JJNJustin
11-25-2005, 04:46 PM
Because I frequently play at a B&M casino low limit games, I am frequently playing in games that are typically much looser than online games. Many peolple cold call raises and most pots are played multi-way. There are many stategy changes that I must employ against such a game, many of them I'm sure most of you already are familiar with. Here is one which is pretty consistant with Sklansky and Malmuth's HFAP theories, yet most beginning players dont realize it because they automatically go for the c/r in early position if they flop a TPTK type hand. This strategy seems to work quite well for me in these very loose and passive games.
Say in early position you flop TPTK or Top two pair against a 2 flush, 2 straight, or combination of, or something else which you consider the best hand yet vulnerable to draws. Say you check, planning to c/r, but a player to your immediate left bets and gets many calls. Rather than check and raise this bettor to your immediate left, consider check calling if there hasnt been any raises after his initial bet. If there have been raises, go ahead and 3-bet. Only consider check raising a bettor to your immediate right, and not to your immediate left. C/r a player to your immediate right has a greater than average chance of knocking out players to your left, keeping the pot heads up with the late position bettor, who may not have much of a hand, and you can pretty much just bet into him all the way through, especially if no-one cold calls your raise on your left.
However if you c/r a bettor to your immediate left after many opponents have called, it is much less likely for players to drop. Now what has happened is you have built a much bigger pot, one worth staying for. Anyone who called the initial bet (even if incorrectly) is more correct to call your c/r, unless he believes he is drawing dead to your hand, and loose players wont be likely to drop for one more bet. Also, by playing your hand this way, you have basically announced to the table that you have something and have taken the lead away from the player on your left. Once the turn card comes, you are in a precarious position. You dont want to give a free card, but given the number of hands against you, and your position, you wont have the advantage of a last to act hand-read on the field. What will you do if the turn card is a scare card that completes the straight, the flush, is an over, or pairs the board? Most likely, like many players I see trying in vain to play TPTK hands against a large field, you will bet into this large field, haven taken the lead on the flop. More often than not, you will get raised by someone who has sucked out on you, and you, having sort of methodically committed yourself to this pot, will call the raise and call the river bet, costing yourself additional money when your TPTK type hand gets sucked out on. Therefore, I recommend, that in loose games, when in early position, you avoid c/r'ing a flop bet to your immediate left who gets many calls, unless you have some kind of monster draw which you intend to bet into the field on the turn if it gets there, or checking if it doesnt.
Once again, if you hold the TPTK or otherwise type hand, and a bettor to you immediate left bets into a large field or somewhat multi-way field, I suggest you just call the flop bet. By doing this, you somewhat conceal your hand, and reserve the chance to c/r the turn if you think your hand is still good. Say, for example, an innocuous card hits the turn, and you check, this same guy who led the flop will probably bet again. Note he is less likely to bet again if you had c/r'ed the flop. Now after he gets 2-3 calls, you can safely c/r your TPTK type hand. Notice that the draws didnt get there, and nobody raised his bet, which gives you the advantage of a good read on the field. This most likely means your hand is still good and you can c/r getting more money in the pot with the bigger bets as a bigger favorite, since there is only one more card to come.
Now say a lousy card comes on the turn, say it completes a flush, a straight, or perhaps pairs the board. You check, the player on your immediate left bets again, and is called and raised. You can now probably consider folding, unless you have a strong re-draw to beat whatever the likely raiser has. Playing the hand this way leaves an escape door for you if you get outdrawn on the turn. Note this is not playing weak/tight, per say, but defensive, because this is a very loose game. You are trying not to give your opponents better odds and at the same time you are trying not to get caught up yourself, costing yourself the maximum when your hand is no good. Had you c/r'ed the flop, you'd have gotten calls anyway, and you'd be giving your opponents better implied odds. By playing the hand more defensively, you not only avoid getting trapped in the hand, but you reserve the right to get a nice double sized BB on the turn if you feel your hand is still the best hand, or could be the best hand.
Note that this strategy works best in very loose and passive games, where the number of draws against your hand makes it very likely for the turn card to make someone a better hand. If this game isnt very loose and passive, and the bettor to your right is aggressive, you may still consider c/r the flop, because now the game setting is different, and also, your man may 3-bet you to protect his hand. However, since in most loose passive games that I play in players fear me so much (and hopefully fear you too, being one of the strongest players at the table) that this is an unlikely occurence. Hence, I, often choose the former play of just check-calling the flop, and c/r the turn if the action is light and and the turn card does not appear too dangerous, or if my hand actually improves on the turn.
