2-5 strategy

Question

I&#x27;m seeking to move up from 1-2 NL live play into 2-5. From self research I found the players, of course this is a generality, will take greater risks in this game. It may take a raise, another raise, then a reraise, to take down a pot. Anyone play at this stake and what is your approach?

bizkilla · Answer

I&#x27;m seeking to move up from 1-2 NL live play into 2-5. From self research I found the players, of course this is a generality, will take greater risks in this game. It may take a raise, another raise, then a reraise, to take down a pot. Anyone play at this stake and what is your approach?

MrGlue · Answer

Don&#x27;t move up yet...I&#x27;m not sure where you are playing our how you are rolled but you don&#x27;t sound like you are ready for 2/5. It sounds like you need to do some reading/study. I&#x27;m not up on the latest poker literature but maybe check out Harrington On Cash Games? Also Google some poker specific forums and start reading posting. There is no secret to beating 2/5. You must have a stronger understanding of game theory than your opponents, you must adjust your play to the mistakes that they are making, and you have to get lucky.

Messier-11 · Answer

poker is poker. the players are usually better the higher the stakes or just have big wallets.

bizkilla · Answer

Messier, a dealer pal of mine who works exclusively at a poker club, says that the main difference is the wallet. Claims players are more wreck less, will push you around, and the major difference is they have thicker wallets.

Glue, I do have experience playing 2-5. But generally have stuck to 1-2 because of my bankroll. For the past 2 years, It's been a winner at the 1-2. Part of me wants to stick to what works, the other side struggles with knowing I'm leaving money on the table. I'll never really know hoe good I am or can be if I don't try. I've built up nearly a 3k bankroll from about 50 sessions of life play. Is that enough? Your correct on reading some literature. That is long overdue.

Messier-11 · Answer

how about the next time you play at the 1-2 and triple up move over to the 2-5 and play with the profits and see how it goes. I used to do that back in the day and had some very good runs. If you get a tough beat and lose it all you won&#x27;t feel so bad since you broke even anyway. it will be a good learning experience either way, especially if you play with those same people later

MrGlue · Answer

A 3k bankroll isn&#x27;t enough to play 1/2. Most would recommend at least 20 buy ins (BI) for a particular stake. For $200BI 1/2 we&#x27;d need 4k. Some recommend a 100BI bankroll for today&#x27;s games. Swings are huge. Stay at 1/2 until you build up 10k and start taking shots at 2/5 when you reach 7k.

BIGfnPOO · Answer

jump in 2-5 game and wait for a hand and shove it in son, shut em out on the turn, orsee all 5 cards,..   much much more aggressive,,   now at 1-2 ,you see rise to 7 re raise to 15  3 ppl,   2-5  it is raise to 20 ,re rz to 60... 2 ppl to the flop....

eldiesel · Answer

There&#x27;s not a big difference.  You&#x27;ll see more raising with draws, more bluffs, more straddling.  How many BB/hour are you beating 200NL for over how many hours?  And what&#x27;s your bankroll.

wizardofroz · Answer

[Quote: Originally Posted by Messier-11]  poker is poker. the players are usually better the higher the stakes or just have big wallets.   [/Quote]I disagree.  The higher stakes do not bring much more quality play, as one would think.  Instead, it just brings out more degenerates, looking to get lucky, and win a huge pot on any two cards.

bizkilla · Answer

I&#x27;ve logged in 2 sessions over the last couple days and am up $800. It really is nog much different and I agree it&#x27;s just more degenerates. But you will get tested. People raise you with almost nothing. There is far more bluffing.

earthWake · Answer

Poker is all patience, timing and instinct. Not much difference at all between 1/2 and 2/5.

wizardofroz · Answer

Taking advantage of position is crucial.

