Actually going to Hollywood this weekend so it’s good to ser the $1/$2 game is up my alley! Still a novice rn, learning GTO and all but Im excited to play live poker for the first time
Thanks for keeping it real and continuing to make content for your followers who aren't taking shots at much higher stakes, like the stakes you've recently played. 🤜🤛
just started playing live outside of home games so I love this content. would LOVE to see more along these low stakes lines as I enjoy how you present it. thanks!
Thanks to watching your play style it has helped me adopt a much more tight and passive play style at 1/2 tables and I have really been able to take advantage of lose players playing bad hands
Opening to $5 at a 1/2 game is absolutely wild. Any place I've ever been to you would get laughed out of the casino for that. It's a joke bet. And what's the reason for opening smaller when there's a straddle?
If you constantly go multi way when opening to 5, consider tightening your open range and raising bigger. But kiss good bye to opening hands such as 87s if you decide to open 5bb+.. Open smaller when there's a straddle because you have a shorter effective stack (similar reasons as to why people open 2bb when short in tournaments)
As noted by many, this is a great way to print money in a $1-$2 game. Grind it out, slow and steady. You'll be surprised how often you are either the biggest winner when playing strangers in a casino or poker rooms. But better players, and there are a few playing $1-$2 or $1-$3, will catch on fast. With this style, it works very well at a game where few have played you before. Maximum exploitative poker.
If you always fold top pair (as advised) you'll maybe never lose huge pots in this spot, but you'll be picked apart by the aggros and competent players at 1/2, 1/3. It's not printing money unless your games are incredibly soft.
I went for my first time today. I followed your advice until I didn’t for some reason and busted out 😂. Was good fun though and I’m now comfortable. Thanks for the tips!
@@jamesforeman8028 not sure what kinda poker you play but a cold 4 bet for 45 bucks is like the lowest slowest 1-2 game ever. A 4 bet in my games of 1-2 are 300 dollar jams lmaooo. AK calls 45 every single time no matter what.
Love the content! I would love so see a vid about transitioning from 1/2-1/3 to 2/5 and/or shot taking 😊 Also, im happy you mentionned you played 20% vpip, cause this is something i keep track of as well, vpip/pfr/3b
Great video but if I was to bet just $5 preflop in my 1/2 game, then everyone would come along every time. Maybe my local casinos play a lot bigger, but $10 or $15 plus is pretty standard to get heads up or at least get a bunch of the limpers to drop out. (Unless, of course, you like getting sucked out on whenever you have a good hand.)
Same. At my local card room 1/2 everyone limp calls.very little 3 betting. Everyone limp calls / traps with AA and KK AK. I always open 15-20 from EP and LP depending on amount of limpers. If anyone opens the pot and I’m IP, I always 3 bet any hand I’m going to play to get it heads up as hardly no one calls a 3 bet, except the initial opener. 1/2 is super profitable as long as you don’t give the limpers a good price to flop two ragged pair with trash cards to suck out on you. Aggression wins most pots
You open much bigger over limpers, but $5 and $15 raise first in is probably going to be close enough to the same amount of people to not make me want to risk so much preflop.
@@BluffaloSamahh so you mean from early position first to act? Because I’m down in FL and every time I try to do these milky bets it backfires. Flush and obvious straight draws I can usually catch but people down here will chase all the gut shots if you don’t over bet and even still won’t matter if they’re short stacked.
Hi Sam. Subscriber from Atlantic City. AC only has 3 poker rooms left. But opening raise in either 1/2 or 1/3 is either $12 or $15. Loose aggressive 1/3 games will see $20 or $30.
Question for you about RFI sizing. You mention a few times, the 5 dollar open. I like it, but do you adjust if the table is playing differently? I play in Texas, and as you know from your recent trip, the opens are much bigger. I struggle with opens because on one hand, I hate building such a huge pot without premiums, but smaller raises arent even really noticed. I feel like GTO would say just tighten up massively in these configurations. What do you do?
