Hi everyone, I'm having some troubles handling tables with an high percentage of players that really can't live without seeing the flop with ATC. Two examples:
1) I'm in late position preflop, BTN or blinds; all the villains acting before me call the BB, I've got a hand worth playing but there are big chances that at least two players would call my raise, even a large one, with the pot getting too big;
2) probably even worst, I'm in EP, I open raise and I receive at the very least three calls.
How to handle this weird situations? In the first case I usually squeeze only with premium hands (AA to QQ, AK) but I've got some doubts about the size, overlimp with very good hands (but I'm not to sure about the range here) and fold everything else (also good cards like KTs or ATs). On the flop, if I'm OOP I bet only with TPTK or more (and I usually go all-in, since the pot is already too big and I would be committed by the turn if I get a call or, even worse, two or more), and check almost anything else (check-fold if villain, as usual, makes a pot size bet or if I don't hit anything, check-call if his bets his lower than half the pot and I have a hand that could improve on later streets); IP I'm having more doubts, since many times those monkeys are betting the pot or overbetting even with A or K high card. Problem is, even with premium hands like AK your equity falls down dramatically when you're playing this kind of family pot. And also with KK, QQ I'm not always sure of what to do when an ace comes on the flop (or even a paired board), especially if I'm playing OOP.
In the second case, well, I do pretty much the same, except that the pot is usually a bit smaller (since I raise x3 preflop, x4 if I'm MP and UTG open-limps and I'm not squeezing after 3-4-5 call), but the fact that the amount of money to call is smaller makes it even easiear for the villains to call, so the number of players involved is even bigger.
These pots are the ones that are causing me the biggest troubles, I'm losing a lot on these kind of hands, so I'd really appreciate opinions or suggestions from anyone. Thanks and sorry for my english, I'm not a native speaker.

You really shouldn't be losing a lot of money in these kinds of hands...can you post some examples of hands where you feel you're struggling?

First example
UTG (1.89€)
MP (3.59€).
CO HERO (3.18€).
BTN (2.15€).
SB (0.80€).
BB (10.31€).

HERO received card: [Kc]
HERO received card: [Kh]

UTG calls (0.04)
MP calls (0.04)
HERO raises (0.20)
BTN calls (0.20)
SB calls (0.18)
BB calls (0.16)
UTG folds
MP folds

POT 0.88€

*** FLOP ***: [3c 6d 4h]
SB (0.60€) checks
BB (10.11€) checks
HERO (2.98€) bets (0.60)
BTN allin (1.95)
SB folds
BB calls (1.95)
HERO allin (2.38)
BB calls (1.03)
*** TURN ***: [3c 6d 4h] [7c]
*** RIVER ***: [3c 6d 4h 7c] [Jh]
------ Summary ------
Pot: 8.27. Rake 0.52
Board: [3c 6d 4h 7c Jh]
HERO shows: One pair of Ks [Kc Kh]. Bets: 3.18. Collects: 2.06. Loses: 1.12.
SB shows: Two pairs. 4s and 3s [4d 3s]. Bets: 2.15. Collects: 6.21. Wins: 4.06.
BB shows: One pair of 7s [Ad 7d]. Bets: 3.18. Collects: 0. Loses: 3.18.

Luckily here SB was short and since only two players had already called preflop before I was to act the pot wasn't that big as sometimes happens.

I'll try to post other examples lately, anyway, it's not that I'm losing much money on a single pot, the fact is that, since almost every pot is a family pot, I'm almost forced to play with only 4-5% of the hole cards and even when I got a premium hand like AK, if I don't hit the flop, and I check-fold, I lose the money I put on preflop, which was a large bet. On the long run it becomes a large amount of money, I guess (I have a short history about this, since I first faced this kind of situations on a PR in which I started playing a month ago).

1/3 times you'll hit an TPTK w/AK and you can usually win a big pot though, which more than compensates for the times you have AK and have to c/f flop after raising it to .20 cents

Write down if they can limp/fold or not. If they cant fold constantly make your raises a little bit bigger and try to squeeze as much value out of them preflop as you can. Use hands which are Topppair heavy. You lose a lot of value if you dont raise hands like QT IP. If you flop TP just bet/fold bet/fold bet/fold.
Limp behind speculative hands if there arent aggressive players behind you .

Actually, that's what I'm doing, heavy raises but obviously the problem is they never fold preflop, no matter how big is the raise. I'm also value betting hands like TPTK, the doubts I have are:
1) how large my squeeze range should be? You're suggesting me to squeeze even with hands like QT, but since I'm putting a lot of money in the pot (and I'm pretty sure at the very least two players are going to call) I'm risking the pot gets too big, and you want a bit more equity to play such big pots
2) what kind of speculative hands should I overlimp? Even medium suited connectors? No aggressive players anyway, at least preflop
3) on the flop, how to play hands like second pair?
4) if there's a paired board after the flop, I have TPTK, I bet and villain re-raise me should I fold or go all-in?

another example:

UTG (1.77).
MP (1.57).
CO (0.97).
BT (5.70).
SB HERO (4.36).
BB (3.98).
CO (0.02) as a dead bet
CO posts (0.04)
HERO received card: [Qc]
HERO received card: [Kd]
UTG calls (0.04)
MP folds
CO checks
BTN (0.04)
HERO raises (0.18)
BB folds
UTG calls (0.16)
CO folds
BTN calls (0.16)

*** FLOP ***: [Ah Qs 9h]
HERO checks
UTG bets (0.44)
BTN folds
HERO folds


Ok, first of all, I was a bit tilted here, since I got three bad beats in a row, so I made some mistakes. The first one is that I didn't notice there was a dead bet, so the raise wasn't large enough. Moreover, maybe I should have bet the flop. The thing is I'm totally OOP, there are still two players to act before me, so there are real good chances that my queens aren't good. This is one of the things I'm finding more difficult to deal with.

