Hi guys, I'm used to playing months of cash games, but I'm interested in zoom tables, but the style of play is very different ... What tactic do you use on these tables? Expect good cards to play, risk medium cards? Just play in position?
Or what kind of cards do you usually go to play at a zoom table? (sorry for my bad english)

hello. I play in a wide range. Quite a few people wait for high pairs and pay until the last. I play for a lot of flushes. Demand for a low straight often pays off quite well. The passive play and waiting for AA KK AK AQ plus 2-3 hands I still don't think is enough. It's just not profitable. For me aggressively, the rational style is right. The most important thing is respecting the bank's levels and control. And my English is bad. Please excuse me.

also you have to learn to make big folds KK preflop for example

Originally Posted by pawelmad9

also you have to learn to make big folds KK preflop for example

This ^ is sooooo wrong!

PedroVitor,
It is only a bit different from regular cash tables.
Adjustments to make:
KNOW who the regulars are. KNOW who the players playing the maximum of 4 tables are! (most of them are decent players for the buyin level they are playing on).

EXPECT a lot of 3-betting from the blinds vs. BTN & CO open raises. Regulars are 3-betting Light here very often. You need to make adjustments accordingly! (knowing who is an aggressive regular here vs. a 1-tabling player can obviously have a big impact on your decision-making process).

After seeing you play in a few of the CC freerolls on Stars (not always a great indicator of a person's skill level), I'd suggest sticking to the regular cash tables instead of ZooM until you have more experience. ZooM tables are typically much tougher.... or maybe just stick to 2nl for awhile & see how it goes.

I'd also suggest posting up hands you hope to get advice on.

gl gl

Originally Posted by pedrovitorcosta

Hi guys, I'm used to playing months of cash games, but I'm interested in zoom tables, but the style of play is very different ... What tactic do you use on these tables? Expect good cards to play, risk medium cards? Just play in position?
Or what kind of cards do you usually go to play at a zoom table? (sorry for my bad english)

Hi,
I posted a response for you. It's a bit late but better than not at all.

TAKE NOTES.

Make a note (or colour code) of the regular players on the tables (check through the lobby & look to see which ones are playing 4 tables).

I'm assuming you are playing 6-max cash tables & 6max ZooM?
Anyways, the ZooM tables are far more aggressive.

I am honestly not a big fan of Zoom games as anything other than a way to kill short amounts of time and practice ABC-type poker at very low limits like 2NL and 5NL. The issue with Zoom is, that the games tend to play overly tight, and you can not table select and get position on a fish.

Zoom games also tend to attract a lot of grinders, and no matter how good, you think, you are, you are not going to beat solid players for 10 BB / 100, which is the typical rake in the micros. So in my opinion Zoom is just a gigantic rake trap, where nearly all money end up in the pocket of the poker site.

After Stars have introduced their 4 table cap for regular tables, the difference between those and Zoom have only gotten larger. You now see regular full ring tables with players per flop in the high 20s, while Zoom is still howering around 15, which is just absurdly low for 6-max.

I play the Zoom games for the presents..those gimmick prizes which you get when you have the winning hand when holding an Ace or something. I'll just reiterate a prior post and say that you need to know the regulars who are good players. You can bluff good players but not bad ones..similarly you can shake off a good player with solid bets when holding the nuts but not a bad one. It depends who you come across at the tables.

if I play nl2, then I use the strategy of Homer. If the limits are higher, then everything is more complicated. I have to think a lot and work on the game.

it's a format I do not play often but when it does. I fold everything and I only play the max hands especially early in the game.

Originally Posted by pawelmad9

also you have to learn to make big folds KK preflop for example

Exactly, KK would be beat by a huge range that goes 5bet/Shove PF such as all the Suited Aces and many Off Suited Aces as well, such as we already saw players shoving PF ATo, AJo, AQo, AKo, and sometimes we find in some crazy's range some A5o, A4o and so on.
Pocket KK is terrible to play 4bets and 5bets pots in 2 NL because it would be dominated by a lot of Suited and Off Suited Aces.
When we have only 100 BB we could think about some possibilities of going all-in or worst, calling an all-in with KK preflop, but when we are 150 BB + we should be very, very Nitty and fold KK Preflop without second guessing.

