I figure if I'm going to play 2/5 and eventually higher limits, I'm going to have to learn how to play at shorter tables anyway. So if I'm at a must move game that is 6 or 5 handed, I should just embrace it and continue to learn how to play under those conditions. In theory if I'm playing well and we are shorthanded with some bad players, it will be better for me than playing full ring anyway. Once I get better at playing shorthanded.
I didn't play for that long, and I didn't get in that many interesting hands. I'm struggling to determine what the best raise size for me is preflop. I've been using really small raise sizes at 1/2 and 1/3. Basically like 6 or 7 dollars at 1/2, 8 dollars at 1/3 if nobody else is in the pot yet. At 2/5, you can't raise in non-$5 increments. So I'm thinking $15 or $20 for my opening raises. I've been using $15 and probably will continue to do so, although I'm raising to $20 in earlier positions sometimes. I do tend to raise with garbage so that's why I like $15 more than $20 in a lot of spots. Just keep the pot smaller when I'm raising with non-premium hands.
Back in the day, $30 was my standard raise. I would play super tight and always make it $30 preflop. I feel like I'm probably raising too small right now, but I don't know. Often times in these games I do see the guys that I perceive as better players raising larger amounts, but not all the time. Maybe I'll play around with some larger raise sizes. I think at $15 and $20 the different isn't that big as far as making people fold hands preflop, so I tend to just like $15. Once you start getting to $25 though that seems like a big enough raise where people might fold more preflop. I guess hey, why not explore $10 too? Seems pretty lousy but I can give it a shot sometimes. Like maybe under the gun with 4-4, that type of thing. Weak raise, but at least I raised so people might think I have a big hand. Then when I lead the flop with my set it won't be as obvious. And plus I think putting a raise out there typically blocks people from reraising, because someone might open to 20 or 25, but they aren't going to reraise as often even if it's to the same 20 or 25. Just my opinion though, I don't really have facts to back that one up.
In one hand a guy in middle position opened to $15, another guy called (actually, the two guys in my picture above), and I called on the button with K-Q. Flop came either 10-10-8 or 10-8-8, I think the latter. It checked around (about 5 people in the pot). Turn was another blank. Checked to the preflop raiser, he bet 40. Other guy folds, I raise to 110, he folds. Seemed like a good spot to pick up the pot. While that flop is probably a way ahead, way behind kind of flop for something like A-A, there are a lot of people in the pot, and plus there are some draws out there. I don't know if there was a flush draw or not, but it didn't seem like a great spot to just check if you had an overpair. If it was like 10-3-3 rainbow, that could have made more sense. So I was happy with that play.
At one point this old guy next to me was exposing his hand EVERY TIME. It was crazy. He had about 800-900 in front of him, and I could see his cards every single time. He was playing SO tight! I couldn't even believe it. One time this kid raised in early position to $15 total. Old guy looks down, 8-8. FOLD. WHAT?!?!???!?! Wow, so ridiculous. I think maybe he was on his phone and just was not trying to play a pot while he was on his phone, but if you are folding 8-8 there, just get up and leave the table. That makes ZERO sense.
Of course, the one time I don't see his hand was in this pot. This tilted me a bit. I am under the gun and look down at 10-10. I make it 20. Old guy calls, and I'm already like, wow, what kind of hand can he possibly have here, he has been playing so tight. And I didn't get a chance to see his hand. 2 other people call. Flop comes Q-x-x with a flush draw. I bet 45, old guy raises to 145, I fold. I felt like I had to bet the flop, although on average this guy is calling with a pretty damn strong range I think. Maybe he didn't expose his hand that time, I'm really hoping he didn't. Because after that he was covering his cards with another hand when he looked at them. I think just when he was on his phone he was exposing his hand. That sucked, I could tell you his exact 2 cards every other hand, but this one time I don't see them and I'm in a pot with him and he beats me out of it. I guess just based on the fact he was playing SO tight, maybe I could have just check-folded that flop, but that seems SO tight I don't think it makes a lot of sense.
Had another hand where I had A-10 suited in early position and made it 15. Got called by the two worst players at the table, so it was a good situation. Flop was A-J-4 with 1 heart. I bet out 20 and got called by 1 guy. Turn was a 5 of hearts. So now I pick up the flush draw. I bet 35, he calls. River, queen. He had about 130 left. At this point, I didn't know exactly where I was at but I didn't feel like he had 2 pair. I figured he had a weaker ace. A-K through A-J didn't make sense, because I didn't put him on a strong hand preflop, and if he had A-J I figure I would have gotten raised by now. Probably same for A-4, A-5. So on the river I bet the rest of his money and he folded. In retrospect maybe I should have just bet like 75. Only thing that sucks there is if he raises I have to call or else I'm folding for an extra $50. But maybe $75 could have been perceived as more of a bluff than putting him all-in. Probably overthinking it though, I think my bet was fine.
I ended up winning $40. At my min/max, I was up like $120 and down about $50, so leaving up $40 is fine. Wasn't the most exciting game, but it was nice to get some more table time at 2/5 NL. The dream of playing 2/5 again is way more exciting than the reality of it, but I'm definitely excited to get back into it and see where it takes me. I'm optimistic that I can definitely win some good money playing 2/5 in the coming months.
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