A winning low-limit NLHE strategy

This strategy is a very loose variation of the Sklansky method which mitigates post-flop play and gives an edge to weaker players vs stronger ones. This method however, changes the emphasis from minimizing the risk of being outplayed post-flop to capitalizing on weak players and exploiting huge edges or statistical advantages in hands. This method was devised elsewhere but I have added a few tweaks of my own to suit my style of play. Brfore you bother to read all of this I will warn you that this style of play is extremely slow and boring and you must be able to fold hands for long periods of time and play very few, which is why it lends itself to multi-tabling so well. It is to be played at the small stakes NL tables (25NL, 50NL, 100NL) and you should buy in for the full amount on every table you play. Now for the fun stuff.

The premise of this method is extremely simple: Never put your money into the pot at less than a 70/30 favorite. This is done by simply folding every hand that isn't a pocket pair or A-Xs. Any pair 2-2 thru KK you limp with and or try to see the flop as inexpensive as possible, folding to any decent sized raise. Your goal here is to flop a set. If you do not flop a set, fold the hand unconditionally to any raise. What you are trying to do is entice an opponent to call you down with TPTK or Top 2 when they are a huge 'dog to your made set. The only moves you make are limping or calling a minimum to see a flop, raising all-in, or folding. That's it. When you hit your set on the flop, you push. You are at worst a 70/30 favorite for even money in the pot which is extremely good, but your goal is to get the money in when your caller is basically drawing dead.

You play A-Xs the same way as above, limping or calling the minimum to see a flop, but if you don't flop the straight or nut flush throw it away to a minimum raise. The only move here, again, when you do hit, is to push all-in.

When you wake up with K-K or A-A you push all-in.

From the BB any hand will do for limping, but if you don't flop the nut straight or a boat fold to a raise.

This method basically relies on the poor play of the small stakes NL players and is not designed to play for its entertainment value. It is mundane and very boring, but it works. It is contingent that you are called down as a huge favorite by someone drawing almost dead. Every time you get your money in with this play you're a huge favorite and that's the idea behind it.
It isn't about playing the game well in this case its about following the simple rules and not deviating from them in order to make a profit off of poor play by others.

Warning to those with PokerTracker, don't even ask what this does to your stats, lmao.

Try it out if you want and I can almost gaurantee (to those of you that play SS NLHE) that this method will win you more over time than your current style of play. Of course game selection and other factors should be considered when using this method, but that should be something that you do anytime you buy in and sit down. Loose games are obviously going to be more profitable for you when using this method. Have fun with it kids and let me know what you thin/your results. Thanks Smash

Interesting, and I have no doubt it would work, as low limit players are invariably too stupid to (a) realise when their hand is beat, and (b) pick up on what you're doing. Still, anyone interested in actually advancing their game should steer clear as this strategy does nothing for it, and as there's hardly a mountain of cash to be gained at the low limits I don't really see the point in this at all unless you're convinced you're a crap player and that that won't ever change and you're happy averaging 1BB/hr at .50/1 forever. People generally play at the low limits to work on their game or just to have some cheap fun.

You're right about your assesment of the strategy's inability to help your game. You're wrong about how much money is out there to be won. I can gaurantee you'll win FAR more than 1BB/100 using this method over time. I would be willing to bet that anyone playing SS NL right now could adhere to this method for say 15K hands will increase their poker income over its current level. It is a simple winning strategy. Besides, playing NL is basically "get your money in with the best of it" poker at the highest levels and this method is the epitome of that mentality. Its all about cash and this is gauranteed to make money.

edit
BTW, I play limit mostly so this doesn't even pertain to me, I'm just passing it along and adding to it a bit where I see fit. I did give it a whirl the other night and was up about 3/4 of a buyin on 2 tables in about 25 minutes at 50NL.

Yeah, my mistake, been looking at my limit stats, where playing ABC poker at the micros will typically net 1-2BB/hr in the long run, so I just threw that figure out there. NLHE and with that strategy it will be pretty different - most probably large profits in the long run with large variance in the short run (you mentioned being up 3/4 of a buyin in 25 minutes, a winrate which is obviously unsustainable or else we all wouldn't need jobs ).

Edit: I don't play NL ring myself, mainly because I seem to play like a total donkey when I do, and I'm doing too well at limit ring and NL SnGs at the moment to particularly care.

No doubt unsustainable and yes you could see some wild swings, but over the long run, say 15-20K hands, you're probably somewhere over 10BB/100.

However, all good things have a downside. And that downside is if you jump into this with NO bankroll management with say less than 20 times your max buy in as a total, you could have aces cracked and a couple other key all-ins miss and be down substantially compared to you r total roll. Even when you're a 70/30 fave you lose sometimes. I don't want people thinking this is a ticket to fame and riches, but with proper bankroll management and some very long boring sessions, you can make a big profit. Also, this is going to be far less effective as you move up past maybe 2/4 at the most, maybe 3/6. You're going to stop getting action on your all-ins and be blinded off.

eh. in a vaccum, its probably +ev, but here's the thing.

its nowhere near maximal ev. it will not work at higher levels. you will not improve, advance to higher levels, and make more money.

so, enjoy the .01 bb/100 at the .05-.10 nl tables. won't do much more.

ah, i think i was a litlte harsh there. didn't mean to be.

but i think its much closer to 1bb/100 than 10, and it wont work at levels above .05-.10. 15-20k hands of it, you'll be on the green side of the charts, but if you had just played good poker and moved up, you'd have netted much, much more.

enlightenup
You are wrong. But ignorance is bliss I guess. I never said it would work at higher levels, notice the title of the thread. I gaurantee you that this strat will net you more BB/100 than you currently make playing NL over a sample set of 10K hands or more.

Cheers Diablo, will give it a nudge when I get this 25 from empire the crims!!!

i used this strategy last night at the 10 dollar cash game and made a bundle my winnings where $50 over 3 hours not bad but i felt my game slip when i returned to real play.

my suggestion build a roll with this then learn to play


thanks diablo but my real game can't afford this

sounds interesting, dunno if i could play it though,
if i woke up with the ladies i'd have to raise (most of the time) pre flop!

this system does seem a bit better than the sklanksy system, and likes been said it wouldn't improve my game!!
i think i might give it a try on my next cash game tho!
i'll let you know how i get on!!