5/150 Regular Discussion

[gregski]

is $350.00 the max buy-in for all the casinos that spread 5-150? 

No, each room can decide how to limit (or not) the buy-in amount.

Does anyone know what the other limits are?

[that_pope]

Welcome to the board clarkstar and good luck at the tables!

[Xisiqomelir]

I usually am up a good bit, at least for a while. I have issues with leaving at the right time!  :P

I was doing this a lot too, and the pattern was always the same, go up X amount then:

1) Hit my old stop-win (+2X)
2) Busto

I changed my stop-win to just X, and now I'm cashing up every session.

[clarkstar]

Welcome to the board clarkstar and good luck at the tables!

thanks pope! what advice do you have for low bankroll. I do not like playing the lower limit tables since they are donk fests but the 5-150 table can eat up my bankroll (which varies from 300- 600) in a matter of 2 hands. I bought in for $240 Friday, ran it up to about $380, and lost it in one hand when my QQ got cracked by 10 10 who spiked a 10 on the turn. I had limped from middle position wary of the UTG limper. folded to SB who bumped it to $40, UTG called, I raised to $140, SB called, rainbow 2,4,7 flop, bet $150, villian called, all in for remainder on turn.

3rd time I got felted with QQ in the last 3 times I played, I'm hating QQ now!  >:(

I have thought about playing some 3-6 or something but theres no way to protect premium hands so J 2 beats AA...  :P

[that_pope]

If you are wanting to stay away from 3/6 and 4/8 limit, and do want to focus on 5/150 while on a short bankroll, you might want to try some shortstacking techniques.  Play tight, get your money in with a big edge preflop or on the flop, and let your opponents take the worst of it.  That way, if they have the TT vs your QQ, you can't give them any additional money when they get lucky...

[AllYourChips]

I hate shortstackers because they take a lot of the edge away, but there are also a few more things you can do.  Buy-in for $200 and when you get up to $400, cash out, take an hour break (this is required) and then sit down with $200 again.  This will limit your loss to $200 for the night and will reduce a lot of variance.  However, it is worth noting, that once your comfortable with it and have a bigger bankroll, having as many chips on the table as possible is a huge advantage.

When Pope said shortstacking techniques, he didn't get into specifics, but here is one that is generally effective.  If you're playing at a loose table, look to limp re-raise all-in from early to mid position.  If you can create some dead in money in the pots you're all in against, it will have a great effect on your results because you'll put yourself in a position to more than double up, but usually only have to beat one player.  Limp/calling in this game with a short stack <200 is simply bleeding and will not fare well for you.  Another technique would be to utilize the squeeze, again to create dead money in the pot when you're all in.  If there is an aggressive player who has been raising a lot, and does so with some calls in front of you, moving it in with any hand that beats his range will yield a profit, as you'll usually only get called by the orig raiser (the gap concept) and many times will take down the pot without a flop.  Of course make sure you have enough money to have some fold equity or you'll start a giant telethon where everyone calls.

Again, I don't think this is the best way to play the game, but there are definetely some ways to utilize your short stack and create a profit.

[CrazyLond]

Clarkstar,

There's a great book named "Small Stakes Hold 'em" by Sklansky and crew which has some great advice about playing 3/6 and the like.  I was certainly humbled reading it because I realized I was making some major errors while playing.  I previously was playing a simple tight-agressive game and coming out about even in the long run.  By focusing more on the topics he discusses such as pot control, I became a steady winner at 3/6.  If only he wrote a similar one for low limit stud (I don't think he has) since those old guys still take my money when I sit at the stud table.

$300-$600 is no kind of bankroll for live poker at any stakes if you're a serious player.  Another thing that has helped my game is separating my poker money from my regular accounts.  I have found that when I do this, I think less about the money in play and focus more on making good decisions.

[clarkstar]

Thanks for the tips guys. I will check out the small stakes book and probably focus on that until I build a sufficient bankroll so variance does not break me.

[CrazyLond]

I think that's a good plan.  The first 2 years I played it was mostly just 3/6 or 4/8 at various small cardrooms in Washington state with an occasional $25 or $50 tournament mixed in.  I certainly learned a lot from playing there and it helps getting used to things like bad beats because at higher limits, they are just that much worse.  Having said that, if you do want to mix it up in some non-limit games, I would recommend taking a trip to Vegas and playing some of the $1-$2 NL games there.  The players are terrible and it's a good experience getting used to playing NL.

[Xisiqomelir]

Just had my personal best pot ever!

Hand was pretty standard, so no fireworks there (sorry!)

Casino Arizona $5-150 Spread-Limit Hold'em, $5 BB (9 handed)
Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: FlopTurnRiver)

UTG ($113.00)
UTG+1 ($95.00)
Hero ($697.00)
Villain ($1052.00)
MP3 ($385.00)
CO ($410.00)
Button ($225.00)
SB ($635.00)
BB ($472.00)

Preflop: Hero is SB with 6, 6.
UTG: Calls
UTG+1: Raises to $25
Hero: Calls
Villain: Calls
MP3: Folds
CO: Folds
Button: Folds
SB: Folds
BB: Folds
UTG: Folds

Flop: (3 players) 10 2 6
UTG: Bets $70 and is all-in
Hero: Calls
Villain: Raises to $150
Hero: Raises to $300
Villain: Calls

Turn: (3 players, 1 all-in): J
Hero: Bets $150
Villain: Calls $150

River: (3 players, 1 all-in) 4
Hero: Bets $150
Villain: Calls $150

Final Pot: $1353
Hero has 6, 6, Three of a Kind, Sixes.
Villain has 10 , 6, Two Pair, Tens and Sixes.
UTG+1 has A, A, A Pair of Aces.

Hero wins $1353 ($728 profit)

[CrazyLond]

Very nice hand.  I love playing small pairs and suited aces in multi-way pots in that game.

[that_pope]

Hate to add criticism, but unless the game was one in which calling would entice a few other callers behind you, calling a $25 preflop raise with a PP when your opponent only has $70 left isn't the best proposition.  But nice pot!

[Xisiqomelir]

No, that's pretty valid. Normally I wouldn't have made the call, but villain to my left had just made 5 ridiculous plays in a row. I was positive he'd come in for 25, and I thought I'd have good odds for breaking him big if I hit.

[clarkstar]

so i think I might go play tonite. played last night and finished up for a change...

[clarkstar]

3 profitable trips in a week. 

saturday night was crazy. typical hand, I raise UTG with AA to $50, get 5 callers. bet $150 on flop, get one caller to river and my AA holds up. good times.