As a last thought, when playing out of position, always try to make the play that gives you the advantage of last position, and this includes checking many hands in early position, especially when the field is large. Extremely loose and passive games common at low limit often require slightly different strategies from normal games, and although many of them may seem strange or weak, they can be extremely effective. Against many players, many good hands become marginal hands, and more often you have to play defensively than aggressively.
Best of luck
-J
Say in early position you flop TPTK or Top two pair against a 2 flush, 2 straight, or combination of, or something else which you consider the best hand yet vulnerable to draws. Say you check, planning to c/r, but a player to your immediate left bets and gets many calls. Rather than check and raise this bettor to your immediate left, consider check calling if there hasnt been any raises after his initial bet. If there have been raises, go ahead and 3-bet. Only consider check raising a bettor to your immediate right, and not to your immediate left. C/r a player to your immediate right has a greater than average chance of knocking out players to your left, keeping the pot heads up with the late position bettor, who may not have much of a hand, and you can pretty much just bet into him all the way through, especially if no-one cold calls your raise on your left.
However if you c/r a bettor to your immediate left after many opponents have called, it is much less likely for players to drop. Now what has happened is you have built a much bigger pot, one worth staying for. Anyone who called the initial bet (even if incorrectly) is more correct to call your c/r, unless he believes he is drawing dead to your hand, and loose players wont be likely to drop for one more bet. Also, by playing your hand this way, you have basically announced to the table that you have something and have taken the lead away from the player on your left. Once the turn card comes, you are in a precarious position. You dont want to give a free card, but given the number of hands against you, and your position, you wont have the advantage of a last to act hand-read on the field. What will you do if the turn card is a scare card that completes the straight, the flush, is an over, or pairs the board? Most likely, like many players I see trying in vain to play TPTK hands against a large field, you will bet into this large field, haven taken the lead on the flop. More often than not, you will get raised by someone who has sucked out on you, and you, having sort of methodically committed yourself to this pot, will call the raise and call the river bet, costing yourself additional money when your TPTK type hand gets sucked out on. Therefore, I recommend, that in loose games, when in early position, you avoid c/r'ing a flop bet to your immediate left who gets many calls, unless you have some kind of monster draw which you intend to bet into the field on the turn if it gets there, or checking if it doesnt.
Once again, if you hold the TPTK or otherwise type hand, and a bettor to you immediate left bets into a large field or somewhat multi-way field, I suggest you just call the flop bet. By doing this, you somewhat conceal your hand, and reserve the chance to c/r the turn if you think your hand is still good. Say, for example, an innocuous card hits the turn, and you check, this same guy who led the flop will probably bet again. Note he is less likely to bet again if you had c/r'ed the flop. Now after he gets 2-3 calls, you can safely c/r your TPTK type hand. Notice that the draws didnt get there, and nobody raised his bet, which gives you the advantage of a good read on the field. This most likely means your hand is still good and you can c/r getting more money in the pot with the bigger bets as a bigger favorite, since there is only one more card to come.
Now say a lousy card comes on the turn, say it completes a flush, a straight, or perhaps pairs the board. You check, the player on your immediate left bets again, and is called and raised. You can now probably consider folding, unless you have a strong re-draw to beat whatever the likely raiser has. Playing the hand this way leaves an escape door for you if you get outdrawn on the turn. Note this is not playing weak/tight, per say, but defensive, because this is a very loose game. You are trying not to give your opponents better odds and at the same time you are trying not to get caught up yourself, costing yourself the maximum when your hand is no good. Had you c/r'ed the flop, you'd have gotten calls anyway, and you'd be giving your opponents better implied odds. By playing the hand more defensively, you not only avoid getting trapped in the hand, but you reserve the right to get a nice double sized BB on the turn if you feel your hand is still the best hand, or could be the best hand.
Note that this strategy works best in very loose and passive games, where the number of draws against your hand makes it very likely for the turn card to make someone a better hand. If this game isnt very loose and passive, and the bettor to your right is aggressive, you may still consider c/r the flop, because now the game setting is different, and also, your man may 3-bet you to protect his hand. However, since in most loose passive games that I play in players fear me so much (and hopefully fear you too, being one of the strongest players at the table) that this is an unlikely occurence. Hence, I, often choose the former play of just check-calling the flop, and c/r the turn if the action is light and and the turn card does not appear too dangerous, or if my hand actually improves on the turn.
As a last thought, when playing out of position, always try to make the play that gives you the advantage of last position, and this includes checking many hands in early position, especially when the field is large. Extremely loose and passive games common at low limit often require slightly different strategies from normal games, and although many of them may seem strange or weak, they can be extremely effective. Against many players, many good hands become marginal hands, and more often you have to play defensively than aggressively.
Best of luck
-J