Tao of Poker

Jay Ditches the $2-4 Game at Foxwoods

Jay (Senor's younger brother) sent me this e-mail in late December: "Spent all night playing poker at Foxwoods last night. Dude, I don't know why I waste my time at $2-4, its a joke man. Everyone stays in every pot till the river, if I wanted a crapshoot I'd go to the craps table! Anyways, after about an hour or so I moved to 4/8 and played for about 10 hours, so much more fun. I would have made a lot of $, except towards the end I lost w/ a full house to a 4 of a kind, then my last hand I lost with (pocket) Aces to AK when he made the straight. Was still up a decent amount for my time though...."

Well Jay, I agree that the low limit games are ripe for trouble for skilled and disciplined players like yourself. There are too many bad beat stories out there... so now, I almost expect anything to happen when I sit down at a low limit table. I seriously had to adjust my starting hands and play my best hands more aggressively and jam the pot with as many raises as possible when I have the best hand.

Alas, I too have grown tired with the same antics at these low limit tables. I figured with poker's new found popularity, that I could clean up on the new dead money coming into the game... but a quick glance at my bankroll says otherwise. I needed to adjust how I play in those games... and re-adjust and re-adapt. If I don't... I'm doomed to be a poor poker player. However, I too am sharing your sentiments on moving up to $4-8... although there are plenty of yahoos playing that who have no clue what they are doing and staying in until the river when they have only two outs in a multi-way pot. But part of my new game plan for 2004 involves playing tighter at higher limits. My biggest win in 2003 was when I stepped up and sat down at $5-10 at the Mirage and walked away with $800 in less than six hours (can you say four 7s?). That was hours after I got crushed at the $4-8 table at the Bellagio.

Best of luck Jay... in your new limits!! Deal me in at that $4-8 game at Foxwoods! After I build my bankroll, I hope to graduate to $5-10 by the end of 2004.