Poker is still the same game regardless of where you play it in the world. $5 open is fine, the notion that you're gonna get 6 callers means people are believing that 4 of these people are in there with T3s J5o 62o K4o etc. It's fine if maybe 1 person comes along with 54o when they wouldn't have vs a $15 open, it really doesn't make that much of a difference to your pot EV. What does make a difference is opening to $15 whiffing Flop and having to check fold.
Does Seminole Hardrock allow filming at the table? Heading down there for spring break and was wondering if I could film… Obviously I see you doing it in this video, but we’re you being sneaky or is this allowed?
Oh im not sure if anyone has asked you but what do you plan to do now that you have finally reached your goal of 100k.? Are you going to continue running it up and maybe one day get on HCL, use the money for a new car ,? Vacation .? Curios to know congrats loved watching your epic run .
Hey Sam, love the content, especially from a fellow Canuck! I was wondering why you started with playing small stake tournaments with your first $100 instead of 10 buy-ins of 10nl online? Love the content and thanks for showing a session like this.
Hard rock Hollywood has some of the nittiest $1/2 I’ve ever played at. Been there like 3-4 times and everytime it’s just pure nits, or rarely drunk people who actually are playing for the first time 🤝😂
“If you flop too pair and face aggression, just fold” truer words have never been spoken for 12-1/3 NL live poker. Hell you flop trips top kicker and the turn and river run out connected in anyway just find a fold to river aggros. Yes you’re over folding but in one of the very few spots you’re doing so very profitably
Low limit 1/2, 1/3 is totally dependent on your villains, location. Much like a $5 raise at 1/2, lol. Just because you popped into a casino on your vacation and made $700 doesn't mean the same will happen in your own backyard.
Also this is incredible how different this strategy is to 2/5, and more interestingly, to how you played 1/3 early on in the BR challenge. It did seem like you were fighting for more pots, 4betting AK, etc. I guess this is mostly just a result of the players at the table, and the advice in this video is for when you have no reads?
Hey @BluffaloSam whenever you’re back in BC would you consider doing paid live coaching or could i take you out for sushi 🍣 .? I live close to GrandVilla , I would be interested In 1-3/ 2-5 .
@@BluffaloSam Thank you so much for the reply. Are you able to recommend anyone who is a winning player or is there any website I can use to get in touch with someone who coaches locally.? I would be willing to pay 50-200hr for live coaching at Villa River Parq Hardrock , or Starlight even (it’s usually pretty dead though at Starlight.)
@@WarmDeck I play in the biggest card room in my state, it opens at 8 am, and closes at 4am. I play a lot of tournaments, they have them everyday. There’s something for everyone as far as stakes go there
“Always bet your trips no matter what” …bets trip Ts, everyone folds. Shit. (Re-learns lesson #1- it’s 1/2, fish will hang themselves if you give them a chance) Flops Trip Aces… checks… & stacks the fish lol
We raise small preflop 1) our edge is a lot smaller preflop, and therefore the EV of piling money in is much lower 2) lower SPR means we can navigate more postflop and we decide when we want the pot to get back 3) if we're going multiway anyways we need to play extremely straightforward, even moreso with a larger raise bringing SPR to below 5 4) lose less when we get 3bet pre 5) get to play many many more hands profitably, more hands against weaker opponents > less. I just don't see enough good reasons to raise big at any stake.
@@BluffaloSam Lol where do I start. First off, our edge pre flop his massive because the majority of 1/2 players play incorrectly pre-flop, calling way too wide, limp too much, and certainly don't 3! nearly enough. I agree with the comment about lower SPR, but 1/2 is all about value, value, value and just betting. If we get raised, most times we can just comfortably fold. I also agree about being able to play more hands when we raise smaller, but we have to take into account the rake. Also it's going to be so difficult to navigate 5-6 ways with people playing any twol cards versus a small open. Ultimately, I just don't understand why we would raise to $5, when players will call $10-$12. Love the vlogs, but I came across this and have to disagree.