"Hi guys, I'm used to playing months of cash games, but I'm interested in zoom tables, but the style of play is very different ... What tactic do you use on these tables? Expect good cards to play, risk medium cards? Just play in position?
Or what kind of cards do you usually go to play at a zoom table?"


Hello Pedro Vitor Costa, thanks for your question, and your English is not that bad, look mine for example.
Well, I am making some experiences in the Play Money games with Zoom and what do I have to say about that is quite simple:


A) Zoom is a game of stack sizes mostly. As you will have the opportunity to see many tables and players, you should forget your hole cards and play the situation.
B) Avoid players with 90 BB or less, because they tend to be weak and because of the SPR they would be already commited with a bunch of terrors such as gutters, flush draws, Top Pairs with Decent Kickers, and so on. When you play Zoom, try to play the Big Stack Strategy with 100 BB or more, and looking for adversaries who might have at least 100 BB as yourself, because depending on the stacks, our odds change quit a bit.
C) You got to have a very solid postflop game because you would have to open many hands from many positions. Why?
D) Because I believe it is not possible or viable to be Nitty in Zoom games: One Table of Zoom is equal to 3 Regular tables, and when we are playing 6-max the blinds eat our winrate if we play nitty, but if we try to see many flops we also would be eated by the rake.
E) We gotta play TAG versus another's weak TAG most of times. We gotta fight a ton for preflop pots with: SB steal x BB, SB re-steal x BB and BTN, BTN steal x BB and SB, CO steal vs BTN and the Blinds, BTN squeeze x MP Raisor and CO/Caller, SB squeeze vs CO raisor and BTN caller, BB squeeze x BTN raisor and SB caller, BB re-steal x SB and so on. And here are not the hands that are most important: It is our position and initiative and table knowledge. We gotta know our adversaries before start to get fancy and start to Steal from a lot positions. So in the beginning you will be forced to play Nitty and lose a lot a value but whence you have played a sample of 500 hands with most of the field you might think about starting running some Preflop semi-bluffs (I don't know how to bluff with air Preflop at 2 NL and 5 NL)
F) Avoid the off-suited combos at all costs, avoid calling at all costs, no matter what try to either 3-bet/4-bet/Raise then call, specially when Out of Position.
For example, we would never be calling from the SB unless in very specific spots when for instance:
UTG 150 BB Effective Stack Mini raises 2x
MP 122 BB Effective Stack calls a mini raise
CO 178 BB Effective Stack calls a mini raise
BTN 107 BB Effective stack calls a mini raise
SB Hero 112 BB with almost the entire range calls here, knowing that the BB is not a crazy squeezor.
Now, when I say that SB Hero could be calling here with almost his entire range I mean:


88-22, A9s-A6s, KTs-K2s, QTs-Q2s, J2s+, T2s+, 95s+, 84s+, 73s+, 62s+, 52s+, 42s+, 32s


But given this wonderful odds I could be also calling with some off suited connectors combos. 99-TT I could be squeezing from the SB because the entire table is Deep Stack, also with the stronger broadways, specially the suited ones. From, time to time, I also like squeezing here from the SB with A5s-A2s, but not always. ATo, AJo I would be folding a fair chunk of times and AQo, and AKo I also could be squeezing and not calling.

To finish my thoughts I say:

Play Deep Stack at least 100 BB in the Table and seek opponents which also have at minimum 100 BB
When you face yourself playing with a guy which has, for example, 50 BB let us suppose:
2NL Cash GAme
UTG folds,
MP 50 BB Effect Stack limp
CO folds;
BTN folds;
SB folds;
BB Hero 101,5 BB Effective Stack has AdKh and raises to 5x
MP 50 BB calls

Pot: 10 BB
Flop: Ks2hTh

BB Hero C-bets 1/2 Pot (5 Blinds) and gets Check-Raised by the MP for 10 BB
In a situation like that, where I hit Top Pair Top Kicker versus a player like that, I would be shoving BB x MP with almost my entire range, specially when I hit TPTK.
It really sucks to face short/broken stack players, but once we hit anything against them, we must put all the chips in the middle, and in the case of the opponent has less than 50 BB then it is an automatic shove postflop with gutters, flush draws, open endeds, Top Pair Top Kicker, Top Pair Decent Kicker and sometimes even Top Pair No Kicker and even more rare going with Ace High and King High.



