by browerkid on 8/9/2006 19:45
This article focuses on “need” areas or weaknesses I see in many online players, as well as some general strategy.

Over the last year or so, I have analyzed my game and fine tuned my poker skills.  I have found it tough sometimes, though, as I have reached a plateau and felt “stuck,” where I knew I was not improving.  I analyzed my game more, however, and tried new things, and I gradually improved. 

Being more aggressive and picking my spots better are 2 of the things I have improved dramatically.  Much of my success in the past had come on Party Poker, mainly due to my game being tailored to their blind structure.  I feel I have a much more universal game right now and can adjust better to different blind structures.  This has taken time, and I have probably lost some profit while experimenting with new styles during these tournaments, but I feel I have made giant strides.

1) Playing small pairs  (22-77)

I think one of the problem areas I see with many inexperienced players is that they are putting too many of their chips in pre-flop with small pairs trying to hit a set.  Let’s first go over what we need to happen to bust a player after hitting a set:

  A) You need to hit a set, which will happen approximately 1 in every 8 hands.

B) Then you need the initial raiser to either hit a high pair with a good kicker (i.e. having AK on an A,8,4 flop), or if the initial raiser has JJ, QQ, or KK, hope that what he has is an overpair to the board, and that there are no scare cards.

C) Hope that player is not good enough to slow down on the flop, and that no “scare” cards hit the turn, (i.e. that 3rd club hits the turn) where the initial raiser may fold his overpair.

Wow, that seems like a lot to ask for!!!

Let’s go over how to play small pairs from different positions and various big blind amounts within your stack.

Early position w/ >30 BB’s:  Limp

Early position w/ 10-30 BB’s: Fold

Early position w/ 7-10 BB’s: Fold; live to fight another hand, as there are too many players to act after you. 

Early position w/ <6 BB’s:  ALL-IN

Some may view folding small pairs with 25BB’s to be very conservative, but I feel it is the right thing to do.  90% of pots are raised, and do you really want to call a hefty raise with a small pair and then play the hand out of position??  I think not.   

Mid position w/ >30 BB’s:  Raise an unraised pot, limp behind other limpers

Mid position w/ 10-30 BB’s:  Raise an unraised pot (>12 BB’s), Fold to a raiser

Mid position w/ 7-10 BB’s: ALL-IN (7-8 BB’s) on an unraised pot, Fold (9-10BB’s)

Early position w/ <6 BB’s:  ALL-IN on an unraised pot

Before I put in a raise, I will look at the stacks to my left to see what reraise all-in I can call (where I’m priced into calling).  Obviously I will not always be playing for all of my chips here; after each raise I have a game plan.

One thing I see some players doing is reraising allins or calling allins with small pairs, and I believe this is a losing proposition.  Realistically, at best you are looking at 2 overcards, also many early position raises are overpairs, and you’ll be done.  Even with 3-4 BB’s to an early raiser, I will wait to be first in the pot with some other hand.


Late position w/ >30 BB’s: Raise an unraised pot, limp behind other limpers 

Late position w/ 10-30 BB’s: Raise an unraised pot (>12 BB’s), Fold to a raiser, possibly raise limped pot

Late position w/ 7-10 BB’s:  ALL-IN on an unraised pot

Late position w/ <6 BB’s:  ALL-IN on an unraised pot

Within the 10-30 BB’s I put in “raise a limped pot.”  This all depends on how aggressive your left is, as well as your table image.  If you haven’t played a pot in an hour due to being card dead, this may represent a huge hand to everyone and may make everyone fold and ship you all the limped chips.  I also would make this play more often with more chips, (i.e. 20-30 BB’s).  I wouldn’t push all-in with 10 BB’s in a heavily limped pot, because even though there are quite a few dead chips in there, there is also a good chance some big stack will call you with either a higher pocket pair, or 2 overs.

2) Creating Fold Equity

It’s talked about a great deal on this forum, the concept of fold equity.  Many of us know what it is, but do not know how to consistently take advantage of it.  You need a few things to happen.  First you need a player that CAN fold a hand.  In a day with so much information out there, via books, the internet, and forums like this one, there are STILL plenty of players out there that can’t fold a hand if their life depended on it.  You need to identify those players.  You will need a made, legitimate hand to play back at them.

I’m not a math wiz, so I’m not going to go through the different figures of certain situations, but I will go through different hand situations, as well as my thoughts during and after the hand.    

Scenario 1

You have 99 in the SB; blinds are 200-400, and you have a stack of 4,000 chips.  The cutoff raises to 1,200 chips.  The raiser has 16,000 chips behind him.  You push, and he instacalls with AJ.  Ok, we’ve seen this one a million times.  The initial raiser has 40 BB’s and is only threatening 25% of his stack with a call here.  He is calling 2,800 chips to win take back 8,600.  Both players played this hand correctly.   

Scenario 2

You have 99 in the SB, blinds are 200-400, and you have a stack of 8,000 chips.  The cutoff raises to 1,200 chips.  He has 12,000 chips behind him.  OK, what do you do????

You should instantly push in this situation.  This is a problem area I see with many players.  They will flat call here, play the hand out of the position, and will probably fold to numerous scare cards that hit the board.  Some players may be thinking “I have 20BB’s, I can see a flop here,” or “I don’t want to risk my tournament life on a pair of nines.”  Both of these comments are wrong, and this is due to how small the initial raiser’s calling range is.  The initial raiser has 10,800 behind him after the raise and would have to call approximately 2/3 or 6,800 chips to play the hand, leaving himself with 4000 chips if he loses.  He can only call here with AK or a high pocket pair, probably 1010 and higher.  Raising from late position, the chances of him having such a strong hand is unlikely, creating fold equity.

Now let’s compare Scenario 1 with Scenario 2.  Similar situations, but in Scenario 1, we did not have enough chips to make a larger stack fold.  Scenario 2 is a situation which will help you accumulate chips, and in the end win poker tournaments.  Easy pots with no showdowns; that, my friend, is a goal of ours.

Scenario 3

This is a hand I played during the Friday Special on Party, about 2 weeks ago. 

Blinds were 300-600; I had 11,500 chips with 88 at the button.  Everyone folded to the aggressive (but good) player two spots to my right, who raised to 1800; he was left with 14,000 after his raise. The cutoff flat called the raise, leaving him 13,500 behind him.  I pushed all-in with my eights, and both players folded.  This was a well executed squeeze.  My range of plays here was folding to a tight initial raiser, or pushing.  I would not call there trying to hit a set.  I pushed because I thought I had the initial raiser beat, as he was aggressive, and I figure he could have any 2 cards there.  Having played with him in the past, I knew he was a good player and that he would not call without a premium hand.

The beauty about this play is I don’t have to worry too much about the initial caller.  If he had a strong enough hand, he would have re-popped the initial raiser. 


Well that’s it for this article.  I hope you enjoyed it.  Feel free to PM me with any thoughts, good or bad.  I’m learning a little something new everyday, and feedback would be appreciated.  

-Kevin