Ask BlackRain79 Anything About Cash Games

[Nathan Williams]

Hey Nathan, I saw your really helpful videos on YouTube, Didnt realise you were here too. Im very new to poker (2-3 weeks on microstakes) so apologies if you've covered this topic alot.


I have looked around the internet for an answer to my question but I seem to struggle to find information on my problem, however I expect its a common one!

I play 6 ring max, 1/2c. I have been beaten a number of times where the villain seems to bluff in the opposite direction. for example they will play like they have pure air.. e.g checking (if they have the option) right up to the river.. then call my final raise and then they show 3 of a kind Aces that they had already made on the flop.

Is there any way to spot this? or perhaps any reading material on this?

Im such a sucker a fall for it every time, And lose alot as im trying to play aggressively

Hey JR,

Typically at the micros when players make a bet it is a strong hand because most players are extremely passive at these stakes. This is especially the case on the river because the bet sizings are on average the largest.

So in many cases, you can simply just fold on the river unless you have something really strong like two pair+ when they make a big bet.

Hope this helps.

 

[Nathan Williams]

Hi Nathan - I'm looking for some advice on SPR.

I've been doing some reading and looking at things that advice you stack off regularly on 0-3 SPR pots.

How should you effectively use SPR - are the pot odds and equity not good enough to calculate a +EV call/raise?
I really do not understand how or why SPR is useful.

Thank you!

Hey Johnoman,

I have personally never used SPR in poker and in my opinion it isn't important to know. So I would not be the best person to ask for advice on this

 

[Nathan Williams]

I joined this thread just to thank Nathan for the videos and thanks those responsible for Cardschat, because I didn't know Nathan and his work. Yesterday I saw a lot of videos and it helped a lot to play NL2 zoom at Pokerstars.

I took what I learned and adapted it to my game and the dynamics of the tables. Some things I had to adjust, others worked exactly as was said in the videos. Even without HUD it worked.

Hey Michel,

Thanks so much for the kind words. I am glad that my YouTube poker videos have been helping you!

I will try to start putting out more

 

[johnoman]

Hey Johnoman,

I have personally never used SPR in poker and in my opinion it isn't important to know. So I would not be the best person to ask for advice on this

Very good and useful to know!

Thank you

 

[Warrior1961]

Hey Warrior,

The NL2 cash games online can definitely be a little bit crazy sometimes like you describe them, lot's of limping and generally passive players who like to call a lot.

However, I do think it is important to prove that you can beat these players before you move on up to NL5 where you will face better players.

There is no big rush and even just a week or two at NL2 can go a long way towards letting you know where you stand in regards to these players.

Thanks for the kind words. I hope my book helps you!

Hi Nathan.

I am infinitely grateful for your response. Surely I keep asking you questions, because of everything I have read about cash in micro limits you are the only author who recognizes that NL2 is totally different from NL5, which in fact is more similar to NL10.
I still have doubts about the strategy to follow (I am testing fullring and 6 max alternately) since, although I have not played as many hands, it makes it difficult for me to open raise and, as I told you before, face the flop with two, three or more players (in fact at 6 max you often play against the ENTIRE table).
Well, I apologize for my almost fish novice questions.

Thank you for being there.

Kind regards from Buenos Aires.

 

[Dkerridge14]

Yo blackrain, obviously a lot of the time in 2NL you don’t have to think about the other players as much as you would higher stakes. In cash games however when you do run into someone you consider at least reasonable, how would you decide what level of thinking they were at?

 

[Nathan Williams]

Yo blackrain, obviously a lot of the time in 2NL you don’t have to think about the other players as much as you would higher stakes. In cash games however when you do run into someone you consider at least reasonable, how would you decide what level of thinking they were at?

I am still always thinking about player type and trying to classify players no matter what stakes I am playing. You are right though, there aren't very many good players at the micro stakes like you will see at mid and high stakes.

I typically just avoid these players when I do encounter them and often just change tables if they are on my left. There is absolutely no reason to battle good players at the micros in my opinion with so many other tables full of bad players to choose from.

 

[TheGenera1]

Hi Nathan.

