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Momo · High Card Joined: 07 Jul 2007 Posts: 8

Hi all,

I live about 2 hours away from the nearest casino, so my opportunities to play live were limited until a poker room opened about 45 minutes from my house. Unfortunately they are limited to $1/$2 for cash games, and the only way to play no limit is in sit n' gos or MTT. It's the most economical for me to play cash games, which I have been doing. And I have been failing miserably. My premium hands are inevitably called to the river by hands like 69o that hit inside straights. People are constantly hitting two pair with KRag suited when I have AK. I've become pretty good at knowing when I'm beat in a hand and letting it go, but yet I'm still losing. The play is terrible, that's a fact. Yet the worst fish are sitting with 500 or 600 in chips when they bought in for 40 and I have no idea how to do the same. Any sort of strategy seems lost in this game - playing position, raising to get free cards, etc. I don't know what to do. Any suggestions on how to deal with a low limit live game where people will play any two cards to "see what happens"?

A related question is, how do you know when poker is just not your thing and you should quit? I have come close a few times recently.

cubbies760 · Posted: Sat Jul 07, 2007 2:56 am Post subject:

I'd say that you are at too low of a limit to discourage the calling stations. They don't see anything wrong with calling down any hand or any draw at that level. Either move up to higher limits (don't know if it's available to you), or tighten up and wait for a monster with this much action going to the river.

I also wonder if you are flopping big and not raising on the flop, in hopes of check/raising on the turn where the bet is bigger. Possibly you should be raising on the flop bet instead, to discourage the calling stations.

If they continue to call regardless, continue to play premium hands while betting and raising when you know you are ahead...you will be money ahead in the longrun.

sockerkid008 · Message Board Junkie Joined: 04 Dec 2006 Posts: 1174

well im not sure if your bankroll can handle this but you need to jump up a few levels to say $3 $6 or $5 $10 to start playing players that actually care about the game the $1 $2 limit and no limit tables are a joke in casinos. You need to play atleast $2 $5 nl at casinos and $3 $6 limit games

roxx · Posted: Sat Jul 07, 2007 5:13 am Post subject:

Well Momo i would have to tell you the complete opposite, U PLAY TOO TIGHT. I'm willing to guess your the guy who buy's in for 100 every time and is willing to wait 3-5 rotations to get a premuim hand like suited big slick, and then only calls the BB. The flop comes out Kd 4c 8H, your in fisrt position and you bet your big slick, it fold around to a player in mid-position who raises and its then folded back to you. Now here is where you make mistake #2, you just call. The turn in the 2s. This time you just want to see what your opponent might have so you check,(mistake #3) he checks and takes the free card. The river is the 3s and you come in firing, he raises, you re-raise, he caps it, and you call. You throw your cards over first in excitement thinking you just took the donkey for your best pot all night, and then he turns over K 2o.

If I'm right keep this thread open and I'll be more than willing to tell you some of my beats and maybe we can both get better cause brother this **** happens to me every day, both online and live.

If I'm wrong then tell me to shove-it and I'll mind my own business.

-roxx

Momo · High Card Joined: 07 Jul 2007 Posts: 8

So yes, I do play pretty tight, but I'm tight aggressive. Roxx, If I'm in your scenario with AK, I'm raising pre-flop. If there has already been a raise, I may just call that raise, but I'm never going to flop with AK for one bet. If the flop comes K high and someone bets back at me, I may call but I also re-raise. The problem is that the guy with K2 isn't going to dump his hand for just one more bet. And the flush won't scare him off either. At this card room I've seen people cap with Arag when straights and flushes are possible and be surprised that the A didn't hold up. But they aren't getting beat by straights or flushes - they are getting taken down by two pair. There's nothing to be done to discourage the calling stations.

I have tried loosening up a bit, playing decent suited connectors or suited Kings or Queens to a raise from a player I know will do things like raise with 106o.

roxx · Posted: Sat Jul 07, 2007 2:18 pm Post subject:

Well that was going to be my next post. Try going from TAG to LAG playing any two suited cards that can make a straaight. Like 8 6, or 10 6, or 9 5, or hell even 7 3 if they really are that bad of calling boxes. This is will open you up to playing about 68 percent of your starting hands. Hopefully this land you a few miracle river's yourself, but if it dosent it could get real expensive real quick. So make your moves at more opportune times , but all in all make more of them.

