P5s Live Guru Court Harrington discusses reporting on the live circuit and the upcoming WSOP.
When the ratio is 4:1 a standard raise will give you the opportunity to play for a larger pot, than if the ratio were 6:1. If the level is 100/200 with a 25 ante, a bet of 600 can take down profit from an uncontested pot of around 525. The same raise, at the same level, but with only an ante of 15, would result in 435 in profit, 20% less than with the higher antes. If you learn nothing else from this article, slightly widening your opening range with a favorable ratio and in contrast tightening them with a bad ratio (shifting gears) should make you more profitable. Take note of when you're getting the best value for your money invested in each pot and incorporate it into your normal decision making process.
There are some other major advantages to understanding the ante effect. The introduction of the ante drastically changes the relationship of the average chip stack to the pot, decreasing your relative chip stack. By understanding how this affects your opponents, you can either give (or take away) odds. This allows you to influence your opponent’s decisions by controlling the size of the pot as well as influencing the size of your bets.
With the introduction of the antes, our opponents are likely already opening up the range of starting hands they are playing, or defending their blinds lighter because their pot odds. Since antes make the average pot larger and by comparison the sizes of the average stack smaller; then we should understand it is now much easier to become “pot committed” in a hand. If we take our opponents relative stack size into consideration, we can bet to make him more likely to commit his entire stack, or avoid situations where an opponent might reship lighter when we have a somewhat weaker hand.
Say, for instance, you’re on the button and the big blind is slightly low on chips and right around the trouble zone. This differs per opponent but for example sake let's assume our opponent would be entering the trouble zone with an M of around 13. Being cautious might be a good idea because we know a raise is now giving irresistible odds to shove over the top. At the same time, this situation would be very profitable if our opponent was in “push/fold mode” and we held a monster. A raise would certainly induce an all-in bet or fold as opposed to a call; this is why it’s crucial to pay attention to the relative stack size as well as the implied odds you are getting in every hand as a result of your opponent’s stack size. Realizing that its “time for him to make a move” can help make your decision easier next time as it should help define your opponents range as being much wider.
If you don’t live under a rock then you’re certainly aware of the popularity of the “three bet steal.” Most good players will tell you that from time to time you have to make a move such as this with very modest holdings in order to maintain (or accumulate) your chip stack once the blinds begin to get a bit higher. It sets up like this; you’re on the button and the similar stacked player to your immediate right has made a standard raise. You’ve been paying attention and know that he’s raising quite a few hands from late position. Here’s your golden opportunity, if you re-raise him from the button it would be very hard for him to call. After all, you now have position and he’s been pretty loose so chances are his hand isn’t that strong. You re-raise, he Hollywood’s briefly, folds, and leaves you a friendly and positive comment in the chat box. Congratulation’s you’ve performed a successful three bet steal, but why did it work and what does it have to do with the ante effect?
The relative chip stack decrease that we discussed earlier is the key to this play. Because you have the ante’s building the pot your three bet can be much larger than if they were not present. This larger bet requires our opponent to commit a much larger percentage of his stack to continue with this hand, which he must then play out of position as we have the button. You don’t have to be Phil Ivey to know that committing a large portion of your stack to a mediocre hand out of position is bad poker. In addition to that your opponent will often be pot committed pre-flop if they call, which really means that the only two real choices for our opponent are, do I shove or fold? We know our opponent has been raising very light from late position and will most likely not want to put his tournament on the line with what is often a weak hand.
Be sure to pay attention to the ratio as, all other things being equal, a favorable ratio (4/1) will result in your play being more profitable. Anyone can use this information, and most aware players will. Bet sizing/timing to influence your opponents into making the decision you want them to and understanding how the structure of a tournament effects your ability to do that is key in tournament poker. Once you understand the concept, adapt it for your game. As always, good luck on the green mile.
Lee Jones, who just became Card Room Manager for Cake Poker, is our feature guest.
