To improve my game while risking little at low stakes. I can play a ton of hands, and sample size away natural variance, plus database my hands and analyze to plug leaks. Harder to do that live.

Isnt everyone a losing player at first regardless of where they play? Poker requires a tuition, right? If you were a winner from the moment you were dealt cards, good for you.

Unfortunately i am in a learn on the internet, earn live, plan. Kinda sucks. Moe money on the net, and way more fun.

I think we all know the games have changed over the years online.....a lot. I used to crush 25NL for a 10ptbb/100, 50NL for an 8, and 100NL for a 4. Not anymore. I'm not sure I could beat 25NL today. Heck, I play a very b/e game at 4NL on Cake right now, and it's sad.

That said, 1/2 at my casinos is easily beatable and has my poker confidence running high as ever after just 75ish hours over the past 3 months. Like online, I ran through a nasty stretch of some variance, but overall, the game is very beatable and it's obvious.

People still play online poker?

I play in a 2/2 game with a max buyin of $100. Most stacks range in the $200 with a couple of players as deep as $300+. Is a TAG style the in this game since most players are not deep. New to the forum any help would be great. Thanks

TAG is always good as default.

Thanks. I am looking to open up my game since I would consider myself more nitty and realize that I am leaving money on the table. After reading this thread I would like to add more tools to my tool belt. Since moving into a LAG style can be spewy if it is out of your comfort zone, how would I go about adding this aspect on the cheap? Is it possible?

22 oceans game is
Unbeatable. Rake

Only LAG from button and cutoff to start out....

and only LAG if the game you're playing in requires the style to maximize profit.

Don't sit down in a game full of call stations and start playing LAG because all it's going to do is bloat up multiway pots... there are many times you can just play TAG/ABC...

Cliff notes: False donkey image + relentless value bets = chippies.

What casino would you recommend?

Thanks for your comments!

Just tinker around with it...

Some games you can do it from button, cutoff, hijack, and middle position 3....

Some games, you shouldn't do it at all.

If you are going to use it also read up on DOUBLE BARRELING... it's important to know what type of boards you should Double Barrel on and what type of boards you shouldn't.

If you start LAGging without any real plan it will be a failure and you'll be better served to just play ABC...

IMO just make sure donkey image =/= lag image. IMO it's much harder to play if villains think you're spazzy or you bluff you're FOS because when you get raised or bet into, you have to worry about:

1) Villains trying to bluff b/c they think you're FOS
2) Villains overplaying weaker hands because they think they're good
3) Villains actually having what they rep.

If you have a solid, winning image and show down big hands, they're not going to bluff much because they think you always have it, and they're not going to overplay their hands because they think you always have it.

FYI I didn't make this up. Bart Hanson said it, but I've found it works pretty well.

thats why you have to have very good post flop skills,
because you are going to run into spots where they raise you with KJ on J84 flops
when you cbet QQ because you are obv FOS. so, its harder to know where you are at.
and that's WHY you play LAG is to get max value out of QQ.
folding the best hand is going to happen, and other tough situations.
there are certainly downsides to LAG play.
knowing how they are viewing you NOW, too, is essential to being able to make consistently good decisions.

first, it's learn to play LAG,
and then, it's learn how to know exactly how much to open it up according to your tables tendencies, or whether you should open it up at all.
I'm finding that i can open up my game a fraction of what i used to, and get the same effect, with way less risk by just finding creative ways to throw off your villians.

Any good threads on double barrelling?

Good stuff, thanks! Obviously it is all situational ie: how tight or loose the table is, how they view you etc..

+1

If Pokahblows is reading this he should post the link to that awesome double barreling thread....

2 barrel for value, when turn helps you percieved range, when you equity improves. These are generalities. Also in position you can check back turn when you pick up equity or showdown value if your fold equity is low and/or it will induce river bluffs. Oop you don't have this flexibility so tend to bet more frequently when equity improves. In position, you can depolarize your turn barreling range and bet thinner for value when villian's range draw heavy since you are not as likely to get value on the river (ie dont lose value on the turn and let villian play perfectly on river.).

+1

bump

Best thread ever in llsnl.

Yep, a great post. Combine it with this and you've got a winner

I first learned about this from two of my college buddies who are well known tournament players. When I'd meet up with them in Vegas they'd come play 1/2 with me and they would play ~90%-100% of their hands preflop. Their hand reading skills were so advanced they would just destroy the table and usually win ~$1k within ~3 hours.

I named it KOP style. King of Poker.

Had a finance guy sit down at my table a few weeks later and he was doing the same thing, luckily I realized he was a KOP immediately not a spewtard. He said all the right things about how he didn't care about money and to a casual observer it looked like he didn't.

When I first adopted the strategy I lost quite a bit. Maybe 20 buyins. Now that I've refined it, its a pretty consistent winner. Not sure why everyone believes its high variance. I usually win fairly big consistently playing KOP . As long as my table selection is good. That's the key. If you KOP against good players you will get decimated. Luckily, you're at a 1/2 table and the good players are easily identifiable.

You young guys probably struggle with the concepts because you're used to playing online where KOP would never work. You say raising with 6-8 suited in late position is lighting money on fire, but for me it is minting money. To each his own.

thanks riverman... I've read this post 20 times and learn something new everytime.