Home Game Strategies: Blowing a buy in to win more later?

I was just thinking of this while i was walking back to my dorm. I've realized that a lot of players remember only the really outrageous hands.

I'm going to a home game next week, i know no one there. Lets say the first so many hands i play super aggressive. Ridiculously super aggressive. Raised every hand and push all in whenever with nothing. Eventually, i'll show down a few hands where people will recognize how ridiculous i'm playing.

Once i double up or lose my original buy in, i'll buy in again, and return to my normal TAGG game.

The theory behind this is that i'll get paid off later because people won't be able to get over the hand where i push all in with my unpaired 23.

you guys think this would actually pay off. Take into account that i'm not going to lose my original buy in every time, sometimes i might get lucky and double up, or just take down a few pots.

This reminds me of Mike Caro's favorite and most profitable play.

5 card draw and he'd have a hand like:
in position.

Limper(s) to him and he'd raise, stand pat then when everyone checks to him (since he repped a pat hand and just about everyone bets here) he'd spread his hand face up on the table and ask the dealer "Are these any good?"

It's such a bizare and hopeless play that it creates an immediate table image.

Oh yeah, blowing a buy-in for table image usually is a bad idea....

Originally Posted by Fnord

This reminds me of Mike Caro's favorite and most profitable play.

5 card draw and he'd have a hand like:
in position.

Limper(s) to him and he'd raise, stand pat then when everyone checks to him (since he repped a pat hand and just about everyone bets here) he'd spread his hand face up on the table and ask the dealer "Are these any good?"

It's such a bizare and hopeless play that it creates an immediate table image.

Oh yeah, blowing a buy-in for table image usually is a bad idea....

lol

people tend to remember your 1st hand - So i don't think you need to go crazy, just play the 1st hand or couple hands kinda crazy and you will get the same effect - Honestly though, why don't you spend that time evaluating them? If it's anything like my home games, your going to have 4 calling stations with you and no matter what "image" you try to rep, your going to be called....

Originally Posted by Massimo

Your quite attractive for a beautiful girl with a great body.

nh sir.

its a horrible idea because you don't figure to play enough hands in a home game session to make up the difference of losing a buyin, regardless of how loose your table image becomes.

I wonder if this would work for me too.

What about if I go to my local Brick and Mortar Casino (Casino Niagara) and pull the same move:

first or second hand
limp in or call a raise. i flop a straight or flush draw and flip over cards face up in delight as soon as it gets to me.

You think this would help imensly? I'm only loosing a couple BB doing this.

It doesn't help much in a home game...assuming that your average home game is anything like mine: Bunch of WSOP "experts" who watched some footage on TV and now think they can play like a pro. I have a very tight image but bottom line is that everyone still plays their cards and they won't fold when they are suppose to. Meaning that when I rep certain cards, they never get it because they are not even good enough to consider what I may be holding--only what they are holding. And, like every good donk out there, they always think I am bluffing. So, there's no value there for me to play like maniac and lose a buyin to set the stage for future profit when their play isso fundamentally bad already.

What djzcko said.

I don't know what types of players you'll be dealing with, but I've never found more than maybe one or two thinking players at any home game I've played.

I can't imagine in the least that blowing a buy-in would have any kind of good effect on your results. Especially since you should be one of the best players in the game.

Djz is exactly right: I can open-push preflop (into an unraised pot) the first hand I play in HOURS at my typical home game and get at the very minimum one call, usually two or more.

I usually play High Limit NL on various ONLINE sites, rarely in actual person. When my sister told me about her lawyer friends $20 NL poker game I jumped all over it. First time I played I busted out after being nickle and dimed then AI with flush draw. They remembered that and thought I was a very poor player. They invited me back about 4 months later and again I nickle and dimed myself down beccause I didn't want to ruin their fun game with my usual VERY aggressive style. I mean I keep 35k minimum in my poker accounts and can play online anytime, it's not often I get to play live poker. So then they invited me back again the next week and I decided to step it up a notch.

Two think they are WSOP players, 2 are just learning and the other 2 who show up are mediocre to average players. Usually the 2 WSOP players win and they like to play their good cards. So I switched it up and played ONLY low connectors, (suited or not) and ONLY pocket pairs. So when I did win, my 34o full house usually trumped their AK. They now think I am a maniac with all luck because they dont understand why I raise with 52o. They try to nickle and dime you for $3 dollars, but any time I have ahand the pots are $15+. I have won 3 weeks in a row (lost this week on purpose).

Now I am invited back every week and they thanked me for changing the pace of their game. A lot more AI's and much more action. So far I have never had to re-buy because when I lose on purpose, I lose at 10:30 and the game ends at 11.

Basically what I'm saying is, change your style of play but still win. Try making a big hand with junk cards after raising PF with it. People remember it, very shortly I am going to change my game up on them again. I can always tell them the cards they have, but they NEVER know what I have.

Originally Posted by Fnord

Originally Posted by Massimo

You are quite attractive for a beautiful girl with a great body.

nh sir.

You're is correct, as far as I know.

Originally Posted by BankItDrew

I wonder if this would work for me too.

What about if I go to my local Brick and Mortar Casino (Casino Niagara) and pull the same move:

first or second hand
limp in or call a raise. i flop a straight or flush draw and flip over cards face up in delight as soon as it gets to me.

You think this would help imensly? I'm only loosing a couple BB doing this.

I actually think this is a GREAT idea for a live game - The best night I had playing 3/6 I took 4 racks home that night - The very first hand I had pocket 10's, raised preflop, then bet the flop after i didn't hit squat (i thought i had a 1 card flush draw) ended up being 4 spades on board and I had the 10 clubs - I misread the board (on accident) and told the guy on the river "i have a 10 high flush" - well after that I got action on every single hand - Now, I had some good cards that night too, which always helps, but that 1st hand left an impression on everyone there (it was pretty stupid of me actually, but it turned out okay

btw, I would play 8,9 suited in a live game for a single bet most of the times...I don't consider that a trash hand at all in a live game - you can hit some big flops with a hand like that - Play your very 1st hand, let it be trash, and then tighten up after that -

So, I tried the "I'm a dumb noobie," idea on Satruday night. I went to Casino Niagara and wanted to try this, and I did. This is how it went:
1-2NL

I posted my first hand in late position, asked a few questions about what kind of table it was, posting etc. etc.

2nd hand is being dealt, and I post. Everyone at the table looks at me, then the dealer and a couple people say "No, don't worry about it this time, you get a FREE hand !" I was like "Great!" At this point, and so early on, I knew I had these guys right where I wanted them lol...

2nd hand gets dealt and I have AKo in late. Blinds post, one raise to $10, re-raise to $20, fold fold, I call, Button re-raises to $40. Blinds fold, first raiser folds, call, I push.

At this point, no one has put me on anything good. The guy on my left and not in the hand immediatly says: "I don't think you have squat, first you called then you pushed, it doesn't make any sense." So I told him that I needed to catch. Immediatly, the Button calls as does the 3rd guy. We all flip over AKo and split the pot.

Here's the thing: I sat down with $100. 2nd hand I pushed with $98 and had them both covered. Including the first raisers fold + blinds, the pot would have been a MAXIMUM $307. After the hand was over, I recounted my chips and noticed I had over $120 infront of me. I look at the dealer, he looks at me, gives me a wink as if to say "I got your back newbie." and I: "Thanks for the split pot," and toss him a $5.

I ended up leaving the poker room up two buy-ins. Every time I return, I'm playing as the newbie.