Knoxpoker · Answer

hey brother , have you played poker before.. ??? WTF are you talking about?? 20 bb this and that ... I sit down at the 1-2 with max buy in 300 dollars.. 12 rs later walk away with 800 to 1,300.. Who cares how many BB you have in a cash game .. And also , once you triple up you goto the cage and put whatever you are up on your poker and buy in at the same table for 300 , so at this point you are free rolling .. You have to sit for a min of 10 yours if you are a real player... Now you have balls ??? Go sit at the 2-5 Omaha NL table .. that will get you going ... Lots of action....

earthWake · Answer

Yes, I kind of lumped that in with patience.There should be hands like A10, Aj, 910 suited that you are limping/folding in early position, but raising from cutoff/button.

BIGfnPOO · Answer

omaha nl ?      pot limit.   when you cash out ,you must wait 1hr before getting into  the same game. usually.

bizkilla · Answer

Its been official now, strictly 2-5. Logging in about 20 hours a week over the past 6 weeks, up on average about $30 per hour. Did go thru a losing stretch there for a few sessions where it was just sick bad beats and in one instance just outplayed. Im not capitalizing as I should and do too much speculating by buying in for less than the max, which now I wont do. Sit proper or don't sit at all. The spread at the local poker room is 200-500. So sit with the nickel and have another in your pocket.

Here Is what Ive gathered.

Players, like in all games come from all walks of life. Ive identified several rocks at this casino. Grinders. Real poker players, whom from what I've seen, cash out stacks. Then there is the guy who wants to have fun. Maybe he has a gold shirt on. Usually a wedding band, probably doesn't want to go home and just seeks poker as an outlet to have fun. This guy played at my table today. Sat to my left. I skimmed maybe $100 off him but her lost $2000 flat in this session. For the most part, poker is played the way its meant to be played. Guys wont just check, not when there is $80 in the pot, SO you have to be prepared to pick your spots.

For some reason, these guys are cheap tippers. I see players at the 1-2 commonly give the dealer $5 for a nice win. Here, this guy takes down $800 and hands the dealer $1.

Body language and how you are perceived definitely comes in play. Players will ask the dealer how much you just bet, knowing damn well what you jus said or bet into the pot, just to get that extra read or tell. So once again, its a real poker game. I feel as if 1-2 is bingo now.

wizardofroz · Answer

I have the same trepidation, and don&#x27;t want to bring the maximum to the table when playing online.  You don&#x27;t want to lose your whole buy-in to another big stack, but it is nearly impossible not to as a general rule with a smaller set over set, or second nut flush or straight, for example.But as you also realize, being a short stack makes your decisions much easier, but also keeps you from maximizing your monster hands, versus the big stacks at the table.  It is quite the paradox as a poker player and gambler, as we always seem to win less than we should, and kick ourselves for not protecting our bankroll, and losing more than we would have otherwise with a shorter stack.And 2-5 Hold Em brings a lot of action, but it pales in comparison to the same blinded PL Omaha, Hi-only game, as few hands are unplayable pre-flop.

bizkilla · Answer

Last 15 hours or so have been a real swing from -600 in session one to +980 in tonights session. Took a gutsy call from my flopped Broadway when the flush card hit on the turn. Other hand took a shorthanded player KK when I hit a set of 7s on the flop and quads on turn. No high hand was available during this hours. But they do 250/500 every 20 minutes Sun-Thurs till 10pm and 500/1000 on the weekends.

One thing for certain is you have to find yourself playing aggressive with medium holdings. Hope fully with at least another draw. In my losing session it was a matter on one guy calling $50 preflop raise with me holding QQ, with his J8 and hitting the board with trips, meanwhile the third guy called with 33. Then I just got unlucky chasing flushes. 2-5 is a very intelligent game. And as mentioned, there are gamblers and they can me exploited. At this game Ive got about 5 players figured out and also am friends with a dealer who really has a good scoop of the place.

I am interested in finding ways to take down pots preflop. For example say you and have a raise of 20 a couple limpers and someone makes it 60. I feel as if that person may lay that down fearing you have the AA or KK. I may run that play with a decent holding.

2-5 strategy

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