UTG calls for 20, UTG + 1 calls for 20, a player in mid-position calls
as does the cut off. The small blind raises and makes it 140. UTG
folds, all other limpers call. The pot is now 610 chips. The flop comes
2-7-J rainbow. The small blind bets out with 400 chips. All players
fold until the action gets to the player on the cut off who calls with
no hesitation. The turn comes another J. The small blind shoves, the
cut off instacalls!! It’s a showdown!! The small blind flips over his
AJ and is delighted and mildly horrified to see the cut off flip over
T8. The river comes a 9, completing the J-high straight for the cut
off. The small blind proceeds to berate the other player in the chatbox for
what seems like forever, calling him every name under the sun (Donkey!
Fish! How could you call that raise? blah, blah, blah). At the
conclusion of the game I search for Mr Potty Mouth on Sharkscope and
discover that his average buy-in is much higher than the $2.25 fee to
play this particular game.
This is a scenario I have seen played out so many times I have lost
count. There is in the end, nothing wrong with how the small blind
played here; with one major and notable exception. This is a micro
stake SNG!! There is a fine art to playing them and our small blind did
not make the necessary adjustments to be successful.
I need to say that if you have no interest in micro stakes poker
then this article is probably not for you.
Most of what I will say is based on my experience in the $2.25 18 Man
SNGs on Full Tilt. A lot of that experience can be translated to other
SNGs and MTTs as well. I have been fortunate enough to win micro 180
and 90 man SNGs as well using the same type of play I will discuss
here. I think ‘fortunate’ is a reasonable enough word to use there. If
you have played many of those you will know exactly what I mean!!
Let me say from the outset that I am no poker shark. I am a student
of Jennifear’s though, so hopefully I have learned something from her.
What I can say, is that I have played nearly 1,000 of the 18 mans I
mentioned above. I must admit I rarely play them any more as I have
moved onto higher stakes but I still occasionally load up a set just
for fun. I can hear the statisticians already grinding their teeth "That’s way to small of a sample size to determine your true ROI!"
That may be true, but I can say that the sample is definitely long
enough to get a feel for a game and work out how to play them well. I
can also say that in those games I had some horrific downswings and
lovely upswings so I did see the best of both worlds.
I did manage to get myself on the Sharkscope leaderboard a few
times in the "any game 2-3 table $2 and under category" and when I did
that I was normally in the top 2-3 players from Full Tilt. My ROI has
floated between 12 and 18% which is not too bad especially when you
consider that these games are raked at 12.5%. So as I said, I’m no
shark. Can you learn something about micros from what I have to say?
Maybe.
Early Game
The early game for me is up until the big blind hits 50 chips. At
this stage, I take a few limps with baby pairs, suited connectors, A2-5
suited, AT, AJ, any two broadways. I watch the table carefully here and
if it is active I only take these limps in latish position. It pays to
be cautious here about when you make these limps. It is definitely –EV
to be limping with these hands if you are going to be raised almost
every time. Now there is plenty of argument to raise with hands like
AT, AJ, TT, 99 with limpers already in the pot. With the big blind at
30 chips if you raise these hands you will often get 4 or 5 callers (or
sometimes more), so I’m happy to take a limp and re-evaluate after the
flop. I hate the idea of raising with AT, seeing a flop and being in a
seven way pot. You have no idea the range of hands you could be up
against in a micro.
In the example I cited at the start of the article our small blind
still would have lost the pot but he wouldn’t have busted out if he had
adjusted to micro play. He would have had a smallish pot to play with
instead of one that needed shoving into. It has to be said though, that
I still raise my premium starting hands (AA, KK, QQ, JJ, AK, AQ) here;
especially if I have position. Another strategy with those big hands
(especially the top end pairs) at this stage is to shove. More often
than not you will get a call and the vast majority of times you will
have them crushed pre-flop. Remember that many of your opponents will
think that 22 is a monster.
