just some background. i've been playing live for a little under a year now 1/2. So far winning with an upward trajectory. My ultimate goal is to move up and improve my game.

The issue I've been coming across repeatedly is that whenever I try to play a move aggressive style, I end up losing. After losing a couple of buyins, I go back to my super tight style and start winning again. Too many people look me up with middle pair, etc. The good thing is, I get payed off when I have the goods, the bad thing is the only way I win is if I have the goods.

Do I just have to come to grips with the fact that value betting is the name of the game at this level or am I missing something?

Value betting is always the name of the game, it's just how much other stuff you can mix in for extra EV.

It sounds like the 1/2 games where you play are loaded with stations and there is little point in bluffing. This is fairly common and if that is the case then don't. At 1/2 I find it most profitable to assume any unknown opponent is loose and stationary until they show otherwise. Only bluff once you have seen that an opponent has a fold button and don't bluff often unless they have shown they are very weak.

The generic laggy style you see written up in books and described here will get you killed at a lot of 1/2 games. I do run across 1/2 games where it works but those are the exception.

+1 to what QuadJ said.

@Hawk, i have been trying to do the same thing, have a pretty taggy solid game but recently working on opening it up. Have had decent results. The easiest way to do this is to ease into it. Lots of times people think Lag=Spew chips all over the table and just bet bet bet, that's just going to lose you money.
The first step is to change your button play, no more limping behind, at all, if there are limpers and you are playing your button, raise it up with Any suited Ace, any pair and your suited connectors, dump everything else.
If there were 2-3 limpers and you would limp behind, raise it up to 15-17 instead with T9s. Sizing is game dependent.
Lots of times you pick up a free $10 if everyone folds, other times you get 1-2 callers and sometimes they all call, but then you have a good multi-way hand in position and often can get a free turn when you miss.

You need to get good at reading boards and players and good double barrel spots. If you get 3 callers and completely whiff, just give up, don't force it.

As you know Position is huge in this game so start by widening your range in BTN, as you get comfortable move on to CO etc... Mistake people make is they start opening things like 76s UTG, get 3 callers, miss and just bet bet bet. Not saying you are doing this. But ease into the new style.

Also check out these threads:
https://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/1...e-lag-1129409/
https://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/7...-draws-476434/
https://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/7...exture-442027/
https://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/7...ng-lag-657784/

Sounds like you need to learn to check a little bit more. You don't even need to check/fold every time you check. So many options! Just do the one that's most profitable... In particular, you've found that opening wide and always barreling is not the most profitable.

I'm new here (but not to poker). Like you I've only been playing live 1/2 a short time, like little over a year with some breaks in between. And like you I found the same thing mostly. Started out playing super tight and getting paid off on my big hands. Tried to open my range, be a little more aggressive, target certain players more, bluff catch, etc. And watched my live 1/2 profits drop and drop.

So it seems a solid pretty tight strategy just works. Many people at live 1/2 are just there to gamble and "didn't come to fold, they came to win." So let em chase, let em play wider ranges but , and I should take my own advice here, play tight and value bet your made hands, make em pay dearly for draws, and fold more.

It'd be good if you provided some actual examples of hands where things get tricky for you. In general, if you're playing 1/2 $200 cap, the majority of the game is pre-flop, so nitty but aggro is probably the best style.

Poker is a simple game. Play pots in proportion to the strength of your hand. Big hand = Big pot, small hand = small pot. Adhere to this concept, always have edge vs weak opponents.

What is your reasoning for why you are trying to play a more aggressive style?

Check more post and bet bigger. Don't try to aggro stations

I like this advice, and it should definitely be eased into. Another thing I'd suggest is taking note of your flop cbet frequency. The old one and done cbet on dry boards too often gets looked up by today's fish.

Cbet less and when you do, double barrel more. Keep cbetting with air to a minimum.

As quad J said, look for double barrel possibilities aka true semibluffs, or flops that can bring double barrel equity on the turn.

It's also been my experience that cbetting scare cards on the turn gets more folds than the typical flop cbet.


Give us some hand histories and let's see what's up

Good advice in this thread.

Not much to add other that to emphasize that you want to open up slowly. Start by adding just a couple of hands to your button play first. Let's just say that you are winning around 3 hands per hour (you're making money because you're getting more value out of those three hands). Adding just one hand an hour improves your results by a 1/3. In addition, it isn't noticeable by even your observant regulars.