Where's all the fish at pokerstars?

[Happy Jones]

What tables/limits are the softest games at pokerstars?
Ive been playing for a couple games and it seems the .1-.2 NL games are tighter then the .10-.25 games.
I cant seem to find very loose tables at pokerstars is it the site or just me?

[Tafi]

I have mostly tried the $10 SitNgoes at Stars and I find them very fishy. I've also tried the NL50 and I think the players were'nt exactly top notch.

I'm sure you'll find some fishy tables if you keep up.

[Jimmy Mac]

POKERSTARS GAME #5321085787: HOLD'EM NO LIMIT ($0.10/$0.25) - 2006/06/21 - 14:31:52 (ET)
Table 'Nereid' 9-max Seat #2 is the button
Seat 2: simonsjöfors ($9.80 in chips)
Seat 3: greatmcmb ($5.25 in chips)
Seat 4: 500lbgorilla ($24.40 in chips)
Seat 5: ToTMidiaN ($31.40 in chips)
Seat 6: xxJimmyMacxx ($25 in chips)
Seat 8: Gallinho27 ($43.05 in chips)
Seat 9: yikesitbites ($9.30 in chips)
greatmcmb: posts small blind $0.10
500lbgorilla: posts big blind $0.25

[saxdaddy]

.1-.2 NL games are tighter then the .10-.25 games.

Do you mean the .05-.10 games are tighter than the .10-.25 games? If so I think I agree. The .05-.10 players are really trying to hone there skills for a small tuition fee. Sometimes, as the stakes go up, you get more into actual gambling players. You can still find fish at the lower stakes though. One trick is to only stay on a table for 10 min. only, if you haven't found a good reason to stay - move on. Eventually you will find a table with some donkey calling stations.

[Xanadu]

They're at the 6-max limit tables.

[Irisheyes]

POKERSTARS GAME #5321085787: HOLD'EM NO LIMIT ($0.10/$0.25) - 2006/06/21 - 14:31:52 (ET)
Table 'Nereid' 9-max Seat #2 is the button
Seat 2: simonsjöfors ($9.80 in chips)
Seat 3: greatmcmb ($5.25 in chips)
Seat 4: 500lbgorilla ($24.40 in chips)
Seat 5: ToTMidiaN ($31.40 in chips)
Seat 6: xxJimmyMacxx ($25 in chips)
Seat 8: Gallinho27 ($43.05 in chips)
Seat 9: yikesitbites ($9.30 in chips)
greatmcmb: posts small blind $0.10
500lbgorilla: posts big blind $0.25

lololololol

Happy go to party. Or if you wan't crazy loose tables, go to Fortune Poker.

[Miffed22001]

dont play ring games on pokerstars

ever.

[andy-akb]

dont play ring games on pokerstars

ever.

If you are just starting out I dont think there is anything wrong with playing $10nl and lower at stars. Their 10nl is incredibly beatable for even a novice and is filled with fish, Id assume its fishier below that. I havent played anything higher than that at stars, but Id agree that above 10nl you should play somewhere else.

[Miffed22001]

dont play ring games on pokerstars

ever.

If you are just starting out I dont think there is anything wrong with playing $10nl and lower at stars. Their 10nl is incredibly beatable for even a novice and is filled with fish, Id assume its fishier below that. I havent played anything higher than that at stars, but Id agree that above 10nl you should play somewhere else.

theres little point playing at a site just to play specific stakes unless they are really worth it.
Move, far better sites offering good games at all limits

[Cocco_Bill]

2/4 (high speed) 6-max Limit games are insanely juicy. This coming from a limit poker noob.

The NL games are also very beatable.

[lonnie]

The "Where's the fish at??" question reminds me of:

Mike McDermott: Listen, here's the thing. If you can't spot the sucker in the first half hour at the table, then you ARE the sucker.

[Happy Jones]

Its not so much theres no weak players its that there insanely tight its not uncommon for the pots to get folded to blinds or there to be no play after the flop. I can take advantage of this by bluffing more but when the pots or so small its almost useless.
Im just looking for the loosest games on the site and after playing .5-.10 and .10-.25 6 max and can definetly say that the .10-.25 are much looser.