Carlos 'Aballinamion' Barbosa

The zoom mode has the advantage that you can discard many hands without waiting for another hand I recommend you wait for good cards to make a good bet and put together a good pot always play the best option outside them only with premium cards

Originally Posted by Aballinamion

Exactly, KK would be beat by a huge range that goes 5bet/Shove PF such as all the Suited Aces and many Off Suited Aces as well, such as we already saw players shoving PF ATo, AJo, AQo, AKo, and sometimes we find in some crazy's range some A5o, A4o and so on.
Pocket KK is terrible to play 4bets and 5bets pots in 2 NL because it would be dominated by a lot of Suited and Off Suited Aces.

This ^ is 100% wrong.
Have a look at what you've written... KK crushes everything but AA

Originally Posted by Aballinamion

"Hi guys, I'm used to playing months of cash games, but I'm interested in zoom tables, but the style of play is very different ... What tactic do you use on these tables? Expect good cards to play, risk medium cards? Just play in position?
Or what kind of cards do you usually go to play at a zoom table?"


Hello Pedro Vitor Costa, thanks for your question, and your English is not that bad, look mine for example.
Well, I am making some experiences in the Play Money games with Zoom and what do I have to say about that is quite simple:


A) Zoom is a game of stack sizes mostly. As you will have the opportunity to see many tables and players, you should forget your hole cards and play the situation.
B) Avoid players with 90 BB or less, because they tend to be weak and because of the SPR they would be already commited with a bunch of terrors such as gutters, flush draws, Top Pairs with Decent Kickers, and so on. When you play Zoom, try to play the Big Stack Strategy with 100 BB or more, and looking for adversaries who might have at least 100 BB as yourself, because depending on the stacks, our odds change quit a bit.
C) You got to have a very solid postflop game because you would have to open many hands from many positions. Why?
D) Because I believe it is not possible or viable to be Nitty in Zoom games: One Table of Zoom is equal to 3 Regular tables, and when we are playing 6-max the blinds eat our winrate if we play nitty, but if we try to see many flops we also would be eated by the rake.
E) We gotta play TAG versus another's weak TAG most of times. We gotta fight a ton for preflop pots with: SB steal x BB, SB re-steal x BB and BTN, BTN steal x BB and SB, CO steal vs BTN and the Blinds, BTN squeeze x MP Raisor and CO/Caller, SB squeeze vs CO raisor and BTN caller, BB squeeze x BTN raisor and SB caller, BB re-steal x SB and so on. And here are not the hands that are most important: It is our position and initiative and table knowledge. We gotta know our adversaries before start to get fancy and start to Steal from a lot positions. So in the beginning you will be forced to play Nitty and lose a lot a value but whence you have played a sample of 500 hands with most of the field you might think about starting running some Preflop semi-bluffs (I don't know how to bluff with air Preflop at 2 NL and 5 NL)
F) Avoid the off-suited combos at all costs, avoid calling at all costs, no matter what try to either 3-bet/4-bet/Raise then call, specially when Out of Position.
For example, we would never be calling from the SB unless in very specific spots when for instance:
UTG 150 BB Effective Stack Mini raises 2x
MP 122 BB Effective Stack calls a mini raise
CO 178 BB Effective Stack calls a mini raise
BTN 107 BB Effective stack calls a mini raise
SB Hero 112 BB with almost the entire range calls here, knowing that the BB is not a crazy squeezor.
Now, when I say that SB Hero could be calling here with almost his entire range I mean:


88-22, A9s-A6s, KTs-K2s, QTs-Q2s, J2s+, T2s+, 95s+, 84s+, 73s+, 62s+, 52s+, 42s+, 32s


But given this wonderful odds I could be also calling with some off suited connectors combos. 99-TT I could be squeezing from the SB because the entire table is Deep Stack, also with the stronger broadways, specially the suited ones. From, time to time, I also like squeezing here from the SB with A5s-A2s, but not always. ATo, AJo I would be folding a fair chunk of times and AQo, and AKo I also could be squeezing and not calling.

