Alan's Game 2: Pregame Plans

I really need to focus on reads and getting back to a very solid, simple ABC game for these live games and build from there. My two goals next time are just to:

1. Develop reads
2. Play a basic ABC game. Next to no bluffs, just make hands and valuebet them to death.

The only one I want to work on is:

• Seeing more flops cheaply to hit monster

• (If 6max, thin valuebetting, too)
  

Thin valuebetting goes hand-in-hand with playing a basic ABC game and getting max value from loose players. I need to focus on spots where I can get value from my hand by being called by worse often enough, and always squeeze the most value out.

I also need to see more flops cheaply. I should limp more hands that can make any sort of monster. Definitely more connecting-type hands (34o, Q5s) than weak TP-type (A9o) hands because the pots are so multi-way and get so big from bets being called. I definitely want to have a straight rather than TP in those big, multi-way pots. Also, people underbet pots constantly, so I will often get the right price to draw. On the other hand, if I have a TP-type hand, I will have to bet very large to protect my hand, which can get me in a lot of trouble since everyone's range is almost any 2 cards and they play 2 pairs and better TP's so passively. I just will have no idea if I'm ahead or not. However, if I have the nut straight, I KNOW I'm ahead, and if I have a weaker flush, they'll certainly raise and I'll know that I am beat.

Because so many pots can get so big and people will call so lightly, it should certainly be profitable to play these connecting hands. SC's should look like the nuts. As we get deeper stacked, I should open that range up a little, but not much. I'll already be playing many suited hands and connectors, but at some point I can go for trips/2 pair value vs a raise from another monster stack.

Against raises, I need to look at how many callers are already in the pot and how many are likely to call. Then I need to look at position and stack size. I should tighten up some, but certainly play hands that can make the nuts if there are many people in the pot. They really don't like to fold in big pots, so making the nuts can result in a serious gain in chips.

So to recap:

See lots of cheap flops with hands that can make the nuts like suited cards and connectors (even unsuited, especially when stacks are deep). Develop reads and play a very solid ABC game. No bluffs, just make hands and valuebet big.

Hopefully, I can get this down and get back to some of the more risky experiments. I'm basically starting back at a solid foundation building a new game just for low limit live play.

Note: From now on Alan's Game and this project to be a better live player will be known as just "A-Game Live" in the post titles.