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Playing against loose players and bad gamblers...........
Posted: 09-12-2006 02:58 PM |
This is an excerpt from my journal regarding my play on Saturday night at a friends house. It's normally a pretty loose game but, this was ridiculous......................................
Tonight was one of those nights where betting preflop did no good whatsoever. I wasn’t getting great cards to begin with. The one good pair I was dealt was a misdeal KK in LP with a short stack. The few times that I did have decent cards (AQ, KQ, 99), I had at least 3 callers preflop and all blanks on the flop and, I knew everyone in the hand was capable of playing and calling with trash (especially Rich). I thought the best way to beat that game was to wait for cards because I think Rich set the pace by playing trash (everyone else was playing trash too). I didn’t see many good showdowns (except when Rich actually had a big hand). I did have position on him but, raising him seemed to do no good in the first game. I’d seen him call big bets and all ins (some big, some not-so) with trash (low suited cards, A high, connected cards……. Even Pats big all in with K high with an A on board praying on a backdoor flush, that he ended up catching). Even when he had a hand he limped in (I remember QQ). He gambled a lot but, he could afford to most of the time he did. He also bullied with his stack and, showed a few bluffs (1 against Rick). He played me out pretty hard too. He was SB, I was BB. Everyone else folded and he called. I was short stacked and, I might have been able to steal the blinds by going all in with A3os but, 1) they weren’t worth the risk and, 2) Rich probably would’ve called with his K high anyway because he‘d done it all night long. The flop was Kxx suited (I had the nut flush draw). Rich checked and, I went all in (trying to steal the pot with a big semi-bluff). He check/called me with a weak K. I didn’t put him on a K. It was a good play. I was short stacked, I was frustrated (that’s why I was short stacked) and, I had to make a move. He knows the game but, I’m a better player than that. I want him to try to draw out on me. He makes a lot of bad calls. I just happened to be in a big hand with him when he had the best of it. I want to be on his left every time so I can limp in behind him with better cards and, try to take down pots on the flop. Make him have to gamble. It doesn’t make sense to be scared of him. He got really lucky. I took 3rd in the first game and, 5th in the second game. -$20.00
I never saw anyone play such trash in a live game. It felt like a play money Party Poker game. I hope he plays this week  |
Remember what the door mouse said |
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 sdocy
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| Joined: 30 Jul 2006 |
| Total Posts: 49 |
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Re: Playing against loose players and bad gamblers...........
Posted: 09-12-2006 07:38 PM |
Yeah, I started playing live tournys at bars and cash games at friends' houses again recently, and after being so immersed in the tight online cash games, it took me awhile to get used to the looseness of these games.
I'm still trying to figure out the right balance for the tournys, you still need to play tight since you can't afford too many mistakes, but you can't play too tight or increasing blinds will kill you.
For the cash games, with a static blind, I think I've gotten a good strategy down. With almost everyone in every flop and people calling bets with just about any hope of a hand, I had to make some adjustments from tight online play. I opened up my starting hands to include just about anything with a good possibility, one-offers, suited two-offers are the main addition. Also A, K, Q with 8 kicker or over if we are a short-handed (5 or less) game. Most of the players are pretty passive pre-flop, so I don't get pushed off too many marginal hands by a big pre-flop raise after I throw a dollar in.
For pre-flop, I still generally raise with the good hands. Generally less with AK and AJ, and more with high pp. Even getting callers with my raises, I find it worth incresing the pot since you are probably decently favored going in.
Post flop, if you got it, bet it. You will get callers, don't go crazy with huge bets, but keep firing away with 3-5 x BB size bets. You will get callers from people on draws and people with weaker hands. If you keep firing consistently until someone tries to take control of the hand away from you, you generally seem to come out ahead overall, even with people drawing out on you at times.
If you flop a monster hand, pretty much play it the same way, with continual strong betting, unless you see someone else who is willing to build the pot for you, letting you sleep until the end. Best thing about loose games it getting people calling you down on your big hands.
Bluffing is ok, but only very carefully. I have only been bluffing in position when everyone has made it clear they don't have that A or K on the board. Keep bluffing bets small and be ready to bail if the board or the players start to look ugly. Basically you are waiting for the guys who called you with a draw to give up or totally miss.
Has worked well for me, won over $100 the last 2 nights we have played. Certainly a different game than the tight online ones, but just as playable if you approach it right.
stephen
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Re: Playing against loose players and bad gamblers...........
Posted: 09-16-2006 05:19 PM |
Thanx for your input stephen. Normally I do well in this game. I generally don't get involved too early just because of the looseness of it. There are a few good players and a few beginners (wives, girlfriends). If I hear that b#*^% say "I think I have a full house" one more time........ Honestly it's a real cool game over there (good people with money to spend) but, sometimes it gets so ugly that it hurts my head to think about.
It gets much tougher towards the first hour break. Usually that is when it gets good but, last week was almost unbearable (even though I only lost $20).
Anyway, I'm on my way there after a final table finish on Poker Stars (2nd money finish in a row). Not a big win but, a final table nonetheless. Brought my online bankroll back to where it was last wek.
Thanx again. |
Remember what the door mouse said |
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