When I used to play this strategy on pokerstars in 2, 5, and 10nl games...I would make money and almost never lose a buy in.

Now, I have started playing live 3/6 limit. However, when I use this stragegy, I lose an average of 2 out of 3 buy-ins. When I do hit the flop, I get paid off well, and very rarely lose a hand. But seem to very rarely hit the flop, and that's how I lose money.

Due to probability, it makes sense that I rarely flop two-pair or better. So, I wait until the pot swells preflop, and bet every round to make it up. What's confusing me is that I used to make money playing online nl poker, but lose money in live limit poker.

I'm not even going to comment on whether this strategy is good as I don't quite understand what you are trying to say...comparing online nl to live limit is apples and oranges...I will say this however.... if you are only aggressive or playing postflop when you have 2pair or better then thats a big leak at limit holdem (hint: if im playing you I'm going to figure out pretty quickly that you are very nitty and my money is only going in postflop when you bet if i have the top of my range, im also going to make you fold the best hand more than you'll ever know because i sense that you'll fold too often)

also you probably have sample size issues....I mean, how many live sessions have you played where you lose an average or 2-3 BI and have you done any calculations to roughly how many hands youve actually played live?

In no limit the pots you win are much bigger than they are in limit.

Also, you would be rally easy to play against with that style but that is probably not the problem here.

If you're playing this tight, you're getting destroyed by the rake and blinds alone.

This isn't a strategy even in the loosest sense of the word. I don't know how you made money on PS doing this. Over how many hands? You would lose so much value not betting one pair. Edit- Ok it is a strategy!

Ya, i'm not sure about this one. I don't have experience playing Limit holdem, but not betting or showing aggression with anything under two pair has to be a huge leak in any game. You think all the times you folded to them that they had 2 pair or better? Not a chance. You might get paid off rather well here and there, but everything dribbling from the BR in between those winning pots is going to surely add up. I would call a plumber.

In NL you can make up for huge mistakes like your "strategy" if you're able to build pots post-flop.

In Limit you can't.

LOL, really?

I lost a LOT of money when I play pairs. More than I do now. I mean buy-in after buy-in. I would lose to two-pair, 3oak, and k-high flushes and lower. When I played against better players, I would lose to them slowplaying their straights, A-high flushes, and full houses. I play in games with a lot of loose aggressives, who I just can't get a read on. So I decided only to play really good hands, there is improvement but not as much as I'd like.

I don't see how anyone can be a net loser with pairs i am very interested in how op plays them.

everyone's a net loser with pairs. surprised? check ur PT3/HEM

If I filter for pairs, it seems my other hands drag down the results.

Diamond, Im going to say this succintly and directly

1. you need to try and answer the questions I posed - for your benefit not mine
2. these forums can be harsh but the thing is that poker is tough and people are *******s - this isnt a forum about nitting and when a whole bunch of people with more experience than you at poker are critical of what you are doing.....YOU NEED TO LISTEN TO THEM (if you like money and want to win at poker)
3. the thing is, based on this thread I can absolutely tell you that you are thinking about this all wrong...........why? because an experienced and good limit poker player doesn't ask 'pie in the sky' questions, they don't say things like 'I only play 2pair or better' and they don;t play poker like they are flying a B52 trying to land bombs from 10000 feet, instead they are in the trenches asking low level questions about what to to when they flop a pair or when they have a flushdraw 3 way out of position. Im right and you need to trust me on this (don't worry, I don't hold it against you and I actually think that if you embrace my comments we can help you improve greatly....come over to the microstakeslimit poker forum if you want to learn the art of limit poker).


there is more but Im tired.

my challenge to you is don't be scared off by the criticism but rather embrace it, learn from it and work on your game. these forums are a great resource and when you cop universal criticism it isnt because the posters are asshats (they may be but that doesn't mean they didn't nail it) but it is more likely that you have demonstrated via your posts a major flaw at poker. Now, you might prefer to have people tell you your strat is awesome...but that wont help you get better. Constructive criticism can help you greatly if you embrace it.

you ahve the ball

also don't post in forums that aren't strategy related....you'll get creamed.

welcome to 2+2 and make of it what you will

Beginners forum mod Ozi

nice post. totally agree, being a fairly new member, well for about half year i think, ive gained from the cumulative efforts of feedback on hands etc so its def useful if u use it right and im still posting hands for feedback/advice today.

wrt your OP. i only play 1-1 live, and notice that games generally are looser. the goal is to not be exploitable, and at 3-6, if someone(or worse, the whole table) picks up on you only playing 2 pairs or better, you will NEVER get any more value from 1 pair hands. thats a lot of value to miss out on.

rather than say, do this, do that, try to remain fairly flexible in your approach as opposed to rigid(only do this and that etc).

thats a start and im sure others can add to it.

Odd i did just that and i make 64xbb/100 over all with pocket pairs.

I mean filter for 1 pair hands at showdown

That doesn't tell you much on it's own, especially w/r/t the OP. You need to combine filters like "triple barrelled (showdown and non-showdown)", "called river bet" etc to see what's actually going on.

oh no, not advocating OP's post at all

It's physically almost impossible to lose a LOT of money playing big pairs in limit poker. That's what makes playing them strongly so good in limit poker.

Playing only 2 pair or better in limit is horrible strategy. Actually the way you phrase it makes no sense, because I'm sure you call in limit sometimes (always?) with a flush draw.

Play big hands (AK, AQ) strongly in limit, and play top pair when you hit them very strongly, until told otherwise by the action that you're wrong.

By the way, if you're playing good starting hands then almost by definition when you flop 2 pair, straight draws will be possible (as opposed to the crappy 2 pair other players are playing - often no straight draws possible). Therefore, you've waited so long for your hand that you'll overplay it when you hit it and someone else makes a straight, set, etc.

I am by far a poker pro or one to even be giving people advice on poker, but there's just no way that strategy would work at any limit, live or online.

sorry i misunderstood what you meant. I'll run that filter in a sec.

i also quoted the wrong post

-70xbb/100

OP, In case this post is a level, I am keeping it short--LHE is a game of 1 pair, best kicker.

Read Lee Jones book. Play aggressive. Have fun.