Join Date: May 2023
Posts: 2,504
I used to play in a somewhat similar game, but it was a monthly bounty tournament with a $45 buy-in, and maybe 12-16 guys, ranging from terrible to TAG-fish. Except for me, these guys were all loaded - doctors, lawyers, high-level execs, etc.
Because nobody in the game gave a f**k about losing $45, none of them played anywhere near optimal. Guys would flat call a UTG raise with QQ or 54o, and limp in from the BB with JJ. I never really knew where I was in a hand unless I had the nuts.
Because it was a tournament, with blinds going up every 15 or 20 minutes, playing tight really wasn't an option past the 2nd level, so I'd just play like a maniac - opening any playable hand for a raise, 3B'ing to iso a ton, c-betting a lot, barreling a lot, etc. I'd either run bad and get knocked out first or second, or run good, build a huge stack, and take 1st or 2nd place.
I quit playing because I was just barely above break-even after playing 8 or 9 times, not counting a $600 score for binking 1st in their annual "championship" that attracted 24 guys, and because the game was so stupid-frustrating. I lost track of how many big pots I lost to the most ridiculous hands.
Similarly, you're playing a super-low-stakes game against guys who appear not to give a f**k about the money. If you don't care about the money, just get in there, gamble, and have fun.
If you care about the money, and think you can get away with it, just play super-nitty pre, and go for max value post. By "get away with it", I mean get invited back, which might not happen if the other players peg you as a scummy grinder.
venice10's advice is good if you want to get invited back. Play looser than GTO, but tighter than everyone else. If anyone mentions it, just say you've been card-dead. Occasionally you can look for good spots to do something outrageous, like limp-raising huge pre with garbage, and showing it when everyone folds. That will buy you some "street cred" with the degens.
Otherwise, do what OmahaDonk suggests, which is shift your range towards high-cards / showdown value hands.
I'd add that you can probably flat call with some hands you might otherwise 3B, and then fast-play your strongest hands post-flop. If you play a raise-or-fold strat from every position pre, you'll either piss everyone off when you run good, or you'll torch your stack when they all start calling to "best hand" you to death.
ETA - also agree with Garick. Keep your strat fairly ABC-simple, as described. Mostly bet for value, few if any bluffs, over-fold weak value, make your profit on one or two big pots, try not to lose your mind when your opponents suck out with ridiculous garbage.