The Perfect 2-5 No Limit Player
Traits Of The Best 100 Big Blind Cap Game Players
The 2-5 No Limit Hold’em level of cash games, is the beginning point where a significant amount of money can be made. At lower levels, the lack of stack depth and higher relative rake, cut into profits to a large degree. An intelligent player at these stakes in poker can make enough money to grind out a living if need be. Through countless hours playing in these games, I have recognized a few key traits that are possessed by the best players, at these stakes. This article will focus on 100 Big Blind capped buy-in games. I’ll focus on this because 1) This was the structure used when I came up playing and I have a lot of experience, and 2) There are specific adjustments that must be made to maximize your win rate in these games, due to the shallower stacks. Some of the topics I will be covering will include: calling too much pre-flop, value betting, recognizing player types, avoiding fancy play, limping and 3 betting.
The ability to recognize player types that you will encounter in these specific games, is critical in determining the correct strategy. By correctly identifying player types, we can play an exploitative strategy that in most situations is the most profitable. The most common player type encountered will be the Loose Passive (LP) recreational player. This player type limps into many pots pre-flop and rarely shows aggression without a strong holding. These are the most profitable and lowest variance players to play against. When encountering LP players pre-flop, you will be using a lot of isolating pre-flop raises in position, as well as limping behind. Due to the lack of aggression, we can play more hands profitably versus this player type. A leak that many strong players make in these games is raising too many hands pre-flop in position, instead of limping behind. When multiple LP players have already limped into the pot and you are on the button with a hand such as T9s, raising pre-flop is unlikely to result in a heads up pot. With 2-3 limpers, your raise would be $30-$35. The likely result that I have found is now a 3-4 way pot with $100-$150 in it. The stack to pot ratio has now dwindled to 3 to 1 or 4 to 1 and that’s if they are all playing full $500. The maneuverability has decreased post-flop. By limping behind in a spot like this, you will now see a 5-6 way pot with a 10+ stack to pot ratio and find more profitable spots post-flop with your hand.
The LP players that you encounter are very single minded thinkers in poker. They focus on their hand and not the opponents. Absolute hand strength is more important (one pair, two pair, straight) than the relative strength of their hand (a set on four flush board). The key strategy to exploit these players is that you can be very aggressive. Due to their lack of aggressiveness, there is little reasoning behind pot controlling weak hands or draws. There is also little fear of folding equity incorrectly in a hand, since most aggressive action is an indication of superior strength. Bet folding hands on turns and river, become your biggest money maker. You are able to go for more semi-bluffs and thinner value versus these players due to lack of aggression.
Another common player type in these games are the Tight Passive (TP) grinders. This player is similar to the LP, but is very selective in the type of hands played. AJ off-suit is an easy fold under the gun for this player. This player tends to play very fit or fold with hands such as pocket pairs and suited connectors. Like the LP player, this player shows little aggression with out a strong hand. A three-bet pre-flop is likely a big pocket pair, or a check-raise is an indication of a flopped set. The main difference is that the TP player is playing a tight range pre-flop. With a tight range, he will flop stronger hands and be able to continue on more flops. We want to have a lower continuation bet percentage versus this player, then the LP who is more likely to miss flops with a wider range. An example may be a TP player calling my early position range and the flop coming KQ5. I may just check fold this flop versus a TP player since they have many big card hands and less hands like 76 and 87 that the LP player would have. Just like the flop, we will value bet the river less versus a TP player. When a TP player gets to the river they will have a much stronger range and be able to profitable call thin value bets. In general, there is less money to be made off of a TP player (they are not making much money either though) and with a table full of TP players, your best bet is to look for a table change.
The Loose Aggressive (LAG) player type needs to be divided into two categories. First, will be the LAG who does not possess hand reading abilities. We can call this player the Gambler(G). The other type of LAG player is the toughest player to encounter at these tables. The LAG plays many hands in a smart aggressive fashion. We will talk about the Gambler first. The Gambler is playing many hands, just like the LP, but is coming in for a raise pre-flop. The Gambler is there for entertainment and lacks patience and discipline of a LAG player. The Gambler doesn’t like to be bluffed out of pots, thus we should resort to less bluffs and thinner value bets versus this player. The Gambler will be playing very wide ranges pre flop, thus they will miss lots of flops. They will use their post flop aggression to make up for missing flops. They are likely to have a very high continuation bet frequency, thus we should fold less flops versus this player. One of the biggest edges playing post flop versus the Gambler, is going for thin value bets. Top pair Top Kicker becomes a monster hand versus this player type and should be played this way. The Gambler is there to play hands, not fold. Use this tactic against them and punish them for value, as well as being very selective with your bluff attempts.
The other type of LAG is the smart LAG. This player type is an attribute of some of the best players in the game. They are aware of their image and know how to exploit it with thin value bets and continually putting opponents in tough situations. These players use a high variance strategy that maximizes potential profits, but does bring downside risk into play. If you catch a LAG player that tilts and doesn’t adjust his play with a poor image, he can quickly turn into a Gambler player that is very profitable to play against. In general, you want to avoid playing hands with the smart LAG players, since many you encounter will make great decisions post flop and it will be difficult to show a profit.
It may seem like a simple concept, but many players fail to properly categorize players when first sitting down at the table. Throughout the first 20-30 minutes in your session, you should be focusing on players learning their style. Also remember that players change their style throughout the session (or regulars in the game change styles over multiple sessions). Continuously have a mental checkup on how players are playing every couple of orbits. Recognize how players change in style (especially the ones frequenting the game) when losing money, winning money, of facing a bad beat. All players will react different and your ability to recognize and adjust will translate to more profit. You can also use player types to help with your table selection, which is very important (especially at lower limits when there are often multiple games running). Choose tables with Gamblers and Loose Passive players. Refocus on these important concepts to help refocus your game!
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