No-Limit Holdem Cash Game Play

[beedrick]

Cash Games are good I like them a lot but I think if you can pull off a win in any big tournament you are pretty damn good. That just tells me that they have the patience to outlast outplay some good people for a huge reward.
I say thumbs up

[P0kerRaider]

I like tourneys because for instance, If I want to play in a $5 SnG thats what I'm playing for just $5. In a cash game, I'm scared to lose $20 in less than 5 mins on a big hand.

[dwolfg]

Originally Posted by CardWarfare

Here's an interesting hand from a little home game tonight with some friends.


.10c-.20c NL

Hero has about $35
Villian has about $30

Villian min-raises (.40c) UTG, Hero in LP re-raises to $2

Flop: A-K-6 rainbow


Villian checks, Hero bets $3, Villian raises to $9

Hero???



Now, before you all start bashing me, here's some background information on this player.


If you were to classify my style, and this player's styles into two well known players in NL cash games, you would have have Daniel Negreanu (me) and Sammy Farha (villian). We're both gamblers, play a wide range of hands, and are likely to have any two cards at any time (in most cases).

This player generally plays very fast preflop, and slows down on the flop if he flops a hand like top pair or so. However, he also LOVES to raise on draws, and mix up his play.

Here's my thinking, the min raise UTG doesn't mean anything, except that it's a min raise. I know that sounds overly simple, but here's what I mean.

The min raise, does not necessarily mean a very strong hand like AA, KK, QQ, or AK, like it often does on the internet. In fact, with this player, and the way he was playing tonight, he was playing big hands pretty fast preflop, usually raising to at least 5x the BB with two big cards or a pair. This made me think that he had some sort of suited connectors, or drawing hand. Obviously, he also could have a hand like AA or AK because of the check-raise, but it's debatable.


With most other players in this game, this is an easy fold. However, because I know this guy so well, and he knows me very well, it becomes a contest to see who can out think the other. Here's my line of thinking in this hand, let's see what you guys think.


-He min raised pre, which means next to nothing, and doesn't define his hand really in anyway.

-He didn't re-raise after I raised, almost invariably eliminating AA, KK, and probably QQ from his range

-He checked the flop, as he often does with top pair, of any sort.

-He made a larger than usual check/raise. Most times with big hands, hes' calling the flop and check raising the turn

-He had check/raised on a draw on two separate occasions during this session. Once he had a straight and flush draw, the other time, a gutshot.


Here's his range, in my mind at the time.


Bad for me:

-AK
-A6
-K6 (yes, it's possible)
-66



Good for me:

- AJ through A7
- A5 through A2
- KJ
- KQ
- KT
- QJs
- JTs
- any pocket pair between QQ and 44 (excluding 66, for obvious reasons)


Or simply a stone cold bluff.




We talk all the time about the all the headaches we give each other when we play, because we are, by far, the loosest and most aggressive players in our home games. Most times the tighter players tend to stay out of the way unless they have a big hand, and me and Juan (villian) go to war for the "nothing" pots that no one wants.


Like I said earlier, against a predictable player this is an easy fold, but for this opponent, there's a lot of strategy involved.

I think he had qj.

[Lmille4574]

I play cash games. Mostly on line. Haven't expanded to the casino for live cash games yet. But I have noticed this.

1. Lower limits more people are in the pot. Sometimes it almost feels like lotto poker.

2. Anywhere from th .05/.10 to the .50/1.00, seems like the same type of play and these people play their real money like a freeroll.

3. Whether you deposited the money or started your bankroll from scratch. IT IS STILL YOUR MONEY. Either way you worked hard for it wh throw it away making bad calls.

4. Remember this, you are not the only one trying to catch the fish. Pay attention to the other people as well. If you are only focusing on the fish another player may just make you one as well.

GL

[Cobruto]

About what people prefer: Cash Games or Sit 'N Go games.
I like both,

because with a "Sit 'N Go" you only can lose your buy-in money. So no big surprises in loss of money.

In a cash game, you can lose big amounts of money, without even knowning what happened :p. But there also a turn about that. If you want, you can stop any time you want. What is not possible in a Sit 'N Go you need to play to the end.

Well thats my opinion.

Cya,
Cob

[jonnyhtown]

well, for me its a simple process, to make money in a cash game, you need cash, and pretty much, alot of it, i mean no, you dont need a million bucks, but you should have enough money to take the bad beats and not feel pressure, i play a slightly aggresive game, but i do respect good hands from certain other players who seem to be doin well at the table, first i play hard, then calm then i show some bs thief hands, you know, the junk like 2-8 off you raise to steal a pot from a passive player, i try to get people to think im dumb at times, and very smart at others, its the cards that mostly win in cash games, tourney strategies are a bit different in my opinion, but dont get me wrong, a smart player thinks about the next move during the first, so beware of the small stacks in a big blind position, they usualy feel like they need to make moves when they are forced to bet, most of the time they have junk, but when they make a raise in the bb, a call from someone else at the table is almost inevidable, so depending on where your sitting, be careful to react quickly to small stacked small bets, you could get caught in a hand with three of more people and the next thing that happends is the small stack catches his or her bottom pair and figures,hmmmm.....now i have odds to make an all in bet and suckout for the chips, the sad thing is that every calls and the shorty hits runner runner to win, but would of never even been in the hand in the first place, shut the small stack down or stay far from chance,,,,jonnyh-t-o-w-n with another good one,,,peace.

[dwolfg]

I just got Super System 1 and 2 for Christmas. In the short time I've experimented with Doyle's advise, my profits are up noticeably in nlhe. I am able to pick up many small pots as well as get paid off when I hit big hand.

[ythelongface]

if i was gonna play a cash game it wouldnt be online too much. mostly live. that would just be my preference.

[Thanks4daChips]

if u only have the minimum i suggest u look for the loosest table. People who are real cowboys just rasing everything. Then wait for super premium hands AA KK QQ and just limp if ur in early position let the pot build then pounce try to get them all in pre flop

[gorgeousdre]

with No limit cash games always bring more than the minimum if not you can be bumped off the better hand do to the fact you have in sufficient funds... It's always better to give yourself a little lead way so you can mistakes and then capitalize on others when you have the chance.. Because no one ever plays a perfect session.. in all reality..