Home Game Hand Discussion - big question for me

[McTower]

This hand was on a home game 2 days ago with 6 buddies.

We are all just starting besides me and another guy. This other guy has played for some time already and I play for about 4 months, I've read ITH and WLLH and I am reading SSH. I am keen to understand the game by studying theory myself and making non-convencional plays once in a while (non-convencional for me actually, don't really know if they are right or not).

But, here we go. 2nd game of the night, $10 buy-in for 100 chips. I'd won the 1st one. Level 5 already, blinds 16/32, 5 people on the game with already 2 rebuyers.
I'm on the SB and the really new guy is the BB, I had eliminated him in the very first hand of the first game with pocket queens.

Everybody folds to me, and I hold KQo with ~250 chips being vice chip leader and the BB had ~260. I go all-in and he calls with 88 after thinking for about 3 minutes. Nothing came and I was out. The guy ended winning the game taking advantage from his enourmous chip lead (even though he lost quite a lot and won it back by hitting a four-of-a-kind and a straight flush).

Here are my considerations: I thought I could push because I had an intimidating image with him, all previous hands against him we went all the way to the showdown and I won all of them, so I though that he wouldn't think that I could have nothing. Deciding on that that I could push, I thought that I couldn't push less than all I had otherwise he would call it anyway. Sit an Go's on the internet alowed me to push and steal the blinds quite often. And at last, what I finally thought was that he would fold pocket pairs smaller than TT and that he would call wit AXo.

Sorry for writing so much detailed information, but I really want to know from you guys what I should have considered, on what grounds I had to make this decision, and finally if I did the wrong or right play and why. This was one of the non-convencional hands I mentioned before, and I wasn't making the decision on anything I read here or on any book.

thanks a lot, McTower

[Sluss]

My friends who are just learning would make that call with any pair or any Ace. Another guy, who has been playing for a while, is willing to call down any hand that hits a piece of the board. Another guy feels it is his right to call anyone who raises a pot no matter what he has.

These guys don't play online or casino's or anything and might lose 30 dollars a week playing in these small home games. All you can do is adjust to the game. Lots of people limping, limp along with suited connectors and hands that can make hidden big hands. Most guys can't even read a board. So if you have a straight you will get paid off almost every time. Two pair same thing. Nut flush is the best to get paid off because some ass is always soooted and a flush is a flush.

[Marcotte]

Recap: Folded to Hero in SB with ~250 and KQo, BB has ~260, and there is 48 in the pot. A push is not out of the question, with less than 10 BB, but in this situation, you're going against the only person that can bust you. I think you can raise it to about 75-80 and fold to aggression. KQ is a good hand 5-handed, but any ace beats it. If he just flat calls, you can consider pushing on the flop (only play really, with 150 in the pot and 175 in your stack). Any flop will do, but esp those with A-T, as he might fear broadway cards since you raised.

Your pf all-in will win the blinds a large % of the time, but I think a smaller raise will too (although almost any raise pot-commits you).

(question: folding is too weak-tight, right? You have a good hand, but the chip leader in the BB gives me pause. Too results oriented?)

[sofere]

[ QUOTE ]
And at last, what I finally thought was that he would fold pocket pairs smaller than TT and that he would call wit AXo.

[/ QUOTE ]

If he would call with Axo, then he would probably not fold pocket pairs less than TT. And if he calls with Ax, your an underdog. Its hard to say whether it was the right play or not without knowing other peoples chip stacks and what the money distribution is. But IMO, you're pushing against the only player who can take you out, in a situation where if called, your almost definitely at least a slight dog, and possibly dominated and thus is wrong.

It might change things if you'd expect him to call with Kx or QJ as well. I'd probably fold this and try and attack the smaller stacks.

[McTower]

That does look much more rational than my thoughts at that time. I have to say that now my post looks much more like a interpratation of my instincts, since I was playing easy ABC poker and getting good profits there. And this post gives me a better line of thought. Thank you very much.

And over adapting myself to the game, what would be the basic guideline here? Like, if the game is loose-passive like my example, should I play less tightly and a bit more agressive maybe? If we categorize games into simple groups of (1)loose-passive, (2)loose-agressive, (3)tight-passive and (4)tight-agressive, what would be the adaptation to play winning poker on each one? I can't really apply my shalow knowledge here. for (1) though I would play agressively but not too loose.

TY all, McTower

[McTower]

Other guys on this hand had: UTG ~60, MP ~150, Dealer ~130. Total 900. MP was the other more experienced player than the rest. Pay out was: 1st $40+all the rebuys=$60, 2nd=$20, 3rd=$10.

Your post puts a big "IDIOT" sticker in my forehead, but I liked it and it taught me a lot. Thank you.

[RobGW]

I think your move fine. You only have 8 big blinds left, so pushing with KQ isn't that bad a play. He just happened to run into a hand. I think you need to think again about what hands people will call you with. You'll get a call from medium pairs quite often in this spot. Think of it this way, even if he calls you still have a good shot of winning and doubling up, making you the favorite to win again. But he will fold most of the time making this a + expected value bet.

[Marcotte]

[ QUOTE ]
Like, if the game is loose-passive like my example, should I play less tightly and a bit more agressive maybe? If we categorize games into simple groups of (1)loose-passive, (2)loose-agressive, (3)tight-passive and (4)tight-agressive, what would be the adaptation to play winning poker on each one? I can't really apply my shalow knowledge here. for (1) though I would play agressively but not too loose.

TY all, McTower

[/ QUOTE ]

Do a search for Aleo Magus' guide to beating Party 10+1's. Generally, you want to play tight when the table is loose
and loose when the table is tight. Conventional wisdom and Aleo's guide say to play ultra-tight in the first 3-4 rounds of a SNG, then go after the blinds when they are worth winning.