Tight-Aggresives at my micro tables

[Pylos]

I mine .50/1 on party, before I sit down I like to know what I'm getting into. When I do sit down at a table and get comforatble (I consistantly 4-table this limit) and I see 2 or more TAG's that have been defined over 100 hands at the same table, I usually get uneasy.

Most of the time I will play out the orbit and if I don't see any players who are leaking money I will leave and find another. I understand that there may be some knowledge to be gained by playing against them, considering I'm trying to make my way to 3/6 and they will be plentiful there. But I just can't help give up for easier games when they are availible.

Am I being a huge sissy-boy by not playing with these guys?

Table selection is mainly concerned with making money, but if you want to really improve your game for the big leagues, sooner or later you're going to need to know how to play against TAGs.

[Eeegah]

Just because they're TAG doesn't necessarily mean they play well, just that they read a preflop chart. Take some notes on them during (and after) the session, and you can at least start to see patterns in their play: how aggressively they play draws, what they'll cold call with, what they complete with in SB etc.

[Fantam]

No, I expect that you are making $$$.

I usually just sit down where ever I can get a seat. And I imagine that this may have helped to improve my game, when good players have been at the table.

However, I suspect that you are $$$ ahead of me in your win rate. /images/graemlins/grin.gif

You can always play what you consider might be a tougher game for practice, at another time after you have built up your bankroll some more. /images/graemlins/cool.gif

[RatFink]

By definition they aren't going to be in many pots and neither are you. Your intersection with them will be minimal. I find there is no drawback to having 2 or 3 other reasonable players at a table. Especially if they are to your left and you can have the button as frequently as you need it.

[Hojglad]

If you have aspirations of playing 3/6, you are going to need to learn to deal with them. It's that simple. It's pretty rare for me to find a 2/4 table to play at that doesn't have 5 or 6 other TAGs competing for the donations that 3 fish are giving out. Also, as Eeegah pointed out, just because they are tight preflop doesn't mean they play well postflop. You just have to suck it up and deal with them. If you can't handle a couple of 0.5/1 TAGs at your table, how are you going to handle 6 2/4 TAGs at your table?

[Pylos]

[ QUOTE ]
Take some notes on them during (and after) the session, and you can at least start to see patterns in their play: how aggressively they play draws, what they'll cold call with, what they complete with in SB etc.


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Good suggestion, I will be doing that more and more proactivly. Up until now, I have usually played against them with the "what would I be doing" mentality. Considering that I usually can hold my own post-flop (or at least I delude myself enough to think so) it usually doesn't occur to me that someone in my aggression category wouldn't have some soft of idea as well. But keeping notes on them will be a good exercise.

[ QUOTE ]
By definition they aren't going to be in many pots and neither are you.

[/ QUOTE ]

This may be true. However, is there a specific way to play against other TAG's besides automaticlly assuming they are using one of the preflop chart hands if they are 18/9's? I remember there was a post not so long ago about this very issue, but of course like the donk I am I can't drudge it up, anyone have a link?

[Cosimo]

Note that if I'm running well I'll be 25-12 or so; running poorly and I might be 14-2. But that's just preflop. Anyone you see with tightish, aggressive-ish numbers could be a 2+2er, or just following a hand chart, or just a fish running weird.

You're going to run into more TAGs as you move up. So, the question is: would learning to play against them now help you in the long run or not? On the one hand, playing against them now will improve your game so that you can move up more quickly later. Playing against them later means that you make more money now but hit a hard wall later.

I think you're better off learning how to handle them now. Chances are they're just tight and aggro preflop but poor post. Take notes; chances are they're either weak-tight, loose-passive, or maniacal post-flop. Plus it'll help with hand-reading skills; personal judgement > PT stats at the higher limits, so I've heard.

you don't need to mine .5/1 there are way too many total players and most are really bad anyway. and depending on your table position, it can be a really good table or a terrible one

but a TAGish stat player or 2 is not a reason to get up