When everyone slowplays

[Casey]

Canterbury Park 4-8

Very wierd table and I had much trouble playing it. The 4-8 game at Canterbury is usually a fairly loose moderately agressive game and always with a couple of angels calling everything. This game was somewhat different, and I had a hard time figuring out when my hand was good.

Very loose and passive pre-flop. 4-6 in for one bet on just about every deal. For at least an hour, I was the only player to ever raise pre-flop. Here is the tricky part, there was hardly ever a bet on the flop. Flop sets didn't bet, flopped pair, top kicker didn't bet, flopped two pair didn't bet, even in the face of flush and straight possibilities. It seems everyone was trying to trap, which I do not understand, since no one was being aggressive.

I just never knew if my hand was good. I ended up playing just as passively as evryone else with hands that I would normally bet, since I was getting no information on the flop bet and shown down hands that were way better than mine.

What I ended up doing is playing a lot more mariginal hands preflop since I was pretty sure I could get to the turn for one bet, sometimes even to the river.. Unsuited connectors and even one gappers I think become palyable. Any face suited I played.

Made some straight and flushes and made some money, But I am not sure if my strategy is correct. Anyone care to enlighten me.

[tewall]

You can play a lot more hands because of the free cards (as you mentioned) and position is not so important. When you judge you have an edge viz a viz the pot odds/implied odds, you should bet since you don't have to worry about a raise. You should expect to lose most of the time, but you'll still make a profit. Your edge is in getting more out of your hands when you have an overlay than your opponents are. It sounds like you weren't betting enough.

[travisand]

I would be betting and raising a lot more to take control of the game, it looks like they would let you. If they have these great hands and are not raising you they are making a huge mistake, even though they will often beat you, you should thank them for letting you get by so cheaply. I believe that if you just keep betting your hands you will make an eventual profit.

And like you said, you can play many more marginal hands given the amount of free cards, you just need to be able to throw them away when these people actually do go to betting.

[Vehn]

When you're playing showdown hold'em an enormous part of your edge over your opponents is that you simply play better hands than them. You can't play J3s and 76o here and make money from them, especially with canterbury's large rake. Loosen up some but don't go nuts. I would also make more loose calls/bets with position on the flop in the hopes that a scare card on the turn will let you see the river for cheap. For example if checked to me in LP with a gutshot I would bet all the time even though I'm certain that I won't win the pot with that bet.