Small Stakes Limit Hold’em

“I try not to think with my gut. If I’m serious about understanding the world, thinking with anything besides my brain, as tempting as that might be, is likely to get me into trouble.”

-Carl Sagan

That is one of my favorite quotes.  I often recite it to myself, to remind myself not to think with my gut at the poker table; that will almost always get me into trouble.  I’ve been thinking about a couple of things lately and decided to post an entry to the blog.

First,  I want to say that I love playing at The Caribbean in Kirkland, WA.  The staff are probably the friendliest around, and the food is great.  Almost all of the players are friendly and entertaining.  As evidenced by this blog, I’ve learned a lot about poker, and have received more than a few healthy doses of humility while playing at The Caribbean.  I find myself going to The Caribbean often – not necessarily because of the great 3/6 & 4/8 action, but because I enjoy the game more when playing there.

Second, it’s been interesting coming back to The Caribbean.  I took a break, played online while away, but for a few months I hadn’t gone back to any local poker rooms.  Coming back I realized that things had changed a little bit.  Last week, I think on Thursday and Friday nights I found myself talking with another player about how small the pots were, that there was no action.  A few times players asked if the other players were willing to participate in a round of live-straddles.  Each time at least one player refused.  The level of play has changed, so that I think especially during week nights, there are more serious, tight/aggressive players – and when there are 2,3, or even 4 of them at the same table there just isn’t enough action to build big pots and beat the rake.  Even more important, when you do find yourself in a hand, it’s fun, but not always profitable, to find yourself up against a good player who is willing to play tricky and try to exploit your weaknesses.

One of the players commented during a game a couple of weeks ago that he believed the biggest pot of the night would probably be between him and I, and it would likely be over a hand where we’re playing middle or bottom pair.

It’s difficult to beat 3/6 & 4/8 – not impossible, but definitely difficult.  Throw in a few tight/aggressive players and the pots just don’t get big enough.

This brings me to the last thought I wanted to mention tonight.  The topic was brought up again tonight about winning consistently at 3/6 & 4/8.  Just about everyone who plays with me knows my thoughts (and probably disagrees with me) about winning at 3/6 & 4/8.  What’s interesting is that they point at the rake – which can be substantial at 3/6 & 4/8 when playing with tight/aggressive players where the pots don’t get very big.  The other point they mention doesn’t actually support their position, in my opinion.  They talk about the long-shot draws and bad beats they’ve experienced at small stakes hold’em.

I looked, but couldn’t find one of my posts on the 2+2 forums, where I mentioned some difficulties I was having protecting my big pocket pairs.  I think it was “Leo Doc” – one of the people who regularly responded to my posts, who made a great point – he basically said to enjoy the action at small stakes because when you move up to higher stakes and play against better players, you don’t get the action you get at small stakes hold’em.

This is the reason I believe that most 3/6 & 4/8 games are not only beatable, but I maintain that if you can’t beat a typical 3/6 and 4/8 game, you won’t be able to beat the higher stakes games where you’re fighting over smaller pots (in terms of # of bets).

I believe the action more than makes up for the rake.  Of course my 2nd point in this post was that the action has changed at The Caribbean lately, and the pots just aren’t as big as they used to be – but there are nights, like tonight, where there’s still plenty of action.  Of course tonight was a Saturday night/Sunday morning, when people are likely to drink more and it stands to reason that there will probably be more action and bigger pots on weekend nights.

Anyway, those are my thoughts.  The freeroll tournament is tomorrow so I had better get to bed and get some sleep.

A very late update

I’ve been back at The Caribbean. It’s been a while. In truth I didn’t like the way I felt about myself when playing poker and I needed a break. To some extent I even avoided my own home game, which I host almost every weekend.
The thing is, I do like poker. I love playing and thinking about strategy. I probably like poker as much as people who play video games enjoy playing Halo or Starcraft. (I have a Korean friend who lives & breathes Starcraft.)
Well, I needed a break. I had built my bankroll up to the point where I think psychologically I needed to spend some of it – to feel like I had earned something in the process. So I bought a new TV and a recliner, and some other goodies (my new iPad is supposed to arrive tomorrow and I can’t wait). I left myself just enough bankroll to continue playing at the $4/8 tables should I decide I like poker again.
I knew when I started to look forward to my home game that I could go back. I told myself I wouldn’t take it so serious anymore. I wouldn’t let myself get to the point that I felt like I didn’t like who I was.
So I loosened up, and went back to The Caribbean with a smile on my face and the intention of just having a good time. The people have changed a little bit. There are a few new, and pretty good players who seem to spend time there now. I like the new players; they mix up the game enough to make you think about what’s going on. It’s just interesting enough to make me want to come back and play some more. For the most part almost everybody is friendly, and they appreciate strategy.

