Hi all,

I'm new on 2p2, and have been playing online poker for around 4 months. In that time I've been a roughly break-even player. Put around £20 into my account in that time, and my account on pokerstars is currently just over £20. My plan is to use the 25c/45 man games on PS to build until I have 40BI for the next level up (1.20/1.75) and then take shots at the next level, playing it exclusively only once I have a minimum of 60BI.

Also, I'm due a $50 deposit on PartyPoker (after signing up for Pokerstrategy), so I might well play cash over there as well.
Hows the best way to post a graph on here? Mind you, it's not that impressive. Played about 50 games (.25c/45man) with a current ROI of -44% lol. But hopefully this thread will allow me to keep focused on my goals and keep my volume up.

Any advice greatly appreciated

gl OP the games are very crushable. Have you found a consistent strategy yet?

When I played/play them I've found a love/hate relationship with them. But on the whole just play AA, KK, QQ, JJ, AKs/o early doors, with maybe AQ, AJ, or other hands if its folded round to me and I want to use my table image to blind steal. Loosen up around the bubble with all in shoves (taking in stack sizes and position)

It might take a while to get it, as it did for me, but once you have it, they're crushable and youll find that the $1 seem just as easy, albeit with bigger profit/downswing margins though

Will be following your progress

Many thanks elano, I hope to be making swift progress! Yeah thats my basic strategy, but I always seem to be very short stacked come final table and bust out 9th/10th. Most annoying. Think I just need to play more games!

Just firing 6 up now.

Current BR: 23.97

BR 22.47

Played some horrific, horrific poker to be honest. Think I need to think more carefully about my shoving ranges.
Finished in top 13 in all of them. Still, no cashes.

Do you try stealing blinds at all when it gets down to the last 16/17 players? Might not sound much, but it all helps.

You'll have to wait for position, and have a basic read of your opponent before you do this though, but i've always found that blind stealing, even if just once a level, helps alot.

But just keep at it, you're getting close to consistent cashes, and once you've cracked it, and worked out the best strategy to get ITM youll find a decent increase of money will swing your way

Yeah, last 15 I get more active, stealing blinds etc.

Okay, played another 6. Think 6 is too many for me at the moment. gonna try 4 later.

got a 4th in one.

BR:22.37

These games are very beatable, I just need to stay calm and not start shoving at random moments.

Yes, this is key. Also, what hand ranges are you shoving with? And do you call all-ins, or fold the majority of the time?

Also, remember to look at opponent stack sizes too and if they're aggressive/loose or a nit.

gl OP

BTW, the games will be tight and harder to beat at this time of day. I dont play poker til around 2pm/3pm UK time when there are more people/fish playing - and even then, its still tight. Prime time is 6pm onwards imo

Okay, I'll try playing a little later.

Well, in terms of shoving range, I try and keep it AQ+ and 99+, but normally I like JJ+. I fold down most all-ins unless I have a good hand and the player is really loose. Shoving range tends to expand as the game goes on, especially short stacked!

I keep stack sizes in mind, but i always seem to think its a balance between knocking someone out and protecting my stack from a short stack!

How're the 1 dollars treating you?

Playing another 2. Going to see if playing 2 rather than 6 improves my play - I think 4 is probably my optimum, but I think it'd be good to get on a bit of a win before I start expanding table numbers.

Any thoughts on shoving ranges great appreciated

Nice. Sounds like its just a matter of sooner or later that you'll crack it then. Shoving ranges I use are very hit and miss, but I generally use 77+ and A K/Q/J when under 7.5 BB's, or tables are approaching the bubble and I want to bully people out of pots

As for multi-tabling, yeah decrease/increase the tables you play until you find what suits you best. I started off playing just one table to learn the strategy on how to beat the game, found it too slow, and then experimented with adding tables. 8 is the optimum for me (with 10/12 proving too confusing without any form of poker software - may look into table ninja though)

Haven't played since Saturday, but the $1 levels certainly don't seem all that different, just have to factor in the dreaded rake levels.

Thanks dude, Just fired up 3. running deepish in 2 . Lets hope for some good cards and that I don't loose it and start shoving crazy hands.

BR 22.78

Came second in one, and 8th in another

Will be playing 2 tables from now on, until i'm more confident, then i can worry about crunching volume!

Happy with second though

Been finishing off some work that I agreed to do at the start of summer, so not much poker time. Decided to single table or maybe 2 table until i start to see some kind of consistency.

