exploitative folds low stakes
I am at about 1k hours of 4/8 at my local casino(sadly the highest LHE stakes they offer as of now).
I believe my reads on some regs are pretty solid, to the point where I am starting to make a few folds where against unknowns I would not, in small and medium-ish pots.
I think a handful of the regs may pay attention and possibly exploit me back, so I am very selective.
In big pots I am pretty much always paying off.
Good practice or nah? Sometimes I talk them into showing, or if they like me they will tell me they have it and show me as a courtesy, which is great. No one has showed me to be wrong yet, but there are obviously some where they don't show. I have probably done this about 10 times total.
One of the well liked regs talks a lot of the other regs into revealing their hand before he folds, saving a BB each time. He does return the favor sometimes, so the soft play goes both ways. Pretty common among some of the regs.
2 Replies
It's already going to be tough to win at 4/8 with the typical rakes charged these days; if you don't make some exploitative folds you're never going to be able to win.
If someone simply always seems to have it when they bet, feel free to fold most of the time when all you can beat is a bluff. But keep watching to see if they always have it when in hands against other players. It's unlikely that many 4/8 players are going to start bluffing you, and only you, because you start folding more often.
I hate the practice of people trying to get other people to show, etc., because it slows down the game so much, but if it's actually working for you then I wouldn't blame you for doing it.
heads up and 3 handed on the river are the spots to pick off bluffs without reads; if i can beat a reasonable value hand 2 or 3 handed on the river, im calling 100%, as the inclusion of just a few bluffs in addition to worse value hands will almost always make calling profitable.
(combos u beat/total combos) = your river equity.
compare your river equity to your %investment.
(call/total pot after your call) = your investment expressed as a percentage of the pot.
if river equity is higher, calling is profitable.
a player behind you when youre not closing the action causes you to fold more marginal bluffcatchers, particularly when that player is more likely to raise.
4+ handed, i need a specific "dumb multiway bluffs" read on the bettor to call with hands that can only beat a bluff. and sometimes its best to fold even if u can beat a few value combos. do the math.
practicing river combo math away from the table will serve you well in terms of both range estimation and pot odds estimation.
flop is cheap, the hands to fold are under pocket pairs and no pair no draw. sometimes we fold a gutshot in a small pot, but basically any decent draw can call the flop, including 2 pair/trips draws, and 2 overcard hands(especially with backdoor flush and straight strength).
the turn isnt cheap, and someone usually has a range that has been strengthened by flop action. calling pure bluffcatchers with poor redraws, intending to call all rivers without good reads is not advised(except heads up, which is more complicated). its different, or better when you get to the river by some way other than "i call turn without a read hoping hes bluffing." being able to beat value hands is crucial when calling the river vs underbluffers. i don't play full ring anymore but i doubt 4/8 has become much more aggressive in the last 10 yr. when youre in an aggressive game that needs adjustment, you'll probably know it. do the math now and youll be better prepared for 5/T and 10/20.