Cash Play in Small NL or SL "GCA"
RussGe...@aol.com
Recently, since the fiasco with online poker, I've ventured forth into
the casino world of poker again. Most of the biggest games in the area
are Max $300 buy-in, with $500 buy-ins, should you lose your initial
one.
I picked a casino and ventured forth for a weeks play. The following
are my results from the weeks play, my strategy for beating the game
and the rating I would give the players in the game.
First, I won every day, highest day being my first, about $1400. My
lowest day was about $50, my last day of the week, yesterday. In
between, my wins varied from $300 to $900. For seven days play
consisting of about fifty hours, I won about $4500.
The structure of the game were two $5 blinds, with an opening bet
being $10. The initial buy-in was from $100-$300. After losing your
initial buy-in, provided it was $300, you could now proceed to buy
$500. Since the game I was in was in the state of Washington, it's
technically a spread limit, meaning the highest bet you can make is
$500, this being state law.
Here is the proper way to attack games of this style or remotely
close, as in real No Limit games with this structure or lower. The
drop was $3 for the hand and another $1 for the jackpot.
First, I strongly advise buying in for $200. With structures like
this, it's easy to get loser, but hard to get it back once you get
stuck. Go with the following formula. Play very tight, especially in
early position. Again, I emphasize the tight part.
Forget everything but premium hands in basically all positions, except
the button and blinds when you face a minimum bet. Discard all small
pairs, except when on the button or blinds. The reason for this,
unless the pot is raised at least a small amount, even if you flop a
set, you really can't apply much pressure and expect to make money.
Most flops will be vulnerable to players limping in, as you yourself
will be.
Forget about suited connectors, suited A's, suited KQ and it's ilk.
These hands are acceptable raise hands once you reach the cut off,
provided no one has entered the pot. Opening bets such as $20-$30
range is recommended.
The reasoning behind this, it's basically pretty hard to get loser
very much playing this style. Most players chop in the blinds, if they
don't get raised. You can play many rounds without playing a pot and
only be stuck $50 dollars.
Once you get stuck about $75, buy another $100. If you do lose your
stack, come back with the $200 you bought in for. Forget about AQs and
such hands, except in the positions I've mentioned. Also discard these
hands if the pots been raised.
Many players are limping in these games. Hands can vary from AA to any
two suited cards, so don't trap yourself or force the action. Play
hands that are capable of breaking players for their stacks and learn
the proper betting amounts for the attack.
In these games I suggest opening bets of $20 for hands such as 99,
10-10, JJ, AK. Hands such as KK and AA should be opened for about $35.
Worry more about getting drawn out on a big pair such as AA than
getting action on the hand pre flop with numerous players.
With multiple limpers, raise the pot to $75 or so. When called, your
major worries are flops containing face cards, as most people call
these raises with fairly big pairs.
Pay attention to players styles and habits. Recognize who's capable of
doing what. If you get ahead and get playable hands out of position
with stacks equal to the opposition, let them take the lead unless
you're very sure of having the best hand.
Don't worry about the three flush flop, especially if you raised pre
flop. No limit, or games of this type are basically games of pairs. As
long as they're drawing, you're the favorite. Remember, no such thing
as over betting with the best hand. However, there is such a thing as
under betting.
In cases where you make big hands, as if you open for $20 with 9-9 and
the flop comes 6-6-9, don't check, bet a reasonable amount, such as if
you have a big pair. NONE of the players I saw in these games is
capable of laying down trips. Few will ever think you have the set of
9's. Realize, you will be playing badly if you check, for your only
hope of making money is if one of these persons holds a 6 or happens
to have a higher pair they've slow played.
Understand the following concept, if you're going to call on the river
if you think the last card may have helped them, bet the hand. The
reason, if you're going to lose the money if they make it, make the
money in case you have the best hand and they were weaker than you.
Don't show cards, apply plenty of pressure and try to isolate with
position those who've limped in when you've raised. Give 'supposedly
FREE CARDS', should you have a KK and the flop comes Axx, in position
or out. Play like you're value betting in many situations, to slow the
action when unsure.
In games of this level, quality of play is about a 3 on a scale of
1-10. Bluffing should be done in small pots, rather than large ones.
The players at this level are hard pressed to recognize talent. To
stop being bluffed or bet on when out of position, check and raise.
Follow through if your instincts tell, you have the best hand.
