Am I Playing The Wrong Way?

[strappazon 0]

After i've read a lot of articles/books from some Pro players (like Daniel) i start to wonder if i play like i should do.I've started with a $18 bankroll 40 days ago, was up to $148 and now i'm at$122.If it can help you, here are my stats :I actually play at $0.05 and i'm trying to be unpredictable. So most of the time when i have a good hand i'll raise 5BB, if nobody raised before me and i'm in late position i'll make it 4 BB. usually i just limp with a pair from 2's to 7's and i will eventually raise with a pair of _8's or better. If someone raise before me i will fold a pair undet 8's and i'll raise with 9's or better.Now, i've read that one of the best way to play is to see a lot of flop for cheap. So people will usually raise 2 or 2.5BB with some good or even maginal hands hoping to hit the flop.My problem is that i'm a thigh player and it is very difficult to me to enter a pot with a crappy hands or even with a hand like JQs in later position if someone raise before me.I try to get value from my hands so i want a good hand to enter the pot and i'll raise cuz i want to be called by 1-2 or 3 people who have a worse hand than me.So my question is : am i playing i na way that doesn't make sense? it is crazy to always raise 5BB with a good hand ? Of course sometime i(ll hit the flop and i'll either bet 3/4 of the pot or slowplaying. But something there'll be no A or no K and the flop and i'll have to fold most of the time it someone bet a lot before me.Should i play looser and sometime enter the pot with a marginal hand if i only have to pay like 2BB?I must say that sometime it drives me nuts to see that someone breaks my AK, QQ, or something with a marginal hand cuz they paid all the wong long against the odds and finally get their card on the river.So i don't know if i play a tight and agressive poker or if i'm too conservative.

[MNmiracleCJS 0]

I wouldn't advise doing anything that makes you uncomfortable. There are many ways to be a consistent winner and I'm certainly not one to tell you that any one way is better than another. One thing I will say is that obviously you've been doing well. So taking that into account why change anything? If you do choose to change your style a little you can test it out maybe in just one sitting. The one thing that would concern me if i were you is predictability, but at those stakes it probably isn't going to matter. Mix up your play a little to get used to it make a small raise or limp with a monster once in a blue moon or try raising with a hand like 67s every once in a while. The good thing about these types of hands are that they're easy to get away from and can be monsters if you hit. Occasionally it will put you into some tougher decisions but that's part of becoming a better player if you never have to make a tough decision you really aren't maximizing your potential. Your results thus far speak for themselves, and like i said at those stakes it most likely isn't going to matter that you have betting tendencies. As you move up in stakes its something that you're most likely going to have to at least try though. GL stay focused and don't get ahead of yourself and you'll be fine you obviously have a desire to improve, and as long as you stay committed and motivated you will improve. Keep up the good work.

[DemonDonk 0]

Was going to say what's already been said, but just remember NLHE is a primarily post-flop game, that's where the big decisions lie. So work on knowing when to bet/bluff/raise/fold/check/call after the flop and you will be far more successful than if you're play is limited to the top 10% of hands with decisions that speak for themselves. However you're doing good so don't change radically, just try not to become predictable, make sure your opponents don't put you on your hand, and you'll do good. As you get better post-flop you can lower your raises to 3xBB(+1BB for every limper) as you'll be able to get away from your QQ when your opponent makes it obvious he has a set etc.

[trystero 0]

So you're crushing these stakes and want to know what to do differently. That makes no sense to me. Once you move up, and play tougher competition - and yes it does get harder even at 10nl - then you'll make the appropriate adjustments to your game. Why worry about it all now ? Posters always argue over irrelevant nonsense; you should raise widely on the flop to balance your range; you shouldn't modify bet size because it'll make you exploitable (good players will pick up on it!!); that you shouldn't cold call pf in position because of reverse implied odds; and so on and so forth; but the bottom line is that, at your stakes, 99% of this shit doesn't mean a damn thing because no one's paying any attention. I wouldn't raise pf 5x BB tho, to be honest, because yea it is true that even the worst players will pick up on THAT, and you want to make your steals cheaper (you don't really want to risk 5 BBs to win 1.5). But even good players modify raise size based on preflop position - some raise more in EP to discourage callers, some more in LP to build pots quicker.

