Ok, looking for just a general "mindset" to take with me. I've actually gone to this game two times in the last couple weeks.

Game is an underground "home game" $2/$5 with a $5 rake where the host supplies food/drinks, 2 dealers that rotate (they are paid but accepted tips). Players come and go constantly, in the 2 sessions I've played, there have probably been 30 unique players or so. Table will seat 12 and they will deal up to that many in the hand. Players are predominantly middle aged blue collar "country boys" with a few younger guys sprinkled in.

Couple unique things about this game, in accustomed to buying in for 100bb's but this game, the largest starting stack I've seen so far is $200 (40bb's). But a good majority of the players will rebuy over and over and eventually it gets a little deeper (100-175bb's). It seems to be a fairly loose game, although I wouldn't say it is particularly passive. Lots of gambol in this group though.

History: I've bought in for $200 both times and ran it up to over $500 both times. Playing few hands, but playing moderately aggressive when I did. One fairly large pot I won with Q6o after one of the players continually talked about that being his favorite/lucky hand... Decided to play it (and show when I folded) just for image purposes to appear looser than actually was playing, turned two pair that was good and did not get paid on river and showed it. All other showdown hands were value hands.

Couple questions I have are:

Buy in deeper? Is there any point to buying in deeper than the biggest effective stack? Does this alter my image to these players or are they drooling too much to notice anyway other than to want to "hit the big stack"?

General play style? I'm usually fairly TAGish but will loosen up my opening range after my openings start getting massive respect, also will loosen up my over-limp range when it appears limping is majorly likely to not be raised. Is this the optimum approach here? One note, when limping wider I am looking for 2pr+ to continue past flop.

Have only seen one opponent here who genuinely seems to understand anything beyond level 0, and he has shown me major respect and generally stays out of my pots unless holding premiums. As do I. Is this a villain I should be playing back at lighter when in a HU situation to take advantage of image?

Looking forward to discussion, thanks.

The stack size is only relevant on deep your opponents are, except if u buy in deep for a loose gambling image. If u are playing up to 12 handed tight is right, don't bother playing back a t anyone with short stakes especially against the one decent thinker. This sounds like a 2/5 game I could sink my teeth into.

I would only buyin for what the biggest stack is. Buy more if stacks get bigger. I would play tight but would be playing a lot of pp's and sc's. Really don't like the idea of playing 12 handed though

I have no experience playing 12-handed. So I'm thinking tighten up. I think that your best off to just buy-in for what the biggest stack is. No point is slapping down a grand if everyone else has $200.

If you are getting a lot of pre-flop callers/action I would most certainly tighten up post flop as well. Don't try and bluff off short stacks. Guys like to buy in short so that they feel like they don't need to fold their TP.

definitely agree with buying in at similar levels to others until you know the scene a little better.

in a game this good i don't think you need to worry about trying to play back / isolate the one other semi-competent person in the room. i mean if a perfect scenario comes up, do it, but don't be a goon.

when the game is shallow, you want to be playing very tight and ABC. fine to make the occasional loose play for show and to keep things friendly but overall, until it gets deep your speculative hands go way down in value.