Boss Media Poker

[paul1]

This is very strange to me as I write this and I really don't expect anyone to have an answer.

I am observing a 3-6 Fixed Limit holdem game at Boss this morning. The blinds are 3 & 6. Yes, that's right, 3 & 6, not 1.50 and 3. The action goes that you can limp in, for 6, or raise to 9. Is that the weirdest thing or what? And on the Turn and River it is $6, like normal. Weird.

At first I thought maybe it was a kill game or something, like at UB. But it is at Table TH554 and I have looked at several other tables and it appears to me to be the only one like this. This game does not appear to be labeled any differently than any other fixed limit game. I even looked at another 3-6 game and it is the standard 1.50 and 3 blinds.

So is this some kind of a fluke? If so, I would not be surprised given the strange things I've seen with Boss Media software.

Anyway, I'm not complaining. It makes no difference to me, except that I am really curious what the heck that is all about. lol Perhaps it is just a fluke that is happening this morning and tomorrow it will not be. If there are any other frequent Boss players reading this, check it out and tell me I'm not crazy. lol

 

[paul1]

So I sat down at the table and asked the players. None of them had a clue that it was any different than a normal 3-6. Geez.

I asked them if it mattered. One guy just said it was supposed to be like that. I told him the blinds should be half of that and it should be 3 to limp, not 6. He just said to ask support. lol Nobody cared. Whatever. lol Who cares what the blinds are? Let's gamble!!!

 

[nafanny29]

Funny you mention that, I was playing on a $1-$2 boss limit table ages ago and am sure the blinds were $1 & $2. Didnt even notice it at the time (as I also play 2/4 on boss due to severe loosness of the players ) but after I had finished something was nagging at me that the blinds were wrong. I thought nothing of it but after reading your posts its got me wondering again.

 

[paul1]

Didnt even notice it at the time (as I also play 2/4 on boss due to severe loosness of the players

lol You can say THAT again, Nafanny29. "Severe looseness" is an understatement. As I said, I wasn't complaining. I know there are flaws in Boss Media software but somehow we can just learn to "tolerate" it. lol And I don't want to say anything insulting about other nationalities, but it does seem like the players from Turkey, Greece, Italy, etc., really do like to gamble. lol The players over at Playtech are pretty bad too. But it's at least a toss up which has the worst players. Boss is pretty bad, uh, I mean good. lol

I just took a look and that table TTH554 has broken up. Maybe we'll take a look at it later and see if it's still like that.

Hey Nafanny29, I remember once I sat down for about an hour at a 3-6 game at Boss and I got up about $150 and called it quits. Then I noticed my balance had not changed. I was about to complain about the software when I realized I had been sitting at a play money table. Geez! lol

 

[nafanny29]

Hey Nafanny29, I remember once I sat down for about an hour at a 3-6 game at Boss and I got up about $150 and called it quits. Then I noticed my balance had not changed. I was about to complain about the software when I realized I had been sitting at a play money table. Geez! lol

Thats awful!! I would have been so pissed off

 

[paul1]

Thats awful!! I would have been so pissed off

I was pissed. lol I can look back at it now and laugh, though. And to think, I was playing so carefully and intent. And the fact that my opponents played so poorly did not cause me to realize it was for play money, because at Boss, they still play like that for real money. lol

 

[paul1]

Funny you mention that, I was playing on a $1-$2 boss limit table ages ago and am sure the blinds were $1 & $2.

Well, it is two days later now and I just looked at that table again. It is a 3-6 fixed limit game, but the blinds are 3 & 6. Weird. Obviously it is a flaw in their software. Apparently that is the only table like that. The table is TTH554.

 

[cashmirrors]

If Ultimate Bet (I think) offers mini-blind holdem, maybe Boss is offering Maxi-blind holdem??

 

[paul1]

If Ultimate Bet (I think) offers mini-blind holdem, maybe Boss is offering Maxi-blind holdem??

I guess so. lol At least at one table anyway.

