How Should I Play in This Game?
03-26-2015
, 05:46 AM
Private $1.5/4 LLSNL game. There are a combination of the following villains in the game.
Hero
Image varies from session to session. Lately, tired of performing poorly, finally decided to buckle down, playing TAG from EP/MP, loosening up in LP. Was working out well, until I almost completely lost my **** last session after getting 1-outer sucked out on in a massive pot, followed by flopping a set on an extremely dry runout, only to lose to a turned set.
Villain 1
Tight PF, straightforward post flop, folds most missed flops, raise means big hand
Villain 2
Super loose/medium aggression PF, I would guess like 80/30. Calling raises (especially if already limped) with just about anything. Calling station after the flop, willing to take **** draws far "to gamble" Also buys in for 400bb (everyone else around 100-200bb)
Villain 3
TAG, plays like fish but talks like a good player
Villain 4
LAG, good understanding of the game, opens wide, very aggressive, but perhaps a little too wide OOP.
Villain 5
LAG, AI happy (but usually correctly, contrasting with rest of table, who are a little more AI-adverse). Capable of 3-barreling/calling 3 barrel bluffs
Pre-Flop Game
1. Limping is rampant
2. Straddles can be seen maybe once per orbit on average (2bb)
3. Raising is present, but there are still limped pots. Almost all raises are between 3bb and 6bb, with the most frequent being 5bb.
4. Light 3-bets are essentially non-existent. 3-bets and 4-bets are basically always at least QQ+
4a. Calling 3-bets is a different matter. See 5.
5. Generally an extremely wide limp/call and maybe even limp/call/call range, somewhat inelastic to the raise size
Example of 5: Hero is straddling UTG (one and only time I straddled all night). Action folds to MP, who calls 2bb. One more caller and it folds to hero, who makes it 8bb to go with A
Q
. Flop comes J-7-2r, hero c-bets standard size, MP calls. Turn: blank, hero checks, MP bets standard size, hero raises essentially AI, MP calls. Hero binks A on the river. MP shows J4o.
My play wasn't great, but this is more to show that people are willing to call PF straddle/raise with absolute ****. I'm frequently asking myself after a showdown (not necessarily mine) "why the hell did he call the PF raise with that hand...?"
Anyways, the point of this post was to try to get some idea of how to play this game. Isolating is hard due to the calling nature of the players. Playing multi-way is hard because it's essentially a flop-fest, and I can't get people to fold their TPNK.
What about the following?
1. 3-bet light PF more often, especially against the limping players that can find the fold button?
2. Size PFR even bigger to try to isolate with value hands. 6-8bb?
Post-Flop Play
1. People are willing to continue with almost any piece of the board
2. Any kind of draw gives the green light to c/c
3. Not thinking about odds much when drawing. Draw to the probable nuts = gogogo
I would like a discussion of an outline of a strategy that beats this game. My TAG from early, veer towards LAG in LP strategy was working more or less until my 2 blowup hands. Maybe this is still the correct strategy? I've been reading about how a more LAGgy approach might be more profitable? Thoughts?
Thanks in advance,
Ed
Hero
Image varies from session to session. Lately, tired of performing poorly, finally decided to buckle down, playing TAG from EP/MP, loosening up in LP. Was working out well, until I almost completely lost my **** last session after getting 1-outer sucked out on in a massive pot, followed by flopping a set on an extremely dry runout, only to lose to a turned set.
Villain 1
Tight PF, straightforward post flop, folds most missed flops, raise means big hand
Villain 2
Super loose/medium aggression PF, I would guess like 80/30. Calling raises (especially if already limped) with just about anything. Calling station after the flop, willing to take **** draws far "to gamble" Also buys in for 400bb (everyone else around 100-200bb)
Villain 3
TAG, plays like fish but talks like a good player
Villain 4
LAG, good understanding of the game, opens wide, very aggressive, but perhaps a little too wide OOP.