If your instincts aren't correct far more often than they're wrong,
you won't beat the game anyway. This style is recommended for full
games, not short handed. Short handed should not be played with this
style. Short handed games should not be played with drops of $3-$4 a
pot at this level, as the house will get all the money.
Remember, the odds of flopping a set with QQ are the same as with 44,
but with QQ, you can still bet and win a big pot. Stop limping in with
suited connectors and small pairs. Yes, you'll hit them, yes they'll
win big pots at times. But, in the long run, you'll get your ass
kicked playing them at these levels.
I played for a week at this level. At times I didn't play a pot for an
hour or more. I lost about EVERY RACE, when I was forced to engage,
such as QQ vs. AK, when the person went all-in pre flop and I'd call.
Yet, I was never stuck more than $250 at any time.
Play the game post flop. Unless your sure, the only pair they have in
poker is AA. Be or learn to be able to lay down KK pre flop or post
flop even if an A doesn't appear on the board. When you do, make sure
your right.
You don't need to flip coins to beat this game. Avoid encounters if
anything close to a coin flip appears unless you're pot committed.
Change seats all the times to get position on players you think will
give you an advantage to sit in front or behind. Remember, it's best
to bet more than less.
Set a limit to your loss in the game, set no limit to your win. Don't
press the action, the game is patience, betting and reading your
oppositions bets.
Few players in this level are close to being TRUE PRO'S. Even a game
as small as this can earn a TRUE PRO $150,000 a year, without any
stress.
I'm sure I missed many issues on this lesson. Feel free to ask
questions.
Russ Georgiev
David Nicoson
wrote:
> Cash Play in Small No Limit or Spread Limit
>
"Recently" here means a year ago.
hanks
On Oct 4 2007 10:33 AM, David Nicoson wrote:
> On Oct 4, 12:49 pm, "RussGeorg...@aol.com"
> wrote:
> > Cash Play in Small No Limit or Spread Limit
> >
> > Recently, since the fiasco with online poker, . . .
>
> "Recently" here means a year ago.
Another nit is heard from. Gee thanks for that insight,Dave.
_______________________________________________________________
Watch Lists, Block Lists, Favorites - http://www.recpoker.com
RussGe...@aol.com
Below is a reply from my site, www.pokermafia.com on that post, since
it was first put there.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++=
So about a week and a half ago, I was scanning through some old PaulP
Posts on RGP. I don't contribute to the site, and I only very
occasionally visit it. I was reading phillips posts 'cause I find the
man to be utterly hilarious. While I was at RGP, I desided to see what
was brewing with Russ G, what pot he had been stirring up. My first
exposure to RGP was to read about some scandal or another about Russ,
and I have to say that I've never really viewed poker the same from
those first posts I read. They were, shall we say, eye opening?
Anyway, I read his posts in the caro poem thread ( don't quit your day
job, mike) and then I read a post entitled "small stakes NL". Other
than the scandal posts, I loved Russ's Strat posts on RGP, and clicked
on the thread. Russ went into detail about a game with a very odd
blind and buy in structure that was very familar to me. It was 5-5 nl
with 10 to bring it in. 100-300 buy in, and if you bust, you can buy
in 500. He also stated that he was playing in washington state. This
hit me like a thunder bolt, as a local casino spread this game, and Wa
state has very few NL ( well, spread limit) games indeed. So I shot
Russ an email,( as i figured he didn't want me outing him to RGP as
playing at this casino) asking if this casino was indeed the one he
was playing at. He neither confirmed nor denied that it was in the
post, but said he would say something to me ( as I described myself
physically, I'm a rather unique looking guy, as I've very tall, very
broad and have a huge head) if he saw me at he casino.
So on thursday I headed out to the game. As far as I know, there is
only one pciture of Russ that is anything near current. And there was
only one man at the 5-5 game that came close to this picture, a non
descript looking bearded man wearking glasses ( The only other option
was if russ had grown a giant beard, started wearing very dark sun
glasses, and put on about 200 pounds.. which I considered till I saw
the man play, and instantly knew that it couldn't possibly be Russ).