Middle Game
The middle game for me almost reverts to ‘normal’ SNG play. The
blinds are now at 50 and the standard ‘3 x BB plus one for each limper’
raise seems to start working in getting limpers to fold and taking down
good size pots. So it’s ABC poker time. I make no other adjustments to
a regular SNG strategy here.
Late Game / Bubble
The time to start shoving your stack is around 10-14 big blinds.
What you need to be careful of though, is the tendency of other players
at your table. Many players are genuinely happy to call off their whole
stack with a suited Q. Take a note of who they are. You will also
notice that the big stacks may call you very light, so just be careful
with what you shove and where.
When you get to the bubble, exercise caution again. If one of those
situations arise where there are five people left in an 18 man (with
top four spots paying) and the baby stack folds, don’t assume safely
you can shove very light. Why? Because the normal logic of bubble play
may not apply for the players you have shoved on. I have seriously had
someone write in the chatbox ‘Wow money for 4th, I didn’t know that!!’
Often on the bubble I actually hang back a little bit if the others are
being highly active and betting into each other.
Once in the money I don’t really change my play. I find good spots,
shove into unopened pots with good cards, noting the tendencies of my
opponents and adjusting my range accordingly.
Heads Up
Heads up time is where there is a major adjustment you can make to
increase your micro profitability. Open up your range!! The average
player you clash with heads up in a micro is playing way, way too
tight. They are waiting for a good pair or other premium starting hands
to get into the pot. If I even get a sniff off this tight tendency I am
shoving almost any J or better. If they are being ultra passive it’s
any two cards baby!! Remember too that by the time you get to heads up
in a micro you should both be in push / fold mode.
There are a few other things to consider in micros that will improve your game:
Pot Odds
Many players will have no concept of pot odds. You may be betting
large enough post-flop to make sure that anyone on a draw is making an
incorrect pot odds call. That normally doesn’t work!! If I suspect
someone is on a draw, I try to build the pot and hope they don’t hit
because in the end it doesn’t matter what you throw into the pot, they
are sitting there thinking ‘One more club, just one more club’. This
will pay out for you in the end more often than it doesn’t.
Aces
Another consideration is the way aces are played in micros. A lot
of players simply cannot fold them preflop. This is why if you raise
with KK, get two callers and then see a flop with an ace, you are
probably in trouble. You can also get in trouble here if you have an
ace yourself. Imagine you raise preflop with AK, flop comes A-6-4, you
bet at the pot and your opponent shoves. Did he call your big raise
with A6 or A4? Yep, he sure did!
Good Players
You also need to remember that there are some very good players on
micro tables. You should spot them, and make player notes. A Sharkscope
check at the conclusion of a game is a good way to find out who is a
good player and who is not. If you end up in two way pots or heads up
with these players, the adjustments I have described in this article
are out the window!!
So in summary, the major adjustments you need to make to be successful at micros are:
• When the blinds are low, limp into the pot and only raise premium hands.
• Beware when shoving a low stack and on the bubble because the normal bubble play tendencies and ‘rules’ may not apply.
• Open up your range in heads up play.
• Remember that pot odds may not figure into your opponents play.
• Play flops with an ace carefully.
• Beware the good players.
experience. Don’t berate the other players. At micro level many of the
people at your tables are genuine recreational players who think that
putting a couple of bucks on a poker game is the same as putting it
into a slot machine or buying a lottery ticket. There is one player in
particular I’ll mention. Not by name though. He hails from Europe and
when I searched him on Sharkscope he had played 600 games at an ROI of
-89%; a statistic often thrown at him in the chatbox. He’s a nice guy.
He wishes everyone good luck at the start. He says good game when he
busts out. He laughs out loud when he calls your shove with Q7 suited
and misses completely. He gets abused over and over and over again. But
you know what? I like having him at my table. I don’t want to scare him
away. If I wake up with AA and he is on my left, I might just have a
shove hoping he is looking at a Q high hand. So be nice huh?
