Tight $3-$6 Games

[blubster]

Hi, Was wondering what are playable hands in late position in a tight $3-$6 game?

Game will usually have only 2 or 3 people in before it gets to me in late position. Really more often only two people in and occasionally 3.

Besides all the obvious hands of course. Like is it ok to play J8o, Q9o, K9o, etc? These are hands I wasn't playing at lower limit games and was still getting by ok, but now it seems I'm gonna have to play a lot more hands.

Would appreciate any input any winning poker players can give?

Thanks
blubster

[lil']

Like is it ok to play J8o, Q9o, K9o, etc

If two or three tight people are seeing the flop, limping with these hands will kill you. Fold them all. In a tight game all these hands will be dominated.

[Nottom]

</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />
These are hands I wasn't playing at lower limit games and was still getting by ok, but now it seems I'm gonna have to play a lot more hands.


[/ QUOTE ]

Why do you think you should be playing more hands in a tighter game? These are all hands you should be avoiding no matter how many people are in the pot, stay away.

[blubster]

Well I'm afraid of blinding away. These tight games are not getting me as many juicy pots and if I play very little hands I'm thinking maybe I will just blind away becuase the hands I will win will not make enough money to cover my tightness.

Basically the lowest hands I've been playing in late position are A9o and JTo. Should I be playing any lower hands then this?

What about K9s, Q9s, J9s, J8s? or what about A8s, not sure if I should be playing that hand as well?
Again appreciate any help any winning players can give.
thanks

blubster

[Michael Davis]

Blubster,

There are different types of tight games. If you are in a weak tight game where people do not show strength without the goods and don't defend their blinds enough, you can open raise with a lot of junk from late position. If your opponents are not observant and just play tight without an understanding of concepts, they will often fold better hands.

If the game is tight and full of good players who will three bet your open raises from their blinds and play back at you with nothing, you must play extremely tight. Don't waste your time in this game.

You need to take your opponents' postflop tendencies into account when deciding what to do preflop. But for all the hands you listed, their best chance to win money is blindstealing. These hands are not going to make money when somebody gives you action. Play them as such.

If this is the $3-6 at Paradise, I would look into playing somewhere else.

-Mike

[GuyOnTilt]

If you play longterm +EV poker, you definitely will not "blind away" your bankroll. You put in .75 BB every 10 hands at a full table for blinds...If you buy in at 25 BB, it'd take 332 consecutive folds for you to bust by blinding...and that just doesn't happen.

It sounds like you're strategy change for tighter tables may be a bit misguided. If players are playing tighter PF, then you're going to only want to play premium hands against these players, not hands like J9o, KTo, Q9o, as these will be dominated and will cost you mucho dinero. You must raise your PF limping standards when these tight PF players have not yet folded, whether it be limping ahead of you, or yet to act behind you.

As for your question about suited cards in LP, hands like Q9s, J9s, K9s, and similar suited cards can be played safely in LP with two conditions: There must be more than 3 limpers ahead of you, and you must be able to fold top pair with no flush draw on the flop. You're playing the cards for their flush and (longshot) straight possibilities, not for their face values. You have to be disciplined enough to fold K9s when the flop comes K-high and there is a bet and a raise to you. Etiher flop your four-flush, two-pair, open-ender, or better...if not, get out. Your stack will only dwindle otherwise.

Long story short: Tighten up your game when facing tight PF players. Don't be tempted to play marginal hands because you've folded 80 of the last 100 hands PF. That's just the way the game should be played.

[Dynasty]

I think this question is a strong sign that you have not got the required knowledge or skill level to beat the 5-10 games you asked about in a different thread. And, you certainly are going to be crushed in the 10-20 and higher games you seemed interested in playing.

If you're asking these questions, you should be able to appreciate that you have a lot to learn and will be at a huge disadvantage in bigger games.

[Louie Landale]

Do NOT add unsuited hands to the list unless you can seriously outplay the opponents after the flop, such as when you can steal with impunity often.

You want to add hands that have semi-bluffing equity, generally the suited connectors.

- Louie