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Advice on how to play in a loose-aggressive game?, bruh, 24. Dec 2002 16:52
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I play in a weekly card game w/ a handful of friends. This is usually an excuse for us to all get together and socialize, and not much serious poker is played (mostly wild-card games, etc). Due to the persuasion of myself and one other "real" poker player , we have recently switched to a 1/2 hold 'em/omaha hi-lo game. I usually play hold 'em at the 3/6 to 10/20 level in AC or Vegas, and without sounding like an arrogant jerk, would consider myself to be the best "poker" player there.

That being said, I feel like I should be a consistent winner at this game, but lately the opposite has been true. As the subject title says, this is a fairly loose-aggressive game and I'm finding the "best hand always wins" ideal not holding up that often. I find the problem being a combination of the betting limits being so low that almost everyone (5 or 6 out of 7 players) plays every hand until the river because the betting limits are so low....or lack of basic poker knowledge in the other players knowing what good/bad draws or good/bad starting hands are and therefore, again, playing every hand all the way down due to the possibility of it hitting. In other words, it's a bad-beat wonderland where my decent hands are constantly getting drawn out on by gutshot runner-runner straights, etc. I would classify myself as a tight-aggressive player but I do loosen up a little in this game (if this helps), but I'm having trouble figuring out how to adjust to this game.

Any suggestions out there on how to adjust my play to be a consistent winner in this game? Most of these guys bets will be their tell (passive bettor re-raising when third suited card hits, etc)......but moreso in trying to defend my good hands when and having them pay off, because betting/raising to get someone out of the pot usually doesn't work.

Thanks,
Michael
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Re: Advice on how to play in a loose-aggressive game?, Ashley Adams, 24. Dec 2002 19:14
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If things are as you describe them, you should be able to beat this home game -- though perhaps for less than you'd like.

I suspect that you are being too aggressive with your borderline hands. Your success in casino poker, where players tend to be tighter, has overfueled your ego. So when you play against these loose home game players you tend to believe that you can turn an initial edge into a win with a combination of aggression and stamina. You are tighter, so you think you will win by being aggressive when you are ahead.

The problem with this strategy comes, it seems to me, when your initial edge is offset as the hand progresses. I'm not going to give you examples from Hold Em or Omaha -- that's not my forte. But leave it to say, I suggest to you that you are too aggressive after the flop even if you have not sufficiently improved to warrant aggressive betting.

Similarly, I suspect that you are being aggressive in a way which aids your opponents rather than you by building a pot which gives them sufficient odds to make their calls to the River correct instead of wrong.

I've found that it's better, against opponents like these, to let them lead with their inferior hands and for me to call along with the best draw or the best hand. If I don't hit my hand relatively early then I am out unless I have a draw (even a rather long draw) to the best hand. That way, I limit my losses when I don't connect early but I give myself a chance to draw hands where I can win a monster. I realize that I am presuming a lot about your play. But I think this may account for your losses.
Simply put, save your aggressive play for when you know you have won the hand. Stay longer on your big draws than you would in a casino game. And don't waste money trying to drive people out of the pot with your aggressive play.

Ashley Adams
on 24. Dec 2002 16:52 bruh wrote:
> I play in a weekly card game w/ a handful of friends. This is usually an excuse
> for us to all get together and socialize, and not much serious poker is played
> (mostly wild-card games, etc). Due to the persuasion of myself and one other
> "real" poker player , we have recently switched to a 1/2 hold 'em/omaha hi-lo
> game. I usually play hold 'em at the 3/6 to 10/20 level in AC or Vegas, and
> without sounding like an arrogant jerk, would consider myself to be the best
> "poker" player there.
>
> That being said, I feel like I should be a consistent winner at this game, but
> lately the opposite has been true. As the subject title says, this is a fairly
> loose-aggressive game and I'm finding the "best hand always wins" ideal not
> holding up that often. I find the problem being a combination of the betting
> limits being so low that almost everyone (5 or 6 out of 7 players) plays every
> hand until the river because the betting limits are so low....or lack of basic
> poker knowledge in the other players knowing what good/bad draws or good/bad
> starting hands are and therefore, again, playing every hand all the way down due
> to the possibility of it hitting. In other words, it's a bad-beat wonderland
> where my decent hands are constantly getting drawn out on by gutshot
> runner-runner straights, etc. I would classify myself as a tight-aggressive
> player but I do loosen up a little in this game (if this helps), but I'm having
> trouble figuring out how to adjust to this game.
>
> Any suggestions out there on how to adjust my play to be a consistent winner in
> this game? Most of these guys bets will be their tell (passive bettor
> re-raising when third suited card hits, etc)......but moreso in trying to defend
> my good hands when and having them pay off, because betting/raising to get
> someone out of the pot usually doesn't work.
>
> Thanks,
> Michael
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Re: Advice on how to play in a loose-aggressive game?, Snorbolus, 25. Dec 2002 10:51
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Thanks for your post Ashley,