Well, I have been back probably 6-10 times over the past couple of weeks, and tonight was one of those nights I feared. Poker is so difficult; it’s too easy to piss people off and make them mad, especially if you’re the kind of person who is willing to risk chips to make a play and put pressure on your opponents. I’m not the kind of player who will just call to the river without some kind of plan. If I’m in the hand, I want to try and win; if that means I think I can bluff and there’s at least a decent chance I’ll win, I’ll definitely try. If I get called and my coup fails, I’m okay with that – I want to try and play a game of wits. If I can show my failed bluffs, and use that information to get another opponent to call me down with a lesser hand because they think I bluff – I’ll use that opportunity to make as much money as I can. It’s all part of the game.

So tonight I was having a good time; I was enjoying the game and had even bought a drink for another player. An aggressive player was on my right (I liked that he was on my right and I got to act after him). I had been playing for about 3 hours or so and sitting steady at about $200, give or take. I had bought in for $200, so I wasn’t up or down necessarily. I had played a few hands, but for the most part nothing spectacular.

Several times I had started with Ace King and raised, only to have to fold on the flop or turn. At least 3 times I had started with either Ace King suited or Ace Queen suited, and flopped a flush draw – which didn’t complete. I started to notice one player at the other end of the table who was cold calling my raises, and even made a comment one time that I probably raised preflop with 7-2. It was good information; he hadn’t known the hands I had raised with because I had folded them without showing, so from his perspective, he figured I was just taking stabs and bluffing at the pot. At one point I was under the gun with pocket Kings and raised; he called me from middle position with 5-2 of hearts, and hit a straight. I folded without showing, and he told the person next to him that he was sure I didn’t have anything. No biggie – I overheard the conversation and (BIG mistake) I told him I had pocket Kings. It didn’t really bother me; I knew I was ahead when I raised, and – well, the board paired on the river so I checked and folded. It wasn’t a big pot and it was easy to shrug off.

Later, when I flopped a set of 8s and rivered a full house he bet into me on the river and I raised. He folded and said “Nice catch.” I didn’t show.

So by this time, I felt like I had inadvertently walked into a good situation. Here was somebody willing to call me down. I knew I wasn’t going to bluff him, but I was going to push a small edge with him because he preferred to believe that I was bluffing. This was information I was certainly going to use to my advantage.

So the following hand came up – I was dealt pocket 5s (5 of Hearts, 5 of Diamonds), and I was the small blind. Nobody raised, so I limped and the flop comes: 2 of Diamonds, 4 of Diamonds, 6 of Diamonds. I don’t have the nut flush, but this is definitely an interesting hand. I check, and everybody checks around. I figure if I turn a set I’ll check/raise, and if another diamond comes I’ll do the same – just to see where I’m at. If the 3 of Diamonds comes – well, truth be known I didn’t know what I would do if the 3 of diamonds came; I wouldn’t want anybody to fold – but I would want to build a big pot.

No matter, the 3 of diamonds did not come; instead, the 9 of diamonds came. Per my plan, I checked, and my “friend” bets. It’s folded around to me and I raise. He grimaces and calls. I figure he has to have a bigger diamond, so when the river comes (I don’t remember what the river was) I check and he also checks. I’m really surprised when he turns over pocket Kings – King of Hearts and King of Spades. No diamonds. I show my pocket 5s with the 5 of Diamonds, and take the pot.

I’m not telling the story because I won – I’m telling because of what happened next. He became verbally angry, and even the dealer said something. Of course I’m not one to back down; I made an underhanded comment that I felt a little vindicated for having my pocket Kings cracked with 5-3 offsuit – to which he comes back saying they were suited and he wasn’t going anywhere.

What followed was a verbal tirade of insults and underhanded comments from both of us. Passive aggressive to be sure – he’s telling me I always bluff and he’s going to look me up every time, and I’m thanking him for the information which I assure him I’ll use to my advantage. Back and forth it goes until we both get tired of insulting each other.

I’m just as guilty as he; and again, I find I don’t like who I am at the poker table. If I had to guess, this was the very same person who heckled me on this blog (coldplacepoker); his talk was the same kind of dirt that used to appear in the comments here.

As for my strategy; I make no apologies. Poker is a mind game and I enjoy matching wits with my opponents. I’ll use every bit of information I can to my advantage. As for my attitude; it needs to change.

One of the dealers from next door who was with her boyfriend came to my defense and told the floor supervisor about the situation. It felt good that somebody was on my side and looking out for me. I thanked her. Still, I understand that I need to keep my mouth shut more often in situations like this.

I left promptly; I didn’t want to make the situation worse than it was.

Well, maybe I’m back; maybe I’m not. If that happens again I’ll either find another place to play or quit all together. I still love Vegas and I still love games of strategy. It’s just too bad that this happens.

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