I was thinking how one might adjust to that game if that were the case. I like to limp in early with KQ-offsuit. In this case, there would obviously be none of that. Raise or fold, I guess. Anyway, as I said, I got to thinking about it. But my head started to hurt and I just gave up.

 

[cashmirrors]

In general, you want to play looser in games with a high blind / ante structure because it costs you more for each round.

I'll have to re-read sklansky to see if drawing hands or made hands go up in value. I've been playing standard structure for too long.

BTW - you may want to rethink limping with KQo - it's a trouble hand, especially if it raised behind you.

In limit holdem preflop, when everyone in front of you has folded, you can not go far wrong with a strict Raise or Fold strategy.

 

[paul1]

In general, you want to play looser in games with a high blind / ante structure because it costs you more for each round.

I'll have to re-read sklansky to see if drawing hands or made hands go up in value. I've been playing standard structure for too long.

BTW - you may want to rethink limping with KQo - it's a trouble hand, especially if it raised behind you.

In limit holdem preflop, when everyone in front of you has folded, you can not go far wrong with a strict Raise or Fold strategy.

Good advice, Cashmirrors. I play almost exclusively shorthanded now that most of my play is online instead of B&M. When you say KQ-offsuit is "trouble" I know what you mean, especially upfront in a 10-handed ring game. That's why I don't care to play ring anymore. I'm tired of getting "picked off", in the first place. And I like to play, not sit like a bump on a log. Of course, changing gears is important and an art in itself. In shorthanded, I usually limp with it utg or the first two seats in 6-max. If in first from the cutoff or on the button, naturally that's a different story. And sometimes I randomize my action with it depending on the suit of the king or whether I won or lost the last hand involved with.

Regarding the table at Boss with the large blinds, did I forget to mention that it is a five-handed game? With $9 out there in blinds I would think you'd have to pop it or drop it before the Flop with any playable hand. That's my thought anyway. I'd gladly listen to an opposing opinion. For sure, it's a strange situation and I've seen only one table at Boss that is like that.

Truly, online gaming is the best thing since sliced bread.

 

[cashmirrors]

I dunno, sliced bread is pretty good.

Also, especially NEVER open limp in 6max. Even UTG. A lot of good players I know say that the first sign someone is a donk (aside from posting utg) is if they consistently openlimp at 6max.

I just can't see any arguments in favour of it. You have to be more aggressive with less players. If I have any sort of a hand, even just low suited connectors, I will often iso-raise an open limper, unless I know they are better than me post flop or very tight passive preflop. Position plus the initiative gained by the raise makes it very easy for me to win big pots when ahead, lose smaller when I'm behind, and pick up a lot of ok sized ones to a fold.

Of course, I am werry agree-esif player.

 

[paul1]

I dunno, sliced bread is pretty good.

Also, especially NEVER open limp in 6max. Even UTG. Even UTG. A lot of good players I know say that the first sign someone is a donk (aside from posting utg) is if they consistently openlimp at 6max.

I disagree. There are two schools of thought. Yes, like you, I know a lot of good players who advocate always open-raising in this spot. But I treat the first two spots in 6-max almost like they're early in a ring game. Granted, I do raise-open with AK, AQ. But there's a few hands, (like KQ) that I limp with, usually. I do say usually. And then the medium suited connectors and hands like QT, JT, etc., I'm mucking.

Any lack of aggression on my part early is probably made up in late spots. I'm not timid. Show me a timid player and you're probably talking about a loser or breakeven player at best.

Your comment about players posting before the blind is funny. It reminds me of something I did a couple years ago. I was playing a lot at Paradise and comprised a list of players who sat down and posted instead of waiting one or two hands till the blind. I had about 50 or so people on this list. It was my Paradise "Buddy List." lol

Anyway, there really are two schools of thought on raising early. Caro and Malmuth have discussed it at length. I personally don't think there is a wrong or right. And there is not a definitive style needed to win at holdem. Many styles work at holdem, moreso than can be said at other games. imho.

