Passive Vs Aggressive Within A Hand

SeaRun

SeaRun

Visionary
Silver Level
Joined
Jan 26, 2014
Total posts
697
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I've started to change my play a little where I'm playing more passive pre and turning it on post, when I have the goods. I know that many will say your VPIP should be in the 18-20 range and PFR a few points lower. But I am finding this way I'm playing now more enjoyable, and for the short term (a couple of thousand hands) more profitable. I've also tightened up my range in early position, and loosened in late when there's lots of limpers or an unopened pot.

Look at this hand as an example. Last week I probably would have emptied myself on this hand, I don't think there would have been any way to get Villain #1 off his hand and one of us would have shoved before the turn.

Some of you will say "It's .01/.02, no need to get tricky" ( like when I checked the flop), but I like this level of game as a place to learn, and experiment with things like my play in this hand. In this one, the Turn scared me a little, as did the River even more, but lost a small fraction of what I could have playing aggressively.

pokerstars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.02 BB (8 handed) - PokerStars Converter Tool from http://www.flopturnriver.com/

SB ($5.05)
Hero (BB) ($2.90)
UTG ($2.92)
UTG+1 ($1.51)
MP1 ($1.62)
MP2 ($2.50)
CO ($2.62)
Button ($2.69)

Preflop: Hero is BB with A
spade.gif
, 10
spade.gif

1 fold, UTG+1 raises to $0.04, MP1 calls $0.04, 2 folds, Button calls $0.04, 1 fold, Hero calls $0.02

Flop: ($0.17) J
club.gif
, K
diamond.gif
, Q
heart.gif
(4 players)
Hero checks, UTG+1 checks, MP1 checks, Button checks

Turn: ($0.17) Q
diamond.gif
(4 players)
Hero bets $0.06, UTG+1 calls $0.06, MP1 calls $0.06, Button calls $0.06

River: ($0.41) K
club.gif
(4 players)
Hero checks, UTG+1 checks, MP1 checks, Button checks

Total pot: $0.41 | Rake: $0.01

Results below:
Button didn't show
Hero had A
spade.gif
, 10
spade.gif
(straight, Ace high).
UTG+1 had J
heart.gif
, J
diamond.gif
(full house, Jacks over Kings).
MP1 didn't show
Outcome: UTG+1 won $0.40

http://www.boomplayer.com/en/poker-hands/Boom/7801925_95AD42F163

Now in this hand, a min-raise preflop when UTG with P-Qs is pretty tame when compared to what most will do in this situation. But it got some more chips in the pot, and I guess helped disguise the strength of my hand.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.02 BB (8 handed) - PokerStars Converter Tool from http://www.flopturnriver.com/

MP1 ($5.50)
MP2 ($7.96)
CO ($0.60)
Button ($0.77)
SB ($2.16)
BB ($2.31)
Hero (UTG) ($2.87)
UTG+1 ($1.80)

Preflop: Hero is UTG with Q
diamond.gif
, Q
club.gif

Hero raises to $0.04, 3 folds, CO calls $0.04, 1 fold, SB calls $0.03, 1 fold

Flop: ($0.14) Q
spade.gif
, 9
spade.gif
, 3
spade.gif
(3 players)
SB bets $0.06, Hero raises to $0.18, 1 fold, SB calls $0.12

Turn: ($0.50) 3
heart.gif
(2 players)
SB checks, Hero bets $0.24, SB calls $0.24

River: ($0.98) 5
club.gif
(2 players)
SB checks, Hero bets $0.46, SB calls $0.46

Total pot: $1.90 | Rake: $0.07

Results below:
SB didn't show
Hero had Q
diamond.gif
, Q
club.gif
(full house, Queens over threes).
Outcome: $1.90 returned to Hero

http://www.boomplayer.com/en/poker-hands/Boom/7802093_AB154045E8

Now, did I get lucky on the above hands? Damn straight I did. But that's poker, a lot of luck mixed with a little skill to know how to handle the cards.

So, do you ever mix up styles of play within the same hand? Do you think it's worthwhile doing it of do you prefer to play the same all the way through.

NOTE:

I understand some extreme multi-tablers won't have the chance to pay attention to play like this, but now in cash games, I'm playing a max of 4, so have plenty of time to pay attention.

Thoughts?
 
John A

John A

Poker Zion Coach
Silver Level
Joined
Apr 12, 2012
Total posts
6,496
Awards
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Chips
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Don't want to be Dan Downer, but just to give you some perspective, you'd need to play at least 500k hands or more to get an idea if your new strategy is really paying dividends.

The reason why people agree on a particular approach to the game is because you're playing against a range of hands. You're not playing against just one hand. When you play your hand against that range, you're going to sometimes end up on the losing end of that range, but you need to play it the same as if you're against the whole range. As you learn, and play more you'll figure out exactly why that is. Right now at this stage, it's very easy to get results oriented because you don't have much experience. It kind of sounds like that's what you're doing atm.

Any ways, it's good that you're thinking about your game and trying new things. GL.
 
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