Friday, February 01, 2008

Lil Variety

I've been going back and forth between limit and no limit poker this week and the change of pace has been real nice.

I'm a numbers guy so dare I say that limit actually feels soothing to play?

It's like getting paid to do math. And the players at limit make awful mistakes all the time, but since each particular hand only costs a few bets, no one really notices.

No limit definitely requires much more focus from me in terms of reading the players. I feel way more tired after no limit sessions. At limit poker I can occasionally tune out, play my own cards and it doesn't always matter. No limit is so much more about paying attention to my opponents.

And of course there is the stomach. One game requires a really strong stomach. One doesn't. The hand that illustrates the different feelings in my stomach at the two games is the old Ace Queen.

At a limit table, if someone raises me from under the gun I can play my ace queen from the blinds, and if I flop an ace it really isn't so terrible to pay off someone with ace king. My stomach can handle that.

At no limit an ace queen in the blinds scares me if someone has raised from under the gun. I might call. I might raise. But I also might fold. It just depends.

I hate the idea of flopping an ace at no limit and still not knowing if I'm ahead of pocket jacks or behind an ace king. I'd feel more comfortable calling with suited connectors or a small pair. Hands that become real clear where they stand mathematically post flop. Hands that are easier to digest.

3 comments:

F-Train said...

Yes yes yes. Exactly the reasons why I went back to LHE for all my 2007 Borgata trips. Also, I find there are actually more donks in the 10/20 LHE games than there are in the 1/2 or 2/5 NLHE games (if you can believe that).

FreeFormCoder said...

Come on Cohen! You're going to end up telling us how much fun nickel slots are! We love you because of your iron stomach!!!

Robert said...

F-train, I believe it. The best part is how often no one knows who the real donks are. Night after night I watch donks yell at good players and tell them how poorly they play. It's entertainment on a whole 'nother level.

Free form, I know limit cash games ain't as much fun to read about as tournaments or no limit cash, but this iron stomach is just trying to eat.