<Quote>The "Where's the fish at??" question reminds me of:
Quote:
Mike McDermott: Listen, here's the thing. If you can't spot the sucker in the first half hour at the table, then you ARE the sucker. <Quote>

This kinda scares me a bit because I dont see myself as a fish but i seem to get killed at anything but 6-max NL which is the only reason im up instead of down. Dont know what im doing wrong but for now ill stick to what i can beat.

Just for kicks im playing .10-.25 6 max NL my past 2000 hands what do you think:

2000 hands played and saw flop:
- 123 times out of 341 while in small blind (36%)
- 216 times out of 326 while in big blind (66%)
- 250 times out of 1333 in other positions (18%)
- a total of 589 times out of 2000 (29%)

Pots won at showdown - 74 out of 142 (52%)
Pots won without showdown - 227

I feel my Pots won at showdown with 52% is very low however some of these pots gets checked around and i pick it up with a caught river or high card. Also am i playing to tight off the blinds with 18%. Any other comments or advice would be appreciated.

Thanks.

[jameseyb]

Miffed, I'm not exactly a novice (about a year in now) and I don't think I'm a fish, but I am down at the Stars $10NL tables about 5 buyins now. Most of my play is tight and yet I still keep getting busted by some calling station that out-rivers/kicks me (Ok, there have been a few silly calls on my part too).

You can be as tight as you like on these tables and some of these players will take you no matter how good you are because they are buying in for the minimum and calling the flop with anything. Ok, so you triple or quad-table and stick to the 19, but if they don't fold and keep calling, you are going to get hit hard when they get the nuts on the river.

J

[andy-akb]

Miffed, I'm not exactly a novice (about a year in now) and I don't think I'm a fish, but I am down at the Stars $10NL tables about 5 buyins now. Most of my play is tight and yet I still keep getting busted by some calling station that out-rivers/kicks me (Ok, there have been a few silly calls on my part too).

You can be as tight as you like on these tables and some of these players will take you no matter how good you are because they are buying in for the minimum and calling the flop with anything. Ok, so you triple or quad-table and stick to the 19, but if they don't fold and keep calling, you are going to get hit hard when they get the nuts on the river.

J

You need to adjust against these players, calling stations are some of the most [if not the most] profitable players to play against. If they dont fold you will make money if you can make the correct adjustments against them. Value bet your big hands, dont bluff or semibluff, be careful when a draw hits and they come alive. When I first started ring [not that long ago, maybe 3-4 months] I started at the $10nl tables and followed AOKs 19 hand strategy with a few changes but nothing major and beat$10nl for over 10ptbb/100 over a 10k sample and I think it is very sustainable. You probably have some big leaks in your play, Id say the biggest being about how to adjust to different players, if you plug that leak you should definitely win assuming the rest of your game is atleast decent.

[givememyleg]

dont play ring games on pokerstars

ever.

Do you say this because the games are harder?

I agree if that is the case... I'm slowly attempting to adapt to party after playing at stars for so long.. but it's pretty hard atm.

[Miffed22001]

dont play ring games on pokerstars

ever.

Do you say this because the games are harder?

I agree if that is the case... I'm slowly attempting to adapt to party after playing at stars for so long.. but it's pretty hard atm.

yes
why try to play good, especially at smaller limits when you can play ok/semi-good and have a nice win rate and get moving up through the stakes at another site?

Initially the goal has to be to build a br, id say the first real big traget is 2k (100nl br'ed) and then you take a look at your game and try to find seriou leaks. If you struggle to get to 2k thn obviously you need to consider leaks before hand but i think most posters on FTR, even some of our newest memebers are competent enough to play at a nice fishy site like party, make money and move through the stakes (or bonus whore)
Playing on stars therefore has to be -ev when you initialy start off as the players dont suck as badly as they do at oher sites.

[Seasider]

Hmmmm interesting thread. I now play exclusivly 50NL 6-max at stars and beat it after moving there for last gauntlet, (I keep my roll in one peice)! The tables can be very tight and generally there are 2-3 regulars targeting a few looser players and not really mixing with each other. For example I KNEW I was beaten here without a doubt but called to see (on a side note on tight tables you can also call drawing hands UTG ) also note the resident fish calling on K high at the end his card is marked and its a matter of time....

