Playing on the button in no limit

In this example, I once again want to look at the topic of continuation betting as a poker strategy only this time at a lower stakes poker example. Whenever I play online, I always try to ascertain which players are multi-tabling and which of them aren’t.

If you play on a certain site for a certain length of time then you will get to know many of the players quite well. What this means is that you will also get to know which players multi-table from those that don’t and also how many tables they play. This is why I am directing this example at low stakes multi-tablers because it is they that have less time to concentrate on correct player adjustments.

I have received criticism for saying this in the past but I don’t give a hoots what anyone says, any player who is playing twelve tables is not playing optimal online poker strategy. Sure they may be increasing their earn rate by playing more tables but their overall quality of play has to diminish. You tend to find less players on average playing multiple tables as you move up through the limits.

But on average, when a player is sitting at numerous poker tables with close to a full buy-in on all the tables then this tends to be an indication that this player is competent at the very least. This will likely be a player with Poker Office and a HUD installed on their computer and they could have substantial data on you and the other players.

Although in my experience, I think that the vast majority of players do not get the full and best use out of Poker Office judging by all of the problems that people encounter on the forums with it. I don’t think that the majority of users realise how complex the software is and most players fail to properly interpret the data although there are numerous forums that cater for this now.

But the principle behind this example is to highlight just how much money can be made in online no limit holdem games by targeting players who play multiple tables. In this hand I raised on the button with the 7s-4h and the small blind folded and the big blind called. The big blind just happened to be perhaps the biggest multi-tabler on the site and provided that he was a net plus player on the tables then he must have been doing very well with regards his rakeback account and had to be a winner overall.

But that did not concern me and I like to attack players like this simply because they are being faced with a barrage of decisions all the time. I think that they will fold any hand that is marginal and I look to exploit this by raising light from the button. I open raise to $12 and the small blind folds and the big blind multi-tabler calls which I thought was weak making the pot $26 with just the two of us left.

The flop came 9d-5s-2c giving me nothing but a gutshot draw. The big blind led out and bet $18 and in this instance depending on the player, I may do all three possible options. I have been known to fold this against certain players and also to float (call) as well. But I really don’t think that this player wants to get into a big confrontation with anything that is remotely marginal.

I am convinced that this player uses a tracker program and whatever data he has on me must be telling him that I am not a loose player and that my bets and raises need to be respected. There is not all that much more about my game that they can analyse unless they have done it away from the table. So because of the fact that he may be under time pressure then I will neither float him here or fold the hand.

My four outs to the inside straight draw does provide me with some equity but I think that my equity is a lot more given the mechanics of the situation, the hand and who my opponent is. My opponent folded to my pot sized raise which was no real surprise to me. But I think that the lesson here is that my opponent played this hand differently to how they would have played it had they been more focused and playing less poker tables. I am not knocking the way that this player approaches the game. I know many players who multi-table very well and some of them even earn more than what I do in an average year.

But this way of playing poker has never really been for me personally. I would much rather play a single table of $25-$50 than five tables of $5-$10 even though there are numerous advantages for the multi-tabler that the single table player misses out on.

I have multi-tabled and I will probably multi-table again but the fact remains that anyone who plays over and above a certain number of tables is prone to attack by a savvy player who recognises that fact and then makes it part of their overall strategy and game plan.

Carl “The Dean” Sampson
Author – “Winning Cash Game Poker”

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