To finish my thoughts I say:

Play Deep Stack at least 100 BB in the Table and seek opponents which also have at minimum 100 BB
When you face yourself playing with a guy which has, for example, 50 BB let us suppose:
2NL Cash GAme
UTG folds,
MP 50 BB Effect Stack limp
CO folds;
BTN folds;
SB folds;
BB Hero 101,5 BB Effective Stack has AdKh and raises to 5x
MP 50 BB calls

Pot: 10 BB
Flop: Ks2hTh

BB Hero C-bets 1/2 Pot (5 Blinds) and gets Check-Raised by the MP for 10 BB
In a situation like that, where I hit Top Pair Top Kicker versus a player like that, I would be shoving BB x MP with almost my entire range, specially when I hit TPTK.
It really sucks to face short/broken stack players, but once we hit anything against them, we must put all the chips in the middle, and in the case of the opponent has less than 50 BB then it is an automatic shove postflop with gutters, flush draws, open endeds, Top Pair Top Kicker, Top Pair Decent Kicker and sometimes even Top Pair No Kicker and even more rare going with Ace High and King High.



Carlos 'Aballinamion' Barbosa

I just now noticed that you were saying these were your observations from PLAY money ZooM tables.... and now it makes much more sense to me.

fwiw, on cash ZOOM tables, the players with stacks 90bb & under are the ones you are happy to see.

Originally Posted by Poker Orifice

This ^ is 100% wrong.
Have a look at what you've written... KK crushes everything but AA

Hello there Poker Orifice, good that you have said that because this is exactly the point the are trying to figure out here:

A) Are we really playing AA x KK, KK x QQ, QQ x TT?

Or....

B) We are playing Range x Range ideia, where there is no such thing as KK crushes everything but AA, because Poker is a game of incomplete information. You know you have the second better hand Preflop and that Pocket Kings, indeed, crushes 99% Range, PREFLOP!

The reality of the game is arid and hard, and many times KK would not sustain pressure versus a Whale which have decided to Limp A2 off-suited from the EP. You are Hero in the BTN with KK, which is the better position for this hand. It comes to you a limp from MP from a Whale with 82 BB Effective Stack.
CO, folds, you raise to whatever size you believe it is better for the situation, let's us imagine 4x, SB folds, BB, folds, and only the Whale in the EP calls and now you are Heads-up. The Flop comes:

3d9cAs

Whale in the EP checks and you bet 2/3 Pot, 1/2 Pot, 3/3 Pot, 1/3 Pot and let us suppose before this example gets too abstract:

A) You bet 1/3 Pot because when you Raise from the Button you will have better Aces, and as long as you have KK as your cards, you are simply blocking 50% Combos of AK, which is very good right? Nope, because maybe the Whale in the EP, is not thinking AT ALL about all of this. And if you C-Bet 1/3 Pot he will certainly call with worst aces, such as A2, A6, A7, A8, A9 and AT.

B) You bet 1/2 Pot because you know the guy is a Whale and will continue with a wide range and then the Whale of the EP calls. He calls you with any ace, any pair, any draw.

C) You bet something between 2/3, 3/4 Pot and the Whale in the MP still CALLS! With the same range that he calls 1/3, 1/2 and 3/4! The guy is not thinking about anything!!!! He is just looking at his hole cards as making decisions based on that.

If you try to Bluff Turn/River you will get a Showdown to see that indeed, the guy had any Ace, Any Draw, Any Gutter and decided to go. How profitable that could be?

