Satellites
Goldmine. Absolute goldmine.
The standard of play in the satellites I've recently been playing has to be seen to be believed. Now I'm not an expert at poker by any means, but I can see mind-meltingly bad play here, and as we know that means $$$ moving from the people making the bad plays. Which sometimes is about 1/2 the table.
I've been reading the MTT forum at 2+2 for a long time, and the occasional reference to people playing Stars satellites for T$ made me look closer. So I started hunting for information about 'proper' play. And I didn't find much. Which is the key I think. Harrington doesn't cover this in his book, and there's much less literature online than for SnGs for example. Consequently so few people have a clue what they are doing. Additionally you are playing against people who aren't that skilled (or bankrolled) butare looking to take a shot at a higher level, hoping to win big. Few have any chance.
I've been able to coast into seats so easily because people are getting involved when they just shouldn't.
Example1: There are about 10 left for 7 seats. The two chip leaders (who could fold into a seat) manage to get it all in pre-flop with QQ v AK. Wp guys.
Example 2: The last hand of the last satellite I played in, about 3 minutes ago. I've not played a hand for the last 15 minutes or so, but I don't think anyones noticed. One player has less than 1SB remaining, and is on the button. I fold, 2 limps, shorty sticks it all in, SB completes and the BB checks. Fine. They'll check it down, shorty will lose, and we'll all have seats.
Flop Dealt. Check. Check. Min-bet. Call fold fold. Eh?
Turn Dealt. Min-bet call.
River Dealt. Check Check.
The fellow betting - who had been demonstrating poor skills had 109o on a 10-high board, and was called (thank heavens) by someone with a bit more sense holding K10. What that monkey (who earlier bluffed into 4 players, 1 of whom was all-in) was doing betting I've no idea. Still, thats why I've started to play satellites. And tomorrow I'm in the Cryto £6k.
I'm playing better generally too. Before my strategy (looking back) was largely to raise pre-flop and continuation-bet the flop and give up if I missed. I'm now much better able to judge when my continuation bets will be believed, and I'm starting to spot other people's and raising them accordingly. Its nice to have a few more strings to your bow.
What I do need to think about more is calling all-ins from shorty with marginal hands (eg A2) when I am probably ahead of this range (any two) and raising from the BB more with marginal holdings, when there are plenty of limpers (and antes ideally). Whenever I do it with bona fide hands it seems to get through so I should be doing it light a lot more I think. When playing deep I could even do it from the button.
The standard of play in the satellites I've recently been playing has to be seen to be believed. Now I'm not an expert at poker by any means, but I can see mind-meltingly bad play here, and as we know that means $$$ moving from the people making the bad plays. Which sometimes is about 1/2 the table.
I've been reading the MTT forum at 2+2 for a long time, and the occasional reference to people playing Stars satellites for T$ made me look closer. So I started hunting for information about 'proper' play. And I didn't find much. Which is the key I think. Harrington doesn't cover this in his book, and there's much less literature online than for SnGs for example. Consequently so few people have a clue what they are doing. Additionally you are playing against people who aren't that skilled (or bankrolled) butare looking to take a shot at a higher level, hoping to win big. Few have any chance.
I've been able to coast into seats so easily because people are getting involved when they just shouldn't.
Example1: There are about 10 left for 7 seats. The two chip leaders (who could fold into a seat) manage to get it all in pre-flop with QQ v AK. Wp guys.
Example 2: The last hand of the last satellite I played in, about 3 minutes ago. I've not played a hand for the last 15 minutes or so, but I don't think anyones noticed. One player has less than 1SB remaining, and is on the button. I fold, 2 limps, shorty sticks it all in, SB completes and the BB checks. Fine. They'll check it down, shorty will lose, and we'll all have seats.
Flop Dealt. Check. Check. Min-bet. Call fold fold. Eh?
Turn Dealt. Min-bet call.
River Dealt. Check Check.
The fellow betting - who had been demonstrating poor skills had 109o on a 10-high board, and was called (thank heavens) by someone with a bit more sense holding K10. What that monkey (who earlier bluffed into 4 players, 1 of whom was all-in) was doing betting I've no idea. Still, thats why I've started to play satellites. And tomorrow I'm in the Cryto £6k.
I'm playing better generally too. Before my strategy (looking back) was largely to raise pre-flop and continuation-bet the flop and give up if I missed. I'm now much better able to judge when my continuation bets will be believed, and I'm starting to spot other people's and raising them accordingly. Its nice to have a few more strings to your bow.
What I do need to think about more is calling all-ins from shorty with marginal hands (eg A2) when I am probably ahead of this range (any two) and raising from the BB more with marginal holdings, when there are plenty of limpers (and antes ideally). Whenever I do it with bona fide hands it seems to get through so I should be doing it light a lot more I think. When playing deep I could even do it from the button.
posted by PP at 10:24 PM
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