Improving my play

Ok I think i'm making slow but steady progress at 6max. Still a losing player but I think it's getting to be much less.

Couple of points I've been wondering about.

What ranges of VP$IP, PFR%, and PFA should I be aiming for?

Right now I'm at:
VP$IP: 20.65
PFR%: 10.79
PFA: Flop: 4.46, Turn: 3.30, River: 3.48 , Total: 3.93
Auto Rated: Ultra Aggressor

How should I be going about blind steals? I generally raise 4x BB + 1 BB per limper. I usually only go for blind steals on the button when no there's no other callers or just one. If I get a caller I will throw out a continuation bet on the flop 90% of the time. If that get's called and I have no hand I shut down.

My attempt to steal blinds right now is at 14.4%

I generally won't defend my blinds without a hand. I will reraise someone who's steal attempt % is higher than 25% if I have any kind of hand, preferably a SC or a PP.

My stats for steals are:

Folded to SB steal: 85%
Folded to BB steal: 77%
Folded to BB steal HU: 76%

Overall I'm guessing I need to start raising more preflop and to slowdown postflop as far as bettin goes.

Suggestions?

i think i would be a better player if i knew what all of those terms meant, used poker tracker, etc. but i kind of just wing it and rely on my intellect and reads.

anyone know the link to the thread that has all of the abbreviations and terminologies for them?

ya Murd0c I think the war between us is kinda on a ceasefire until you learn 6-max and I learn 100nl. I am running -1bb at 100nl for the past 8k hands, but it gets better every day.

GL

your problem can't be found in those numbers, you make too many mistakes postflop methinks

Originally Posted by Murd0c

Ok I think i'm making slow but steady progress at 6max. Still a losing player but I think it's getting to be much less.

Couple of points I've been wondering about.

What ranges of VP$IP, PFR%, and PFA should I be aiming for?

Right now I'm at:
VP$IP: 20.65
PFR%: 10.79
PFA: Flop: 4.46, Turn: 3.30, River: 3.48 , Total: 3.93
Auto Rated: Ultra Aggressor

How should I be going about blind steals? I generally raise 4x BB + 1 BB per limper. I usually only go for blind steals on the button when no there's no other callers or just one. If I get a caller I will throw out a continuation bet on the flop 90% of the time. If that get's called and I have no hand I shut down.

My attempt to steal blinds right now is at 14.4%

I generally won't defend my blinds without a hand. I will reraise someone who's steal attempt % is higher than 25% if I have any kind of hand, preferably a SC or a PP.

My stats for steals are:

Folded to SB steal: 85%
Folded to BB steal: 77%
Folded to BB steal HU: 76%

Overall I'm guessing I need to start raising more preflop and to slowdown postflop as far as bettin goes.

Suggestions?

I don't think you should be "aiming" for any numbers in particular. Your stats seem pretty solid anyways and nothing too out of the ordinary. You should be focusing on your post-flop decisions more than your preflop decisions, since they tend to be more important. Don't be a robot about making continuation bets, some flops aren't good to bet at and don't be making many continuation bets into more than one player. If you think the flop missed your opponent then bet, but on a 9TJ 2 heart board it's best to check with air here since flops like that tend to hit your opponents hand range in the face. It sounds like you are being over-aggressive postflop and that can get you into some trouble if you don't know when to slow down.

When people start playing 6-max they think it's an excuse to play a ton of marginal hands out of position and make things more complicated than they are. I reccommend cardrunners.com to all those who are playing 6-max nl cash games since that is what the site specializes in. Gl at the tables.

Originally Posted by gabe

your problem can't be found in those numbers, you make too many mistakes postflop methinks

players who lose money in 6max usually do so because of post flop play. i didn't become regular winner at 6max until i learned and applied two things postflop:

1. learn when you're beat, and cut your losses in the hand. some players will make you prove your ahead in the hand past the standard flop Cbet, learn who they are and adjust your play accordingly. some players it takes 3 barrels to get them to fold, these are the folks you want to value bet. some players fold immediately when they don't have a hand, so Cbetting against them is required each and every time you are up against them post flop.

2. learn how to control the size of the pot. play big hands fast for big pots and small hands slow for small pots. do you really want to play for stacks everytime you have TPTK? against some players, sure, but against others, almost never. this includes learning when to check, when only a better hand will call and a worse hand will fold (and if that player is likely to call your pot sized river bluff w/ marginal holdings like 2nd pair). further related to this is learning when to give an aggressive player enough rope so that you can induce a bluff attempt. when your read indicates that he'll take a stab at a hand in which you have marginal holdings, you have to be more willing to make tough calls. being aggressive is paramount to success in NLHE in general, but learning when to check and call is what is going to round out profitability in your game.

overall, 6max is all about post flop reads, and you just have to keep going through the reps until you get better at it. when you have gone through enough situations, you start to be able to use your experience to your advantage and it becomes more instinctual than conscious decision making. keep plugging away, in the meantime, your bonus project should give you enough captial to stay afloat until you get better post flop.