-roxx

fire_eyes_2k · Posted: Sat Jul 07, 2007 2:20 pm Post subject:

Interesting idea roxx, but I think you're just going to be building big pots and end up losing too many of them. In 1/2 games when someone raises, it's usually cos they are ahead rather than playing the free card move. Often reraising is correct to establish where you are in the hand, but if you meet even more aggression then its time to slow down.

The answer to beating the loose games is to loosen up yourself. Play more suited aces and connectors, especially with position. Use the free card play sparingly as people will see through it after about the third time you try. Do some more work on the numbers, for example do you know the exact odds you need to chase the following draws:

Open ended straight
Gutshot straight
Double Gutshot straight
4-flush
Hit a board with 2 overcards on the turn.

Remember to always count rake in this as well.

Sadly there's no magic formula to guarantee results, but remember that AA has to play like 22 if there are 6 people in the pot. Big powerful hands lose value, smaller speculative hands gain value.

fire_eyes_2k · Posted: Sat Jul 07, 2007 2:28 pm Post subject:

Momo · High Card Joined: 07 Jul 2007 Posts: 8

So fire_eyes, what sort of suited big cards should I be playing? I tend to throw away hands like K5s (unless in the blind or late position) but may call a raise with K10s.

fire_eyes_2k · Posted: Sat Jul 07, 2007 6:10 pm Post subject:

The only way I would be playing K5s is if it were from the SB and it only cost me half a small bet to complete. Hands like KTs, K9s and sometimes KJs look very nice. Sadly they are often dominated hands by things like KQ or AJ. It's usually a mistake to call 2 bets cold in LHE (so if someone raises and it comes to you as 2 small bets to call, then calling is usually an incorrect play.

However, if you're in the cutoff or on the button with KTs and you get 1 raiser and 4 callers in front of you, calling is probably correct. The pot will be 11.5 Small bets and it costs you 2 to play on. When the flop comes remember what you're looking for, top pair will frequently be no good in these pots, so youre looking for straights, flushes and 2pairs or better. They don't come around often but you're looking to take down a big pot when you hit, although be prepared to fold the flop if you hit top pair and get a lot of action.

Personally I'd rather play 78s or A2s that KTs, due to their increased straight strength and nut-flush strength respectively.

Momo · High Card Joined: 07 Jul 2007 Posts: 8

Yeah A2s is my favorite LHE to play for exactly the reasons you stated. I'm always scared of playing K,Q,Jrag suited because even if I flop a flush or flush draw, the person who has any face card above me will stay in till the river hoping to hit the bigger flush. Because I've been on a bad streak, I haven't even thought about playing Krag or Qrag from any position, except the BB. But I've also stopped playing hands like 78s which I think has been a mistake.

On a separate but related note, how do you play position when you know the people playing against you aren't giving any consideration to it?

fire_eyes_2k · Posted: Sat Jul 07, 2007 7:32 pm Post subject:

roxx · Posted: Sat Jul 07, 2007 10:16 pm Post subject:

Well fire eyes,

I applaud your well read knowledge of the game, you truly are a "forum pro" and I'm sure your an online genius as well, the only problem here is that ole' momo isnt playing online. He's playing live. He's playing live in a cardroom that has just recently opened. The cardroom in question may even serve alcohol. All of these things add up to an environment of "pure luck", that all but for the last life's of it, takes "poker skill" out of the equation.

I play on the northcoast of california, where money grows on trees. LoL. The only way to beat a slot machine, as we call them, is to pull the lever and hope it pays off. I know this may seem a little extreme and it is, but you have to be just as extreme as your opponents.

Now I'm saying this guy should go in there and cap every hand with any 2 cards. But I am saying he needs to make alot mre 2 bet calls preflop to see if he hits something. If he hits anyhting, he more than likely has this table beat. Play any suited connectors, single gap, or double gap, and play triple gap suited connectors when your low card is a 6 or higher, i.e 10 6s, J 7s, Q 8s...etc.

Momo all in all you have gotten good advice here, dont let out petty squabbling over just HOW loose you should play detere you from the real advice at heart....LOOSEN UP......just a little.

Oh and Fire plz dont insult my intelligence, nothing I say is dumb. I may at times not be completely correct, but I 'm never dumb. You wouldnt want me calling you names now would you.

-roxx

Momo · High Card Joined: 07 Jul 2007 Posts: 8

Not that it matters all that much but the Momo is a she.

roxx · Posted: Sat Jul 07, 2007 10:44 pm Post subject:

Well *@*ahumph*@*.....cough,cough.

LOL

Sorry about that.

-roxx

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