begginers nl holdem strategy for .25/.50

[69suited 0]

Thanks to WRTO and Smash I have been working the .50/1 tables at Party to try to clear the Instant Bankroll bonus which is for real.$75 free dollars plus once you clear 500 raked hands you get an additional $25.WRTO's strategy blog provides an easy limit strategy, which I add my own aggression to depending on the table ofcourse.Smash has mentioned on occasion that NL is much more boring but easy to make money with and I was wondering if anybody or Smash ofcourse could post that easy strategy he is talking about for NL as compared to Limit for the .25/.50 NL games at Party.

[rollito 0]

i'd suggest reading 2+2's winning low stakes holdem....its a book with great advice about beating games with people that are loose/passive, basically just weak players in general. I have put these ideas to use in these low limit games and have been very successful....especially in the game you are tlaking about.....but it has also done me good in the live 2/4 and 3/6 games at the casinos. its a quick and easy way to figure out how to exploit all the wrong decisions most people in those games make time and time again.

[rollito 0]

sorry just realized that you were asking about NL games....that book mainly focuses on limit strategies

[69suited 0]

sorry just realized that you were asking about NL games....that book mainly focuses on limit strategies

That's funny I got really confused until I read the next post!

[jayistheman 0]

my NL strategy: (i've been a consistent winner in : .25/.50, .50/1.00, and 1/2 online and 1/2 live for a year now)ive found this to be true.-defending your hand is important, but dont overcommit yourself when you know they are gonna draw for any price... allow yourself to lay the hand down when they hit.-i play very tight requirements pre flop... KJ and KQ may look pretty in limit, but they are untimate trap hands in NL.. you probably shouldnt take any flops with them in raised pots until you become skilled at post flop play.-dont get fancy... in NL its very tempting, but i dont do it.... the only "fancy" plays i do are considered so because they are decievingly simple.... (i have A 3 and the flop is 3 3 3... i bet it out in first position)-play hands with high implied odds, but be careful in raised pots. I wont call a raise with Ax suited or a suited connector (except a stupid small pot builder raise after i've already limped)... in unraised pots, i like to bet my draws... the reasoning behind this is that you can often take it down there... or you can get people commited, so when you hit it pays.-don't try to push people off hands that they have raised. if someone raises AA online, odds are they will not fold.... for anything.-i don't raise much pre flop except with premium... QQ KK AA AK... sometimes JJ. i found it to be very decieving to the fish... we all know they automatically assume two unpaired high cards when you raise, and top pair will often call down (or even raise) assuming a continuation bet.there's alot more, but thats enough to get you started i think

[JaysonWeber 0]

In NL games... You're going to want to be selectively aggresive. I began using Poker Tracker which has helped me SO much with my NL game.Talking over hands with WRTO, going through what we would do, where to raise...Position is Paramount in NL, Folding A-10 os, even suited most of the time UTG is not a problem for me anymore. Here is an example of how I would play a hand in NL.AQ from MP, Bet the Pot, whether its 2 dollars or 4 by the time it gets to you.this is ofcourse if no one has raised before you, if it is raised infront, play it accordingly, thats were Poker Tracker helps you can see what type of player it is who raised.After this, I'll ussually bet the pot after the flop, 90% of the time I'll do this regardless of whether I hit or not.A place where I wouldn't would be if 2 rocks called my raise pre-flop and something like... K - J - 8 came out, I would have to put one of them on AK and figure I'm drawing to 4 outs, the 4 tens. This is all ignoring any flush draws on the board ofcourse.The turn is the most important aspect of the game, This all depend on flop texture here, if you hit your Q or A on 4th, With a favorable amount of ppl left in the hand you want to bet again here.Letting go of your hand is also important, dont get caught in a large pot with A-10 with only a pair of aces and no big draws, you're probobly outkicked with 2 people in the pot.Aggresion is where it is at in NL, you can come in with a pot sized bet from the button with any reasonable hand and a few people in the pot if you think you can take it down. If you get callers, well you have position the rest of the way and You just might hit your cards.