[strappazon 0]

Ok, thank guys. I think i'll not completely change the way i play because like you all said, at those stakes it doesn't really matters. During my lunch break i tried to only raised 3 BB pre flop and i won $3 in the session.I thing the good point of raising 5bb with any good hands is that most of the time you'll at least have 1-2callers ( at those stakes). So if you hit the flop and raise again it could turn into a very nice pot. But yeah, sometime i'll risk 25 to gain like 7 or i'll have to fold on the flop. So the variation might be important.I'll just try to mix it up more and trying to be completly unpredictable. The fact is i don't want to have betting patterns that i'll keep when i'll be able to play at higher stakes.Thanks for your advices/opinions.

[mtdesmoines 3]

Ok, thank guys. I think i'll not completely change the way i play because like you all said, at those stakes it doesn't really matters. During my lunch break i tried to only raised 3 BB pre flop and i won $3 in the session.I thing the good point of raising 5bb with any good hands is that most of the time you'll at least have 1-2callers ( at those stakes). So if you hit the flop and raise again it could turn into a very nice pot. But yeah, sometime i'll risk 25 to gain like 7 or i'll have to fold on the flop. So the variation might be important.I'll just try to mix it up more and trying to be completly unpredictable. The fact is i don't want to have betting patterns that i'll keep when i'll be able to play at higher stakes.Thanks for your advices/opinions.

This is a little bit of a trap, BTW. Don't just "mix it up" for the sake of being unpredictable. Use position, post flop excellence, and known villain ranges and tendencies to the best of your ability.

[Solar 0]

I actually play at $0.05 and i'm trying to be unpredictable. So most of the time when i have a good hand i'll raise 5BB, if nobody raised before me and i'm in late position i'll make it 4 BB. usually i just limp with a pair from 2's to 7's and i will eventually raise with a pair of _8's or better. If someone raise before me i will fold a pair undet 8's and i'll raise with 9's or better.Open raising with all pairs is fine, maybe not in early position at full ring, but any other time is good. Small pairs are pretty much the main set of hands you should be calling raises with. They have the potential to hit the flop hard, and easy to get away from when they don't. Hands like AJ on the other hand can give you tough decisions. Always play to make poker easyNow, i've read that one of the best way to play is to see a lot of flop for cheap. So people will usually raise 2 or 2.5BB with some good or even maginal hands hoping to hit the flop.This is more of a tournament ideal, where survival is a big factor.My problem is that i'm a thigh player and it is very difficult to me to enter a pot with a crappy hands or even with a hand like JQs in later position if someone raise before me.You don't want to play hands like this when someone has raised. They have high reverse implied odds, meaning you can lose a lot to hands like KQ or AQ if a Q comes on the flop.I try to get value from my hands so i want a good hand to enter the pot and i'll raise cuz i want to be called by 1-2 or 3 people who have a worse hand than me.So my question is : am i playing i na way that doesn't make sense? it is crazy to always raise 5BB with a good hand ? Of course sometime i(ll hit the flop and i'll either bet 3/4 of the pot or slowplaying. But something there'll be no A or no K and the flop and i'll have to fold most of the time it someone bet a lot before me.Only slowplay dry boards. So if there are no draws out there, slowplaying is fine, but even just a flushdraw makes it good to lead the flop with sets and the like, especially if you would bet with the draw aswellShould i play looser and sometime enter the pot with a marginal hand if i only have to pay like 2BB?I must say that sometime it drives me nuts to see that someone breaks my AK, QQ, or something with a marginal hand cuz they paid all the wong long against the odds and finally get their card on the river.Other players playing badly is a good thing. Losing to some moron is always frustrating, but you have to keep playing optimally, maximise value at every point.So i don't know if i play a tight and agressive poker or if i'm too conservative.Don't try to play a certain way just because you feel you should. Play your game.

[strappazon 0]

^^Thank you.

[texan_driver 0]

I agree with most everything that's been said. Daniel's small-ball strategy is mostly a tournament style strategy. I think it works very well for tournaments, but it's not ideal for low limit cash games. For those I've it works best to keep things simple: fold when you have a bad hand; pot control in marginal situations; get the chips in with a big hand. You do that & you'll be a winner in those games over the long haul.