When rags ruin your table image

[feelixthegreek]

Yesterday at my local B&M I had nearly 2hrs of hands dealt to me without picking up a single pocket pair. Overall, I had about three or four limp-worthy hands in what were very passive game conditions. The rest were variations on 94o.

My question is, how long are you willing to sit and fold when that's all the table has seen you do for two hours? Do you splash in with more marginal stuff just to look alive so you get action later? And how marginal is marginal?

(Naturally, the first pocket pair I picked up, another three orbits down the line, was AA. Imagine how my raise went over.)

[Grisgra]

This is why I plan on playing two or three tables at once when I hit the B&M later this week. Hey, it works online . . .

[feelixthegreek]

Talk about projecting an image...running from table to table. If only they allowed it.

[steamboatin]

It depends on the limit that you are playing. I folded evey hand except the blinds and never saw the river for 2 solid hours playing 4-8 at Caesars, In. I got finally got KK, raised (first time I voluntarily entered the pot) got four callers and my Kings cracked.

Went on to have a small winning session but at low limits, they will call, so I don't worry about it.

[feelixthegreek]

I should mention that I was at a 3-6 table. You are right that in many cases you could fold for 4 hours without anyone noticing.

[steamboatin]

I have never played higher than 10-20 but I think at a higher level, you would have more concern about your table image.

[slavic]

Your table image has not been ruined because you have no table image at this limit. Now turn this into a 30/60 game and your going to be seen as pretty darn tight preflop. How will you use this in the game? That is what's important. It's important to remember that your image only becomes important when others are aware.

Now let's flip back to that 30/60 game again and you've folded for an hour (a not so uncommon happenning) and you get KK and worse yet you have it in MP and everyone has folded to you? What the heck are you going to do? A quick look left tells you very little.

Here is how I attack it. I raise. If I only win the blinds then I only win the blinds, but if I'm going to raise marginal hands here I darn well had better be willing to raise the good ones too. Now if there is a maniac behind me, I might change my mind but on a table that is image aware there is no asset quite like a tight image.

[betgo]

I would just keep playing tight. Your image results from most of the table playing way too loose. Don't raise with a big pair from early position if you don't think you will get action. Although there are not many hands not going to showdown, you may be able to steal a pot using your image.

[andyfox]

I wouldn't necessarily correlate the fact that they all folded (if I'm reading between the lines corrrectly) with your "image." Maybe they all had junk. In general, I wouldn't worry about having too tight an image. I've also had sessions where I folded forever, then finally raised up front with a premium hand and got four cold-callers plus the blinds.

Sombody recently told me about a friend of his who didn't play a hand for four hours and when asked when he's going to see a flop replied, "What's the hurry?"

And Mason has pointed out that a tight image ain't necessarily bad in limit hold 'em anyway.

[feelixthegreek]

I appreciate the common sense responses. Two hours of staring and felt and drinking club sodas can knock the logic right out of me sometimes.

I've been playing online more, too. So I'm feeling dry runs at B&M tables more acutely than in the past.

[Nick C]

[ QUOTE ]
Your table image has not been ruined because you have no table image at this limit.

[/ QUOTE ]

While I agree that this is generally true, I do find that when I'm running good my opponents will, on occasion, adjust their play against me.

During one recent $3/6 session, at a table that was typically 5 to a flop, there was one limper to me in MP. I raised with TT and folded out everyone behind me, including the limper.

At the same table a little earlier, I bet the flop with TPTK and had an opponent tell me, "If it was anyone but you, I'd call."

He did, however, then go ahead and call anyway.

[BigBaitsim (milo)]

[ QUOTE ]
Talk about projecting an image...running from table to table. If only they allowed it.

[/ QUOTE ]

I did this once (and posted it before). Was at the Moose Lodge where they have SnGs on Wed nights. Was about to bust out of one while the other was starting. I bought in, then hit my one outer at the first table. I raced back and forth for over an hour. The craziest part was when I had to deal at both tables. /images/graemlins/tongue.gif Neither table minded, mostly because I'd check, then abandon my cards. They thought they had a huge advantage because they kept folding my hands for me. Long story short, they suck. I moneyed in both and won #2.

[TripleH68]

Chances are your folding is not as obvious as you think. Try not to draw attention to yourself.

[slavic]

At the same table a little earlier, I bet the flop with TPTK and had an opponent tell me, "If it was anyone but you, I'd call."

Some nights you run hot and people will notice this. They are much more likely to think your on a lucky run than that you play well. They fear the lucky player much more than the guy who is playing perfect.

[jayrutz2]

Agree! Remeber, blind steal is worth 1.5 SBs, which is a EV higher than most all (or is it all) hands!

[Nick C]

[ QUOTE ]
Some nights you run hot and people will notice this. They are much more likely to think your on a lucky run than that you play well. They fear the lucky player much more than the guy who is playing perfect.

[/ QUOTE ]

I hadn't thought of this. And I think it's a very good observation.

[betgo]

When I play 3/6, I always have an extremely tight table image. I am much tighter than average in the hands I play. However, I am fairly loose in the hanfs I raise with. Sometimes, I will throw in a late position raise with AJ, 99 or something, and people will think I have aces. After all, such a rock would be afraid to raise with anything less.

[The Ocho]

The solution: Live Straddle.