Hi guys, I've been following the No-Limit BSS strategy. How important is it to table select when playing microstakes?
For instance, if I play TAG and everyone at the table isn't a fish and plays TAG too, what happens?
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Originally posted by CanuckPokerPlayer
Hi guys, I've been following the No-Limit BSS strategy. How important is it to table select when playing microstakes?For instance, if I play TAG and everyone at the table isn't a fish and plays TAG too, what happens?
In that case, you need to switch gears.
Theoretically[1] , against TAGs you can loosen up a notch in terms of the hands you play, and you can have greater success slowplaying your sets and flopped straights.
There used to be an article called The five player types
from the article
How do you play against a TAG?
You can answer the TAGs playing style with an aggressive approach, but you should be selective with how you proceed. You can attack their blinds, but you shouldn't go overboard.
In general, you should keep this in mind:
Β The TAG is not your targeted opponent: concentrate on the other players at the table.
So yeah, if they're all tags, ditch the table...
Cheers,
VS
[1] In theory, theory and practice are the same, but in practice, they're different
If everyone plays with the same strategy, no one has an edge. Results are up to variance and EV is same for all. Without the rake, that would be 0. With the rake, it becomes -EV for all.
If you don't know from whom the money comes to you in your table, leave.
Thanks for the replies guys.
I recently played a micro limit game where everyone was playing TAG (including myself). It went about 30 orbits before I got a playable hand. I bet and everyone gave me credit and folded. This went on a bunch of times for about an hour before I left.
Originally posted by CanuckPokerPlayer
Thanks for the replies guys.I recently played a micro limit game where everyone was playing TAG (including myself). It went about 30 orbits before I got a playable hand. I bet and everyone gave me credit and folded. This went on a bunch of times for about an hour before I left.
This is the problem with being card-dead.
You appear to be uber-tight, when in reality you have just had junk for 3 orbits.
It is also very common in some formats -- NL 5-Card Draw for example -- where you have no information on the other players hands, and can only play by pot odds and drawing odds. You only get paid off when you hit a long shot (such as drawing two cards and hitting a flush) and another player hit another long shot that isn't as good.
Originally posted by CanuckPokerPlayer
How important is it to table select when playing microstakes?
It is very important. Most of your profit comes from weaker opponents.. 
You want to see lots of them on your table.
If you play with 5 regular at your 6max table, and the knowledge is similar, you will lose money because of the rake...
Every table has expected bb/100 for you. That is the reason behind of the accurate table select.
The next level will be when you can calculate every single table expected bb/100 for you, but for this you need to know the losing rate of the weaker oppents of your table.
So this is complex topic 
Agreed -- a lot of sites now make it very difficult to see who is at the table before you sit down.
However, you can get a feel for the table fairly quickly by opening them one or two at a time, then paying close attention to who is doing what.
You want tight players on your left, and loose ones on the right.
If I am going to change tables, I open the new one first, then close the old one -- I can't remember why I started to do this ...