So I was in the 1-2 game, and I went to get some coffee. The bearded
5-5 player stood up and said " you getting some for me?" I replied,
with a grin " You take cream or sugar'. He laughed, and gave me a
knowing smile, and said "Live.. and in person". It was such a wierd
moment for me. When I sat back down at the table, I literally had a
shiver up my spine. A famous ( and infamous) world class poker playr,
and world class cheat was actually playing at my local casino. I soon
moved to the 5-5 table. Perhaps it was questionably table selection,
as the 1-2 game certainly had no WCP's at it, but I had to watch Russ,
I had to watch him play. I've never had a chance to see a WCP up
close, and while his play is "dumbed down" for the structure of the
game, it was still a marvel to watch. Russ eventually moved to the
seat next to me, and starting telling me some fantastic stories, gave
me an amazing tip about how to fly for a fraction of the cost, and in
general was very, very personable.
What I noticed first about him was how very, very tight he played.
Extremely tight. I was only involved in one pot with him. I was on the
button with KK. Russ raised to 25 ( maybe 20) in the cutoff seat in an
un opened pot. I knew from his posts on NL what his range of hand were
to open, and while they opened up a bit in late position, they didn't
open up much. I figured he was on a big pocket pair, or AK AQ and that
I was in very, very good shape against that kind of hand. I figured if
I would make a big re-raise, it would only define my hand, and allow
Russ to either get away from his hand, or just crush me if he truly
had a monster. So I called his small raise, as did the small blind.
The flop came QJ9. This was an absolutely terrible flop for me ( I
thought) as this was right in the wheel house of hands Russ could
have. JJ, QQ, 99 kill me and 10 10 is drawing quite live. The big
blind checked, as did Russ. This sent a few bells off in my head. A
typcial player would perhaps check if they hit the flop huge. I
hightly doubted russ had K-10, but the other hands were definate
possibilites. Perhaps he had something like a smaller pocket pair.
Perhaps he was slow playing his set, though I thought that was
unlikely as a set is vulerable to that board, and I know from Russ's
posts that he beilives in building big pots when you flop big. SO I
couldn't figure that check out at all. Perhaps he had AK, and checked
also. I figured I was either way ahead, or way behind, so a free card
couldn't hurt ( though a 10 would hurt some if he had AK). On the turn
came a 9 ( I beileve.. perhaps the blank came on the turn, and a nine
on the river, really doesn't matter to the hand). The big blind
checked again, and then Russ bet 30. I found this bet to be very odd
as well. It screamed a value bet from a lesser player. Being that it
was Russ, though, It seemed more likely that it was a "slow down" bet
like with AQ or AJ or 10-10. I figured again, I was either way ahead,
or way behind. THe blind folded. On the river came a blank. Russ bet
out 40. Again, a very wierd bet, and I said aloud " Oh god, what did
you flop. " I figured either I was smoked, or he had AQ. Then russ
said "if you're thinking this long, you should fold" and I said" yeah,
but I have a big hand." I called, primarily to see if I could trust
Russ. It turns out that I could. He turned over AA, and I laughed a
bit, and showed him my KK. At the time, I felt like I had dodged a
serious bullet, thinking that if I had pushed pre flop or on the flop
that I would have stacked off. However, in retrospect, I think I
played the hand poorly. I think that I was too worried post flop about
Russ trying to trap me. And I think just smooth calling pre flop is
disasterours. I just should have put in a big raise. If he has aces,
he has aces. I shouldn't have tried to "out play" a WCP post flop.
BUt, since I did call, hiding the stregth of my hand somewhat ( I was
playing quite tight, and Russ had to know that I only would have
called his raise, his raise in particular, with a very big hand but
not nessisarily that big). If I had raised russ big on the turn, if I
would have put him to the test that a "slow down" bet would warrent,
then he would have had a very hard time calling my push. QJ 9 is just
as bad a flop for AA when a tight player smooth calls your raise as it
is for KK. If I pushed on the turn, I don't know that russ would have
folded, but I would have protected my hand against AK, and 10-10, and
would have put AA to a serious test. But this was the kind of thing I
was looking for, hands I could learn from.
Russ played that table like a maestro that night. There was an
aggressive and "tricky" asian player who sat down in the game, whom
russ got posistion on by sitting next to me. By "tricky" I mean that
he likes to bluff alot, and push with nothing, but when he has a big
hand he plays it slow, one of the stupidest NL strats around, I think.
