New Strategy

I need some advice. I play a live game of no limit with $1/2 blinds. Most of the table has to call with anything so top pair top kicker most always are beaten by 2 pair such as Q 4 off suit or some crazy flush chaser. I know the answer to this is to raise more to drive these people out, but then a bet of more then 4 x BB runs everyone off when I raise. I also find this to be the same problem in limit ring games online that top pair top kicker rarely wins becuase eo many people call in $1/2.

Any advice wold be greatly appreciated.


Thanks

Originally Posted by tbone

I know the answer to this is to raise more to drive these people out, but then a bet of more then 4 x BB runs everyone off when I raise.

Not to sound harsh, but isn't that kinda the point? You're running people off for the express purpose of not allowing anybody to see cards that they can beat you with.

I have this problem too sometimes. My home game can be very, very, very loose. And I am a tight player. If Jeff opens with 6xbet, he'll get 6 callers. If I open with 3xbet, I might get one, or take down the blinds. Try limping in and let someone else do your raising, then come over the top. That's how I take down hands at my table using my very tight reputation--- build the pot, then isolate players, and push like you're the nuts (it helps to be the nuts too).

If you never get any callers to your raises, raise more. Raise preflop on a complete bluff once in a while. I've taken down a couple of pots with 72o this way, and once was even called - flopped a boat and doubled up because "only an idiot would raise with anything that hit that board." They knew I wasn't an idiot, so...

If your raises get to much respect, use that to win pots that shouldn't be yours. You can even think about showing your crap hands once in a while to show them that you are indeed raising with crap. If they start to call more, you just go back to your normal play and then they pay you off.

- Jeffrey

jeff is right, just bluff until you get called, but make them look good so people don't call you.

Originally Posted by tbone

I need some advice. I play a live game of no limit with $1/2 blinds. Most of the table has to call with anything so top pair top kicker most always are beaten by 2 pair such as Q 4 off suit or some crazy flush chaser. I know the answer to this is to raise more to drive these people out, but then a bet of more then 4 x BB runs everyone off when I raise. I also find this to be the same problem in limit ring games online that top pair top kicker rarely wins becuase eo many people call in $1/2.

Any advice wold be greatly appreciated.


Thanks

Raise every hand you decide to play 5BB. Show the bluffs.

-'rilla

With TPTK you want to win on the flop. It is not a huge hand and odds of getting better are slim. Be happy there are not too many callers because if there were odds are you will be beat by the river.

You probably don't even have to bluff preflop to get the blood flowing, though that's a great last resort idea. You might be able to just keep raising preflop with good hands. Your raises effect the table image. Pretty soon you'll find people calling your preflops with something. I know because I had the same problem at my home game (5¢/10¢ NL). Everyone wanted every pot as a limping pot until the flop. I started raising 5xBB (50¢) with good hands and everytime I did, they would all groan. It took a couple hours to get action, but they got the message. I'm not limping in with QQ against 4 drawing hands. It's just not gonna happen.

Remember that your style effects the table. You should be ecstatic when they allow you to control the action. That's what your goal is. You want everyone looking at you before they put chips in.

My home game is getting ridiculous. No one wants to play with me anymore because I set the table like this. I raped them for $50 last night in $5 buy in NL. They all kept complaining that I was getting cards, and I kept on winning half my pots with aggression alone. Everytime I pushed and was called on a flop, I slowed down and cut my losses if they were ahead. They would win a smallish pot, and then I would push next time, and the time after, and the time after that winning 3 pots for every 1 someone called me on. Then of course sometimes someone would push back hard and I actually had a hand. Poor bastards.

It's all math and psychology

I know what you mean, I have the same situation in my home games. The problem seems to be that I/you am/are improving but the rest of your friends still only think about poker when they come over.

We play tournament style games, last time in two tournaments I came in 2nd and 1st. The 2nd place came after calling all-ins heads up against a short stack with pocket pairs three times and getting rivered each time (thems the breaks).

I completely dominate the table with my betting pre-flop (I don't think I have ever been re-raised) and only bet post-flop if my hand improves or if I want to bluff them off a pot.

The only way that I can think of to keep people coming out is to drink every other time. The wins on the non-driking nights will off-set the small losses on the drinking nights.