@BSweetVideos Thing is, people are going to call the same range with $5 vs $10 so we still have the same problem going very multiway, but now we've only invested 2.5bbs rather than 5bbs or more (30 mins of winrate for a crusher!) Our edge preflop is so minor because the pot is so small, raising bigger is not going to allow us to play rivers, where EV decisions are the highest, you're not allowing yourself to value bet say 3rd pair for 40bbs. I've discussed this at length with many people who are significantly better, and more experienced than I am, you can see in my old videos I was using a $12 sizing, I've thrown that completely out, and enjoyed a much higher winrate, as well as a lot less variance.
You folding ak at 1-2 is terrible. I’d never give you action once I see you fold ak for 45$. I’ve seen tight players 4! Light especially if the open is 5$ 3! Is 15$ I’d 4! 88+ a5 suited AJ suited + KQ suited.
It's a guide for beginner players. Folding AK at 1/2 makes way more sense than folding it at 5/10 where people have bluff ranges. Your 4bet range is not a tight range at all, it's insanely wide. Cold calling a 4bet vs 2 ranges that consist of AK/QQ+ isn't terrible.
I’m sorry I don’t like this vid. This table was asking to be run over. There’s passive and then there’s this. Have you ever seen a winning player that’s passive and folds AK?!
Thats a very passive 1/2 table. At my home poker room, a $5 raise will get you six callers, even $15 will get you multi pal callers.
In rivers (Philly) 1/2 games limp-call up to $20 is what 90% of players do - basically playing roulette.
Yeah, this is unlike any 1-2 table I've been a part of. Very standard to see 10+ opens. No chance I'm ever making it 5 at these stakes.
My home room, such interesting strategies employed there lol
Had a couple premiums cracked by limp callers tonight.
I was thinking the same, at my room you open 12x and get 5 callers at 1/2
That’s so wierd I’ve never seen a table where people think about calling $5 at my 1/2 people call $20 even $25 and you’ll get 6 caller 😂 so dumb
If you go from online to live...
The announcing your action out loud directly to the dealer is the best tip here.
Yes! Has saved my butt several times.
"See how easy this is?" Had me laughing out loud. I ALWAYS seem to get stuck with the big slick.
He folded AK like 6 times, hurt every time 😂
Can't lie man, you gave the dream new life. Thanks for bringing us along o nthe ride.
Actually going to Hollywood this weekend so it’s good to ser the $1/$2 game is up my alley! Still a novice rn, learning GTO and all but Im excited to play live poker for the first time
Thanks for keeping it real and continuing to make content for your followers who aren't taking shots at much higher stakes, like the stakes you've recently played. 🤜🤛
just started playing live outside of home games so I love this content. would LOVE to see more along these low stakes lines as I enjoy how you present it. thanks!
Really appreciate vlogs like this. Keep em coming!
Love this! I've been looking for an instructional video such as this ....great tips and insight into casino play. Thanks Sam! 💯
Although the big games are exciting, watching you play 1/2 or 1/3 is still fun to watch and more relatable
Yo Sam when are you posting again? Your poker videos have helped me improve my game so much and I’m itching for more videos haha
Thanks to watching your play style it has helped me adopt a much more tight and passive play style at 1/2 tables and I have really been able to take advantage of lose players playing bad hands
Opening to $5 at a 1/2 game is absolutely wild. Any place I've ever been to you would get laughed out of the casino for that. It's a joke bet.
And what's the reason for opening smaller when there's a straddle?
If you constantly go multi way when opening to 5, consider tightening your open range and raising bigger. But kiss good bye to opening hands such as 87s if you decide to open 5bb+..
Open smaller when there's a straddle because you have a shorter effective stack (similar reasons as to why people open 2bb when short in tournaments)
Agreed. If you're playing in a game where a $5 raise regularly gets a table of folds, you're in a horrible game.
Finally, some good lo-stakes content for us fish!
