So started playing again live poker at my local club in Italy and it's full of new faces. So I would like some input on what my options are for ranges and opens in what I consider a rather loose game.

So to start the game is 25/50 cents euro blinds with a mandatory 1 euro straddle. The rake is 10% and every hour the biggest hand at the table wins a jackpot fo 50 euros. So the game is pretty hard to beat with high rake but players are so loose I think it is worth playing. Plus in 3 sessions I have won the jackpot 3 times as getting a full house usually will win jackpot.

So my issue is with what hands to open, how much for, and how to treat limpers. So my first two sessions back were a mess, EP usually limps and everybody comes along. I will have a decent hand like Ax, broadway, or even QQ and raise to 7-8 euros and everybody will come along just about.

Anyway started adjusting my play and started raising bigger to 10-12 euros depending on position when there are 2-3 limpers and that has been getting the job done in finally taking pots pre-flop. So the bigger raises plus some monster showdowns has gotten my opponents to now respect my opens a bit more.

My question is what should my open size be in such a crazy game? Take for example 88 UTG I had yesterday. Now in the past I would for sure throw this hand away as I would open 6 euros get 5-6 callers and basically would need a set to win. But now expecting maybe 2-3 callers is this something I should open? 6 euros is more than 3 times the pot. My feeling is that if I am opening that big I better make sure I win the pot a lot or I am going to get bled out. But when I look at pre-flop ranges 88 is an open always but my guess is they assume a 2.5x open not a 6x open.

Is there some kind of mathematical concept I can use to figure out how much I should restrict my opening range based on my sizing? I know for sure I do not want to go multiway so often which will require a rather big size as my opponents are quite frankly crazy.

Boy that bonus really changes the calculus.

How many players are competing for the $50?

Obviously the bonus increases the value of checking to showdown but someone more experienced than me will have to give you specifics.

What happens if you flop 4 OAK or a full house and everyone folds?

It sounds like a good game to me. BTW, 88 is exactly the kind of hand you should want to play in a game like that. I guess your question is HOW do you play it? The thing about these real live games is that you have to get your head around the idea that IT IS GOING TO TAKE BETTER THAN TOP PAIR TO WIN BIG POTS.

You kind of address this in your post, ... there are 2 things you can do, 1) Raise so big that you limit the field to heads up or 3 way. In a lot of live games 10x raises are common and I have seen 15x open raises, so do whatever you are comfortable with and whatever you think will get the job done. 2) Limp/Overlimp or raise so small that it is practically a limp - and just embrace the whole multiway thing.

In these games, pairs, suited connectors, 1 gappers, suited Broadways and Axs are good hands to play multiway and you should feel good about getting in cheap in multiway pots. Just remember, when you play a hand like KTs, you are not looking to put a lot of money in with one pair, you are looking for a good draw to a flush or a straight.

QQ+, AK-AQ are good hands to play for overpairs or top pair and with these hands you do want to raise big to limit the field if the pot comes to you unopened or limped, but that is very few hands. In late position you can also play AJ/KQ and AT/KJ for top pair value if the pot is unopened when it gets to you or iso if there is just 1 limper, but because of the nature of the game, the pot will generally be multiway by the time it gets to late position, in which case it is fine to overlimp with AJ,AT,KQ,KJ and you should probably fold those hands to raises if they are off suited.

Good luck.