1) If you are on the button i would raise QT 100%. OOP is fine to complete if you arent comfortable oop in a raised pot. The reason why you want to raise is that fishes like to limp with hands like T7s etc. If you both miss you can win with a cbet(knowing when, against whom and how much to cbet is important here). If you both hit take him to valuetown and dont be scared to lay your hand down if villain shows agression
2) It depends on your postflopskills . I would complete anythin that has potential (think about the immediate odds you get, so nutpeddling (2p+) isnt that bad). Try to steal pots postflop nobody is intrested in. For example try leading a 224 board if you have 36s. (Attention here: Dont spew after you get called)
3) It depends somewhat on the board and the villains. Usually bet/fold.
4) I assume you mean something like KQ on a K66 board. This depends on your villain. Its hard to give you the right answer without reads. But against villains who never shows agression a laydown cant be too wrong.

thx for your answer, but maybe I didn't explain well. I'm talking about massive multipots, where everyone limps and at the very least two villains call me when I squeeze. I raise QT almost 100% of the time from the button, especially if everyone acting before me folds (or even if there's only one limper), and I go for c-bet most of the time (except for very wet flop). I'm talking about situations where I'm on the BTN or on the blinds, everyone limps and I have to squeeze, knowing that at the very least two villains are going to call. It's right to squeeze even with hands like QT? It seems a bit risky to me, but obviously it's just my opinion and there are great chances I'm wrong In that case it's right to c-bet even against two or three villains on the flop? I'd say no, or maybe only occasionally when I'm IP and everyone checks, but the pot is already big (most of the time over 25 BB) and a solid bet would almost always means committing myself into the pot.
2) ok, I'm actually doing it very often, especially against nits. It is correct to do it with a tighter range against villains that would check-raise with almost ATC? Or to bet against them only with a made hand?
3) Two kind of villains: first one likes to call two streets, even without nothing (just to be sure they got all their chances to improve their hands LOL) who most likely won't be raising without a good hand, but would call two streets; other one who calls and bet the pot if you check the turn even with air, or that would raise the flop (or even shove) even if they didn't hit it because they have good hole cards (like AK to AT, or KQ, or a pocket pair with three overcards on the flop). What kind of stats should I look for in HUD to identify in which category goes oppo? Post-flop agg?
4) Yes, that's the case. But as before, I'm talking about multiway pots. Take the example I posted before, I hold the KQ and the flop is AQ9. Oppo could hold ANYTHING, or nearly, he limps almost always, even with pocket pairs, the only exceptions are big pocket pairs (JJ to AA, sometimes he would limp even JJ) and maybe AK and is not afraid to call a big squeeze ATC (the other day one villain called me, I had AA, he had 9c-5c, ace on the flop, two clubs, I push, he calls, club on the river, okay, that's another story, the only thing that matters is that he could hold really ATC, and there are at least two players in). Another good example is a pot like Q77, with my hole cards being AQ. The problem is, the pot is already big, if I bet with middle pair and I get a call I'm not sure if I have fold equity by the turn...

thx for your attention, really helpful!

Dont cbet if you miss when they call that often. Stat to look at is foldtocbet%. Do the math how often they have to fold to a cbet to a particular betsize.
If they call that often, dont be afraid to put a second value bet in on the turn even with 2nd pair. Tailor your betsizes in a way that they can still call with worse and you wont loose to much to a better hand.
The example you give here means payday: AQ on Q77 after you squeezed some limpers preflop is the nuts against them unless they will raise you. Just bet big and depending on stacksizes bet or shove any Turn. Even a King isnt that much of a scarecard.

Its really hard to answer here generally. My advice to you: make some new threads with some example hands. And ask for advice.

Move up to where they respect your raises.

Seriously though, OP, this is a dream situation. Throughout the hand, don't bet for fold equity - just bet for value. Preflop, for example, with
(1) Hands that make high pairs. I'd raise with these OTB because you'll get called by hands you dominate. If players are really as sticky as you say, don't cbet the flop when you miss - but bet hard for value when you hit.
(2) Hands that play well multiway. I'd limp behind with small PP and suited connectors - take advantage of those great odds you're being given - and then bet when you hit, fold when you whiff. They'll pay you off.

To answer your more specific questions, I would definitely overlimp with medium suited connectors. With second pair, as a general rule, if there are a lot (>3) of other players in the pot I'll usually just fold; if there are fewer, bet/fold is probably good. For paired board / TPTK situations, and for better advice on what to do with second pair, you need to post hand histories; the questions are just too broad.