So I'm playing a very loose 100nl game online, 9max, almost all players are extremely loose and quite a few just ridiculous aggressive. I'm guessing the average table vpip is around 50. Players are opening anywhere from 2bb-5bb with strong/speculative hands and often min 3betting. However, I'm actually losing money, which is bothering the hell out of me.

The average hand consists of about 2-4 players open limping. In the beginning I had been isolating relatively wide to about 3bb + 1bb per player as usual--but I found that this strategy didn't seem to be working. What would happen was the limpers would just flat regardless of their holdings and I would end up playing a massive pot 3-4 way. That being said, I was typically only isolating in position, or making a larger isolation raise oop (about 5bb +) with a stronger holding.

However, in around 75% of hands, the blinds would donk, typically for about 1/4 pot and often pick up the pot. You would think this would make them easier to play against since they're so unbalanced, but I have called down in a few spots, tried raising w/ draws etc., to see my opponents showdown all the way from the nuts to middle pair no kicker, to complete air. It's essentially like they're stealing my ability to cbet. When I started raising bigger to isolate, I would still run into the problem HU and have trouble combating the very loose play.

Additionally, almost whenever I raised first in, I would be met by several flats with hands like 106o, etc. If I missed the flop or hit second pair, I felt like my only option was to x/f because the last to act player would often bet pot behind unpredictably (I tried check raising my value hands to no avail, and check calling. In fact, many times villain would check behind and I was often outdrawn).

The problem I am having is that despite the fact that they are playing loose, I am having an extremely difficult time extracting value. I'm clearly doing something wrong because when I have a value hand, they are almost invariably folding the flop, and when I have a bluff, I'm getting called down with ridiculous holdings.

Here are two examples hands I just played:

Villain is MP1 w/ 30bb
Hero (AK) is BB w/ 120bb

Folds to villain who limps, folds to Hero who raises to 5bb. Villain flats.
Flop(10.5) is J 3 7
Hero bets 7bb, villain calls
Turn is Q
Hero bets 108bb and is all in, villain tank calls and shows J9

Obviously this is pretty standard to get it in on the turn for a pot sized bet vs such a weak range... but why is this almost always happening when I hold a bluff?


Hero (KK) is UTG w/ 140bb
BTN 40bb
SB 100bb

Hero raises to 3bb. BTN calls, SB calls.
Flop (9.5) is A103
SB checks, Hero checks, BTN bets 3bb, SB raises to 6, Hero folds
Turn (15.5) is 8
SB bets 8bb and BTN jams for 31bb. SB tank folds and BTN shows 910

I chose not to bet here because, despite the fact that my range includes many strong aces, many players still will flat random Ax hands on the button in these games--and I did not hold a draw to the nuts. I think putting in money here with Ks is not the best idea, and betting basically turns our hand into a bluff. At the same time, always having to check/fold in these marginal spots I feel makes me very exploitable, even vs. opponents who are not intentionally exploiting.

So anyway, those are my issues and my question is... should I basically nut peddle/only barrel w/ strong draws, and always check/fold missed boards? Should I even have a check/calling or check/raising range after raising first in?

variance

+1 to variance, your iso range might need tweaking too

No way. You should actually try to get into pots with these players with a wider range than usual so you can take advantage of their weak(er) ranges. If everyone around me is playing 50% of hands, I would play super wide ranges in later positions.

I think you've fallen into the idea that since you are playing a better preflop range that you deserve to win.

If I'm playing a worse postflop game than the other players, I would like to know why.. hence why I asked the question in the first place. It's pretty clear based on the way these players play that they are majority recreational. Personally, I just don't think it should be this hard to beat the games. If I'm always playing multiway pots and facing donkbets, etc., how can I adjust and find a winning strategy? I have been running extremely bad over the last 10k hands or so, but I know I'm also making a lot of mistakes. Applying pressure in the wrong spots, value betting poorly, etc.

I'm a winning player on Ignition 100nl over many thousand hands. I was also making a lot of money on this site previously. If you can believe it, the games used to be even softer. I used to be able to limp pocket pairs in the blinds and get all in by the river vs random middle pairs. I came back after a hiatus from poker, and they are a lot more aggressive, but still extremely loose.

variance..If you want to shove in the first hand shove otf he had 25 bb pot 10,5 and you have biger fold equity and biger winning odds..

I was just really trying to warn you against the problems that go along with expectation.

Isn't this a pretty massive overbet? It probably won't matter (since it is unlikely these players are trying to exploit me), but what would I jam for value in this spot?

If they are loose and aren't folding you can just wait for good hands. Just make TPGK or better and stack off, fold otherwise.

Be extremely aggressive, iso/3b large preflop and always bet/raise large or fold postflop.

Use very tight preflop ranges that flop made hands. TAG-nits devour whales whole and their strategy doesn't require much (any) thought.

I've pretty much been doing this for the past several thousand hands and seems to be working . Definitely playing like a TAG-nit

Just because it's working doesn't mean it's the best way to play. But I agree, playing this way requires little thought, playing looser puts you in more difficult (and more profitable) spots though.