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.50 BB (5 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: FlopTurnRiver)

Hero ($70.80)
MP ($25.65)
Button ($42.60)
SB ($65.55)
BB ($29.70)

Preflop: Hero is UTG with 7, 6.
Hero calls $0.50, 2 folds, SB completes, BB checks.

Flop: ($1.50) J, 4, 4 (3 players)
SB checks, BB checks, Hero checks.

Turn: ($1.50) T (3 players)
SB checks, BB checks, Hero checks.

River: ($1.50) 8 (3 players)
SB checks, BB bets $2, Hero raises to $4, SB calls $4, BB raises to $6, Hero calls $2, SB calls $2.

Final Pot: $19.50

Results in white below:
SB has Kh 7c (one pair, fours).
BB has Qd 9d (flush, queen high).
Hero has 7d 6d (flush, ten high).
Outcome: BB wins $19.50.


Generally my $$ comes in big blocks when I stack someone either a fishy donk or one of the tag nits who falls in love with his AA after announcing it to the table.

I was starting to think of going on a mini-adventure round the rooms once I got enough fpp's to get my free Stars chip-set, thinking party, prima, absolute in no particular order. But equally I probably have adopted a certain 'stars style' to my game that would probably be a bit weak tight at some of those rooms.

Anyway what i'm trying to say is there is $$ at the Stars tables, probably moreso 6-max and you probably have to work harder for it and may improve a bit as a player in the process.

[magneticskull]

The Stars lobby interface lets you see % players per flop, hands per hour and avg Pot size before you sit down (in Ring games). If you look at those stats you can estimate how tight people are playing before you bother sitting...

[Miffed22001]

The Stars lobby interface lets you see % players per flop, hands per hour and avg Pot size before you sit down (in Ring games). If you look at those stats you can estimate how tight people are playing before you bother sitting...

but the tables suck regardless.

[givememyleg]

I was suprised when I moved from 25nl to 50nl/100nl at Stars. 25nl had maybe 1-2 known solid multi-tablers. 50nl had 1-3 per table. And when I took some shots at 100nl 2-4 were pretty solid at every table. Stars is a pretty hard ring game... I'm currently trying Absolute and it is soft, but there are always (and I mean always!!) 3-4 shorties on every table. Plus, there are only like 2-3 full tables running at a time.

Once I clear this Absolute bonus I'll be headin' to Party when I plan on staying.

[jackvance]

Is pokerstars shorthanded this bad too?

[Pelion]

I think the goal at the lowest stakes has to be to learn the game. With that said pokerstars is the way forward.

It isnt HARD to beat but its far harder than any of the other micro games out there and it will set you up to beat 25NL. The other option is starting at paradise and crushing the games from the start but learning nothing.

[mcatdog]

dont play ring games on pokerstars

ever.

Lies!

All you have to know how to do is raise pre-flop in position and make a continuation bet on the flop and you'll destroy PokerStars.

[jameseyb]

andy-akb, I hear what you are sayibng and I have taken the advice of people on this site (specifically the "How to fix any leak in an hour" post!) on how to stop things. Despite that and the advice of Biondino, I still keep getting whacked.

To say that it's getting a bit dispiriting is an understatement, especially when I can play STTs and win/finish ITM on a regular basis.

Ok, I'm not playing much (only a few hundred hands a week) and this is going to impact on my learning, but PT's registered nearly 3k hands from me since Feb and, despite dropping down from $25NL on Party to $10NL on Stars, I'm still taking beats that are either silly (now a decreasing number) or bad luck.

Ok, 5 buyins isn't much and it makes it a cheap hobby (not even equivilent to hitting the pub for an ale or two), but I do not want it to be a hobby. I want it to be something that I can use to supplement my other hobbies when I need a bit of spare cash.

J

[biondino]

Haha that'll teach you to listen to me I play a semi-loose aggressive game based mainly on position and I suspect you're not quite at the stage where you have an instinctive feel for when you can make your moves and when you can't.

BUT having said that, I know for a fact that your game is easily good enough to win at $10NL and I fully expect you to prove it over the long term. Gg.

