I'm going to try to put together here some of the thoughts I've been messing with in various threads.

First, another "word of caution": DON'T (as I have been inclined to do) EVER develop a certain strategy that can work under certain conditions, then, simply because you want to try it out, go in and try to bulldoze the table!!! The strategy selected needs to be based on how the table is playing. So, one should ALWAYS start off tight, then adjust if circumstances look right (and the same player can be playing differently from one night to the next, depending on a lot of factors).

Here's the tight strategy:

EP playable: PP, AK (7.1%)
MP playable: PP, unsuited big cards J or better, suited big cards T or better, suited connectors (16.1%)
LP playable: All MP hands plus, JTo-ATo, AXs, suited one gappers (24.0%)
SB playable: same as MP

This makes for a total VPIP of 15.8%, so pretty tight. As to raises, I won't go into that, as we've talked a lot about that lately, and I feel like we've pretty much covered it.

My suggested loose strategy actually differs only in LP, where I'm suggesting playing a LOT of hands and also raising a lot. I think it should be turned on when the time is ripe for betting the turn on semi-bluffs.

The "extra" LP hands are now these: 54o-T9o, 64o-J9o, KXs. This makes for a total of 37.3% played in LP, and a VPIP of 19.2% altogether, which still isn't just crazily loose. It's probably also better to play these hands only in pots that are at least a little bit multi-way (like at least 2 limpers before you). If you play all of these, that makes 37.3% in LP, which actually IS very loose. But I do think there's some method in the madness here.

Opinions?

Aisthesis,

interesting list. However, I play even tighter in EP und MP and looser in LP, like this:

EP playable: AA-77, AK
MP playable: AA-55, unsuited big cards J or better, suited big cards T or better, suited connectors down to 87s
LP playable: All MP hands plus, 44-22, JTo-ATo, AXs, 76s-54s, AXo (when first in Pot)
SB playable: same as MP/LP (depends)

Did not calculate the VPIP.

MHFlush

P.S: Your articles are always interesting!!!

I have one question for you: What's the real function of/plan for playing AXo?

I know a lot of very good players include this hand--even Harringon, suprizingly (if I'm remembering correctly), in his TIGHT strategy. And Farha obviously plays it a lot, as well as some of the decent players in my game here.

But here's all I can really make of it: It's a decent bluffing hand just for winning the blinds against a very tight field. Otherwise, I just don't see flopping anything at all secure this side of 2 pair.

I guess also if you want to go after a larger pot with it, it sometimes gives you a 3-outer on yet another bluffing prospect, but that just seems awfully thin to me--particularly since hitting your ace on a called bluff-raise can often mean that your opponent just hit 2 big pair.

Is there anything else you can actually DO with that hand? I really feel like I must be missing something here because so many good players seem to like it at least somewhat.

I only like this hand being first in the pot in LP, then I always raise it. If someone from the blinds call you, you have position and I almost always bet nearly independent of the flop if it is checked to me. If I got called and we check it down and he was on a draw I have at least A-high.

If I do a button steal with e.g. J4, I would also bet the pot but after I got called I am through with the hand.

Does this answer your question?

By the way, a button steal attempt has in my opinion +EV with any hand. Has anybody statistics about that?

Regards, MHFlush

So why aren't you playing six max online Aisthesis?

Shh... you are giving away the secret to the good aggressive player at the correct table and position.

The secret to this ground and pound strategy is to know when to go to war and when to back off, which I think is no limit hold'em in a nutshell. Most situations becomes this as opposed to limit where you see a field of five, NL in a great game you see a flop to five, and then it becomes heads up, against good competition you see the flop at three or four and then it is two.

So does fluff make the nuts in your game or are you going to see a showdown? Answer that and you you know how hard to swing.

What you are trying to get at is if it is ok bet with nothing, which is sometimes the serious astute play, and other times a disaster, knowing your opponent and how well they know you becomes the answer. The weaker they are A3h that missed and you raised is the strong hand. The more passive and bad they are the worse that hand is until you hit you 3 or A. The more tight they are more likely they will fold 66 to you bet. on a 73T flop. If you can adjust properly and realize which situation you are in, then more hands become playable or not, especially if you raise preflop.