Game with 1/2 good and 1/2 weak players

I have been playing a local club with some weak players (all loose, some passive and others aggressive), and some good players (generally tight/aggressive, sensitive to odds, release on any street, read opponents' hands well, tricky and unpredictable).


The games will shift texture over the hours moving from tight games of 5-10 players with maybe 1-3 seeing the flop, to wild games occasionaly capped pre-flop and 5+ players at the river. When tight/passive I try occasional steals while loosening my starting requirements, when the game gets loose/passive I get more aggressive and look for drawing hands and when it gets really wild I play super-tight and try to build huge hands.


Needless to say, the loose/aggressive players sometimes make huge scores but usually lose their money to the tighter players. The good players generally seem to have low variance and gradually build their stacks. When I become involved in pots against only the good players it's as if they can read my hand and control my actions without my knowledge at times. They will make plays that confuse me, and when I pay them off they chuckle and say, "that's the old misdirection for ya!"


Aside from finding another game, what advice do you folks have for playing in such a lopsided game? I really enjoy playing with these folks, but need to improve my tactics or I will have to move on. I think if I can keep my head above water I can learn a lot from the good players in these games. The one thing that seems to help is waiting a round to bet/raise, i.e. check the flop and see what happens, then bet/raise the turn if appropriate. Obviously, I can't do this every time but I am having to vary my plays here.

TAPS fold often pre-flop;otherwise,they would not be "tight"!

When they are in the game,do not "go to war" with them unless you have a strong hand.

You will have to have more than the usual dose of patience.

Please don't let your "ego" tempt U to play with these players when you have mediocre hands.

A "classical" tactic employed by TAPS is to "make fun" of a player when he loses a"pot" to them.

They are trying to put you on "tilt" so you will start playing more poorly against them.

Don't fall for that old trick!

Otherwise,you will be crying all the way home!


Happy Pokering,

Sitting Bull

I will try to turn that tactic against them on occasion. ("Aww, man - ya played 'em so good and I still drug the pot. Maybe it IS better to be lucky than good?")


In retrospect, I really hunker down on my cards and probably look like a computer when I play. In fact, a guy in a casino game folded to my raise pre-flop a while back saying something like, "whoa, the computer's in so I fold." I have been gaining a local reputation as a tight and aggressive player which can't be all good.


When I used to gamble at pool, we would try to "shark" the other player by employing various psychological tactics while making our own game look easy and carefree. This would often get the opponent to "go off" which is a pool term similar to putting someone on-tilt.


S&M urge players in good, loose games to not look too serious. Maybe I need to take that advice a little closer to heart, and pepper my play with some ribbing at times in attempt to garner more action?

readable,raise UTG once every hr. or two with a "cheese hand" such as 25o!

U will probably be able to obtain one or more free cards.

U might flop two baby pairs and beat a pocket pair of A's!(LOL)!

Occasionally,it is "correct" to play "incorrectly".

But DON'T become carried away with this move!!!

What you are really hoping for is an opportunity to show your "rags" when you have to.


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But Y really don't want to "show" if Y don't have to--Decent players will know that U are now in the advertisment business.

Happy pokering,

Sitting Bull