Small Pot Poker: Part 1
3/10/2006 12:00:00 AM
No one can deny that no-limit Texas Hold’em is the premiere poker game being played right now, so this week I thought we’d look at a new strategy dubbed “small pot poker”
While the name itself may be catchy, it doesn’t sound very exciting. I know, you’re thinking, “I want to win BIG pots! I want to go all-in!” And while there have never been two sexier words in poker than “all-in,” just about half the time you go all-in you’re going to lose.
Coin-flip situations, they’re called; you’ve seen them on TV with the classic match-up - A-K all-in versus pocket 10’s. If you’re the one with the pocket 10’s you’re happy to be ahead, but you’re not ahead by much - only about a 55% favorite, hence the term “coin-flip.” In any tournament, no matter who you are, you’re going to have to come out ahead in those coin-flip situations in order to win consistently.
While small pot poker (SPP) may not make for great TV, it can be a lot more fun to play than the traditional, “by the book” style of tight and aggressive play - folding lots of hands and being very aggressive when you do play. Small pot poker is a little different. For starters, you’re going to play more hands (which is always more interesting), and you’re going to be raising a lot too! Let’s start off with a general concept of what small pot poker is:
Play More Hands
Normally you’re looking for premium cards in order to play: high pairs, A-K, that type of thing. In small pot poker, you’re going to vary the number and types of starting hands you’re going to play. For example, any pair, suited Aces, and suited connectors will all be added to the mix. With cards like this, if you hit on the flop, you’re going to do some damage.
Positioning
The next big thing is positioning - you want good position, plain and simple. Position in no-limit hold’em is power. Now this doesn’t mean just the button, it also applies to the first few spots after the button, as well as whom you’re up against in the pot.
If You’re Going to Play, Raise
SPP’s principal concept is to play more hands, and raise when you do play a hand. You want to always come in with a small raise when you’re going to play.
For example, if the big blind is $200, then the normal raise would be somewhere around three or four times the big blind (around $600 to $800).
Playing SPP, you would raise the minimum or just a bit more, so in the neighborhood of $400 to $450.
Depending on the make-up of who’s at the table, and who’s in the pot, you’ll definitely pick up some blinds along the way.
Next is throwing a bet or raise out on the flop. You raised pre-flop, representing a hand, so even if you miss, make a bet! Unless someone else really hit the flop, they will muck to you.
Now if someone bets into you, you’re going to have to read the player, and act accordingly.
Letting Go
This is where the last big concept comes in and it is one that costs even highly skilled players a lot of unnecessary chips - letting go. If a player plays back at you, you must be willing to lay down hands on the flop whether you miss or catch a draw. Unless you’ve got the CIA’s list of tells on your opponent, and you can swear on a bible he is bluffing, let it go.
Using this strategy will accomplish a few things: first, it will let you pick up some blinds and smaller pots quickly, and secondly, after a few hours of this your opponents will go crazy! When you do hit a flop and pull the standard bet/raise you may get re-raised.
I’ve pushed opponents to the end of their rope, so to speak, who end up re-raising me all-in on the flop with Ace high after I’ve flopped a set. Because I’ve been in so many hands (raising no less), my opponents assume I must be bluffing. If you’re already an above average player, and posses the ability to be able to read your opponents well, this strategy will work for you.
SPP In Action
Wondering if SPP strategy really works? Have a look at the top tournament player this year, Mike “The Grinder” Misrachi. So far, he’s been blowing the rest of the field away with an amazing stretch in January and February, during which in three consecutive weeks he placed 2nd in the 2006 Gold Strike World Poker Open, 1st in the 2006 Borgata Winter Poker Open, and then 2nd in the 2006 L.A. Poker Classic. Not a bad three weeks, and the 1.8 million dollars in his pocket can’t hurt either! Without a doubt, “The Grinder” would have to be the current poster boy for SPP.
For someone who is new to the game, there needs to be a disclaimer attached to this article. This is an advanced strategy for no-limit hold’em, and should only be used once you are completely comfortable at the table, and have a good idea of how to read your opponent. Trying to incorporate this strategy before you have a solid understanding of the game will cost you money; stick to tight and aggressive, and only play the top ten hands.
Next week we’ll go a little more in-depth with some variance and hand examples.
Remember, if you’re at my table, and I raise… I’m bluffing.