I am infinitely grateful for your response. Surely I keep asking you questions, because of everything I have read about cash in micro limits you are the only author who recognizes that NL2 is totally different from NL5, which in fact is more similar to NL10.
I still have doubts about the strategy to follow (I am testing fullring and 6 max alternately) since, although I have not played as many hands, it makes it difficult for me to open raise and, as I told you before, face the flop with two, three or more players (in fact at 6 max you often play against the ENTIRE table).
Well, I apologize for my almost fish novice questions.

Thank you for being there.

Kind regards from Buenos Aires.

The way to crush 2nl is to value bet when you have a big hand, and fold when you don't. You could easily turn a profit at 2nl with table selection and never ever bluffing. Not even once.

Big hand= big pot
Small hand = small pot.
????
Profit.

 

[Warrior1961]

The way to crush 2nl is to value bet when you have a big hand, and fold when you don't. You could easily turn a profit at 2nl with table selection and never ever bluffing. Not even once.

Big hand= big pot
Small hand = small pot.
????
Profit.

Thank you very much my friend.

Best regards from Buenos Aires.

 

[Kaleiduo]

Hi Nathan! Have really enjoyed your YT videos, solid advice through and through.

Have you dabbled much with PLO micros, and do you see any qualitative distances between no limit hold em micros? Is there more money to be had there or just more variance?

 

[jorgetorres0]

wow thank you very much, a question friend how much do I have to earn to be able to level up, Nl2 game? i'm gaining 14 bb / 100

 

[lusquinha2020]

Hey everyone,

My name is Nathan "BlackRain79" Williams. I am a 10+ year poker pro, 3 time poker author and the founder of www.blackrain79.com

It was also around 7 years ago that I decided to sell everything I own, hop on a one way flight to Bangkok, Thailand and travel the world. I am from Vancouver, Canada by the way.

I have been active here on CardsChat for many years and this is the only major poker forum that I consistently recommend, besides my own.

And that is because I have always found CardsChat to be a positive, welcoming environment especially for beginners who want to learn and improve.

Throughout my own poker career I have been mostly a cash game specialist and I am best known for having some of the highest winnings in online poker history at the micro stakes.

I would be happy to answer any poker questions you may have. Or anything else in general!

Although for specific poker hands, please post those in the relevant poker hand analysis sections here on CC. I will be active there also.

Thanks

Nathan

Hey Nathan, I was grinding today in NL2 with AKo vs 99.
I 3betted pre-flop (US$0,06) and he called.
The flop was 4xKx9x
He checks and I bet 70% of the pot and he calls.
Turn come a A and I bet 90% of the pot, he shoves and I ofc call

Unfortunately I lost a huge pot playing against a slowroller. My question to you is: How can I "predict" sets like this? I honestly don't know when to fold with the "nuts" against this huge whales and how can I avoid to fall in slowrolls.

By the way I read your book about micro stakes and it helped me sooooo much, you have no idea. I can literally read some plays those fishes make. Thanks Nathan <3

 

[Nathan Williams]

Hi Nathan! Have really enjoyed your YT videos, solid advice through and through.

Have you dabbled much with PLO micros, and do you see any qualitative distances between no limit hold em micros? Is there more money to be had there or just more variance?

Hey Kal,

Glad my YouTube videos help you!

I don't have much experience with PLO.

 

[Nathan Williams]

wow thank you very much, a question friend how much do I have to earn to be able to level up, Nl2 game? i'm gaining 14 bb / 100

Hey jorge,

It really depends on your goals, your bankroll management strategy and your confidence levels. I have written about moving up several times before on my blog such as this:

https://www.blackrain79.com/2015/09/when-should-you-move-up-stakes-in-poker.html

In this article I explain it all in much more detail including my strategy for the new limit, the mental side of it etc.

 

[Nathan Williams]

Hey Nathan, I was grinding today in NL2 with AKo vs 99.
I 3betted pre-flop (US$0,06) and he called.
The flop was 4xKx9x
He checks and I bet 70% of the pot and he calls.
Turn come a A and I bet 90% of the pot, he shoves and I ofc call

Unfortunately I lost a huge pot playing against a slowroller. My question to you is: How can I "predict" sets like this? I honestly don't know when to fold with the "nuts" against this huge whales and how can I avoid to fall in slowrolls.

By the way I read your book about micro stakes and it helped me sooooo much, you have no idea. I can literally read some plays those fishes make. Thanks Nathan <3

Hey Lus,

I am glad my poker book helped you!

Like I said in the OP, for specific poker hands, please post those in the hand history section here on CardsChat.

