One of the biggest problems for players moving up in levels is that the next level up is often double the previous level in terms of the amount of the buy-in. This means that when you play at the next level up that the difference in player skill and sophistication could be doubled. Although this isn’t always the case…. it very often is. For example there is no level in between NL50 and NL100 and none in between NL100 and NL200. However at the lower levels on 888 there are NL20 levels and NL30 levels.
This is highly significant because in terms of how these two levels will play then they will more or less have the same players in them. This will not be the case or always the case at say NL25 and NL50 where the players at NL50 will be much better on average than the players at NL25. Also at NL50 then you will also be getting players from NL100 dropping in as well because there may not be enough action at their given level. As a player that multi-tables then it is imperative that you play at two different levels at the very least.
The more tables that you play at then the more important it is to play at various levels! For example if you want to play at eight tables then there will not always be eight tables available at your chosen level of say NL25. However you may not want to drop down to NL10 because this stake level may be too small for you to be able to take it seriously. You may also find NL50 too tough for you and your earn rate may start to drop sharply once you double the buy-in.
However when you have levels like NL20 and NL30 that are so close together like that then you will not only be able to find the eight tables that you desire but you will also be able to play both levels almost the same way. One of the problems that confuse new players as they begin to move up in levels or at least attempt to move up is that the higher levels require a different game plan and method of operation. You will not be able to play and beat say NL200 in the same way that you can play and beat NL20.
These games at the higher level will be much more aggressive and players will balance their ranges and read their opponents range more easily. They will be using tracking software against you and really keeping a very close eye on your game. This also makes it difficult to make money at the higher levels and it takes a really accomplished poker player to be able to do that. However as I have been saying in previous blogs, playing no limit hold’em at the lower stakes levels and multi-tabling those levels represents a viable alternative.
Being on a site like 888 makes that possible more than most other sites and networks! You do not need to be a great poker player to be able to play at the NL20 and NL30 levels and do well. You simply need to play good solid poker and play ABC and also be on the lookout for what are called “orphan pots”. These are pots that your opponent or opponents have shown no interest in. For example say that it is limped by two opponents and the small blind completes the action.
The pot is four-way and you have the 8c-2d in the big blind and get a free look at the flop. The cards fall and are Jd-7s-3c and the small blind checks and so do you. To your surprise the other two limpers also check and the turn card is the 4h. The small blind checks again and now you have to ask yourself if someone would check top pair here?
The short answer to that question is no because they would fear the overcards. For players to check that flop then they are either sandbagging with a monster or checking with nothing and the overwhelming probability is that they have nothing. The player most likely to be sandbagging would be the small blind hoping that there was action behind them.
However that can be dispelled because of the fact that the small blind has checked again which they wouldn’t do with a strong hand. So a bet here of say 2.5bb would take this pot down a good percentage of the time and certainly more than one time in three. If one of your opponents calls you then you still have the opportunity to fire another barrel on the river. This is one of those occasions where you can bluff with very little pot equity but your fold equity is substantial here.
Carl Sampson is a poker pro who also plays online poker at www.888poker.com
