A Lesson on Limit
Monday, July 11, 2005
My SNG practice didn't go exceding well. I won a $5 SNG and lost three. I also placed 2nd in a 6-person Omaha SNG, which I believe is ineligible for the SNG challenge (although since it was yesterday, it didn't matter).
I was thinking a lot about my limit play, which has been hurting recently. I believe that it may have been Sklansky who stated that you make money from limit with the individual bets and folds. It might seem inconsequential to call that last bet on the river, or to make that last bet on the river, but those are where your profits go or come from.
Its that hand where you have KK and the flop is J83 rainbow, the turn is an inconsequential 2 and the whole way you are betting and getting called by some loose player. The river comes down and its a big Ace, staring at you with the point of the A like a glaring middle finger pointed directly at your cowboys. Its when you check and the Calling Station suddenly raises that you have to decide what you are. Are you a hot-headed tough guy, scared of backing down? Are you a cool-headed but overly timid player scared of any overcards?
Or its the hand when you have JQo and the flop is KJT with two spades. You have none. A loose player bets out. You call the loose player's bet all the way down to the river, knowing in the back of your head that you might make that straight. But when you hit it, that Ace is an Ace of Spades. Loosey McGee bets, and you are sitting their looking at your straight, but knowing that Loosey may've hit his flush. What then? Are you going to value bet and let Loosey show his AK two-pair? Are you going to fold, loosing all of that money because of the ghost of the spade flush haunting you as you watch the screen?
This is where money is lost and made. This is where you become profitable or broke. This is where I am. I'm trying to come up with the right answers. At least I know the questions. That is something Loosey McGee and Calling Station will never understand.
Tonight I play at UB for the first time ever, as part of the SNG challenge. Stay tuned.
posted by Jordan @ 8:40 AM,
3 Comments:
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At 11:07 AM,
said...
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I have had the same exact problem there also. The damn calling stations who have basically no hand who always catch something on the river. I have tried playing tight and still seem to get rivered by someone calling something they should not be. /sigh it is definitely frustrating as all heck. I am not sure how to combat these people. All I know is when you do have the best hand in the end its usually half way good.
--Notes...Notes and more Notes on people who are these calling stations. So you can watch out for them
--Pinpoint these calling stations.
--If in a SnG would it be beneficially to see more flops when blinds are lower? In hopes of catching a good hand. I do not I play pretty tight initially...
--Also look at the flop, turn, river and put yourself in the other players 'shoes' what could they be holding to beat your hand!
These are just some thoughts I have perhaps I am way off base. Who knows but this weekend was just filled with these people.
If anyone comes across a good article with how to combat these loose cannons I would appreciate it. -
At 11:32 AM,
Jordan said...
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While I didn't intend to focus on the calling station problem, I did do so, probably because they were a thorn in my side as of late.
When dealing with calling stations, remember the following:
1. Do Not Bluff.
2. Bet when you have good hands.
3. If you think you are sucked out, lay it down.
I thinks that's it really. I don't mind calling stations usually, but in my example, that is the time that you need to analyze the situation and fold. If the guy decides to bet on the river when the ace hits, but was calling throughout, he probably has the ace. Worse, he may have 2 pair (with the Ace being the 2nd pair). A great limit player will be able to fold here if he knows he is beat, and not call just because the pot is big (by his own devices). So what, you were betting with the best hand and built a big pot. Its not your hand anymore and you have to lay it down. You may only save 1BB by folding, but that BB may make the difference between a winning and losing session. And if you correctly lay it down 5 times during a session, thats +5BB you earned/saved.
This all applies to limit, of course. Now that we are doing the NL SNG challenge, its out the window. -
At 3:41 PM,
Jordan said...
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I haven't heard from Pii yet. Since the SNG Challenge has already started, I am hoping Pii gets through to me in the next 24 hrs or so. Since my blog is a "must read" (haha) I'm thinking that should happen. Pii, are you in? Let me know ASAP, and for the readers out there, let them know a thing or two about you.
