Strategy

[nutstraight]

I'm a novice, but have read TOP, Phycology of Poker and Phil Helmuth's book and I'm trying to turn the corner on playing better.

Tonight I'm playing with a calling station, the tighest player anyone has seen, a player who thinks the money is low so is always in(but good), and a cluless player. I'm trying to figure how I should play. It's going to be low stakes stuff, which according to the book I should play tight, but I feel I can outplay most of these people and if I wait to long I might only come away with a few bucks over a long game. We'll be playing stud and draw poker with limit hold'em.

Please suggest how I should approach this game for me to try and clean up.

[LetsRock]

This could be a tough crowd to crack. You'll have to pay attention to who is in each hand with you and adjust accordingly. The calling station will make it hard to get too aggressive with less than very good hands which will take away your edge against the rock.

Value bet against the calling station and be prepared to lay down hands against the rock.

The best scenario would be you getting some good cards early so you can build some room to maneuver later in the game, but we don't always get what we want.

[nutstraight]

Does it help that the calling station is on the loose and clueless side?

[jdl22]

Is there any other kind?

[andyfox]

Basic rule of thumb in low stakes: Play A-B-C. No need to "outplay" a calling station. Bet your hands when you figure to have him beat, don't bet when you don't. The tightest player around figures to have better cards than you when he gets involved. You might be able to buy him out of a pot when you're head-up with him, but it doesn't sound like that's gonna happen very much with the other guys in the game. A guy that's always in and a clueless guy won't put you on a hand, so there'll be no outplaying them either.

Lose less than them on bad hands, win more on good ones.

[PairTheBoard]

Where do you plan to sit in relation to the others?

PairTheBoard

[Monty Cantsin]

[ QUOTE ]
...if I wait to long I might only come away with a few bucks over a long game.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is your goal. Expert play will guarantee you, at most, several big bets an hour over the long run. Anything else is bittersweet variance.

/mc

[Louie Landale]

Here's a reality of weak players: if you play 3 hands in 10 and bet 2 of them they will think you are looser than the player playing 6 hands in 10 and betting one of them. Stick to your reasonably selective starting hands but bet assertively: you'll get plenty of action even though you know you don't "deserve" it.

A couple-3 loose calling stations call for you to bet assertively; certainly including 2nd pair most of the time. If you don't play small cards then you can pretty much bet whenever you make ANYTHING. If you DO play small cards (such as 54s) then often check when you make a pair. Once you figure you are beat than take the free cards.

And usually keep betting. Yup you'll be betting their hands for them often but MORE often they'll be paying you off. Reconsider when one of the loose players raises. Reconsider when the TIGHT player CALLS. That's a lot tougher since its a lot easier to notice a raise than a call; but its crucial.

- Louie

Playing more hands because you are confidence in outplaying them is a huge trap.

[nutstraight]

Thanks for all the advice. The night went well. With 6 players all putting in $40 each I came away with $100. A lot more than I thought I would. I played tight, but bet aggressively. I just can't get over losing with aces or kings and to someone catching three of a kind on 7th street. With low money games like these most people seem to stay in to "keep me honest". Oh well thanks for the advice and I playing again this weekend with a bit more expereinced people, but it should still me a lucrative evening.