I think I'm finally starting to get the hang of low limit cash on pokerstars. (knock on wood)
My epiphany came when I read somewhere that good players have a WTSD of 30 and W$SD of 60. What does that mean? They see the showdown 30% of the time, and they win the showdown 60% of the time.
Then I realized that these stats can be used to classify players. Mice tend to go to a showdown less and will win if they do. So their stats look more like WTSD 20 / W$SD 100. Elephants tend to see a showdown with anything and usually lose the showdown. Their stats look more like WTSD 40/W$SD 40.
Most of players in low limit fall in these two categories. Elephants will call with any pair. Mice will call with only top pair or better. Once you realize what player you are up against, post flop play is pretty easy actually.
If you are up against an elephant, only bet if you have top pair. If you bet only half the pot each time, he will call you until the river with bottom or mid pair.
If you are up against a mouse just bet. If he folds right away, he had nothing. If he calls, you are in trouble. He has top pair or better. Give up on the pot.
My trouble before was that I didn't kow the difference between mice and elephants. I assumed that everyone was a calling station and would keep pumping bets into a mouse only to find that they had two pair or a set. Now I know the difference
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You can also use these stats to adjust your own play. If your stats are looking like WTSD 20 / W$SD 100, you are playing too much like a mouse and are missing pots that you could have picked up with a marginal hand. Loosen up a bit and see more showdowns. If your stats look like WTSD 40 W$SD 40, you are playing like an elephant. Stop calling marginal hands and tighen up a bit.
Using these two stats my play has improved a lot I think! (knock on wood!). Hope this helps someone, it helped me!
-cp
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