Once again, we are specifically talking about 2 NL and 5 NL where that we know, for experience playing for over a year, with a huge sample of hands that went All-in Preflop at these Stakes are mostly:

AA, AKo, AKs, AQs, AJs, ATs, A5s-A2s and in some Loose Aggressive ones you will find AQo, AJo, ATo, all the Suited Aces etc.

I don't intend to be very boring about, I believe it is a matter of choice.
If you decide to go with KK in a All-in Preflop, both Deep Stacked you will have 60% Equity versus this range of Aces. It is not so bad. However Experience showed something that is not quietly that:

My experience, and other players are right do disagree because it is only my experience at 2 NL more than 5 NL, that when ANY kind of Player put a shove upon your head you will mostly, greatly, absurdly find this insane Range:

AA, AKs (only)

And KK will not Flip in a situation like that, which is not a situation where you have 60% Equity versus 40% of the Range of your Shoving-Villain. (KK will have nearly 30% equity versus a 5bet/Range which includes only AA and AKs)
At 2NL 5bet/Shove represent almost 90% of times AA or AKs, if it comes from a TAG or a NIT be certain of that.
The other Scenario is also harsh for me: How many times did I went All-in Preflop in a 6-MAX Cash Table and got boned by AQo, AJ0, A5s, and sometimes I wonder if this "Standard" and "Default" plays that we learn in courses in books, should not be rethought and readjust to the common population reality.
I have a feeling that it starts to be profitable to put a Shove or Call a Preflop shove with KK, QQ, JJ or even TT, from the 25 NL or above.
There is no right in wrong in Poker, but there are knowledge of the field and which actions are profitable in the Long Run and which actions are not profitable in the Long Run. Default and Standard moves doesn't work very well at 2 NL, mostly. We gotta be creative, but we also gotta be ABC Poker many times. Or else...
I decided to remove KK, QQ, JJ, TT from my range of shoving at 2 NL. Because it is simply not profitable now. If I see in the future that I can really be putting a 5bet with QQ or less, I would certainly do it. Again, I am not playing KK, QQ or AA: I am playing my 4bet range of the Button versus a 3bet Range from the BB, as an example, and in my 4bet range there are indeed a couple of Pocket Kings, but in my 5Bet range there are none. I would rather go Pushing with A2s in Position versus a weak player, than calling a 5bet/All-in with KK, 100 Big Blinds deep both Villain and Hero.

Regards;

Carlos 'Aballinamion' Barbosa

PS: Sometimes people start to be too much creative and add hands in a 5bet/Shove Range that doesn't really exist. I said that because my 5/bet/Shove Range includes only AA and AKs for VALUE. For Bluff I include AKo, AQs and sometimes, almost never, ever I put in my 5bet Range a AJs, ATs, A5s-A2s, when I played a decent amount of hands versus a Villain and I am certain he is very wide in his 4-bet Range, then I can put up a semi-bluff with AJs, or A3s that will hit the board decently versus hands that should not be at all at a 5bet Range for Value, hands such as KK, QQ, JJ, TT, 99...
Once again, there is no right and wrong. We gotta analyse a particular complex and unique scenario and bring up the best decision making. Thanks a lot, have a nice day.

Good afternoon Boy. I often wait for someone to open range and back all in with AA KK or AK. I open range with QQ or AQ or JJ and call with equal number pairs if the bet is less than 5% of my remaining stack fold and looking for these cards and if it's big blind and someone calls I see if I hit a good game on flop to open range. But don't forget sometimes to bluff hiding the strength of the hand if the other side is an aggressive player. Hope this helps. Good Sunday.

Originally Posted by Poker Orifice

I just now noticed that you were saying these were your observations from PLAY money ZooM tables.... and now it makes much more sense to me.

fwiw, on cash ZOOM tables, the players with stacks 90bb & under are the ones you are happy to see.

Hello Poker Orifice I am performing an experience at Play Money tables which consists of playing versus weaker players, broker stacks such as 90 BB or less, in position. But I also play Zoom Real Money Tables at 2 NL and 5 NL and the polarization of Passive and Aggressive are equally the same either Play Money or Real Money.
Sometimes I have the feeling that at Play Money Tables those Passive and Aggressive Fishes play better than in Real Money, because there is no real pressure.

