Using Poker Software in Adrenaline Rush Poker

In January, Full Tilt Poker introduced Adrenaline Rush Poker, a new fast-fold cash game variant where everyone is a short stack.  PocketFives Moderator Lesley “Nutbreaker” Amos has played the most hands we have heard of so far.  Here is what she had to say about her experiences and use of poker software while playing.

PokerSoftware: Tell us what Adrenaline Rush Poker is for anyone who might not be familiar with it.

Lesley Amos: Adrenaline Rush is a variation of Full Tilt's Rush Poker. It is a 10 big blind cap, four-handed game. Because the game is only 10 big blinds effective, Full Tilt has taken out the option to "just see a flop." It is a little different from all-in or fold games where there is play pre-flop with raise-calling or raise-folding.

PokerSoftware: What stakes and how many hands have you played?

Lesley Amos: I have played about 80,000 hands between all of the stakes. Being completely honest, it was a huge mistake for me to play $1/$2 or even $0.50/$1. I have a fairly small bankroll on Full Tilt Poker, was really seeing how far I could press it, and it didn't turn out well for me. So, now I am going to be focusing on $0.25/$0.50 until I am comfortable handling the swings.

PokerSoftware: What is the variance like?

Lesley Amos: The variance is a roller coaster.  My worst day was -500 big blinds, which happened once Full Tilt Poker started a Knockout Leaderboard promotion. Players were calling lighter and that added a lot of extra variance.  That is when I decided that if I were going to continue playing this game, I needed to make some changes to my HUD, notes, bankroll management, and tilt management.

This game has such a small edge that it is hard to tell if you are playing well and running on the bad side of variance or just tilting. In No Limit Hold'em, if you make a bad call with third pair, you can see that. In Adrenaline Rush, if you jam K-8 offsuit from the button against two spewy players in the blinds, you feel like you can justify the jam because they call so wide.

PokerSoftware: Do you have a different HUD profile or rely on certain stats more than you usually would?

Lesley Amos: Yes, my HUD for this game is crazy, has changed, and will continue to change. Right now, I have hands, raise first in, and fold to 3bet, each by position. I also used Note Caddy to help tag players' calling ranges as nitty, average, or spewy by position. This populates after they have had five instances as red, yellow, and green badges. Right now, my stats are based on how players play the field, but eventually I will change this to how they play against me.  I don't feel that players have put enough thought into the game to worry about it at this time.

PokerSoftware: What do you recommend to someone first starting out in these games?

Lesley Amos: Follow bankroll management and learn Holdem Manager.  Note Caddy and Tilt Breaker can also help you. Take the time in Holdem Manager to review the spots where you should be condensing and widening your range.

PokerSoftware: Have you started using any other software since playing ARP?

Lesley Amos: I purchased Tilt Breaker and set it up to hide my cashier and give me a warning at -100 big blinds with an option to take a 10-minute break. At -200 big blinds, I have it set up to make me take a six-hour break. It makes sense to utilize this tool for any game regardless of how good of a player you are. You know the saying, "don't throw good money after bad"?  That is what Tilt Breaker prevents. I've also restricted my stakes so that I can work on the game before being tempted to move up.

PokerSoftware: Tell us how you are using Note Caddy and if it is helping you.

Lesley Amos: After using Note Caddy, I don't understand why players don't have it or use it to its full ability. Within Note Caddy, I am able to assign badges to custom stats. I've taken the time to assign badges to people's calling ranges as red, yellow, and green, making it easy for me to adjust versus each player instead of relying on set ranges.

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