I'm wondering what people think about the classic maxim of play loose against tight players and tight against loose players. I think there's a lot of truth to it, but that it's an oversimplification - it leaves out aggression levels, play on multiple streets, etc. So I'd like to outline some basic strategies I use pf and on the flop when I'm at a table that seems either too loose passive or loose aggressive. (I usually play 1/2, where loose-passive or loose-aggressive tables are somewhat common). I've heard that 1/2 is all about hit-to-win poker, so I look for ways to see cheap flops, and walk away when I miss a flop and try to play for stacks if I have a set or better.

Loose Passive Tables

I'm usually excited to find myself at a table that involves a lot of pf limping w/ players who often call c-beta and fold to a turn bet. With a lot of limping, I can see cheap flops w drawing hands. With a lot of pf raise callers, you can often get paid for premium hands.

Preflop, With no raise in front:

EP: Almost never raise out. Limp w any pair, AKs-ATs, AKo-AQo, KQs. Sometimes raise AKs, QQ-TT. Often l/rr w AA, KK and sometimes AK,QQ, JJ, TT

MP: Raise AA-TT, AKs/o, AQ-ATs. Limp lower pairs, AJ-ATs, AQo, SCs: KQs-98s, KTs, QTs

LP: Raise AA-77, AK-ATs, AK-AJo, KQ-JTs, KJs-QTs, KTs. Limp: smaller pairs, offsuit broadways, suited connectors, any suited ace, K9-K8s.

Any position I'm 3 betting AA-QQ, and sometimes reraising AK, JJ, TT.

With a raise before me, I'm dumping most of the limping hands except small pocket pairs and flatting or reraising with the raising hands.

On the flop -

EP - Often c-betting when heads-up if I raised pf; when multi-way, bet out sets on suited or A-high boards; almost always bet out 2-pair, often c/c tpgk

MP - Slightly more c-bets, more bets w tpgk. If table is not on to me, make smallish pot-builder bets w draws

LP: Even more c-bets, even against multiple players w a-high boards, paired boards, boards w 2 of a suit, and garbage flops. More cautious on monochrome boards, straightening boards or boards w multiple broadway. Almost always bet tpgk or better multiway, and sometimes betting 2nd pair, good kicker. Still only slowplaying monsters (flopped straight w rainbow board, or better). Instead of pot builders, I often will bet 2/3 pot w SD or FD, as FE is high when checked around on boards w potential SDs and FDs.

Loose Aggressive Tables

When there is a lot of pre-flop raising, I tighten my range and play much more aggressively with moderately strong hands in late position and c/c or c/r more in early position

PF In an unopened pot:

EP: Never raise out. Limp Any pp, AK-AQs, KQs, AKo. Reraise AA-TT, AKs/o, AQs

MP: Raise AA-TT, AKs-AJs, AKo-AQo, KQs. Limp w any smaller pair, ATs, KJs, KTs, QJs, JTs, KQo

LP: Raise AA-88, AK-A9s, AK-AJo, KQs-KTs, QJs, JTs. Limp lower pairs, smaller suited aces, ATo, 98-87s, QTs-97s

On the flop:

EP: Here I am much more likely to c/c tptk on safe boards, and c/r if there are multiple callers before or others waiting to act. This is to prevent playing a big pot OOP and multiway w just tptk. I'll even fold tpgk if the action gets too crazy behind me. Often bet right out 2-pair and sets multi-way and often shoving over the top if I get raised. Almost never semi-bluffing.

MP: More likely to bet out tpgk. c/c 2nd pair gk. Mostly betting two-pair and sets. Occassional semi-bluffs, but more cautiously. Check or small bets for flushes and houses. Big bets w straights if two of a suit on board.

LP: Almost always betting tpgk, and raising or folding if I get raised (If signs point to semi-bluff, raise; if signs point to 2-pair or better, fold). Always betting 2-pair. Only checking sets and straights if it seems there is no interest whatsoever. Checking flushes and houses. C-betting much more cautiously when I catch air, for fear of c/r (maybe 35-40% and usually when I raised pf w/o an ace and ace on flop gets checked around w less than 4 players in the hand) . Also semi-bluffing more cautiously, and only making solid semi-bluffs, no pot builders.

Generally I play more cautiously against aggressive players, as I want to avoid raises and check-raises. I generally try to control pot size at these aggressive tables, but I'm wondering if more c-betting or value betting is in order - probably one or the other, but not both. The upside is that these players view me as a nit, so I can get away with occassional bluffs, but given the action at these tables, you can easily lose your stack with a bluff gone bad, so bluff sparingly.


Hopefully this isn't all obvious, and hopefully someone has an idea if I'm missing value or exposing myself to unecessary danger here, as I do soemtimes check or bet small with strong hands. Again, I keep hearing how much low-limit games are about ABC poker, and I'm trying to come up with a summary of what exactly ABC poker is.

Looks to me like the basics of ABC poker. You really broke it down there, one thing i'd like to comment on though, you say Never raise EP with AK, AQ, 1010, ext... I would argue that you should almost ALWAYS raise with good hands, wether your at a tight or aggro table.

Don't play scared for be afraid to be an instigator, and don't confuse aggressive, with loose. If a player is going to call your bets preflop with Q7o, and maybe throw one bluffy bet out there, that's not really aggressive as it is loose and spewy.

In other words, Raise EP with AK, cause you want just 1 caller, hopefully with AQ or less, instead of 5 to the flop, cause you limped. That's how you get iced with hands you never see coming. By raising and not limping, you can still win more with 1 player to the flop, instead of limping, and getting 5 to the flop.

Edit:
Didn't read the last pharagraph of your post, sorry. ABC poker just good fundamentals, usually Tight/aggressive. And protecting your good hands preflop with a raise is good ABC poker.