Profitable only in small and large pots
I've been playing micros online for a couple of years, trying to learn the game at low stakes and hopefully move up from there. I've worked my way up from 2NL to 10NL (where I'm just about making money) and have noticed something interesting about my results in Poker Tracker 4 for all the stakes I've played: I'm profitable in small pots (<10BB) and large pots (>60BB) but losing at everything in between.
I'm playing a TAG strategy - trying to get the chips in when I'm nutted and making some pretty nitty folds when other players are doing the same to me.
Do these results suggest a leak? Or could it simply be an indicator that I'm managing to get the money in when I'm strong and folding when I'm beaten?
4 Replies
It could be bluffing too much, not bluffing enough, or a problem with your starting hand selection. Or something else. Maybe you're not going for thin value enough?
Would have to see stats/ hands but I think it is what you say. One of the best way to beat the micros is to overfold vs aggression, which is often in pots around that size so it makes sense.
I'm definitely underbluffing as there are too many players who can't fold top pair at these stakes. I used to bluff more but my results showed it wasn't profitable so I'm more cautious about it now.
I think my starting hand selection is ok. I've studied a few pre-flop charts and I have a clear idea of my opening range from each position. I've looked at profitability by starting hand and cut out things like opening low suited connectors in EP because they were losing me money.
With thin value I think I'm doing ok as well. I'm comfortable betting 2nd pair for value on the river if the action to that point suggests I can get called by worse, or betting with a set when a straight or flush is possible.
I'll keep looking at my results and see if there's anything else that stands out. Thanks for your thoughts.
From what I’ve seen at micros it makes sense. Micro players often play “fit or fold” on the flop, especially when you are the PF aggressor. Much of the time, they miss and fold to your cbets - you win a small pot. When they hit, they get sticky and if you actually have a good value hand, you can get paid - you win big pots. When you don’t have strong value and just check the turn and river, maybe calling another bet they make, they will often have you beat - you lose a medium sized pot.
Those are just trends, of course. You will lose some large pots and win some medium ones, but the overall trend makes sense based on population characteristics.
