I have been exclusively a tourney player for many years regularly cashing in local MTTs. Due to a new work schedule i have been unable to play due to tourney times at local casinos. I have tried cash in free time and just get crushed by terrible "rec" players. I cannot seem to put anyone on a hand as there are so many limped 6 way pots, and even when I raise I get 3 callers and have AA smashed by a set when the guy played 83off.. Im so confused as to strategy to win low stakes live cashgames. Any advice helps thanks.

There's a Live Low-stakes NL forum here at 2+2 (In the NLHE category) where you can find more helpful replies.

My fault.. could this be moved by mod pls?

[ ] possible to smash a set with 83o

Do not overvalue the absolute strength of your hands when 4+ players see a flop.

Watch the game carefully and profile the players. Use this information when making post-flop decisions.

Be patient preflop, do not become one of the monkeys in the zoo just because your KK got cracked - do not see a flop with rags unless you have a strong read and a plan for an isolated opponent.

Set mine as often as possible.

See flops with suited aces when it is a reasonable price and lead out if you flop a 4 flush. Weaker flush draws will never fold and this is a good way to stack a deep donkey.

You should be folding a lot pre (again, unless you have strong reads on isolated oppponents), so bring some music or a kindle so that you can occupy the down time.

You're probably just remembering all the times you lose with AA more than the times you win with it.

Ah, another one of those "these players are too bad for me to beat" posts. It's pretty much all about value betting. Precisely because they're limp/calling trash, you can value bet to death. If the passive fish start raising you, you can reevaluate your hand. Utilize position and value bet. That's good enough to beat 1/2.

Flop raise isn't always flush draw just fold t o raise wo the nuts

Play a lot of hands in Pos. Get reads on players and put them on Hand ranges. Control the table and let them know your incontrol, Awww screw it, there is to much to explain.

The best advice is to put time in, over time, your instincts will build up and you will all of a sudden just get it.

Go visit us at LLSNL.

How to beat 1-2 NL summed up in 1 post. I am printing this out and taking it with me on my next session. I will make it into a keychain to be my card protector and I will have it on audio book repeat on my ipod. Very sound advice that gets overlooked because "everyone at 1-2 is a spewtard." Succesfful 1-2 play is marked by a ****-ton of folding preflop and mining

If you played this way against good players, you will get crushed, but the mass players of 1-2 do not, so you should be ok.

I was very specifically addressing the OPs question regarding 1/2NL, LDO.

However, since you mentioned it, I have employed this strategy profitably in casinos all the way up to, and including, 10/25NL. I do believe that, depending on the tendencies of the players at your table, there can be more +EV styles to employ - also depending on your appetite for variance - but this is the style that suits me best. This simple ABC approach works especially well at a table with two or three aggressive deep-stacked LAGs (probably the type you would describe as "very good") and two or three call-station type loose-passive players. If you are sitting at a TAG rock garden, then you have to open up your game or change tables.

I have never been "crushed" over a decent sample size by table selecting wisely and employing this simple strategy (which includes adjusting to each opponent in isolation, you may have overlooked). In fact, I have never had a losing month of live poker in which I have put over 100 hours. Sorry to disappoint.

How many good players at 1-2 are there? maybe 1/4? 1/5?

I have tried advanced plays at 1/2 NL (floats, 3bets, etc) it rarely works. There is little rhyme or reason to their play.

+1
Read the stickies. Post hands. Go from there.

MTT play is so different from live cash - especially $1-2NL. You almost have to unlearn everything you know. For starters, forget everything you know about M ratios and Q ratios. The blinds don't change and you get to decide how deep you want to buy in.

Live cash play takes an incredible amount of patience relative to tournaments. You can fold for hours on end, and the blinds never go up. Plus, you will get far fewer hands per hour playing live than online - and probably fewer in cash than in a tournament.

You also have to unlearn a lot about preflop play. Raise sizes are usually far bigger in $1-2 cash than in a tournament. People will call $12-15 raises fairly regularly - in fact you will often get several callers.

Finally, cash generally plays much deeper, which completely changes your strategy. Tournament is more about preflop play - cash is more focused on post-flop play. You aren't merely trying to survive in cash play - you're waiting for the big payoff. Stealing blinds is vital in tournament play - far less so in cash play.

Since this is here I'll give an answer I didn't see(scanned the thread): Table selection. Especially here in L.A. where the rake is so high.

It is a different game. Consider how long it took you to get good at MTTs.

When passive turns aggressive, fold.

Keep the loose players to your right and the tight ones to your left.

Aces are no good on the river, if there are more than two people in the pot.

I always make a point of going to the casino when the tournaments are running. +EV.