 

[UkoChebuko]

What do you think , about going from NL25 directly at NL100, without NL50? Is really a big difference between NL25 and NL50, if we talk about $/hour? I mean if you have 6bb/100hands at NL25, what can be a reason to play NL50 with 3bb/100 hands?
Sorry for my bad English...

What do you think? Thank you!

 

[SillentHunterZ]

Hey Nathan, you and your guides are the first turorials and strategies i started following up and learning. I learned alot from you.
How long does it take before we can expect some cash income from NL 2/5? Something like 300-500$ per month. Sometimes it's crazy to have nice roll from all the kamikazes that do all in with anything. For start i would like that my poker hobby pays by it self so that i don't have to deposit more money and i don;t have to worry about my bankroll that much.

 

[Marklittle3]

Your profit at the micros was a great read, some great advice i have never considered before as i am an utter beginner.

Will look forward to reading more of your stuff.

Thanks
Mark

 

[TheGenera1]

Hi Nathan, me again. How viable is it to move to Thailand in 2020 with my GF with a 6month/1year time frame in mind. Want a career in London, supposed to move there in 6 weeks, looking for stock broking jobs but the virus is super annoying, nowhere is hiring and all the offices are working from home. I'm thinking of getting away for a while.

Any advice? I've read this "https://www.blackrain79.com/2013/08/online-poker-players-living-in-thailand.html"

Anything outside of this article you can suggest? Are people made to wear masks out there? How bad is the coronavirus? Where is the best place to live? Budget is about £8-900 a month including food.

Thanks

PS we have savings so poker won't need to be the main source of income, but would be nice to break even including the income my GF makes. I currently grind 10/16/25nl.

 

[TheGenera1]

Ok visas seem ridiculous. So same question, but other countries?

 

[samsonand]

it's great information but cash games aren't more dangerous if you don't have a good base

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[TheGenera1]

Hi Nathan, me again. How viable is it to move to Thailand in 2020 with my GF with a 6month/1year time frame in mind. Want a career in London, supposed to move there in 6 weeks, looking for stock broking jobs but the virus is super annoying, nowhere is hiring and all the offices are working from home. I'm thinking of getting away for a while.

Any advice? I've read this "https://www.blackrain79.com/2013/08/online-poker-players-living-in-thailand.html"

Anything outside of this article you can suggest? Are people made to wear masks out there? How bad is the coronavirus? Where is the best place to live? Budget is about £8-900 a month including food.

Thanks

PS we have savings so poker won't need to be the main source of income, but would be nice to break even including the income my GF makes. I currently grind 10/16/25nl.

Don't worry about this, it's clearly not viable and I've got a new house very cheaply in London so won't be moving.

 

[Nathan Williams]

What do you think , about going from NL25 directly at NL100, without NL50? Is really a big difference between NL25 and NL50, if we talk about $/hour? I mean if you have 6bb/100hands at NL25, what can be a reason to play NL50 with 3bb/100 hands?
Sorry for my bad English...

What do you think? Thank you!

Hey Uko,

I always recommend beating each limit, even if you only spend a week there. I don't really see the need to skip any unless you are a world class pro with a 6 or 7 figure bankroll.

 

[Nathan Williams]

Hey Nathan, you and your guides are the first turorials and strategies i started following up and learning. I learned alot from you.
How long does it take before we can expect some cash income from NL 2/5? Something like 300-500$ per month. Sometimes it's crazy to have nice roll from all the kamikazes that do all in with anything. For start i would like that my poker hobby pays by it self so that i don't have to deposit more money and i don;t have to worry about my bankroll that much.

Hey Sillent,

I am glad my poker strategies have been helping you!

Assuming you mean NL2 and NL5, this will take most people several months at least and a lot of volume as well, probably minimum 50k or 100k hands per month.

Here is my complete guide to smashing NL2:

https://www.blackrain79.com/2019/07/how-to-beat-2nl

And crushing NL5:

https://www.blackrain79.com/2019/07/how-to-beat-5nl.html

 

[Nathan Williams]

Your profit at the micros was a great read, some great advice i have never considered before as i am an utter beginner.

Will look forward to reading more of your stuff.

Thanks
Mark

Thanks Mark, glad my free poker guide helped you!

change instances of free poker into a link to https://www.cardschat.com/strategy/free-online-poker-game/