 

[cashmirrors]

My thought is that when you get to be first into a pot, you want to take control of it. But then I am very aggressive from all positions. I feel I am better postflop than most of my opponents so I want them to be making bigger mistakes when they try to play back at me (I'm also OK with ganking a few blinds that I shouldn't have).

As you say, different variants on Tight (well, tightish in my case ) and Aggressive are all winning strategies (even a skilled maniac can do well, and a rock can usually grind out a better than break even session.

I firmly believe the adage that if your hand isn't good enough for a raise, it's definately not strong enough for a call. (and if it's good enough for a raise, you better have a damn good reason to let up on the gas pedal).

Were Caro and Malmuth discussing short handed games?

 

[paul1]

Were Caro and Malmuth discussing short handed games?

No, not specifically. But Caro advocates a lot of limping. Of course, in late position he advocates raising most of the time.

I'm going to concede that if I were in a tight game (still talking about shorthanded) and had a reasonable chance of robbing the blinds with a raise, then I would agree with you and raise with any playable hand, always. I would also put myself on the waiting list for another game.

 

[cashmirrors]

I don't like Caro's limping reccomendation.

For me, an open limp is very very rare (I got cute by open limping with AA and KK against a maniac so I could re-raise when it came back to me, but otherwise, in the last 10,000 hands I haven't done it.)

There's also nothing wrong with a tight game - as long as the other players are not aggressive.

 

[locutis888]

Which Rooms?

I you don't mind me asking, which Boss Poker room(s) do you guys play at?

 

[cashmirrors]

I'm mostly at sportingbet these days.

 

[paul1]

I don't like Caro's limping reccomendation.

For me, an open limp is very very rare (I got cute by open limping with AA and KK against a maniac so I could re-raise when it came back to me, but otherwise, in the last 10,000 hands I haven't done it.)

There's also nothing wrong with a tight game - as long as the other players are not aggressive.

Hi Cashmirrors. I wouldn't limp with AA or KK either. And in my view, most or many players who limp but then show strength when it comes back to them on a raise, are just telling you what they have. In the old Gardena days, playing lowball, we called it "gypsying" when they would just limp and then 3-bet when it got back to them. It killed the action because it sent up a red flag. That, and it just kinda pisses people off and kills the "gambling mood."

But I was referring to KQ, and then hands like AJ and AT, I limp sometimes in the first two seats of a 6-max. I still don't think there's a right or wrong. Of course, doing something the same way all the time with no exception would be "wrong" in my opinion. I mix it up a lot. I'm sure you do too.

Like I say, there are different winning styles in holdem. I would recommend reading, though, what Caro has said about limping versus raising in different circumstances, if for anything just to be aware of the different philosophy whether you use it or not. I know I always read and am constantly learning. And for what it's worth, I want to read everything Caro writes.

 

[cashmirrors]

I think I've read a Caro article on that topic at MCU online. I can see the theory behind it but just don't find it suits my style or the games I play (where the fish are either too tight passive or too LAG, not the loose passives you need - although maybe I make them that way by forcing them to react to me). I need the extra freedom given by a preflop raise to make up for my looseness and make my opponents post flop mistakes more costly and steal some blinds / pots.

I don't mix my play up when it comes to raising first in, that is a constant in my game. I sometimes misclick, but if I can't play the hand for two bets I don't want to play it. If I'm going to play it for two bets, I may as well put em both in at once.

Maybe I need to work on mixing things up a little, but I think there are bigger holes in my game right now (like checking behind on the river too much with weak to medium hands after betting it all the way).

In NL (which I almost only play in tournaments these days) limp reraising can be a great tactic if you can be fairly sure of a re-raise that's going to be worth raising to take down (or a good shot at doubling up if they get pot committed).

And I agree, Caro is a damn fine author.

 

[fatshaft]

I you don't mind me asking, which Boss Poker room(s) do you guys play at?

I'm at

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but there's really not much to choose between them all. I dont do Sporting Odds because incredibly there's no Neteller option.

Very good review if you click on that link above