[69suited 0]

In NL games... You're going to want to be selectively aggresive. I began using Poker Tracker which has helped me SO much with my NL game.Talking over hands with WRTO, going through what we would do, where to raise...Position is Paramount in NL, Folding A-10 os, even suited most of the time UTG is not a problem for me anymore. Here is an example of how I would play a hand in NL.AQ from MP, Bet the Pot, whether its 2 dollars or 4 by the time it gets to you.this is ofcourse if no one has raised before you, if it is raised infront, play it accordingly, thats were Poker Tracker helps you can see what type of player it is who raised.After this, I'll ussually bet the pot after the flop, 90% of the time I'll do this regardless of whether I hit or not.A place where I wouldn't would be if 2 rocks called my raise pre-flop and something like... K - J - 8 came out, I would have to put one of them on AK and figure I'm drawing to 4 outs, the 4 tens. This is all ignoring any flush draws on the board ofcourse.The turn is the most important aspect of the game, This all depend on flop texture here, if you hit your Q or A on 4th, With a favorable amount of ppl left in the hand you want to bet again here.Letting go of your hand is also important, dont get caught in a large pot with A-10 with only a pair of aces and no big draws, you're probobly outkicked with 2 people in the pot.Aggresion is where it is at in NL, you can come in with a pot sized bet from the button with any reasonable hand and a few people in the pot if you think you can take it down. If you get callers, well you have position the rest of the way and You just might hit your cards.

This helps quite a lot, I know there is no set strategy, but is it possible to get link to or a list of hands to play in certain position. For limit I started following a certain chart and have gone from there.Looking for a preflop strategy by position to start. Post flop I will try to use my own strategy.

[Erudis 0]

My advice is to read the NL holdem section in SuperSystem to give you a good creative framework to start mapping out your own style/s. I haven't read SS2 yet... but reading SS1 will give you a very very good picture of what you are trying to accomplish in a NL holdem cash games and will give you a recipe (ONE recipe, there's many) on how to accomplish it.here's two bits of advice:1. the purpose of winning small/smallish pots is to keep your chip count healthy; small pots should not be thought of as money-makers (you'll end up trapping yourself if you don't heed this advice).2. the overriding goal in NL is breaking people. this isn't being mean (they can buy back in and say "nh"). In all decisions you make in small pots, big pots, preflop, post flop, and on and on, you should ask yourself: "How will this play help me bust PlayerX ( in this hand, the next hand, or some future hand)?"

[RonBurgundy 0]

beware of the slow play. Many weak opponents have seen it on ESPN working great, and think every time they have top pair, they should slow play it. so keep that in mind when you're playing a weak opponent, they could always be slow playing. just my opinion.

[wrto4556 0]

beware of the slow play. Many weak opponents have seen it on ESPN working great, and think every time they have top pair, they should slow play it. so keep that in mind when you're playing a weak opponent, they could always be slow playing. just my opinion.

How can you tell if they're slowplaying? They always check and call...

[Smasharoo 0]

Smash has mentioned on occasion that NL is much more boring but easy to make money with and I was wondering if anybody or Smash ofcourse could post that easy strategy he is talking about for NL as compared to Limit for the .25/.50 NL games at Party.Play only po0cket pairs and Ax suited.Limp with everything but KK and AA. Push with KK and AA pre-flop.If you hit a set with a PP bet. If not, fold.IF you hit a nut flush draw, draw to it as cheaply as possible, if you complete it on an unpaired board, bet.I'm not kidding, the games are that bad.

[NormanHaupt 0]

I haven't read a single thing about NL. Everything I've learned comes from JWeb, wrto, allinbluff, and, the best single advice source for long winded answers- Akishore. They all give different advice, and I'm taking it and and finding what I'm comfortable with. I've made good money in NL just on the basic implied odds and drawing advice I've recieved from Aki

[69suited 0]

Smash has mentioned on occasion that NL is much more boring but easy to make money with and I was wondering if anybody or Smash ofcourse could post that easy strategy he is talking about for NL as compared to Limit for the .25/.50 NL games at Party.Play only po0cket pairs and Ax suited.Limp with everything but KK and AA. Push with KK and AA pre-flop.If you hit a set with a PP bet. If not, fold.IF you hit a nut flush draw, draw to it as cheaply as possible, if you complete it on an unpaired board, bet.I'm not kidding, the games are that bad.

