Not being aggressive enough with position?

Apparently, I have a leak (content changed from original post).

Party Poker
No Limit Holdem Ring game
Blinds: $0.25/$0.50
10 players
Converter

Pre-flop: (10 players) Hero is CO with 9 9
UTG calls $0.5, UTG+1 folds, UTG+2 calls $0.5, MP1 folds, MP2 calls $0.5, MP3 folds, Hero calls $0.5, Button folds, SB raises to $1, BB calls $0.5, UTG calls $0.5, UTG+2 calls $0.5, MP2 calls $0.5, Hero calls $0.5.

Flop: K 3 3 ($6, 6 players)
SB checks, BB checks, UTG checks, UTG+2 checks, MP2 checks, Hero bets $3, 5 folds.
Uncalled bets: $3 returned to Hero.

Results:
Final pot: $6

*************************

Party Poker
No Limit Holdem Ring game
Blinds: $0.25/$0.50
10 players
Converter

Pre-flop: (10 players) Hero is Button with 4 5
7 folds, Hero calls $0.5, SB calls $0.25, BB checks.

Flop: K 7 7 ($1.5, 3 players)
SB checks, BB checks, Hero bets $2, 2 folds.
Uncalled bets: $2 returned to Hero.

Results:
Final pot: $1.5

*************************

Party Poker
No Limit Holdem Ring game
Blinds: $0.25/$0.50
9 players
Converter

Pre-flop: (9 players) Hero is CO with K Q
5 folds, Hero calls $0.5, Button folds, SB calls $0.25, BB checks.

Flop: 3 2 T ($1.5, 3 players)
SB checks, BB checks, Hero bets $1, 2 folds.
Uncalled bets: $1 returned to Hero.

Results:
Final pot: $1.5

*************************

Party Poker
No Limit Holdem Ring game
Blinds: $0.25/$0.50
8 players
Converter

Pre-flop: (8 players) Hero is CO with K Q
2 folds, MP1 calls $0.5, MP2 folds, Hero calls $0.5, Button calls $0.5, SB folds, 2 folds.

Flop: 2 Q A ($2.25, 3 players)
MP1 checks, Hero bets $2, 2 folds.
Uncalled bets: $2 returned to Hero.

Results:
Final pot: $2.25

*************************

Party Poker
No Limit Holdem Ring game
Blinds: $0.25/$0.50
10 players
Converter

Pre-flop: (10 players) Hero is MP3 with 8 A
5 folds, Hero calls $0.5, 2 folds, SB calls $0.25, BB checks.

Flop: J 2 9 ($1.5, 3 players)
SB checks, BB checks, Hero bets $2, 2 folds.
Uncalled bets: $2 returned to Hero.

Results:
Final pot: $1.5

*************************

I don't play much NL ring games. But it seems to me like you are open-limping too much preflop with position. Why not just raise those open-limped hands preflop instead and take the pots down preflop?

Originally Posted by chardrian

I don't play much NL ring games. But it seems to me like you are open-limping too much preflop with position. Why not just raise those open-limped hands preflop instead and take the pots down preflop?

Suggested raises? 99? KQ? A8s? I do tend to limp a lot.

Yeah, if you raise pf with the hands you open limped with, you have two things going for you: agression and position.

Now, my maths may be off, but I estimate this makes your standing in the hand about 2.78x better.

99 - the way u play it, is basically set it or forget it. Your continuation bet worked there but with that many opps it normally wont (and you gave a great shot to someone to capitalize on a trash hand like A3). Raise preflop to like 6x BB and take it down and or know where you stand a little better.

45s - limping lets the blinds hit on you. Raise there and just take the blinds with less risk. If they have a better hand and reraise than you can just drop it.

QK and A8s - same thing. Even if you get called there, you have nice drawing hands and can then play postflop.

Your style is leaving you open to get reamed. Let's crappy blind hands hit flops and check raise you. E.g. flop comes Q48 with your QK limp. You bet the flop and the blind with 46 calls. turn is a 6. You bet again and get checkraised... and a fold is hard for you there.

Jeez, I'm glad I posted this...although not for the reason originally intended....TITLE/CONTENT CHANGE!

Lol. It was a good post. You are right that position has tons of value. You just might not have been exploiting it as well as you could have preflop.

I'm also not a NL player. I do know that Fnord and the other Limit posters taught me fairly early on that one huge leak of mine that was super easy to fix was to simply stop OPEN limping. Notice I put open limp in bold (calling with limpers ahead of me can be fine with a draw happy hand). When I am first to act on a hand (i.e. everyone has folded to me) in limit my choice is simple: fold or raise.

I know this concept is useful in MTTs as well so I would imagine it is in NL ring as well.

Just have to make sure to learn to give hands up if you are met with resistance doing this.

...and I don't play limit. Hmmm...

Fnord? Lukie? Please wade in...

Calling sucks. I only call with pp in 6max, and with pp and suited connectors in 10max, only if I have position, because otherwise someone behind me will raise 9 times out of 10 and I just wasted my money. Fold, check or raise are the ways to go. (another exception is on the sb with something that holds options.. here you can call at half value so sometimes I like to take a shot)

Just got called a "bully" in the chat for the first time ever. Guess the lesson's sinking in...

Lol - vn.