First Impressions of the Mint (aka 25NL 6MAX)

Well that was fun! I finished my first session of 25NL 6max and I’m quite impressed. This is actually a money printing factory in disguise.

The first table I sat down at, the player to my left immediately leaves and is replaced by one of the best 25NL FR regs on Stars. He 3bets both of my opens in the first orbit and I decide it’s time for a change of scenery. And it was smooth sailing after that.

Extremely tiny sample obviously, but I can’t adequately explain how uber satisfying it is to run 30ptBB/100 and not show down anything better than 1 pair hands. My aggression factor was an unseemly high 5.5 and this is totally because 25NL 6max poker call down ranges are like 5NL FR – completely face up, fit-or-fold showdown poker. When you can cbet 80% of flops and take down 70% of those, you are going to insta-profit. No need for me to run any sort of bluff and no reason to call down since I know they have it (although there definition of “it” is not very good all the time).

I’m not really sure what the definitions of nit/TAG/LAG are yet, but I played 22/19 and felt pretty comfy with that range. I squeezed a few nice spots too and people just 4bet/fold or call/fold flop every time.

I ran a little bad against a guy that bought in for $9 and doubled him up 2x for $9 on his first hand and $11 a little later on and my winrate would have been even higher if not for those 2 hands. Getting AK all-in preflop against this guy when he posts UTG, open-minraises Q9o and then shoves over my 3bet makes me giggle.

I think I’ll start posting some hands for discussion since I probably still suck hardcore at 6max and I need advice to get my head wrapped around this game a little better. I know there’s quite a few of you out there that read my blog so please leave comments!

Hand History Analysis

Preflop: Dealt AsTs, 80BB effective.
I open ATs for 3BB in MP. Stats-wise unknown calls in BTN – I have a read that he gets agro with draws on the turn when shown weakness. I am playing under the assumption that the rest of his call down range is standard light/weak stuff.

Flop: Ad 3c 5c, pot is 7.5BB, 77BB effective
I cbet this for slightly more than 2/3 because I cbet pretty much every flop and it’s for value obviously. Villain calls.

Turn: 3s, pot is 17BB, 72BB effective
Pretty blank card imo and is actually a good card if I’m behind AJ/AQ since chances of chopping are higher since another 3, K or A will leave us chopping and also lowers the chance of him having a set. I’m thinking commitment now since that’s what the next bet will do and I’m not folding since I’m ahead of his range.

So that leaves the question of maximizing vs that range. I opt to go with my read since there’s a flush draw out and let him do his thing, plus I’m a little worried about him folding 44/66-TT if I double this. So I think he bets his entire flop continuance range here, and even if he doesn’t bet pocket pairs he’s probably more likely to call the river with them than the turn.

He obliges and bets 12BB making the pot 29BB and leaving him with 60BB. A PSR is to 53BB so I opt to just shove for value.