Thanks for the free cards. You think I'm scared of being check raised when there are three limpers in between us padding the pot? No way. You're making me money with my draws and protecting my pairs for me. Sure, if played incorrectly then these hands will lose money, but they'll probably lose money if you limp in and play them badly. Your logic leads to the conclusion: don't play hands in late position because you're going to play them badly.

I'd rather learn to play hands like Q9s for a bigger profit against limpers than limp it myself. Knowing when to c bet is the tough part, but I think that with a little trial and error op can get it.

IMO, in general, the effect of not pursuing +ev (but high variance) plays has a stronger detrimental effect on the winrate than the small reduction of variance it gives you. This reduced winrate (with only a slightly lower standard deviation) will produce larger negative swings than if you had played for a higher winrate.

Limit is a game of small edges so use a simulator compare the graphs (breakeven distribution, downswings, etc) for a .5BB/hr winner with a stdev of 12 BB/hr versus a .8BB/hr winner with 13BB/hr stdev.

For example, after 1000hrs of play at 95% confidence, the .5BB/hr winner sits at (500BB +- 760BB) won but the .8BB/hr winner is at (800BB +- 820BB)

Oh hey look, math! Chasqui wins!

The rest of this thread pretty lol; Timmer has to be a troll, right?

with out reading your post or the responses really quickly I will add:

Don't cold call a raise like you would in NL. Either fold or 3b unless you have a hand that plays well mw and you KNOW the pot is going to be more than 4-5 players to a flop. For example - someone raises from MP and it folds to you otb - you have KJs - in NL you can call this sometimes but in LHE you can't - you either fold it or 3b it if your equity is ahead of his opening range. There's more to it but I don't have time to explain it. However - you have 55 and you're in mp and utg opens. You know that the game is loose and passive and if you call triggering a wave of cold callers behind you this could be a profitable situation. You would fold it if it were a taggy game - or 3b it - but in like 6M NL you would NEVER fold a pp to a raise.

Don't concentrate on hero folds - call down - get to showdown in situations where you wouldn't otherwise. Folding isn't how monies are made in LHE. For example - you have AA and you get cr on a board of 2s3s5h6s and you're HU vs an unkown. If this were NL and you got cr all in a deep game - then yes fold but you wouldn't necessarily fold this in a LHE game. If it were mw and you bet then it got raised and 3b and you were facing 2-3 bb back to you could find a fold if the players were indicative of having the nuts in this situation.

However ... do get acquainted with the bet-fold play. A lot of sshe players miss value on the later streets because they're mubs about being beat. You've got to value bet thinly in order to make any money in this game.

tighten up your opening range - you have less FE post flop so you often have to have a strong showdown-able hand.

Get SSHE by ed miller - sure that has been mentioned - read it like every month. and post here - GL.

You should be able to limp in with the lower pocket pairs in early position. There would have to be something unusual about the game for you to be folding that in early position.

The variance in those games is definitey not low, and it can easily put a lot of players on tilt. With all the players that like to chase, it's often hard to win a hand. You shouldn't be doing much bluffing, and players will call your bets and raises a lot, so you'll hope to make the best hand, and then hope that it holds up, which it often won't. It's common to have sessions when one player after another will catch a miracle card to beat you. With all the people who like to chase, it's VERY common.

These games are much tougher than they look with the rake being so high. Expect big swings and a low winrate, if you're even able to beat the game at all.

nomie nom nom cali players are nomyest of the of the sea basses. they simply smack of nomiestness. I love it how they pour money into the pot with nothing.
I simply check and call fair to good hands untill they are broke. so simple so effective.

(1) You're leaving a lot of money on the table.

(2) You're letting a lot of these bozos catch their sets and inside straights for free.

Both cardinal sins AFAIC.

Let's not let this thread devolve into a Cali vs. Vegas thread. The actual answer is to be able to play any style, depending on the situation, anyway.

Shhhhh! Don't tell Timmer that we like to munch up the chips of weak-passive check/callers.

Mea Culpa Captain. Note that the OP is heading to Vegas to play, which is why I noted the different styles. Of course I should have been more tactful.