There are no cards to play? What if you are on a run of no cards such as you mentioned.

[Markmadness 0]

He did say limp in with everything.

[69suited 0]

He did say limp in with everything.

What does limp with everything mean?

[Metro 0]

it means call the BB.and by everything, he was referring to his selection of hands that he told you to play. the PP's and Ax's

[69suited 0]

THANKS

[Erudis 0]

I think Smasharoo's hand advice is only even reasonable at a table full of horrible players. You're hardly gonna make squat for money playing that way in NL. And against good players, seems to me y ou're just gonna get owned playing that way.You could try and construct a system of hands (such as Smasharoo's) and play that way - and it might work at a small percentage of tables - but you are NOT going to become a good NL player this way and it seems to me you're just gonna go broke doing this. I think Smasharoo's advice is terrible advice EVEN IF it might happen to work at a few low-stake online tables.

[Smasharoo 0]

There are no cards to play? What if you are on a run of no cards such as you mentioned.Then fold.

[Smasharoo 0]

I think Smasharoo's hand advice is only even reasonable at a table full of horrible players. You're hardly gonna make squat for money playing that way in NL. And against good players, seems to me y ou're just gonna get owned playing that way.You're wrong. Goof players will have no idea what you're doing and will just stay out of your way as you're playing tightly. Bad players won't realize you're doing anything out of the ordinary and will keep paying you off.You could try and construct a system of hands (such as Smasharoo's) and play that way - and it might work at a small percentage of tables - but you are NOT going to become a good NL player this way and it seems to me you're just gonna go broke doing this. I think Smasharoo's advice is terrible advice EVEN IF it might happen to work at a few low-stake online tables.Maybe you should try it for a few thousand hands before assuming how you play has a better return. I think you might surpised, and frustrated and embarassed, by the results.

[Vade 0]

Just curious, how can KQ or KQs not be on the list of playable hands.I'm playing a decent amount of NL to clear a bonus, and am reasonably successful with those hands.

[Smasharoo 0]

I'm playing a decent amount of NL to clear a bonus, and am reasonably successful with those handsBecause you're looking for simple clear visibility hands that make nut hands and will get paid off when they do while exposing you to minimal risk when you play in terrible games.Look, the idea is to make *money* right, not to outplay people or deomnstrate how great you are postflop or whatever, isn't it?If you were in a game with very deep stacks, let's say 1000X the BB and people would call an all in push by you pretty consistently, you'd probably make relatively risk free money *just waiting for aces* and folding everything else.The idea behind the mechanical standard I laid out here isn't to teach someone how to play against 10 great NL players, it's to demonstrate to them just how easy it is to make money in games with bad players and give them a foundation to work on so that when they learn more and think they're outplaying people and killing a game they have a standard to compare to.If you're not beating the game for at least the rate you'd be beating at playing mechanically, you're just ego stroking and wasting your time. It provides a benchmark and teaches patience and discipline. When you figure that out and realize how often you'll get paid off when you have the nuts you'll be less likely to pay people off when you're on the other side of the situation looking at a king high flush and thinking about calling an all in.

[Vade 0]

Okie, thanks for the answer.I know that patience and discipline are weaknesses in my game.

[NormanHaupt 0]

Lets figure the average stack is about 100x BB though. Rarely at low limits will you see anything above it. Playing more marginal hands that hit unbelievably when you hit, and fold when you don't, seems to me a good play too. Poor players are poor players. Good players can't stop you when you hit a big hand either.

[Erudis 0]

smash, gimme a break. frustrated, embarrassed? ok... like i said, it may work at particular kinds of tables at small-stakes, so if that's all the poster is looking for more power to him. just make sure to find the right tables and don't try to move up and retain this strategy...