Played a few today, final tabling/into the last 15 pretty much every game now. Still loosing some bad flips, but thats poker! Need to work out how to get hand histories onto here. Then maybe i could get some pointers!

BR:20.68

Couple things.

If you are patient enough, try to stay in the $0.25 as long as possible, the no rake will help stretch your bankroll farther(100% rakeback). avoid the $1.20's if possible, 20% rake would make even live players cringe.

As far as play goes, there is a high possibilty you are too tight, i've been playing the $1.40's alot, and i frequently see people calling open shoves with KT or worse(seen J6 a few times) try to get your money in with good hands, and you'll have bigge stacks going into the money.

Okay, thank you for your advice. Just had AA cracked by J8. very frustrating.

Yeah, I'll stay down at this level for a while i think, absolutely crush them and then think about what to play after that. The rake at other micro games are obscene.

What would be a reasonable shoving range do you think? (obviously villain/position dependent, but just wondering)

Br:22.95.

Just scored a nice win. = +3.52 dollah.

Need to keep disciplined

Nice! Looks like you're getting it now

Just got a 3rd now aswell, Br=23.80.

I feel like its going much better!

Aye, like I said earlier in the thread, just needed to play it consistantly then you get a feel for it all

are you just two tabling atm?

Yep, two tables. Normally bubble on one and cash on the other! Gonna play another 10 games 2 tabling then up it to 3 or 4.

Nice!

I find that 8 tabling is pretty easy as well, although calls for some frenzied mouse clicking at times

Luckiest hand of my week... AA vs. 77... This is in a lambo free roll

Running quite deep atm.

Poker Stars Freeroll No Limit Hold'em Tournament - t75/t150 Blinds - 9 players
The Official 2+2 Hand Converter Powered By DeucesCracked.com

BTN: t1150 7.67 BBs
SB: t1615 10.77 BBs
BB: t7555 50.37 BBs
Hero (UTG): t1950 13 BBs
UTG+1: t3020 20.13 BBs
UTG+2: t1080 7.20 BBs
MP1: t1845 12.30 BBs
MP2: t1305 8.70 BBs
CO: t1070 7.13 BBs

Pre Flop: (t225) Hero is UTG with 7 7
Hero raises to t600, UTG+1 raises to t3020 all in, 7 folds, Hero calls t1350 all in

Flop: (t4125) K 7 6 (2 players - 2 are all in)

Turn: (t4125) Q (2 players - 2 are all in)

River: (t4125) J (2 players - 2 are all in)

I realise that looks like a very donkey shove. But he was play very very loose. (shoved 45 suited PF two hands before). So i thought it was a good spot.

Yeah, I would recommend to stick to 0.25$ as well. It's not only about the rake but also extracting value. Fish at those stakes stack off with bottom pairs, TP/SP no kicker and so on, chasing any cards to the river. Given that fact it's very easy to have ROI at 60-80% in long run which equals about 20% at 1$ tourneys. So in general there's no significant difference in winrate between those (besides rake and lower variance).

gl op

I'll stick down here until i'm consistently winning. Not playing well at all at the moment.

Getting some serious rungood though....


Poker Stars $0.25+$0.00 No Limit Hold'em Tournament - t15/t30 Blinds - 9 players
The Official 2+2 Hand Converter Powered By DeucesCracked.com

BTN: t1160 38.67 BBs
SB: t5090 169.67 BBs
BB: t4270 142.33 BBs
UTG: t960 32 BBs
Hero (UTG+1): t1350 45 BBs
UTG+2: t2080 69.33 BBs
MP1: t1430 47.67 BBs
MP2: t2820 94 BBs
CO: t4170 139 BBs

Pre Flop: (t45) Hero is UTG+1 with J J
1 fold, Hero raises to t90, UTG+2 calls t90, MP1 raises to t210, 5 folds, Hero raises to t1350 all in, UTG+2 calls t1260, MP1 calls t1140

Flop: (t4095) 5 Q J (3 players - 1 is all in)
UTG+2 bets t730 all in, MP1 calls t80 all in

Turn: (t4255) J (3 players - 3 are all in)

River: (t4255) 2 (3 players - 3 are all in)

Final Pot: t4255
Hero shows J J (four of a kind, Jacks)
UTG+2 shows Q Q (a full house, Queens full of Jacks)
MP1 shows K A (a pair of Jacks)
UTG+2 wins t160
Hero wins t4095