No Limit Hold-em: Small-ball = WINNING!!

[SteveRyan]

Grab some popcorn...

Back in 2007 I became addicted to poker. A friend of mine taught me the game in 2005. I picked up a bunch of poker videos, studied online, and read books. I didn't even care if I made money at work because I could make a full days pay in a few hours (Or less) on the tables. It wasn't always that way, but I usually came out ahead.

In 2008, I stopped playing. Because I gamble, I lost my money in other ways besides poker. I quit my job because I hated it. I couldn't play anymore. Bankroll gone.

From time to time, I would pop into the poker room to say hi to the dealers. I only sat one time since 2008; I think I won $100.

I had a free nights stay at the casino where I played poker all through 2007. I checked in on Sunday evening. A couple friends came down to have drinks and shoot the shit for awhile. We played beer-pong and Keno. They had work in the morning so I was by myself at about 1am.

Not having enough money to play poker, I sat at video poker. The game is called Triple Double Bonus Poker. It's a very volatile game because 2 pair and 3 of a kind pay the same. Difference is, 4 ACES with a 2,3 or 4 pays the same as a Royal Flush....4000 credits.

I told myself that If I hit at least $200 on this game, I will go to the poker room and sit at the 1-2.

Low and behold, I pull the fukkin ACES with a 2. $1000!! I played a few more hands and hit four 7's. Cashed out at $1060.

What an awesome hit! Not only was I now able to play poker, but I had enough money to get some of my jewelry out of pawn and fly home for Christmas!

When I got to the poker room, the 1-2 was full! The only table with an open seat was the 2-5. Back in 2007, the 2-5 at this casino was sick action. I looked over at the players and did not recognize any of them, so I decided to sit. Turned out, they were playing it like a 1-2 anyway so it didn't really matter.

I stuck with my old strategy, the small ball. On the very first hand, I was in late position near the button with 4 6 os. Nobody raised pre-flop, most folded and a few limpers. I raised $15 and the button folded. 2 called.

I totally missed the flop; dont even remember what it was. They checked. Fuk it, HAMMER THE POT ANYWAY! I fired out with about 75% of the pot. They folded.

I love the small ball because you are always in the action, always jabbin, always havin a shot at the pot, bluffin, and bein the bully. I even turned my cards over a couple times just to shove it up their azz.....lol.

Later, I was dealt pocket 8's in middle position. A few guys limped in, so I raised...probably about $20. 3 guys called.

Flop came down, 6 3 3 and I was third to act. Check...Check. My turn...HAMMER THE POT. I bet about 75% of the pot. Some guy who sat about 5 minutes ago went all in with about $250. The folks after him folded and I was last to act.

So I just sat there...and waited, thinking, trying to figure out why this douche just pushed it all. He starts squirmin, saying things, lookin at me, talkin to the guy next to him..."This guy aint gonna call...". After about 1 minute, he calls time on me. I have 1 minute.

Then I remembered...he limped in pre-flop. What kind of hand could this guy possibly have to limp in and then risk it all with that kinda flop?? Ace-3 suited? Any pocket pair he would have raised...had to be a bluff...plus all the tells.

At the last moment I called. He didn't show his cards, but he said he didn't have shit.

We all switched to the 1-2 after the table broke, and I took all of some other guys money in 2 big pots. One with Kd Jd (We both flopped a flush but he had 6 high), and other with pocket 5's. Flop was K 5 2. I acted first and raised with my trip 5's, he went all in. I thought long about this one to....but called He thought his AK was golden...lol. I think he had $400 when we sat.

On another hand, I didn't even LOOK at my cards. I just hammered the flop and turn. They all folded. LOL!

Anyway, I did get legitimately trapped one time after firing the 3rd bullet on a bluff. Guy had a straight. A few hands later, I decided to call it a night. 5am. The rest of the table quit with me and emptied the room.

