Lazy Day/The Mondays.

I slept for nearly 13 hours last night and had a hard time getting my brain going. It did occur to me that along with my current goal of a more dedicated poker play and study schedule, I should develop a "core strategy".

Meaning, even when I am feeling overwhelmed or frustrated I have a fall back style of play that is nearly automatic. This will allow me to grind much more efficiently.

Ideally, a core strategy should approximate an unexploitable strategy but accomodate some weaknesses and tendencies of the field you play poker against.

Since I primarily play microstakes limit now, I should expect players who are by and large too loose and too passive preflop. They'll call too many bets and fail to bet their hands strongly. So:

1. I should expect more, not less, action.
2. I should expect many situations with domination and reverse domination to appear, given hand strength.

So "stealing" in the classic sense is silly. Nonetheless, in 6 max, it is rarely a good idea to open a hand without raising. Of course, when I raise, I should want action. Thus in early position, I should raise hands that play well out of position in both multiway and heads-up pots.

1. Pairs. AA-88. 77 and below are too weak.
   
2. Suited aces. A8s+.
   
3. Suited Connectors. Any two true suited connectors with an 8 or better. Any two gappers down to QTs. 78s+, QTs +.
   
4. Big unsuited aces. A9o+.
   
5. KQo.
   

This represents 11 per cent of all possible hands. It is a difficult range to play against, but still contains some balance. For example, the big pairs and low suited connectors perform well against hands that my opponents will 3-bet- AQ+, 99+. All of the hands but the big unsuited aces perform very well multiway. The big aces do ok, too.

If UTG limps, I would play the same hands, but limp behind with the suited connectors and medium pairs to encourage multiway action. I would limp three bet QJs, JTs, and T9s. In the hijack with a fold in front of me, I would add:

1. Pairs 66+
2. Suited aces A6s+
   
3. Suited connectors QTs+, 87s+
4. Big unsuited aces. A7o+
5. KJo+, QJo+.

The range is widening a little, but AJo is still incorrect to play simply because of the dominating effect of the pairs and the bigger aces.

In late position, I should be able to assess the likelihood of a pot being multiway. If there is a limper, I should expect a multiway pot. Here I should call with some hands and raise with others.

Call:

1. Pairs 22-77. This is a bread and butter spot.
2. Suited aces and kings A2s-A8s, K2s-K9s. Again, bread and butter.
3. Suited connectors. No gappers 54s-98s. One gappers 86s-QTs. Two-gappers J8s-Q9s. Three gappers Q8s, J7s.
4. Offsuit cards. KTo, 67o+, T8o+
   

Raise.

1. Pairs 88+. Partly to conceal the top part of the range but almost entirely for value.
2. Suited aces and kings. A9s+, KTs+.
3. Suited connectors JTs+.
4. Offsuit aces A9o+.
5. Offsuit Kings KJo+

This hand range is fairly wide and all of them stand up in large pots.

If it is folded to me in the cutoff, I attack with a very wide range.

1. Pairs 44+
2. Suited aces A2s+
3. Suited Kings K9s+
   
4. Suited connectors 76s+, One gappers T8s+, Two gappers Q9s+.
5. Unsuited aces A5o+
6. Unsuited Kings KTo+.
7. QTo, JTo.

On the button, I open even wider still.

1. Pairs 22+
2. All suited aces and kings. A2s+, K2s+.
3. Suited connectors 54s+, 75s+, T7s+, J7s+.
4. A2o+
5. K7o+
6. Q8o+, J8o+, T8o+

Granted, I expect action, but all of these hands fair very well in small pots against 1-2 people.