How poker was played 10 years ago
Wow, and those were winning strategies?
3x and even 4x raises from all positions, even from the button
Nowadays the sizing of open raises depends on your position at the table and the players behind you: 3.5x-3x from UTG and MP; 3x-2.5x from CO, 2.5x-2x from BU.
Of course if there is a very weak player on BB who calls all the time, you can 4x raise from the BU against him, and that would probably be the best value play.
BRM — 30 stacks only
10 years ago the universal rule of thumb concerning bankroll management was the rule of 30 stacks. You have 30 stacks of the next limit? Time to move up!
Today we have a more specialised approach. Professional BRMs became much tighter. However, if you are playing mainly for fun, but still want to earn a little something via poker you can try a more aggressive approach: tankroll BRM or Holiday BRM.
Сbets have 70% fold equity on the flop
In 2008 Harrington wrote in his famous book "Harrington On Cash Games": "A pot bet will be called in 30% of cases on the flop, 50% of cases on the turn, and 40% of cases on the river".
Even back then these percentages were a little off, and Dan was talking primarily about offline cash games, but the fact that 10 years ago regulars and professional players called much less is true.
Today you can expect to get 45-50% fold equity on the flop. In other words, players call almost twice as much.
Limping with small pairs in early positions
In the early days small pairs were played only for their set value, especially in early positions. You were supposed to limp/call with it and check/fold on the flop without a set.
Don't do that now. Your hand is too obvious.
The Baluga Theorem (2006)
Andrew "BalugaWhale" Seidman: "One pair hands usually aren’t strong enough to call a raise on the turn".
GTO players are probably laughing right now. Well, the idea that value raising range on the turn is strong generally still holds, however you should always consider the pot odds, board structure and your calling range in such situations.
Don't play out of position
This advice holds up only if you are making your very first steps in poker. But if you want to learn a little something about this game and get better, you ought to try and improve your OOP game, and don’t avoid it!
Today we know: odds are most of the time a strong argument for calling. Especially against a minraise.
More fun & facts
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