Thanks for your comment!

Regards;

Carlos 'Aballinamion' Barbosa

I like to play zoom but giving up certain hands is a pain that I do not like to pass hahahaha

Originally Posted by Aballinamion

Hello Poker Orifice I am performing an experience at Play Money tables which consists of playing versus weaker players, broker stacks such as 90 BB or less, in position. But I also play Zoom Real Money Tables at 2 NL and 5 NL and the polarization of Passive and Aggressive are equally the same either Play Money or Real Money.
Sometimes I have the feeling that at Play Money Tables those Passive and Aggressive Fishes play better than in Real Money, because there is no real pressure.

Thanks for your comment!

Regards;

Carlos 'Aballinamion' Barbosa

From reading just a small bit of your analysis above.. re KK vs. some whale who's limped in EP w A2o and then seeing the different scenarios you've written below it tells me how little experience you have and for you to suggest that REAL money & PLAY money plays virtually the same (in ANY game) tells me even more.

I was playing the Zoom games for the Aces challenge but this was a losing scenario. The prize at the end was regularly 50 cents after losing my initial stake several times over.
At 888, winning the hand of the day several times and playing the scratch card has already netted me $110. The games are smaller and you can actually win a few shekels.

Originally Posted by Polytarp

I was playing the Zoom games for the Aces challenge but this was a losing scenario. The prize at the end was regularly 50 cents after losing my initial stake several times over.

In general those PokerStars promotions are not worth chasing after. If you can get them by playing your normal game, sure opt in, its free money. But dont change the way, you play, and dont play other games, than you normally do. When I started out, there was a promotion, which required you to play 10NL and higher, and that ended up costing me quite a bit at the tables to get those, as you say, usually 50c.

Originally Posted by Poker Orifice

From reading just a small bit of your analysis above.. re KK vs. some whale who's limped in EP w A2o and then seeing the different scenarios you've written below it tells me how little experience you have and for you to suggest that REAL money & PLAY money plays virtually the same (in ANY game) tells me even more.

Hey Poker Orifice thanks for your comments. Indeed, I am just a student and do not have a huge experience. However, like I said before, there is no right and wrong in Poker. All depends on the specific situation we are in.
I also don't want to discuss the point of what I do what I do, but I have a pretty big sample of hands myself and a pretty good sample of my professors: I am talking about millions of hands played at 2 NL and 5 NL. Are you considering the Stakes?

I also didn't say that Real Money and Play Money plays virtually the same, sorry about that, what I say very poorly was that the RECREATIONAL players at Play Money are equally the same or even better than the RECREATIONAL players at Real Money.
I am just talking about playing position against a weaker player, a player which has Level 0 or Level 1 of thinking the game.

Thus I would like you to comment my scenarios and tell me with your vast experience what would you do in any of them, if you have a big sample of KK going All-in Preflop at 2 NL and 5 NL with a POSITIVE Winrate, okay, I would like to see it and learn it, because I lost a lot of Buy-ins to get to this conclusion that it is simply no profitable at all going All-in with KK or less Preflop at the Micros.
I like you disagree of my point of view, this makes me very happy and eager to know what are your thoughts on how should we play KK and under in a 5bet/Shove Preflop spot and be profitable at 2 NL and 5 NL.
Sorry for my candor, I never intend to be rude, but I take this study very serious and would like to know your ideias and the community ideias.

Regards Poker Orifice;

Carlos 'Aballinamion' Barbosa

Originally Posted by Aballinamion

"Hi guys, I'm used to playing months of cash games, but I'm interested in zoom tables, but the style of play is very different ... What tactic do you use on these tables? Expect good cards to play, risk medium cards? Just play in position?
Or what kind of cards do you usually go to play at a zoom table?"