If you're going to be a bluffing, aggressive player, part of the VALUE
of that is to get action when you have a big hand. Often when you slow
play hands like aa and kk you only trap yourself, and you lose value
you would have gotten if you'd played it like the rest of your
marginal hands you push. So the AZN player limps in middle position,
and Russ makes it 35 to go in mid-late position. The pot becomes heads
up The flop comes 8 high, un connected with two diamonds The Azn
player checks, russ bets 75, the player callsd. Instantly I knew that
the player had to have a realitivly big hand, as he wouldn't have
calle such a large pot bet with nothing, and would have played a draw
more agressively. The turn comes a blank, the player says " You"
pointing at Russ, meaning "check" and russ says "no, you" and checks
instantly behind him, lightening quick. On the river comes a lowish
diamond that also paired the board The Azn player reaches for his
chips, and Russ reaches for his, Azn reaches again, russ reaches again
and says " you know that trick, I know it to." Egging the guy on So
the guy then, being fooled into thinking Russ was weak, pushes in his
entire stack, which Russ calls instantly. THe AZN showed KK, and russ
showed AK of diamonds, stacking the guy off. In another hand, I don't
really remember the action, but the gist of it was that russ had AK,
flopped a king, bet it big the whole way and stacked the guy off when
he was holding K-10 one pair. It was like he used a jedi mind trick on
this guy to get all his chips. It was pure art to watch.
As tight as russ plays, he plays very aggressive and th eother players
at the table seem to be gunning for him. He gets AMAZING action on his
hands that I can't figure out still how he gets, since he plays so
tight. Some players just can't get away from their one pair hands, and
russ PUNISHES them like you wouldn't believe.
I played with him again on that saturday, against the man Russ
mentioned was dark raising all the time. Though Russ got stuck, he got
rather unluckly to be stuck ( it seemingly takes a great deal of bad
luck for russ to lose at this game, as he's been crushing it since he
started playing it) He's the thing, the thing I didn't realize about
playing in a full ring game with a WCP. While there are still plenty
of fish, when russ gets one of their stacks, it's like it's now gone
into a black hole, never to return. The money might as well be in the
drop for as much chance as I have of getting it at that point. THat is
the real disadvantage of playing in a game with a player you know is
great. It doesn't matter that you stay out of his way, stay out of
pots with him. Other players don't stay out of his way, and get
PUNISHED for it. I doubt I'll be playing in this game too often while
russ is still in town, though I may. There are still a great deal of
weak players, and what I give up in equity from having him in the
game, I gain from watching the man play, and the amazing stories and
insite that he has.
Russ is also very talkative, and very bragadocious, and though trying
to maintain a low profile, will still make crypic refrences to how
much he's made playing poker, and about various players in the poker
world. I think the other players in the game just think he's nuts and
a braggart, having no clue that Russ actually has played huge limits
and actually does know about the people he speaks of. I think his
gerneral chit-chat only makes players dislike him more, which seems to
have worked nicely to his advantage. I honestly can say, Russ isn't
the norm when it comes to psychological make up, and I really have no
idea how much of what he says is true or not, as I have no persoanl
experience with the high stakes poker world. What I do know is that
Russ absolutely smashes my local 5-5 nolmit game, and seems bored
while he's doing it, like he's in cruise control. It's been a pleasure
watching you Russ, and I look forward to more watching in the future.
Thanks again for approaching me in the casino, and thanks again for
the membership to your site ( I"ve absolutely been eating up the strat
posts with a spoon.).
-Juinor Dectective and Juinor poker player.
RussGe...@aol.com
I decided to venture forth into some of the games with the online
situation the way it was.
All of a sudden, I receive an email, from this poster. Obviously, I
neither confirmed or denied. However, I give him him the utmost
credit, as the DETECTIVE! I knew who he was instantly when he
appeared, as his description was 100%, plus I saw the board with his
first name. My 'BIG MOUTH' had done it again:).
I do say this in my defense, or offense:), I liked his demeanor and
tried not to punish him in the hand he describes where he had KK. He
is a gentleman, plus a learning player. Basically, he's right on with
his post. I am beating the rake in the game, not counting the 'bad
beat'. Meaning, 100 hours at 5$-$5 blinds, I'm over 10K winner, $100
an hour. More would be better, but few if any better games are
around.
He's right about the 'shutting up' part also, because this is a
weakness I have. I offer NO EXCUSES, I just win. Any idiot who thinks
ONLINE is like B&M, better get a lobotomy. They have $1-$2 blind games
in this casino where 6-9 players are in every pot, with average pots
being in the hundreds, opposed to 20 some % online with average $20
pots.
Russ Georgiev