As noted by many, this is a great way to print money in a $1-$2 game. Grind it out, slow and steady. You'll be surprised how often you are either the biggest winner when playing strangers in a casino or poker rooms. But better players, and there are a few playing $1-$2 or $1-$3, will catch on fast. With this style, it works very well at a game where few have played you before. Maximum exploitative poker.
If you always fold top pair (as advised) you'll maybe never lose huge pots in this spot, but you'll be picked apart by the aggros and competent players at 1/2, 1/3.
It's not printing money unless your games are incredibly soft.
I went for my first time today. I followed your advice until I didn’t for some reason and busted out 😂. Was good fun though and I’m now comfortable. Thanks for the tips!
All sound advice, Sam. I appreciate you keeping reads and tells completely off the board for novices
Great Video! Great Lessons! Subbed and Liked!
Folding ak in 1-2 1-3 is wild
thinking the same
@@brendondickenson3713 pre flop the money goes in every time no matter what at those stakes
You’re getting cold 4Bet in a 1/2 game. Not folding is wild.
@@jamesforeman8028 not sure what kinda poker you play but a cold 4 bet for 45 bucks is like the lowest slowest 1-2 game ever. A 4 bet in my games of 1-2 are 300 dollar jams lmaooo. AK calls 45 every single time no matter what.
@@jamesforeman8028 i understand AK off but he said even if you have queens you fold which is what i found a little crazy lol
lol, 1-2’s I play a $5 raise is unheard of, it’s either 10 or 15
You're an absolute inspiration Sam, thanks for all the videos. Hope to play with you some day
Really good video. Wish I would have seen it years ago.
In Texas, we play a little larger at 1,2. But all your rules still apply
Sam is the best poker vlogger and it isn't even close
Love the content! I would love so see a vid about transitioning from 1/2-1/3 to 2/5 and/or shot taking 😊
Also, im happy you mentionned you played 20% vpip, cause this is something i keep track of as well, vpip/pfr/3b
Great video but if I was to bet just $5 preflop in my 1/2 game, then everyone would come along every time. Maybe my local casinos play a lot bigger, but $10 or $15 plus is pretty standard to get heads up or at least get a bunch of the limpers to drop out. (Unless, of course, you like getting sucked out on whenever you have a good hand.)
Same here i wish i could raise 5-10 pre and get heads up
Same. At my local card room 1/2 everyone limp calls.very little 3 betting. Everyone limp calls / traps with AA and KK AK. I always open 15-20 from EP and LP depending on amount of limpers. If anyone opens the pot and I’m IP, I always 3 bet any hand I’m going to play to get it heads up as hardly no one calls a 3 bet, except the initial opener. 1/2 is super profitable as long as you don’t give the limpers a good price to flop two ragged pair with trash cards to suck out on you. Aggression wins most pots
You open much bigger over limpers, but $5 and $15 raise first in is probably going to be close enough to the same amount of people to not make me want to risk so much preflop.
@@BluffaloSamahh so you mean from early position first to act? Because I’m down in FL and every time I try to do these milky bets it backfires. Flush and obvious straight draws I can usually catch but people down here will chase all the gut shots if you don’t over bet and even still won’t matter if they’re short stacked.
@@precise1I just moved to Jax and man people down here are LOOSE. They will call with any two, chase any draw, pot odds are not a thing. Lol
Hi Sam. Subscriber from Atlantic City. AC only has 3 poker rooms left. But opening raise in either 1/2 or 1/3 is either $12 or $15. Loose aggressive 1/3 games will see $20 or $30.
Good Analysis Bro, stuff worth remembering. 😃
Good info and video!
Any plans on playing tournaments in the near future or are you focusing on cash games only?
When are you coming back to Dallas?
Question for you about RFI sizing. You mention a few times, the 5 dollar open. I like it, but do you adjust if the table is playing differently? I play in Texas, and as you know from your recent trip, the opens are much bigger. I struggle with opens because on one hand, I hate building such a huge pot without premiums, but smaller raises arent even really noticed. I feel like GTO would say just tighten up massively in these configurations. What do you do?