Hello Pedro Vitor Costa, thanks for your question, and your English is not that bad, look mine for example.
Well, I am making some experiences in the Play Money games with Zoom and what do I have to say about that is quite simple:


A) Zoom is a game of stack sizes mostly. As you will have the opportunity to see many tables and players, you should forget your hole cards and play the situation.
B) Avoid players with 90 BB or less, because they tend to be weak and because of the SPR they would be already commited with a bunch of terrors such as gutters, flush draws, Top Pairs with Decent Kickers, and so on. When you play Zoom, try to play the Big Stack Strategy with 100 BB or more, and looking for adversaries who might have at least 100 BB as yourself, because depending on the stacks, our odds change quit a bit.
C) You got to have a very solid postflop game because you would have to open many hands from many positions. Why?
D) Because I believe it is not possible or viable to be Nitty in Zoom games: One Table of Zoom is equal to 3 Regular tables, and when we are playing 6-max the blinds eat our winrate if we play nitty, but if we try to see many flops we also would be eated by the rake.
E) We gotta play TAG versus another's weak TAG most of times. We gotta fight a ton for preflop pots with: SB steal x BB, SB re-steal x BB and BTN, BTN steal x BB and SB, CO steal vs BTN and the Blinds, BTN squeeze x MP Raisor and CO/Caller, SB squeeze vs CO raisor and BTN caller, BB squeeze x BTN raisor and SB caller, BB re-steal x SB and so on. And here are not the hands that are most important: It is our position and initiative and table knowledge. We gotta know our adversaries before start to get fancy and start to Steal from a lot positions. So in the beginning you will be forced to play Nitty and lose a lot a value but whence you have played a sample of 500 hands with most of the field you might think about starting running some Preflop semi-bluffs (I don't know how to bluff with air Preflop at 2 NL and 5 NL)
F) Avoid the off-suited combos at all costs, avoid calling at all costs, no matter what try to either 3-bet/4-bet/Raise then call, specially when Out of Position.
For example, we would never be calling from the SB unless in very specific spots when for instance:
UTG 150 BB Effective Stack Mini raises 2x
MP 122 BB Effective Stack calls a mini raise
CO 178 BB Effective Stack calls a mini raise
BTN 107 BB Effective stack calls a mini raise
SB Hero 112 BB with almost the entire range calls here, knowing that the BB is not a crazy squeezor.
Now, when I say that SB Hero could be calling here with almost his entire range I mean:


88-22, A9s-A6s, KTs-K2s, QTs-Q2s, J2s+, T2s+, 95s+, 84s+, 73s+, 62s+, 52s+, 42s+, 32s


But given this wonderful odds I could be also calling with some off suited connectors combos. 99-TT I could be squeezing from the SB because the entire table is Deep Stack, also with the stronger broadways, specially the suited ones. From, time to time, I also like squeezing here from the SB with A5s-A2s, but not always. ATo, AJo I would be folding a fair chunk of times and AQo, and AKo I also could be squeezing and not calling.

To finish my thoughts I say:

Play Deep Stack at least 100 BB in the Table and seek opponents which also have at minimum 100 BB
When you face yourself playing with a guy which has, for example, 50 BB let us suppose:
2NL Cash GAme
UTG folds,
MP 50 BB Effect Stack limp
CO folds;
BTN folds;
SB folds;
BB Hero 101,5 BB Effective Stack has AdKh and raises to 5x
MP 50 BB calls

Pot: 10 BB
Flop: Ks2hTh

BB Hero C-bets 1/2 Pot (5 Blinds) and gets Check-Raised by the MP for 10 BB
In a situation like that, where I hit Top Pair Top Kicker versus a player like that, I would be shoving BB x MP with almost my entire range, specially when I hit TPTK.
It really sucks to face short/broken stack players, but once we hit anything against them, we must put all the chips in the middle, and in the case of the opponent has less than 50 BB then it is an automatic shove postflop with gutters, flush draws, open endeds, Top Pair Top Kicker, Top Pair Decent Kicker and sometimes even Top Pair No Kicker and even more rare going with Ace High and King High.