Villain 5
LAG, AI happy (but usually correctly, contrasting with rest of table, who are a little more AI-adverse). Capable of 3-barreling/calling 3 barrel bluffs
Pre-Flop Game
1. Limping is rampant
2. Straddles can be seen maybe once per orbit on average (2bb)
3. Raising is present, but there are still limped pots. Almost all raises are between 3bb and 6bb, with the most frequent being 5bb.
4. Light 3-bets are essentially non-existent. 3-bets and 4-bets are basically always at least QQ+
4a. Calling 3-bets is a different matter. See 5.
5. Generally an extremely wide limp/call and maybe even limp/call/call range, somewhat inelastic to the raise size
Example of 5: Hero is straddling UTG (one and only time I straddled all night). Action folds to MP, who calls 2bb. One more caller and it folds to hero, who makes it 8bb to go with A
Q. Flop comes J-7-2r, hero c-bets standard size, MP calls. Turn: blank, hero checks, MP bets standard size, hero raises essentially AI, MP calls. Hero binks A on the river. MP shows J4o.My play wasn't great, but this is more to show that people are willing to call PF straddle/raise with absolute ****. I'm frequently asking myself after a showdown (not necessarily mine) "why the hell did he call the PF raise with that hand...?"
Anyways, the point of this post was to try to get some idea of how to play this game. Isolating is hard due to the calling nature of the players. Playing multi-way is hard because it's essentially a flop-fest, and I can't get people to fold their TPNK.
What about the following?
1. 3-bet light PF more often, especially against the limping players that can find the fold button?
2. Size PFR even bigger to try to isolate with value hands. 6-8bb?
Post-Flop Play
1. People are willing to continue with almost any piece of the board
2. Any kind of draw gives the green light to c/c
3. Not thinking about odds much when drawing. Draw to the probable nuts = gogogo
I would like a discussion of an outline of a strategy that beats this game. My TAG from early, veer towards LAG in LP strategy was working more or less until my 2 blowup hands. Maybe this is still the correct strategy? I've been reading about how a more LAGgy approach might be more profitable? Thoughts?
Thanks in advance,
Ed
03-26-2015
, 06:38 AM
03-26-2015
, 10:10 AM
Quote:
Maybe you're over-thinking things a bit?
Often in poker you make the right decisions and still lose. Don't change your game, work on your mentality.
Adjustments:
1. Raise a bit lighter against PF calling stations, isolate whenever possible
2. Value bet the hell out of everyone
3. Uncompleted draws on the board + your made hand = bomb the pot
4. Don't call raises PF without strong holdings
5. Generally (save for a few situations) tight is right.
If you noticed your strategy was working, well, don't tweak it too much it until your opponents adjust to you. This may never happen.
Often in poker you make the right decisions and still lose. Don't change your game, work on your mentality.
Adjustments:
1. Raise a bit lighter against PF calling stations, isolate whenever possible
2. Value bet the hell out of everyone
3. Uncompleted draws on the board + your made hand = bomb the pot
4. Don't call raises PF without strong holdings
5. Generally (save for a few situations) tight is right.
If you noticed your strategy was working, well, don't tweak it too much it until your opponents adjust to you. This may never happen.
Should I just bomb the pot with like 8-10bb when I have premium holdings and just hope someone comes along?
2. Agree. One problem I encounter though: lets say I hold A
K
and head to a 4-way flop of A9-6. I think I'm holding the best hand at the moment, and so I bet for value. The guy with 87o calls, the guy with calls, and the guy with A2o calls. At this point, 43% of turns result in my hand being dominated. Solution??? Bigger flop bet? If so, how much is appropriate when I flop a hand of this strength, but I think I have the best hand atm on a wet board?3. Yep, but even calling stations don't call with busted draws on the river, right? Haha
4. On the one hand, this is a rather obvious tip. But on the other hand, wouldn't this be the type of game I'd want to call lighter more often?
5. I'm starting to think in #1, lighter doesn't mean wider...
I'm not trying to change my game because I got double coolered in short succession. I'm just wondering what the best strategy is in general (be that what I was doing to begin with, or otherwise, so I can adjust better).