Playing against newer players

[mreinecker]

My friends and I get together several times a week to play poker at my house, or at one of their houses. I'm no expert on poker but I do understand concepts in poker and I thought I also had a pretty good strategy. But then I realized that any strategy I tried at the table wouldn't work. There's only one other good player who I play with, and the rest of them don't really know what they're doing. They play almost every hand, call preflop raises with bad cards, and don't know when to throw hands in. This brings the amount of luck in the game up to a very high level, and brings down the level of skill a great deal. What can I do agaisnt players like this ? Is the only way to beat them to wait for my cards and play them like I should ? I've realized bluffing doesn't work well with them either. If you have any advice, let me know. Thanks.

[obeythekitten]

raise the buyin.

if they dont care about pissing away $5, see if they play more conservatively if they are risking $10.

besides the basic "be extremely selective with starting hands" advice, realize that fancy play isnt going to win (check raises and bluffing straights will be meaningless), just simply playing solid will be enough if you have patience.

however, if you are only playing 3 or 4 handed, throwing away almost every hand will make the game boring for them, obviously it creates a dilemma.

[TwinTowers]

Ive had this similar "fortunate" situation happen last year. Many new/bad players came to our normal tourney. I had a cross eyed newbie call me all the way to the river with 33 with KKA on the board. I had KQ, but he was in LOVE /images/graemlins/heart.gif with his hand and caught his 3 on the river.

I felt like you do now; what do I do? But if we are "good" players, and they are "bad" players, we will eventually beat them.

Let them take eachother out; wait for your hand and just drag them thourgh the pot; and when its short handed, the skilled player has a very good chance to win.

Keep inviting them back. As they get better, they will learn whats a good hand, will fold more hands, but you should still be better than they are.

Ive got my group well read now. Im on a winning streak 4 out of 5 weeks, and I count on them coming back. Those bad beats should be outweighed by solid play.

If you dont want 'em, Ill take 'em /images/graemlins/cool.gif

[CardSharpCook]

I've got AQs in EP. 8 handed. I limp in for .50 cents. two callers, CO raises to $2 (a hefty raise at our table). Three folds. I reraise to $5. CO is only caller. Flop comes AKK. I bet $3, call. Turn Q, I bet $7, call. River 2, I check, all-in..... only another $10 to me... I call.... tripped his twos on the river.

"DANNIE WHAT WERE YOU THINKING???"

"what do you mean? I FLOPPED two pair!"

CSC

[vertigo]

One of the weekly games that I play in is a vert similar situation. It is a group of guys that really just want to get out of the house one night a week. The poker, and the money for that matter, are secondary. The best strategy that I have come up with is just play solid. Fancy moves are wasted on players that don't recognize them. Get your chips in when you know you have the best of it and get out when you don't. Other than that, just have fun. Poker is supposed to be fun after all. Playing for small stakes sometimes is a nice change of pace from intense high $$ games.

[Sundevils21]

I've been in a similar situation with friends who want to play and know the rules, but not much else.
So they turn to me to determine stack sizes, blind levels, and blind increases. I'll change the structure every week, back and forth between two different kinds. One like a normal SNG and another with blinds that are low and move up very slowly. We've played about 5 times of each structure. The normal(blinds move up reletivly quickly and small stacks) I've won 2 of 5 games. With the small blinds and huge stack structure, I've won 5 of 5 games.

*and echo what vertigo said

[RyanTaylor]

If the people you are playing are not particularly skilled, simplify your game. New players will not understand the importance of a check-raise or changing gears, so just play the odds game and try to get reads on them (it shouldnt be too difficult). I've gotten several new players into our regular games and learned those lessons the hard way.

[focus on poker]

It is different playing with new players. I have been playing for quite a while and I just recently had two newcomers join my group. It is very up and down when they play. First, they are very inconsistent with their play. Second, they don't really understand how and when to bet. I have taken quite a bit of money from these guys at one point and then they will turn around and hit me on a big pot out of the blue. The only advice I can give is just play YOUR GAME. Watch AND remember they way they play. Give it time. Newer players don't understand the patience required to play and be successful. Hope that helps!

[emonrad87]

[ QUOTE ]
They play almost every hand, call preflop raises with bad cards, and don't know when to throw hands in. This brings the amount of luck in the game up to a very high level, and brings down the level of skill a great deal.

[/ QUOTE ]



BZZZZZZZZ

WRONG!


This makes the game MUCH easier to beat, provided you are a winning player.

[MSPatton]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
They play almost every hand, call preflop raises with bad cards, and don't know when to throw hands in. This brings the amount of luck in the game up to a very high level, and brings down the level of skill a great deal.

[/ QUOTE ]



BZZZZZZZZ

WRONG!


This makes the game MUCH easier to beat, provided you are a winning player.

[/ QUOTE ]

I could not agree more.
I just played in a 32 person tourney that had a lot of newer
players that were of the same playing style. Outside of an occasional
stealing of blinds I only got involved in 4 pots in the first
4 hours and won them all. When the final table of 8 was set
the more traditional playing ensued as the "chasers" were all
gone and the more "solid" players were left. I took 3rd for $240 on a $40 investment.

Does it get boring playing so little? I don't call it boring,
I had plenty of time to watch everyone play and used that info
later. One can't play one style at every game. You must be able
to adjust to win consistantly. /images/graemlins/spade.gif