I've been playing in these Zoom .50/1 home games during COVID-19. The table is anywhere from 4 to 9 players and a typical hand is that most players limp in. If I pick up a hand like AK, AQ, 88-AA, KQ suited, KJ suited I'll generally start my raise as 4.50 and add a dollar for every limper.

For the most part guys only reraise with AA-JJ, AK.

Question #1 - I've been folding hands like suited connectors, A10o, etc under the gun or early position. I'm assuming this is standard?

In a ton of spots I'm raising AJ, KQ, AK, A10 suited up to $11 and getting 4 callers.

When the flop comes all low cards I've either given up if there's action in front (typically goes bet/call or bet/raise) or I just check.

Last night I played and I ended up raising and check/folding flops and turns for about 4 hours. I ended up losing $200 because I lost a race for $100 and ended up folding $100 worth of hands because I didn't make a pair when I raised to $10-15 and was called 4 ways.

Thoughts on being creative in these games? Is limping more hands a strategy? My one friend said I'm playing way too nitty and the best strategy i to raise to $15 and pot every street representing Aces when I miss with AK because guys tense up calling big bets on later streets. I think this is somewhat viable on certain board textures but I've seen some absurd calldowns.

Any help would be appreciated.

As a tag along here are two examples of hands 6 handed.

Each has ~200 or more

UTG calls $1, fold, HJ calls $1, I have KQ suited on button and raise to $6.50. BB calls, UTG calls, HJ calls.

Flop : 10 7 3 rainbow

Check, check, check to me. I fire $16 (is this spew?)

2nd hand example.

I'm in SB with AKo. UTG limps, UTG +1 limps, HJ limps, button folds, I raise to $11.50, BB calls, UTG calls, UTG +1 folds.

Flop : 9s 8s 3h

Hero?

3rd hand example

UTG limps, fold, fold, Hero raises to $5.50 on button with pocket 7s, SB calls, BB folds, UTG calls.

Flop : Jc 6c 4s

Check, check, hero bets $10.50, SB raises to $28, fold, hero folds

Just play tight and value bet, like you are, until they start folding. Limping along with hands that flop big (low pairs, suited conns) is fine too I think if you aren't first in.

Main things are though

1) It will be high variance, as you will get sucked out on, so don't tilt.

2) Don't play so nitty that you aren't fun and they don't want to play with you anymore.

Ok, thanks. Mainly very lost in spots where I have AK, AQ, KQ suited, get called 3-4 ways and the flop is bland like

442, 10 7 3, 9 6 2 rainbow, etc.

If it comes 8 9 J, or 456 with 2 clubs I basically check / fold.

Are they bluffing if you check? Yeah it's annoying when you miss, but no need to get attached to those hands.

yes, if they miss the flop completely and you check they'll fire pot sensing you are weak. Also if they hit any part of the flop (pair, straight draw, flush draw) etc they'll call the flop and turn. Possibly a river bet if they have top or mid pair.

Example : I raised J9 on button. SB called, flop was A 9 4. SB check called, 3/4ths pot.

Turn : Q. Check, check

River : 8. He led for pot, I folded my jack and he showed pocket 3s.

So I guess I'm getting bluffed in spots.

Maybe I change my advice on value betting then - sometimes you want to induce bluffs heads up. Multiway though, just value bet.

If you miss, then don't get too fancy, the benefit of playing tight isn't because AK is entitled to win pots, it's because you will win when you both hit as you hit better.

Last thing. I called an open with 89 spades. 6 people called. Each have ~$200.

Flop : Ks 8d 3s

Raiser leads for $32 (he's the pocket 3s guy in the hand above. Loose but not completely out of line in multiway pots). I have 3 people behind (button & blinds). I raise to $98 hating flatting and folding with pair + flush draw...

Perhaps consider just always checking until someone gets the hint that you are letting them bet your nuts for you.

Edit: i'd also consider calling down with hands better than 3rd pair. And if you run into worse than 3rd pair a lot, call down with 3rd pair also.

Also, bet your big pp huge pre, like 15 or more until people start folding. Then add in some bluffs.

If most pots are limped, play anything that has big hand potential: SCs, suiteds, all pp. Limp along and only stick around if you hit hard. That's my advice. You can't raise implied odds hands if no one folds. You don't have fold equity, and you raise away your implied odds.

Take notes at the table. Keep track of how much people bet and call, what hands they bet, call, check. What they show up with on the river after 3 barreling or calling down. Keep track of each player. Study it and visualize them at the table as you do. You have the opportunity to make a ton here, but there will be variance.

Patience. Its important understand you wont win every single pots, neither the majority of them just because your opponents have bad hands. You havent been playing a hand for a long time, raised AK, got a T8s5s flop 4 ways: just C/F, its ok.

In a 5 ways you show profit if you won on the flop 1 time out of 5 and C/F all the others.

You can be a winning player at these tables just by taking 1 pot out of 10 in which you r involved just by value-betting and winning largest pots on the average.

Dont CB blindly hoping 3/+ players to fold, your just bulding big pots with bad hands and losing your equity when CR. Check back overcards and reevaluate unless everybody is weak loose which I dont believe is the case.