So now, I'm running around this casino with about $1500 in my pocket. Wheel of Fortune....lost $100. Video poker....lost $100. Time for bed. No pussy (Sorry, the story aint THAT fukin cool). Woke up in the morning and blew another $100 after breakfast.

Regardless, I was so happy to play poker and come home with $1200. Felt good to clean those guys out and take down a few other decent pots. Been a long time for me. Looking forward to Christmas and seein the fam.

[Ra77er]

Never fukkin heard of ya pal I'm not sure where your going with this novel Steve. You raised 3x the BB at a nit table playing like a maniac and won a pot with a C-bet? Negreanu may need to check this thread out to learn a few things.

[daneblazer]

Never fukkin heard of ya pal I'm not sure where your going with this novel Steve. You raised 3x the BB at a nit table playing like a maniac and won a pot with a C-bet? Negreanu may need to check this thread out to learn a few things.

Congrats on your win Steve. Way to slow roll him with a set of 5's you douche

[SteveRyan]

You raised 3x the BB at a nit table playing like a maniac and won a pot with a C-bet?

Something wrong with 3x the bb? Why do you think I played like a maniac?

[SteveRyan]

Congrats on your win Steve. Way to slow roll him with a set of 5's you douche

I didn't slow roll anyone. Happened before the turn. He had a few outs and I did not have the nuts. Have you never lost after flopping trips?

[eberetta1]

I stopped at the Pawn Shop on my daily walk yesterday. Wanted to see the junk people are geting rid of. The TV's, the laptops. Sky high prices. There is no way I would buy used junk without a warranty of some sort.

And your style of play is maniac if you remember anything from your viewing the poker videos, studying online, and reading books about poker that you mention. There are some decent readings on playing against maniacs. One of the interesting lines read, "In reality, if the maniac keeps pushing like this, he will make money as long as everyone keeps folding". And another one that says they get their money someplace other than playing poker.

[daneblazer]

I didn't slow roll anyone. Happened before the turn. He had a few outs and I did not have the nuts. Have you never lost after flopping trips?

Uh...

and other with pocket 5's. Flop was K 5 2. I acted first and raised with my trip 5's, he went all in. I thought long about this one to....but called

What's there to think about? Unless this is a same suit flop and unless you can pin him on a range of exactly KK, and you can't, this isn't some agonizing call to think long and hard about. Okay, he did have "outs" but unless he had a flush draw he's got about a 3% chance of winning the hand. Even if he did have a flush draw you're never folding this. You may not have meant to, but you slow rolled the guy.

and fwiw I don't really think you're a douche...just busting your chops

[SteveRyan]

And your style of play is maniac if you remember anything from your viewing the poker videos, studying online, and reading books about poker that you mention.

The small-ball gives people a false impression of being a maniac. That's part of the reason why it's such an awesome strategy. It's all about laying a trap.

If you do it correctly, people will think your a donk who doesn't know what he's doing. Truth is, your chipping away at numerous pots, losing small often, while waiting for the big sucker. People are seeing you win with stupid cards, and lose with stupid cards. They think your up to your old shit again, so they go big....that's how they get caught in the trap.

There are some decent readings on playing against maniacs. One of the interesting lines read, "In reality, if the maniac keeps pushing like this, he will make money as long as everyone keeps folding".

You have to know when to push like that. It's not like your pushin at any given time just to see if the bluff will work. There's a method.

It works best pre-flop if nobody before you has raised. If there's only a few limpers pre-flop, you can raise with a wide range of hands (Especially if your in late position). Regardless if you hit or miss the flop, bet 50% - 75% of the pot if everyone before you has checked or you are 1st to act. Many times, nobody will call. That's why you don't even need to look at your cards. If you get a caller, play cautiously on the turn.

Before discovering the small-ball, I was a very tight player. I rarely bluffed. Why? Because I didn't know how or when to do it. I only pressed when my hand was made. At times I spent HOURS waiting around for a decent hand.

