20$ max buyin 1/2$ blinds.... hmmm

A friend of mine ran into this crazy game and I was wondering how you guys would play it....

- sed

Well, throw implied odds out the window.

Play only big cards and big pairs. A small pp is almost always worthless because you have to hit a set with it.

Play AK, AQ, AJ, big cards.

and by play you mean push preflop, right?

Originally Posted by ensign_lee

Well, throw implied odds out the window.

Play only big cards and big pairs. A small pp is almost always worthless because you have to hit a set with it.

Play AK, AQ, AJ, big cards.

You can't even wait that long.

Play only for the fun of gambling...

-'rilla

Originally Posted by a500lbgorilla

You can't even wait that long.
Play only for the fun of gambling...
-'rilla

Seems to me like I would play it like rippy's strategy for the rebuy section of a tourney. Expect to dump in about 5 buyins to build your stack with luck to >= 100$ then adjust and play tight while everyone else is still in gamble mode...

- sed

That "play only big cards" thing... I don´t agree. If you can´t protect your hand with a big bet, draws go up in value.

I agree Pocket Pairs are huge in this game! Since you will be undoubtably pushing all in preflop a PP is perfect.. You will have the advantage in almost every pot. Big cards are good too...but technically big cards are the gamble in this game

Originally Posted by Waggho

That "play only big cards" thing... I don´t agree. If you can´t protect your hand with a big bet, draws go up in value.

Wrong. Draws are strong if more money goes in on later streets, High cards are strong if more money goes in on earlier streets.

You're almost guarenteed AI preflop or on the flop so you should be playing zero draws.

-'rilla

I agree, push with PP, and once you hit a good flop with AK/AQ, push there too. After you double/triple up your stack, then play a little smarter, but still aggressive.

I would play the same way I do as a short stack with huge blinds...Push or get pushed. Anything with flush/str8t draw implications...PUSH. Any ace...PUSH. Any PP...PUSH.

If you do make big stack isolate quickly and methodically. Make them pay for any flop. AGGRO is the only way to win here.

This is my type of game. Grow some balls or go home.

The Luxor has a game that is somewhat close to this at $50 max buy in and three blinds (1/1/2).

I just updated my strategy for this game and it worked well in one session and not as well in another because I got no cards to play with. What I do is come in for a standard raise pre-flop ($7 is normal in this game) with premium hands (AA, KK, AK, AQ, JJ, TT), and then if the flop isn't scary (in the case of the pairs) or if I get a piece of it (in the case of AK or AQ) I move in. Simple, simple, simple.

I think the key in low buy-in games like this is to find some way to get more than the max buy-in on the table. With this strategy you're reaching into your pocket a few times maybe, but when you do hit one you've got double the max buy-in and you can start beating up on the shorter stacks. I tried finessing this game with 1/2 to 2/3 pot sized bets and it just doesn't work.

Any comments on this strategy for low buy-in / relatively high blind structure games like this?

Originally Posted by Waggho

That "play only big cards" thing... I don´t agree. If you can´t protect your hand with a big bet, draws go up in value.

you can't be serious

I play this exact game all the time at Argosy Casino in Baton Rouge. I buy in for $100. I play AA, KA, QA, JA, Ax suited, pairs, etc...and play very, very tight. These are dangerous tables because people are not playing with a lot of money and they will play any damn thing they get in their hand. I have done very well by playing tight, playing the blinds, and collecting like crazy when I hit something.

Originally Posted by AllinLife

Originally Posted by Waggho

That "play only big cards" thing... I don´t agree. If you can´t protect your hand with a big bet, draws go up in value.

you can't be serious

Hmm... my thinking goes like this: If I have a normal stack and get KQ, raise 5 bb's and get called by a small stack at the table, who after this raise only has 5 bb's left in stack. I flop top pair, he flops fourflush. Now I can bet no more than half the pot, which gives him correct odds to call. If he had a bigger stack I could bet pot sized and give him incorrect odds.

That was the way my thinking went. But I´m probably mixing up when one person has a short stack with when everyone has a "short" stack.

Originally Posted by Waggho

Originally Posted by AllinLife

Originally Posted by Waggho

That "play only big cards" thing... I don´t agree. If you can´t protect your hand with a big bet, draws go up in value.

you can't be serious

Hmm... my thinking goes like this: If I have a normal stack and get KQ, raise 5 bb's and get called by a small stack at the table, who after this raise only has 5 bb's left in stack. I flop top pair, he flops fourflush. Now I can bet no more than half the pot, which gives him correct odds to call. If he had a bigger stack I could bet pot sized and give him incorrect odds.

That was the way my thinking went. But I´m probably mixing up when one person has a short stack with when everyone has a "short" stack.

You flop four flushes and four straights so infrequently that drawing hands won't be able to make up for their preflop and flop calls.

-'rilla

Sounds like a good time for...blind steals...and Push/Fold preflop