Poker is still the same game regardless of where you play it in the world. $5 open is fine, the notion that you're gonna get 6 callers means people are believing that 4 of these people are in there with T3s J5o 62o K4o etc. It's fine if maybe 1 person comes along with 54o when they wouldn't have vs a $15 open, it really doesn't make that much of a difference to your pot EV. What does make a difference is opening to $15 whiffing Flop and having to check fold.
Good content Sam but 5 dollar raises don't really exist in TX, but again, depends on your crowd..
Does Seminole Hardrock allow filming at the table? Heading down there for spring break and was wondering if I could film… Obviously I see you doing it in this video, but we’re you being sneaky or is this allowed?
Message them beforehand, you need approval.
@@BluffaloSameverything okay man, taking a break?
lets go....realize lower stakes is where the cash it at....if they are too good above 2-5; 5-10..just play lower stakes. no ego. thanks sam!
good advice ak will get you stacked.
Oh im not sure if anyone has asked you but what do you plan to do now that you have finally reached your goal of 100k.? Are you going to continue running it up and maybe one day get on HCL, use the money for a new car ,? Vacation .? Curios to know congrats loved watching your epic run .
How long you in Florida for?
Hey Sam, love the content, especially from a fellow Canuck!
I was wondering why you started with playing small stake tournaments with your first $100 instead of 10 buy-ins of 10nl online?
Love the content and thanks for showing a session like this.
Microstakes MTTs are much faster to build a roll than the high rake micro cash games
what location is this?
Hard rock Hollywood has some of the nittiest $1/2 I’ve ever played at. Been there like 3-4 times and everytime it’s just pure nits, or rarely drunk people who actually are playing for the first time 🤝😂
Oh crap you learned🎉
“If you flop too pair and face aggression, just fold” truer words have never been spoken for 12-1/3 NL live poker. Hell you flop trips top kicker and the turn and river run out connected in anyway just find a fold to river aggros. Yes you’re over folding but in one of the very few spots you’re doing so very profitably
Check out the Ace of heart at your 5 min. 45 sec. Mark where the Ace of heart is marked. That how they cheat at HHR
The little dirt-dot beneath the "c" in "Hard Rock" on both sides of the card?
Hope all is well man
Low limit 1/2, 1/3 is totally dependent on your villains, location. Much like a $5 raise at 1/2, lol.
Just because you popped into a casino on your vacation and made $700 doesn't mean the same will happen in your own backyard.
Why did you 3bet v flatting with 6h7h against a huge open?
Amazing !!
Sam saying “we don’t have to fight over every pot” is ironic. lol. Though I do get this is an instructional video.
Well done video Sam. Good advice.
It's something I should tell myself at times 😂
Love this content!
Opening to $5 is insane.
Love the video
I love your channel
more of these videos pls
Also this is incredible how different this strategy is to 2/5, and more interestingly, to how you played 1/3 early on in the BR challenge. It did seem like you were fighting for more pots, 4betting AK, etc. I guess this is mostly just a result of the players at the table, and the advice in this video is for when you have no reads?
This is purely advice for people who are very new to poker. AKo facing a 4bet at live low stakes is definitely a fold though.
@@BluffaloSam gotcha ok in that case definitely helpful
raise 15 to 20 with AT... but depends on the crowd..
Feels like lower stakes is more grinding than anything
GREAT VIDEO!!!
When are you getting back to videos at your normal stakes?
Next month for sure, struggling to find casinos on the east coast to play/film at rn
@@BluffaloSam that’s frustrating, where are you currently on the east coast?
all these pots didn't break 100?
Hey @BluffaloSam whenever you’re back in BC would you consider doing paid live coaching or could i take you out for sushi 🍣 .? I live close to GrandVilla , I would be interested In 1-3/ 2-5 .
I don't do coaching, not enough proper solver/teaching experience. There are some very good live coaches that are established though
@@BluffaloSam Thank you so much for the reply. Are you able to recommend anyone who is a winning player or is there any website I can use to get in touch with someone who coaches locally.? I would be willing to pay 50-200hr for live coaching at Villa River Parq Hardrock , or Starlight even (it’s usually pretty dead though at Starlight.)