The small-ball ended all that shit. Now, I'm in the hand constantly, jabbing, bullying, and striking fear into my opponents. It showed me how to play this game. It will open up many possibilities for you and take your game to the next level.

[Kaladarus]

Small ball is alright if you know how to use it and are at the right table. If I see someone constantly raising and picking good spots preflop, I isolate them if I have position and pick them apart if they decide to play. Imagine if you played exactly like you did and you had a good player beside you. After a couple of hands they figure you out and reraise you almost every time you raise. They can use your strategy against you. They have position against you and are now picking up your money. Also if you are over playing hands a good player can limp on purpose and reraise your raise. They pay the small amount preflop, but you are paying a minimum of 3x the BB. Continuation bets can easily lead to check raises, or just raises if the player has position.

Small ball is a great strategy, but it has many flaws as well. The ideal strategy for any table depends entirely on the people at the table.

[SteveRyan]

Small ball is alright if you know how to use it and are at the right table. If I see someone constantly raising and picking good spots preflop, I isolate them if I have position and pick them apart if they decide to play. Imagine if you played exactly like you did and you had a good player beside you. After a couple of hands they figure you out and reraise you almost every time you raise. They can use your strategy against you. They have position against you and are now picking up your money. Also if you are over playing hands a good player can limp on purpose and reraise your raise. They pay the small amount preflop, but you are paying a minimum of 3x the BB. Continuation bets can easily lead to check raises, or just raises if the player has position.

Small ball is a great strategy, but it has many flaws as well. The ideal strategy for any table depends entirely on the people at the table.

Nice post. That type of thing has happened to me before...only a couple times, but it has happened where someone was basically able to put an end to what I was doing. I started to fear his raises and felt that if I continued like that I would be throwing my chips away. I probably didn't have a deep enough stack to power through it. I think I just reverted to a traditional strategy.

There must be a good way of dealing with someone like that. Maybe play his game and re-raise?? Or just hang in there and hope you can trap his ass to teach him a lesson. Gotta have a back up plan I suppose, without ending up playing like a mouse.

[lolguy999]

you know, one guy's win means another's loss and sad christmas...

[Kaladarus]

Nice post. That type of thing has happened to me before...only a couple times, but it has happened where someone was basically able to put an end to what I was doing. I started to fear his raises and felt that if I continued like that I would be throwing my chips away. I probably didn't have a deep enough stack to power through it. I think I just reverted to a traditional strategy.

There must be a good way of dealing with someone like that. Maybe play his game and re-raise?? Or just hang in there and hope you can trap his ass to teach him a lesson. Gotta have a back up plan I suppose, without ending up playing like a mouse.

If they figure you out then definitely play back at them. The best way is to tighten up a bit, but re-raise his re-raises. Try to cover the range you believe the player is trying to steal from you with. You just got to pick your spots and figure out what the table is doing. What you did by switching your strategy is ideal. Once you tighten up you can always go back to small ball if you stay at the table for a while. Either way though if one strategy is working then there is no reason to switch it and what you were doing was obviously working.

[lunchbawks]

Let me get this straight... You sit sf a 2/5 table with 1000$ to ur name? Didn't those poker books teach u anything about bankroll management? I'm glad you got lucky but you should have 100 buy ins behind for the games you play.

[SteveRyan]

Let me get this straight... You sit sf a 2/5 table with 1000$ to ur name? Didn't those poker books teach u anything about bankroll management? I'm glad you got lucky but you should have 100 buy ins behind for the games you play.

Ummm....

Get your FACTS straight.

Max buy-in at a 2/5 is usually $500. So, with your logic I need $50,000????

Even if your talking the minimum, that's still $20,000.

It's not like I'm starting a career as a professional Hold-em player anyway. If I was, I would only need $10,000 to sit at a 2/5.

FYI....the standard is 20-25 buy-ins for any NL level. There's your poker lesson for the day.