(p.s. if you ever want an ego boost ask me for an HU tourney. I'm an uberfish HU with low blinds - yours for the taking )

[a500lbgorilla]

POKERSTARS GAME #5321085787: HOLD'EM NO LIMIT ($0.10/$0.25) - 2006/06/21 - 14:31:52 (ET)
Table 'Nereid' 9-max Seat #2 is the button
Seat 2: simonsjöfors ($9.80 in chips)
Seat 3: greatmcmb ($5.25 in chips)
Seat 4: 500lbgorilla ($24.40 in chips)
Seat 5: ToTMidiaN ($31.40 in chips)
Seat 6: xxJimmyMacxx ($25 in chips)
Seat 8: Gallinho27 ($43.05 in chips)
Seat 9: yikesitbites ($9.30 in chips)
greatmcmb: posts small blind $0.10
500lbgorilla: posts big blind $0.25

Pair!

[a500lbgorilla]

also, 25nl fr at pokerstars seems pretty juicy.

And one hand should be evidence enough!

$0.1/$0.25 No Limit Holdem
7 players
Converted at weaktight.com

Stacks:
UTG ralkom ($18.60)
UTG+1 gazmclean ($3.60)
MP Gringo28 ($48.00)
CO LOONER99 ($12.55)
BTN ras52 ($29.65)
SB Hero ($24.75)
BB Dokre777 ($4.40)

Pre-flop: ($0.35, 7 players) Hero is SB
2 folds, Gringo28 calls $0.25, LOONER99 calls $0.25, ras52 calls $0.25, Hero raises to $2, Dokre777 calls $1.75, Gringo28 folds, LOONER99 folds, ras52 calls $1.75

Flop: ($6.50, 3 players)
Hero bets $4, 1 fold, ras52 raises to $20.25, Hero goes all-in $22.75, ras52 calls $2.50

Turn: ($52, 2 players)

River: ($52, 2 players)
ras52 says "nh"

Final Pot: $52
ras52 shows:
Hero shows:

Hero wins $49.45 ( won +$24.70 )
Gringo28 lost -$0.25
LOONER99 lost -$0.25
ras52 lost -$24.75
Dokre777 lost -$2.00

[djbruxism]

so what's the fishiest 10nl? I've been labouring at pokerstars and wouldn't mind building that roll a little faster.

[bode]

lol @ miffed

[pankfish]

I agree with miffed but wish he would shut up about it. Everyone stay at Stars and FTP, they are GREAT sites!

[asdpikas]

LOL At 25NL 6max i am getting pawned at party, but beat Stars and FT pretty easy. question of styles.

At stars, and FT, ppl are pretty tight and i tend to be laggy, so they just fold so much they give me all the chips.
At "easier" sites i find it much harder to read ppls hands, and i cant bluff because of the stations.

I suppose, a TAG style will do good at party and find it harder at stars or FT

[pankfish]

LOL At 25NL 6max i am getting pawned at party, but beat Stars and FT pretty easy. question of styles.

At stars, and FT, ppl are pretty tight and i tend to be laggy, so they just fold so much they give me all the chips.
At "easier" sites i find it much harder to read ppls hands, and i cant bluff because of the stations.

I suppose, a TAG style will do good at party and find it harder at stars or FT

Why are you bluffing calling stations?

[asdpikas]

LOL At 25NL 6max i am getting pawned at party, but beat Stars and FT pretty easy. question of styles.

At stars, and FT, ppl are pretty tight and i tend to be laggy, so they just fold so much they give me all the chips.
At "easier" sites i find it much harder to read ppls hands, and i cant bluff because of the stations.

I suppose, a TAG style will do good at party and find it harder at stars or FT

Why are you bluffing calling stations?

LOL I didnt say i did. But sometimes it just comes naturally to make c-bets on certain flops/situations.... Against stations i'm a bit lost.
I play 35/25 so aggression, c-bets, bluffs, isolation moves, are part of my game. With stations around i cant really play my game. I'm trying to adapt.

[ChrisBCritter]

Pair!

Quality Bump. I wish I could (legally) go back to playing at PartyPoker...

PokerStars is plenty fishy enough to play at in the micros still.

Lies!

All you have to know how to do is raise pre-flop in position and make a continuation bet on the flop and you'll destroy PokerStars.

This is still very true for the most part.

[Miffed22001]

[x] Bring back Party poker
[x] Shut down pokerstars

[bjsaust]

This thread is golden. Do we have a bump of the year award?