stop going and study my game more, with 800 left mite evan take a shot at 4/8. any thoughts thanks

[RayPowers]

Whats the rake? Is 3/6 beatable at the CAZ rake?

Ray

[that_pope]

With only 800 left, I would not advise moving up to 4/8 yet. I also started out at Casino AZ, and am currently a big winner in the 8/16 game. The 3/6 game is very beatable, but because of the play you described, variance can also be high.

Your range of hands may need to expand. If no one is raising preflop, play any pair and any Ax suited. Look to flop a set with your pair or a nut flush draw with your Ax suited. The best way to make money in these large mulitway pots that come with low limit holdem is to play hands that when hit, have your opponents pretty much drawing dead. That is where you will make a ton.

Also, if you haven't, reading Small Stakes Hold'em is a must.

To the other poster, the rake is $1 jackpot, $2 at $30 and $2 at $60 (might be $50).

[rontime]

thanks pope,
I did read SSH, infact its falling apart many pages out lined, dogear and everything else. How long did you play at 3/6. what were you own personal requirments for moveing up?

thanks for the help rontime

[DesertCat]

Your big hands won't be pocket pairs unless you flop a set. 10-7s is the nuts in that game, you need to flop big draws and build big pots. If you truly read SSH, you should understand that, and that even playing well won't banish variance.

You should consider 4-8, because it will lesson the effect of the rake, I believe you'll have a greater expectation because of it.

One other thought is to read Caro's book of tells. Part of your edge in these games can come from good reads, at low limits sometimes it's stone cold obvious what people have if you pay attention.

[Percula]

[ QUOTE ]
what were you own personal requirments for moveing up?

thanks for the help rontime

[/ QUOTE ]

I think the most important thing next to bankroll considerations is a mastery of the game. This means learning to read hands, learning pot control, learning to laydown when you are beat, learning to value your hands correctly throughout the play of the hand.

[llayner]

I am in the exact same situation at CAZ and have the same BR issue. I tried 4/8 for a while, most recently on Sunday, had no problem playing it but the swings more psychologically affect me than at 3/6. Take a stab at 4/8 on a profitable night - ie Fridays - and see how it works out.

Also, you want the kind of table that will cap multiway preflop - it means you have to change gears a bit (be able to let go of a big hand) but they're highly profitable.

[derdo]

In almost all forms of poker it is really not easy to understand the magnitude of variance. It is harder in B&M because you play much less hands then online.
On top of this 3/6 and 4/8 games at CAZ is really high variance. One reason for this is to win in these games you need to create big pots to win and things can go wrong a lot since the pot is big and there are so many players going to to the river. This increases your profits but also increases your variance.
My advice is play a lot of pots with reasonable suited cards for one bet. (if preflop raises are rare which happens a lot this might mean limping with 10-8s from early position). raise with high suited cards from late position.
On the turn or river a raise means at least 2 pair for 90% of people in these games so keep it in your mind too.
One other important factor is the table selection. I am not sure about 3/6 but you might get stuck with people that don't see flops as much as you want them to at 4/8 tables. you should quickly look for a table change in those situations because the rake kills your profit when there is only 3-4 people to the flop.

[rontime]

Thank all of you for your help

[pig4bill]

If the game is one that usually has more than 4 to the flop, betting big pocket pairs hard mostly just builds the pot for someone else to win. You certainly want to raise pre-flop if it hasn't been raised yet, but after that you want to try to keep the pot small unless you improve. Play more of the hands that do well in multi-way hands, suited connectors, etc. I can't tell you how many times I've pushed AA hard into a calling station that filled up his straight or flush on the river. Even in 3/6 or 6/12 a hand like that can burn thorugh multiple stacks of 20 and your session you've been grinding a small profit on is almost ready for a re-buy.