Carlos 'Aballinamion' Barbosa

I made a mistake at Item B when I stated:

"B) Avoid players with 90 BB or less, because they tend to be weak and because of the SPR they would be already commited with a bunch of terrors such as gutters, flush draws, Top Pairs with Decent Kickers,"


Actually, our Cash strategy revolves around playing with guys with 99 BB or less in the table, we should play against them in the Real Money Tables as much as we can. What I was trying to say is that if we are playing Deep Stack Cash Game, for instance we have something as 320 BB Effective Stack and then there is a Whale with 72 BB that we are facing in.
In some cases when we are 300 BB Deep, I simply guess that we should try to look out for players which have 300 BB Deep also or more.
We are going to avoid those Fishes and Whales with Broken Stacks very few, because they are the printer of our Winrate.


Sorry for my mistake, I cannot edit the post anymore this is why I quoted.

Regards;

Carlos 'Aballinamion' Barbosa

Originally Posted by fundiver199

In general those PokerStars promotions are not worth chasing after. If you can get them by playing your normal game, sure opt in, its free money. But dont change the way, you play, and dont play other games, than you normally do. When I started out, there was a promotion, which required you to play 10NL and higher, and that ended up costing me quite a bit at the tables to get those, as you say, usually 50c.

That's also my experience.

I honestly think zooming is a kind of bingo because there is no interaction between players. So it's almost impossible to play based on statistics because neither position is defined. I think this modality turns a probability game into a card game simply

Originally Posted by Aballinamion

I made a mistake at Item B when I stated:

"B) Avoid players with 90 BB or less, because they tend to be weak and because of the SPR they would be already commited with a bunch of terrors such as gutters, flush draws, Top Pairs with Decent Kickers,"


Actually, our Cash strategy revolves around playing with guys with 99 BB or less in the table, we should play against them in the Real Money Tables as much as we can. What I was trying to say is that if we are playing Deep Stack Cash Game, for instance we have something as 320 BB Effective Stack and then there is a Whale with 72 BB that we are facing in.
In some cases when we are 300 BB Deep, I simply guess that we should try to look out for players which have 300 BB Deep also or more.
We are going to avoid those Fishes and Whales with Broken Stacks very few, because they are the printer of our Winrate.


Sorry for my mistake, I cannot edit the post anymore this is why I quoted.

Regards;

Carlos 'Aballinamion' Barbosa

Ok. Thanks.

I'll send you a pm

Zoom game has changed dramatically! There are plenty of regulars who play very aggressive! But the tables zoom less profitable than regular so I'm zoom only when time is limited and it is necessary to perform a job somewhere. Fortunately at the lower limits are many bad players!

I really miss the 9max zoom 5nl tables at Stars (I have the feeling that 2nl zoom players don't pay me at big hands that 5nl players would pay me , so I very rarely play it ) . I had a strategy to get some $$ at 5nl , and if not , the game lasted enough and I had fun (the speed that you move from one table to another is awesome
6max , zoom or not zoom , any stakes , I am not good . I want to become better , so I have to study the game

Originally Posted by antonis32123

I really miss the 9max zoom 5nl tables at Stars (I have the feeling that 2nl zoom players don't pay me at big hands that 5nl players would pay me , so I very rarely play it ) . I had a strategy to get some $$ at 5nl , and if not , the game lasted enough and I had fun (the speed that you move from one table to another is awesome

6max , zoom or not zoom , any stakes , I am not good . I want to become better , so I have to study the game

The 9max Zoom tables simply died out except for 2NL and did not start up again at some point. After several month of no activity Stars then removed the inactive 5NL and 10NL Zoom tables. I guess Zoom players are looking for action, and since there is less action in 9max, Zoom players tend to prefer 6-max.

Originally Posted by fundiver199

The 9max Zoom tables simply died out except for 2NL and did not start up again at some point. After several month of no activity Stars then removed the inactive 5NL and 10NL Zoom tables. I guess Zoom players are looking for action, and since there is less action in 9max, Zoom players tend to prefer 6-max.

Unfortunatelly you are right




I have a secret hope they might appear again in the future .