That all sounds like excellent advice. Even if it does not help Bruh in his home game I am sure that it will help me in mine.

Merry Christmas,

Snorbolus

on 24. Dec 2002 19:14 Ashley Adams wrote:
> If things are as you describe them, you should be able to beat this home game --
> though perhaps for less than you'd like.
>
> I suspect that you are being too aggressive with your borderline hands. Your
> success in casino poker, where players tend to be tighter, has overfueled your ego.
> So when you play against these loose home game players you tend to believe that you
> can turn an initial edge into a win with a combination of aggression and stamina.
> You are tighter, so you think you will win by being aggressive when you are ahead.
>
> The problem with this strategy comes, it seems to me, when your initial edge is
> offset as the hand progresses. I'm not going to give you examples from Hold Em or
> Omaha -- that's not my forte. But leave it to say, I suggest to you that you are too
> aggressive after the flop even if you have not sufficiently improved to warrant
> aggressive betting.
>
> Similarly, I suspect that you are being aggressive in a way which aids your
> opponents rather than you by building a pot which gives them sufficient odds to make
> their calls to the River correct instead of wrong.
>
> I've found that it's better, against opponents like these, to let them lead with
> their inferior hands and for me to call along with the best draw or the best hand.
> If I don't hit my hand relatively early then I am out unless I have a draw (even a
> rather long draw) to the best hand. That way, I limit my losses when I don't connect
> early but I give myself a chance to draw hands where I can win a monster. I realize
> that I am presuming a lot about your play. But I think this may account for your
> losses.
> Simply put, save your aggressive play for when you know you have won the hand.
> Stay longer on your big draws than you would in a casino game. And don't waste money
> trying to drive people out of the pot with your aggressive play.
>
> Ashley Adams
> on 24. Dec 2002 16:52 bruh wrote:
> > I play in a weekly card game w/ a handful of friends. This is usually an excuse
>
> > for us to all get together and socialize, and not much serious poker is played
> > (mostly wild-card games, etc). Due to the persuasion of myself and one other
> > "real" poker player , we have recently switched to a 1/2 hold 'em/omaha hi-lo
> > game. I usually play hold 'em at the 3/6 to 10/20 level in AC or Vegas, and
> > without sounding like an arrogant jerk, would consider myself to be the best
> > "poker" player there.
> >
> > That being said, I feel like I should be a consistent winner at this game, but
> > lately the opposite has been true. As the subject title says, this is a fairly
> > loose-aggressive game and I'm finding the "best hand always wins" ideal not
> > holding up that often. I find the problem being a combination of the betting
> > limits being so low that almost everyone (5 or 6 out of 7 players) plays every
> > hand until the river because the betting limits are so low....or lack of basic
> > poker knowledge in the other players knowing what good/bad draws or good/bad
> > starting hands are and therefore, again, playing every hand all the way down due
>
> > to the possibility of it hitting. In other words, it's a bad-beat wonderland
> > where my decent hands are constantly getting drawn out on by gutshot
> > runner-runner straights, etc. I would classify myself as a tight-aggressive
> > player but I do loosen up a little in this game (if this helps), but I'm having
> > trouble figuring out how to adjust to this game.
> >
> > Any suggestions out there on how to adjust my play to be a consistent winner in
> > this game? Most of these guys bets will be their tell (passive bettor
> > re-raising when third suited card hits, etc)......but moreso in trying to defend
>
> > my good hands when and having them pay off, because betting/raising to get
> > someone out of the pot usually doesn't work.
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Michael
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Re: Advice on how to play in a loose-aggressive game?, mike d, 29. Dec 2002 18:04
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I am also in the same situation as mike and have been trying different startegies but they work off and on.... Some weeks the guys i play with play for real and other weeks they just "goof around" so i try to follow the wy they play per week.... that advice will definitely help my play


thanks,
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