Bit of table talk more than a rant, but the games I’ve been in lately feel different from even a couple months back. Heaps more tiny flop bets, way more 3-bets from late position, and some pretty disciplined folds in spots where the average punter used to pay off. Feels like a lot of regulars have all been studying the same stuff at once.
At the lower and mid stakes especially, I’m seeing people use the small flop sizing then pile pressure on later streets, and the old "just value bet thin because they call too much" line isn’t printing the same way for me. River spots still look underbluffed in plenty of pools, sure, but pre and flop feel sharper than they did. Even some recs are chucking in more check-raises now, which gets annoying real quick.
I’ve started tightening a few opens in rough line-ups, defending the blinds a bit more carefully, and being less stubborn versus big turn aggression. Also paying more attention to who’s using those tiny range bets properly and who’s just clicking buttons because they saw it in a training vid somewhere. Massive difference there, mate.
Curious if the rest of you are seeing the same shift or if it’s just the sites and times I’ve been playing. Has your approach changed lately? Keen to hear what adjustments are actually working now, especially from anyone grinding the Aussie arvo and evening traffic.