The Ups and Downs.

kissapig

kissapig

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Played in a freeroll on CakePoker this morning. Got quad Aces on the third hand, of course someone went all in before it got around to me. Won that one. Then got quad Jacks later on, doubled up again. You would think with a start like that I might have made it to the payout... but nooo. Made it to the final table as the short stack and after putting up a good fight playing small ball, I got knocked out in 9th place (A6s vs 77). Only the top 7 get a ticket to the Saturday cash game. So bubble boy plus one.
Try it again, the fun is in the trying. Cashed on one of these; win a ticket to Saturday type of freerolls. Got into the cash game and placed 7th for $40 actual cash. It's probably the only way to get any kind of bankroll if you're a US citizen like I am.
 
MediaBLITZ

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Why are you playing small ball as the short stack?
 
Poker Orifice

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Have been reading a few threads/posts lately with guys sayin' they're playin' small ball.. :confused: :confused:
 
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BlueNowhere

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[ ] OP has solid understanding of small ball strategy
[X] OP has watched a Negreanu video and decided that he now plays small ball.

I'll give you a hint that will save you shit loads of money. Don't play small ball at micros. Defo don't play smallball in a freeroll.
 
MediaBLITZ

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Yeah I have a buddy who says that all the time and its just ridiculous considering he plays the local turbo tourney that starts you with 80 blinds and pretty much doubles the BB every 20 minutes.
Just the other day at the break he says, "Just trying to survive playing small ball." Now at the break of this thing - IF you were fortunate enough to double your starting stack - THEN you have 10 BB to work with when you come back. He happened to have 15 and still insisted he was needing to play small ball - yikes.
 
Tino11

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[ ] OP has solid understanding of small ball strategy
[X] OP has watched a Negreanu video and decided that he now plays small ball.

I'll give you a hint that will save you shit loads of money. Don't play small ball at micros. Defo don't play smallball in a freeroll.

Could not agree more, even if you payed me to do so ;)
 
Arjonius

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It's probably the only way to get any kind of bankroll if you're a US citizen like I am.
No matter where you live, I would think a better way to build a meaningful bankroll would be to improve your game so it's higher EV for you to play money games rather than freerolls where you have to win a ticket first and then cash in the tournament where the money is paid out.

I understand it's harder for US players to move money around than it is for those from canada et al. But if you know you're enough of a winning player, I would think the hassle and cost just become a "cost of doing business" so to speak. Kind of the way I regard the fee I pay for each withdrawal I make from my e-wallet.
 
kissapig

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Why are you playing small ball as the short stack?

Trying to make the 'bubble' of the last 7 players. I was shortstacked at 20k with blinds at 3k/6k. Did the out of position shove with a suited Q, a BB shove to a SB min raise, stuff like that. Waiting for someone to call a raise. Didn't happen. Down to 2 BB and took a shot with a suited Ace. Lost to a small pair.
 
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BlueNowhere

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Trying to make the 'bubble' of the last 7 players. I was shortstacked at 20k with blinds at 3k/6k. Did the out of position shove with a suited Q, a BB shove to a SB min raise, stuff like that. Waiting for someone to call a raise. Didn't happen. Down to 2 BB and took a shot with a suited Ace. Lost to a small pair.

Explain the concept of small ball and as you're typing it you mgiht realise why I tell you ont to plat it as micros/freerolls.
 
kissapig

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No matter where you live, I would think a better way to build a meaningful bankroll would be to improve your game so it's higher EV for you to play money games rather than freerolls where you have to win a ticket first and then cash in the tournament where the money is paid out.

I understand it's harder for US players to move money around than it is for those from Canada et al. But if you know you're enough of a winning player, I would think the hassle and cost just become a "cost of doing business" so to speak. Kind of the way I regard the fee I pay for each withdrawal I make from my e-wallet.

We Americans cannot make a deposit. Have to find alternative methods of creating a bankroll out of nothing. Try it sometime. Not as easy as it sounds.
 
kissapig

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Explain the concept of small ball and as you're typing it you mgiht realise why I tell you ont to plat it as micros/freerolls.

Leave out the micros and freerolls part. It's all I can get in to while there is a ban on American deposits. I start to play excessively loose aggressive hands while waiting, and waiting, to try to look tight. Pick a spot and open shove preflop when there is a chance that whomever follows will fold. Stealing blinds and shoving against a single min raise. That's what I call small ball.
 
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BlueNowhere

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Leave out the micros and freerolls part. It's all I can get in to while there is a ban on American deposits. I start to play excessively loose aggressive hands while waiting, and waiting, to try to look tight. Pick a spot and open shove preflop when there is a chance that whomever follows will fold. Stealing blinds and shoving against a single min raise. That's what I call small ball.

No I won't leave out the micros and freeroll part, that is essential to the point I am making. If you play mid/high stakes then you can play small ball. You play loose to look tight? Then you shove to steal (normal strategy btw) I'm sorry but I don't think you even have the slightest grasp of what small ball strategy is and you've hard the term breifly and decided you play that strategy.
 
MediaBLITZ

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Leave out the micros and freerolls part. It's all I can get in to while there is a ban on American deposits. I start to play excessively loose aggressive hands while waiting, and waiting, to try to look tight. Pick a spot and open shove preflop when there is a chance that whomever follows will fold. Stealing blinds and shoving against a single min raise. That's what I call small ball.
Uh... no.
Small ball derives it's term from baseball. Teams that hit a lot of singles, a double now and then and work there way through to score some runs here and there. These teams have to be especially good at defense as they may only score 3 to 5 times in the game. In poker you need a LOT of chips to do this effectively (which we can get into later, once you understand what you are really doing), as the betting will be small as well as the pots.
LONG BALL - is hitting home runs. Knocking it out of the park and looking to score with one swing. Shove, shove, shove.

Now which are you doing???

Disclaimer - yes I know I way over simplified this but if this part isn't grasped there is no point in going further.
 
Arjonius

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We Americans cannot make a deposit. Have to find alternative methods of creating a bankroll out of nothing. Try it sometime. Not as easy as it sounds.
Try reading what was actually said sometime instead of responding to things that weren't. I said "move money around", not "deposit". And I didn't say it was easy.
 
kissapig

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Another cash in a freeroll. 14th in the Rakebrain freeroll for $28. BR above $60 now. Sticking with the .02-.04 ring games and tourneys for .10 or .25. Mini moves with little impact on BR. Loved the video on Small Ball posted by CheckRaiseLife under Hand Analysis Lingo.
 
kissapig

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Talked myself into a $2.50 + .25 bounty tourney on Cake. Got 3 bounties for $1.00 each and came in 5th out of 192 for a $15.70 cash. BR over $80 now. Maybe I can try sticking with the original plan of .02 -.04 rings and .10 tourneys now that I got that out of my system.
 
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