When I play online, I'm almost never tempted to play OOP b/c I'm playing something around the order of 200 to 250 hands per hour. i know something good will come along, eventually, when I'm IP. I'm not counting premium hands, of course.

What do you guys do when you're playing in a slow live home game? Say, for instance, you're playing a 6 hour stretch @ a home game. You're being dealt, on average, 20 hands per hour... that's 120 hands.

Now, imagine that you're always being dealt non-premium, yet playable hands that are within your range only while OOP.

How do you find the mental discipline to continue to fold and wait to be dealt something from within your range while IP?

I'm basing this off of the theory that unless I'm significantly more skilled than my opponents (which is not the case), any advantage I have (short of flopping the nuts) is virtually removed if I'm OOP. I'm even-money or worse.

And, to top it off, If I am underskilled vs. my opponents, then playing OOP not only has me at a disadvantage, i'm at (more or less) a huge disadvantage to the point where I can be pushed off of almost all winning one pair hands.

Thanks

If it's playable, then I play it. If it's not, then I don't.

I play much looser in home games than online or even regular live venue, because my edge is much much larger. In particular there is much less preflop raising of any significance, so I stand to lose less by limping in EP or even making raises in EP (because I won't get re-raised often, and there may be little to no post flop action if I don't hit, and when there is, it will usually be obvious if I'm beat)

If you're worse than your opponents, avoid playing OOP at all costs. Get the money in early and often I guess. And maybe find another game?

Well, if I'm a losing player by playing any hand from within my range in any position, or by playing any hand from within my range only in position, then I guess my positional awareness isn't really my biggest leak?

Maybe I shouldn't worry about it too much and instead focus on other things such as post flop aggression. I know I can play too passively on occasion...

And you're right re: better players. Perhaps I need to be more selective with whom I get involved with. If a weaker player raises, I can call from within my range OOP. But if a stronger player raises, then I'll need all the help I can get, and I guess position is one of those things.

thanks again.

I guess it depends what you mean by "a weaker player". "Weak players" in my estimation are usually weak-loose or weak-tight, neither of which include a lot of raising. Raises from these players should be respected, and you should NOT get involved in these hands unless you have proper implied odds (deep enough stacks to set mine, etc).

Position is less important against weak players because they will not use the power of position very well. They won't raise enough, they won't bet enough when checked to, etc. Being OOP against an aggressive player is quite hard, being OOP against a passive one is usually not that much worse than being in position.

Also, a stronger player may have a wider raising range than a weak player, and as such, you may be able to call with less of a hand. But playing it post flop might be quite difficult.

Playing any hand in your range from any position is clearly wrong. Playing only in position is also probably wrong. There are some things to be cognizant of:
* your range should be stronger in early position. In LHE I routinely fold KJ and maybe even KQ UTG in full ring. At some tables I'll have to fold small pairs
* be aware of the gap concept - you need a better hand to call a raiser than he needs to raise
* I dunno, a bunch of other stuff. Have you read Miller's SSHE book, or Professional NLHE by Sklansky, or Texas Holdem by Advanced Players by Sklansky? Or how about one you really can't miss, "The Theory of Poker" by Sklansky? I'd also recommend Mike Caro's book of poker tells if you're playing live. That has saved me soooo much money.