Real life games, advice...

Ok, so I'm an intermediate player. I play NL hold'em some online and quite abit in real life. I usually do pretty good, but I've ran into a slight problem as of late. The group of people I've been playing with for the past couple months play extremely loose. They seem to always see the flop and always try to limp to the end. The problem is this has been biting me in the ass quite abit. I seem to be getting beat with junk hands alot.

My question is what advice do you folks offer to come out on top in these type of game. I try to stay tight and play my premium hands, but like I said above it doesn't seem to work out.

I also raise preflop just to see it called, even if they don't have a thing. I'm not really sure what other steps to take.

Over bet your great hands when you know you're ahead. When everyone is limping, limp with a hand that can easily sprout a monster. (low pocket pair, suited connectors) And strike.

-'rilla

I know the feeling, especially when you are playing limit. My hg (.5/1 limit) there were usually at least 4-5 in each hand and people would call to the river with anything

I talked them into playing NL, overbet my good hands and quickly their starting hand requirements moved up...

- sed

I agree with the advice given by a500lbgorilla. Most of my home games are very loose and I've noticed most new players and amateurs are loose. One of the reasons for that seems to be that green players always want to see the flop - they feel like every hand can be a winner, so I'm very cautious about raising or reraisng pre-flop for the purpose of getting players out because it rarely happens. But, if you have a great starting hand like AA, KK, or AKs, then it can pay statistical dividends to raise pre-flop in this type of game.

You have the right idea to stay tight and wait for a good hand. The main thing I advise is to resist the temptation to bluff as it rarely work. Also try not to hold onto hands for too long – this is one of my weaknesses. I don’t recognize or maybe don’t want to recognize when a good hand pre-flop, which I haven’t seen for a while and think I may not see for a while to come, isn’t going to win and throw good money after bad in subsequent rounds.

The only drawback to this type of game is that you need to get some cards eventually. I played four games today and lost out the first two because I couldn't get “jack squat” - I literally didn't win a pot for myself in both of those games. I won the last two games because I finally got some cards and went with the strategy above.

Also in those loose games, be prepared to go heads up against someone that could have two times as many chips as you or more. All the loose players tend to duke it out leaving someone with a load of chips after the dust settles.

Good luck.

Hmm, it all sounds great guys. Thanks for the advice. We have another game today so I'll let ya know how it goes.

you also want to change your starting card selection. sooted-connected-ness becomes way more valuable when everybody sees the flop. So, Seven of Hearts

is probably going to play better than Ace of Spades

. you'll also have to consider pocket pairs have to make a set, probably even QQ to have a chance. Call less often than they do, and fold a lot on the flop. but when you catch that flush, you're going to make a pile of cash.

Pretty long, so be warned... Scroll to * for point

Well, the normal group I play with didn't get together last night, but one of the guys said he knew some others that were playing and said we could get in. So I agreed... There were 10 people, buy in was $20. We recieved $20 in chips. It was a winner takes all. I'm still fuming about the results, but atleast I think I know where I screwed up. I finished in 3rd place.

I didn't really know any of the guys playing except the one who brought me to the game. But after sitting through the first few hands I could tell it was jsut as loose as my regular if not worse. Some of these guys were just silly, and I was starting to like my odds.

So, after about an hour of play and 2 men down I was in a tough spot. I stuck to my tight play and didn't get caught up in any of the nonsense that was going on. The only problem was I was catching anything, anything at all. I hadn't won a single hand the whole time I had been sitting. I folded nearly all preflop except for a couple that didn't hit on the flop. So, there I was shortstacked (about $10). I was on the button and whamo, I got rockets. Bets went around, someone bet 2X BB and a few called and when it got to me, I pushed. This was the first move I had made at all in the game and most the guys were like uh oh, the quiet guy must have something. So it went around and I got one caller. Flop came K-K-x. Turn was a rag and river was rag. I flipped my cards and beat his Q-x.

So with new life I went back into the game. But again, I was getting crap. I couldn't get a hand to save my life. After another man down, I was getting close to my previous position. I had about $14 and I was late position when I hit big slick. Bets went around and short stack went all in with $6 (this guy had been playing crappy all night and bluffing alot). He got one caller (Large stack, also bluffing way too much but getting really lucky) and got around to me and I called. Flop came A-x-x. Turn was a rag and same for river. Both the better and large stack didn't have crap (short had small sutied connectors and big had like K-7o). So I racked that pot as well.

At this point, the guys started saying how I was a rock and only played when I had pockter pairs, etc. I was loving it. A few more hands played out and if I raised, almost all would fold out. This went on for a bit and I won a few hands when the big stack got cocky. He throws up 4x BB blind, which was so stupid. Everyone folds but me and I have A-9o. Flop comes rainbow rags. Then the big bet quickly throws up $5 and looks at me. I know hes thinking I would fold since I had most the night but I call. turn comes and its a 9. Big stack throws down $10. I look at him for awhile and call. I had a pretty good read that he was bluffing, since he had most the night. River comes Q. Big stack again quickly throws up $5. I think it over for awhile and since I'm already invested, call. We flip and he has nothing.

*
Now, we work our way down to the final 3. This is were I start getting stupid. I had a decent stack by then, but was still short stack. Big stack is throwing out preflop raises like crazy and I call a few decet hands but never hit the flop. After folding several of these my stack is starting to get low. I'm dealt K-7o and call the big stacks 3x BB. Flop comes K-Q-3 rainbow. Other guys folds and I slap down a $10 spot (so stupid of me). The big stack fumbles around a minute and calls. I knew I was screwed by the way he was acting, I had him for pegged for 2 pair, but I was short and it was late. So turn comes and its a rag. Bets on me so I through in $5 to make him think I have it. Again he calls. River comes and again rag. Bets to me and I check. He puts me all in and I call, having only around $10 left. He flips over K-Q, I show him my pair. We shake hands and I head out.

I'm beat myself up for playing like I did once it was down to the final three. I gave in to the big stacks style of play and got burned. If I had it to do over I wouldn't have called on the cards I did which got me in the tought spot in the first place. Secondly, I surly wouldn't have thrown in $10 on a K-7o. But, since they had me pegged as a rock I thought it may fly. Well, lesson learned is all I can.

If anyone has any input I'd gladly listen.

I'll just say that I evaluate my play on two major factors:

Are my overall results consistently good?
Third place out of ten is good in my book. Obviously the goal is to win, but I think consistently getting top three of ten is a sign of good play.

When the cards are turned over, how many times am I ahead? If I bluff and get called, that's bad. If I call what I think is a bluff and am wrong and behind, that's bad. If I think I'm ahead, call, and I'm behind, that's bad. These are the types of situations I want to have a good winning %. I won't be too hard on myself if I am ahead and get sucked out later or if I'm behind and the pot odds justified a call.

Then, I try to go over all the plays and figure out what I should have done differently based on the information I had at that time. If I didn't win any hands, was I too loose? Should I have bluffed more? For hands I was behind or lost, did I misread the situation? If so, why?

Good posts guys....your experiences really help me think about how I am going to approach my big home tourney this weekend. No plan is full proof, but I have really learned a lot to try and add to my game.

Poker Forum

Poker Forum Index

NL Hold'em Strategies

Real life games, advice...

Poker Forum Index

NL Hold'em Strategies

Real life games, advice...