Hi all,

This is part of a series of strategies I am developing for low limit hold’em played online. The idea is to identify patterns and use a combination of player composition, patterns and applied mathematics (odds) to come up with the best way to beat any particular game at a given point in time.

One basic theme in all of my hold’em strategies is that both of your pocket cards must play to be successful. The reason is to take as many options away from your opponents as possible.

One thing I have noticed about free rolls and low buy-in tourneys is the amount of horrid play and ‘see every flop’ type of players. I have been working out a way to establish a chip lead with little risk without playing too many hands. I also want to increase my win rate per hour and don’t have a problem with busting out early in one of these free rolls. I hate playing for 3 hours only to be knocked out by the blinds before I make the money table.

One thing about this game, everyone likes to limp in. Taking that away seems to anger some players and they will play inferior hands against you. The idea is to make other players beat you rather than draw out on you.

I like to play this strategy for the first 60-90 minutes or until the blinds are 100/200.

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Hand selection:

 - From any position regardless of anything else, go all in with AA, KK, AKs. I did quite well playing only these hands this way and no others in a number of tournaments. I would play maybe 4 hands in the first 90 minutes and be in the middle of the pack. I decided to add the hands below to add to that edge.
 
 - From mid to late position with no more than 4x the minimum raise in front of you add AKo AQs, AQo and QQ to all in. Otherwise call a raise up to 20% of your stack, otherwise fold.

 - From mid to late position raise to 4x the minimum bet or 20% or your stack for all pairs down to 66.

 - From early position limp with these same pairs and add suited connectors (in any position) down to 76s. Also limp from any position with suited Aces or Kings.

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Post flop play (both pocket cards play):

 - With a pair and over cards on the board, a 4 flush or 4 straight bet 2x the minimum bet, call raises up to 4x the minimum bet or 20% of your stack. Fold to bigger bets.

 - With top pair or 2 pair and an unpaired board bet 4x the minimum but fold to any raise more than 50% of your stack unless you have top 2 pair and there is no chance of a flush or straight. Consider re-raising all in if this happens.

 - With trips, straights, full houses, etc. try to slow play after the flop. If you don’t get any action put in some big raises and end there.

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Try not to show weakness. If you bet big before the flop and totally miss consider another big bet. Since you are playing big cards you probably still have the advantage.

I welcome comments and actual results using this strategy. I make no warranty that it will work, but I will affirm that I have used it myself with success under the conditions I played (those specified above). Your mileage may vary.

From early position limp with these same pairs and add suited connectors (in any position) down to 76s. Also limp from any position with suited Aces or Kings. ”

And yes, you could only play a few hands. As long as you win them you should be in good condition. Other players at your table seem to take note when you fold 30 hands in a row and then go all-in

Thanks for trying them out. This particular one is intended to bust you out early or give you a good size stack, thus increasing your $$/won per hour played. I am glad it worked for you.

Yesterday I busted out of 3 tourneys in the first few hands using this strategy. My total time was less than 15 mins for all three. In a fourth one I got 4 players to go all in with me on the first hand and went to T7700 after the first hand, knocked out 4 players and crippled 2 others who had big bets in before my all in.

Never say lucky flop from the Big Blind. If someone didn't push you off with a raise you earned the flop. Lesson here, never give the blinds a free ride if you can help it.

Here is what happened today with this strategy in 2 tourneys, both freerolls.

I had AQo and go all in on both. I was called by KJo in both. I am a 74% favorite and I lost both and busted out. Total time played was 34 mins in one and 4 mins in the other for 38 mins with no return. Now winning either of these plays would have made me chip leader and loosing let me do other things besides poker. Yes, more to life than poker, hmmm.... when I think of something I will let your know.

On to the next tourney!

“If you want a strategy to maximize ...” ffice  ffice" /> > >

Thanks for your input. I agree with your comments on solid play. I am working on capitalizing on calling stations and limpers in low buy in games. These games are rampant with players who will call almost any bet pre-flop with weak aces and kings. The AKo is a marginal hand and I added it to my original 1 hour strategy of all in with AA, KK and AKs and folding all other hands posted here a while back.

“Toss all in (no raise to you) with any pair pre-flop“

Well, all-in is different from tossing in a raise. It is a statement of big holdings. Besides, any pair QQ and and below has the following disadvantage to AKo. Cards that remain to be seen are 3 aces, 3 kings, any sequence combination of the 12 cards QJT, any of 2 4-flush draws one of which wll be the nut flush and the other 2nd best and 2 straight flush hands, one being a royal. Pocket pairs are only a slight favorite to over cards and by limping are being played incorrectly before the flop because they become weaker with more players in the hand.

I am not trying to come up with a 'by the numbers' strategy but more of a set of strategies that can be adjusted to various aspects of game play. I do not try to represent a one size fits all but rather a set of ideas, exclusive to this forum and to the benefit of the members, to be expanded upon and developed. The ultimate goal is to produce a body of knowledge for the low limit online player to take advantage of. Contributions for all members of this forum are welcome and encouraged. I would eventually like to republish the strategies with all the input gained at this site.  > >

I will add some additional disclaimers to any more posts on strategy to make it clear there are no absolutes and that prudence and observation of the game conditions should guide the consumer of the strategy.  > >

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“AKo is not a superior hand all in to a pocket pa ffice:smarttags" /> ersonName>ir ersonName>” ffice  ffice" /> > >

Sorry, I wasn't trying to represent that. It is a slight dog to a pocket pa ersonName>ir ersonName> but going all-in and getting one caller plus the blinds may make it the correct call. Getting 2 callers is even better.  > >

“My real issue is with your justification that you either win big or bust out“ > >

Yep, that is it, raising your $/hr by busting out early or getting a big stack and getting high up on the money ladder is what I am looking at. Playing top cards is less of a coin flip than you think. Most of the hands I propose are 81% favorites on the all-in. A few are less IF a pocket pa ersonName>ir ersonName> is in the hand AND he calls the all-in. Remember that any hand less than AA, AKs or KK is a FOLD to more than 4x raise from MID to LATE position. No hand other than those top 3 are all-in pre-flop.

The reasons for this strategy were to take advantage of players that will limp with weak aces and kings, both of which are very beatable. In addition, this is an expansion on a strategy published in Card Player Mag. and arrived at by me independently of going all-in with AA, KK or AKs and folding all other hands.  > >

“In the middle and late stages, I get killed because I'm not aggressive enough...“ > >

Ah yes, I am working on that. You need to raise or fold most hands mid to late tourney. If you loose, you loose a little, if you win, you win big. I heard that from “Men the Master“. My late tourney strategy will have far less all-in propositions.

One last thought here, make adjustments to the strategy to suit your game! I am trying to help this commutity with real time information on real games for real money.

 > > 

AJ,

  Thanks for your comment. I think that is a great idea. I have been looking at the midpoint of the tourney as when 50% of the players have busted out. At that time I start to change my play if I am still in it.

I think that changing strategy by stack size is a good idea because you will be adjusting to how will the strategy is working. If it is working well, you will play it longer, if it is not working you can switch up and try something else. This will also help to confuse the others at the table who are paying attention to you.