I'm back into LHE big-time over the past few months, after a couple years of break. I play 6-Max on Bovada.

I played 0.25/0.50 for awhile, and I feel I have that level down - it is not very challenging anymore. All in all, I've been playing every day for about 2.5 months, and I've worked $100 up to $300.

So I've moved up to $1/$2, and it is more challenging. I find bad players, players on the level with me, and some players who are better than I am, particularly heads-up.

One thing I've noticed is the bluffs - people rarely make plays on you on later streets in 0.25/0.50, but in $1/$2 I had to adjust and start calling down more.

I'm looking for other general thoughts on what major differences exist between $0.25/$0.50 and $1/$2. Areas for improvement.

Overall, I think I'm a little too tight - I find the best players usually overwhelm me with aggression. If I raise pre-flop, they re-raise. The times I decide to call down seem to be the times they actually have the hand.

I also need to improve my heads-up small blind play. So I get Q7o against one of these better players. I don't want to call because then I'm obvious and the big blind can just raise. I don't want to raise because I'm OOP and my hand (for heads-up) is mediocre. Often, I fold, because I act according to the principle that if I don't know what to do with a hand, it's better to take the small loss and fold. But I need work here.

I virtually never cold-call anything. In general, I'm pretty certain my pre-flop choices are solid. I am decent at counter-balancing my slight passivity - though I raise a lot pre-flop - with check-raises and deception, sometimes even as bluffs. But, I feel I get pushed around too much, and it's like the good players can sense that and say "he's sick of folding and now I have the hand, so I'm sure he'll call this time."

Finally, if I'm decent at $1/$2 ... low sample size but I think I'm around breakeven or slightly above .... what level could I play in a casino?

Thanks all... will be commenting more on the board as I continue to improve my game.

Welcome to the forum!

I think many players over adjust when they move up and probably call down too much not wanting to get run over. A balanced player can make a ton of thin v bets knowing you are calling down light. At the lower limits you can make more exploitative folds. As the games get more agro you will need to grit your teethe and call down more. However, you also need to consider checking the turn back more in some situations depending on your hand, villain, and board. Also, you should check back the flop with this thought in mind. It may be better to play small ball against more agro players. You want to avoid betting or raising yourself out of the pot. I'd trim off some of my opening range in BVB situations against a tough player but would certainly open a hand like Q7o. If you are getting into a lot of BVB situations with a tough player to the left I'd suggest quitting the game or changing seats.

Post some hands where it may be close between calling down and folding. Give your reads and thought process leading up to the decision point. If you are dialed in with good hand reading you will be able to make better folding or calling decisions.

If you are doing ok at 1/2 online you would probably do well at 20/40 live.

Here’s a pre-flop, $1/$2 cold call situation I have thought about a lot.

I’m in big blind - three players pre. Button raises, small blind 3bets. I have A10c. Assuming button is usually raising wide here, and will complete 3bets but not cap, I cold call two. I’m getting 2:7.

That’s the only situation in past few weeks I can remember calling two cold.

Do you think this is a close spot? Are you considering folding? Capping?

I would fold or call. I wouldn’t cap, unless the other two guys were just going crazy and I felt like some action.

Calling with your continuing range is fine. If the button will fold for two more capping is the play but this very rarely happens. However, you did say that you might be a little too tight and the button may know this so if you capped maybe he would fold some of his more garbage hands or dominated hands. this is still not likely but something to consider. Also, if you find the SB checking the flop a lot you may consider getting in your value pre flop. The SB may know you are tight and is typically counting on you to fold pre. He may just think "oops" and give up.

Assuming both the button and SB ranges are loose I would probably continue with any Ace suited here. I would eliminate the worst Ace suiteds the tighter my opponents ranges were.

No kidding. Interesting. I definitely need to improve my blind-based game, where I'm calling raises or partial raises with money already in the pot, then. I would have folded lower than A8s to the three-bet.

But, I fold too much stuff if Q7o is an easy open (small on big blind) from your perspective. I'm working to redefine that line of where to open.

Thank you for the feedback.

Playing well in button v blind situations is how experts thrive in tough games.