—
Tips for WSOP:
* Sign up for WSOP events as soon as possible, lines can get very long. Late-night signing up works well too. You can always unregister later, so registering for all your planned events is not a bad idea either.
* On tournament days, dinner reservations can help avoid a lot of chaos as thousands of players head to a handful of restaurants at the Rio.
* Avoid using your whole break waiting in line for the bathroom, try to get a jump on the crowd as the level ends.
* The best time for cash games is usually the first two weeks once the WSOP starts, and then the time surrounding the Main Event. This is when the freshest money comes into town, get to work!
* Do not become overwhelmed by all the hoopla that goes on at the Rio, or become frustrated with things that are out of your hands. Stay focused on the game and the things that have gotten you this far.
* The Rio also has a regular poker room that runs games, located near hotel registration area.
* Take care of your dealers.
Poker on the Strip:
Caeser’s Palace: Daily NLHE tourneys will be held here this summer. The staff does a strong job and the tourney area is separate from the cash games, which are generally low limit.
Venetian: Nicely run tourneys on a daily basis, which has made their acclaimed 'Deep stack Extravaganzas' popular. Good chips, good structures, good times.
Wynn: A smaller room with a comfortable feel. Staff is generally awesome and it's one of my favorite places to play. Low to mid limit cash games are available, and the floor is very accommodating in starting new games, including mix games and my personal favorite, Chinese Poker!
Poker Downtown:
Binion's: Ever wonder what poker was like 20 years ago? Wonder no more! Just travel down to Binion’s for a glimpse into the late 80’s, where no one bluffs or re-raises you with less then aces! Tournaments are run extremely well by a very competent staff.
Golden Nugget: Tournaments sometimes have trouble getting good numbers, but are run well. The ‘Nugget’ was cool with poker way before poker was cool.
—
Clubs:
Clubs in Vegas can be awesome, especially with the right mix of company, know-how, and, of course, drinks. The way Vegas works, every day of the week designates a different hot spot, i.e. every Tuesday most clubbers in Vegas will go Tao. It is important to know which days are where because you do not want to go to a hot spot unless you are willing to get a VIP table, as it will be a terrible time with you being barely able to move and it is impossible to get drinks. Instead go to the cool clubs on their off nights, there will still be plenty of people to mingle with, and it will be a much more fun and sociable. Ghost Bar on top of The Palms offers an amazing view of the strip and is one of my favorite bars/clubs in Vegas.
Does the thought of hitting an overtime, game-winning shot with a ping-pong ball sound amazing to you? I have a spot for you! Blondies — located in the Miracle Mile shops in Planet Hollywood. You can play anytime, but call up to find out when they have their weekly beer pong tournaments, $10 entry to win a $200 bar tab!
Bowling:
Maybe you didn’t come to Vegas to bowl, but maybe there isn’t much to do in Vegas either. The main places for bowling are The Orleans, The South Point, and Lucky Strike located in the Rio. Grab a few friends and get your hustle on!
Golf:
Las Vegas has some very nice courses, with The Wynn having one of the most amazing ones, although the green fees are astronomical. There are plenty of other courses to play that are fun and affordable. I highly recommend that you get tee times early in the morning or late in the afternoon, as summertime in Las Vegas is no joke.
Dining:
Sushi Roku: Located in Caeser’s Palace, it has some of the best sushi in Vegas.
Fiamma Trattoria: This Italian restaurant is in the MGM, it has a great atmosphere and amazing food.
Fix: This steak and seafood gem is located in the Bellagio. Typical Bellagio, amazing and pricey.
I wish everyone the best of luck this year!
* Brett gank Jungblut is a World Series of Poker bracelet holder (2004 $5,000 Omaha Hi/Lo World Championship) and former Top 10 ranked online tournament player. From 2003-2005, gank was among the highest volume online poker players on the Net. His poker training site, ProPokerSchool.com, features content from some of poker's biggest names and is now offered free to the public. Brett is also a member of the original "Crew" that was televised on ESPN during the 2004 WSOP.
—
-
Search