Call me selfish, but there isn’t enough BluffaloSam videos for me to consume
Buffalo Sam hasn’t posted a video in a while, I think he’s getting beat up on the tables so he’s taking a break lol
This is gold. Another one could be, don't try to play like anyone from Hustler videos.
Thumbnail game improving
@3:24 Dirty cards? The casino need to clean the cards now and then. Looks nasty. 😒☹😳
I play 1-3 and quite often just buy in for 100, I wait for good cards and ship it. Most times I win.
I’m sure you get invited into great games
@@WarmDeck I play in the biggest card room in my state, it opens at 8 am, and closes at 4am. I play a lot of tournaments, they have them everyday. There’s something for everyone as far as stakes go there
“Always bet your trips no matter what” …bets trip Ts, everyone folds. Shit.
(Re-learns lesson #1- it’s 1/2, fish will hang themselves if you give them a chance)
Flops Trip Aces… checks…
& stacks the fish lol
Different trips! 😂
AK not worth calling the 3-bet preflop??? What lol
It's a 4bet.
More vegas vlogs, seems no one that vlogs wynn or aria 2/5 anymore even wins just posers. Your wynn videos were great.
I'm telling you I'm that old man and I'm not just playing aces that a meth
I recommend not trying to do this in certain states like Texas. $5 raise is just like playing 2-4 limit every is coming along
im rdy to go to thte casino
Hey I’m that idiot! 😅
lol "raise to $5" at 1/2. Come on!
We raise small preflop
1) our edge is a lot smaller preflop, and therefore the EV of piling money in is much lower
2) lower SPR means we can navigate more postflop and we decide when we want the pot to get back
3) if we're going multiway anyways we need to play extremely straightforward, even moreso with a larger raise bringing SPR to below 5
4) lose less when we get 3bet pre
5) get to play many many more hands profitably, more hands against weaker opponents > less.
I just don't see enough good reasons to raise big at any stake.
@@BluffaloSam Lol where do I start. First off, our edge pre flop his massive because the majority of 1/2 players play incorrectly pre-flop, calling way too wide, limp too much, and certainly don't 3! nearly enough.
I agree with the comment about lower SPR, but 1/2 is all about value, value, value and just betting. If we get raised, most times we can just comfortably fold.
I also agree about being able to play more hands when we raise smaller, but we have to take into account the rake. Also it's going to be so difficult to navigate 5-6 ways with people playing any twol cards versus a small open.
Ultimately, I just don't understand why we would raise to $5, when players will call $10-$12. Love the vlogs, but I came across this and have to disagree.
@BSweetVideos Thing is, people are going to call the same range with $5 vs $10 so we still have the same problem going very multiway, but now we've only invested 2.5bbs rather than 5bbs or more (30 mins of winrate for a crusher!)
Our edge preflop is so minor because the pot is so small, raising bigger is not going to allow us to play rivers, where EV decisions are the highest, you're not allowing yourself to value bet say 3rd pair for 40bbs.
I've discussed this at length with many people who are significantly better, and more experienced than I am, you can see in my old videos I was using a $12 sizing, I've thrown that completely out, and enjoyed a much higher winrate, as well as a lot less variance.
You folding ak at 1-2 is terrible. I’d never give you action once I see you fold ak for 45$. I’ve seen tight players 4! Light especially if the open is 5$ 3! Is 15$ I’d 4! 88+ a5 suited AJ suited + KQ suited.
It's a guide for beginner players. Folding AK at 1/2 makes way more sense than folding it at 5/10 where people have bluff ranges. Your 4bet range is not a tight range at all, it's insanely wide. Cold calling a 4bet vs 2 ranges that consist of AK/QQ+ isn't terrible.
Dude, Line up your mustache. What are you doing with that??
I’m sorry I don’t like this vid. This table was asking to be run over. There’s passive and then there’s this. Have you ever seen a winning player that’s passive and folds AK?!