RickyG
07-23-2005, 04:21 PM
I've played about 8k hands of 6max PLO $50. I know this isnt the highest of buy in games and the opposition is weak, but I still hope this is useful. My win rate is currently doing pretty well (in the 20bb/100 range) and I am having a blast. I am playing a very loose agressive style, which is different from what I play full ring, where I am usually nut peddling.
1) Players are very timid. They constantly see monsters under their beds and this is easy to take advantage of.
2) When you are playing crazy, players who are otherwise good, have a tendency to play stupid. Most people don't know what to do against the LAG.
3) You get dealt more bad beats when people dont believe your bets. Many people will raise/call with weak hands/draws and therefore hit bullshit draws more often (I know the percentages are the same, but when people are calling you with 4 outers 40% of the time instead of 10% of the time, you get drawn out of more times per 100 hands). Also, your hands are often weaker and easier to get drawn out on.
4) Being LAggy is FUN! 1 or 2 tables of LAG play are 10 times more fun than 8 tables of nut peddling.
5) Swings are CRAZY. Being LAG can seriously affect your psyche. Where before a 4 buyin swing in one day was rare, now I come to expect it. It can make you doubt yourself alot more when you are 6 buyins in the hole wondering if you are just another lucky [censored]. Poker Tracker helps with this.
6) You learn ALOT more about your opponents if you are involved in 70% of the pots with them. This style forces you to pay attention to what others are doing, because so much of it depends on taking advantage of their weaknesses. Also, if you know your opponents very well, the cards you hold dont matter as much. For me it is easier to know what an opponent is holding when I play LAG than when I dont.
7) You get paid off MUCH Bigger on your big hands, but lose a bit more on your weak hands. Opponenets dont seem to realize that you may bet and even call a raise, but you don't reraise without something good, or a good read.
8) You will get called an idiot alot more often. LAG is rarely the way to make friends (unless you are on a downswing). People dont like you, and often you feel like everyone at the table is out to screw you over specifically. This can however work in your favor if you recognize it and change gears.
9) You get the chance to Check behind on a weak draw more often. Like the flop semibluff in limit holdem, being a LAGgy player trains your opponents into believing you are going to bet every time, which allows you to get more of your fair share of free cards when in position.
10) Inducing bluffs when out of position is alot easier and very profitable.
11) You are constantly in dificult situations (see #4). LAG Play is like trial by fire. If you are paying attention to your opponents (see #6) you should be able to get out of these situations. Knowledge of Math and probabilities is imperative. (Science of Poker is a great book for this).
Overall, these are the main things I've noticed about being LAG. Please feel free to make comments, corrections, etc. I know I barely have 8k hands and this is hardly a big enough sample to know that this is more than just a good run of cards, but I feel pretty confident. It is also for 6max, where more aggressive strategy is a must. But anyway, I hope someone enjoys this post. If you did, please let me know.
1) Players are very timid. They constantly see monsters under their beds and this is easy to take advantage of.
2) When you are playing crazy, players who are otherwise good, have a tendency to play stupid. Most people don't know what to do against the LAG.
3) You get dealt more bad beats when people dont believe your bets. Many people will raise/call with weak hands/draws and therefore hit bullshit draws more often (I know the percentages are the same, but when people are calling you with 4 outers 40% of the time instead of 10% of the time, you get drawn out of more times per 100 hands). Also, your hands are often weaker and easier to get drawn out on.
4) Being LAggy is FUN! 1 or 2 tables of LAG play are 10 times more fun than 8 tables of nut peddling.
5) Swings are CRAZY. Being LAG can seriously affect your psyche. Where before a 4 buyin swing in one day was rare, now I come to expect it. It can make you doubt yourself alot more when you are 6 buyins in the hole wondering if you are just another lucky [censored]. Poker Tracker helps with this.
6) You learn ALOT more about your opponents if you are involved in 70% of the pots with them. This style forces you to pay attention to what others are doing, because so much of it depends on taking advantage of their weaknesses. Also, if you know your opponents very well, the cards you hold dont matter as much. For me it is easier to know what an opponent is holding when I play LAG than when I dont.
7) You get paid off MUCH Bigger on your big hands, but lose a bit more on your weak hands. Opponenets dont seem to realize that you may bet and even call a raise, but you don't reraise without something good, or a good read.
8) You will get called an idiot alot more often. LAG is rarely the way to make friends (unless you are on a downswing). People dont like you, and often you feel like everyone at the table is out to screw you over specifically. This can however work in your favor if you recognize it and change gears.
9) You get the chance to Check behind on a weak draw more often. Like the flop semibluff in limit holdem, being a LAGgy player trains your opponents into believing you are going to bet every time, which allows you to get more of your fair share of free cards when in position.
10) Inducing bluffs when out of position is alot easier and very profitable.
11) You are constantly in dificult situations (see #4). LAG Play is like trial by fire. If you are paying attention to your opponents (see #6) you should be able to get out of these situations. Knowledge of Math and probabilities is imperative. (Science of Poker is a great book for this).
Overall, these are the main things I've noticed about being LAG. Please feel free to make comments, corrections, etc. I know I barely have 8k hands and this is hardly a big enough sample to know that this is more than just a good run of cards, but I feel pretty confident. It is also for 6max, where more aggressive strategy is a must. But anyway, I hope someone enjoys this post. If you did, please let me know.