Games with low fold equity

[Tilt]

I am finding at the 10's that fold equity is excruciatingly low when I am down to 5 or 6 players. This is at pokerroom, and when the blinds get to 75-150 (starting stacks are 1500) I have been trying to apply what I see here and pick spots to push decent, not necessarily great, hands. But I am getting called by all kinds of hands.

Today I was called by KJo, A4o, A2o, 44, and K5s. Until these pushes I had played tight and shown down nothing but very strong hands. In all cases my stack size was about average or better, and the calls came from similar sized stacks - no big stacks or short stacks included in this list.

Here is an example - I have t2000 OTB, BB has t1800, SB has t1000, we are six handed with blinds of 75-150. Until this point I had not pushed and had only shown down AA and QQ. Folded to me with K9o, I push, BB calls with KJ.

Second example, I am CO with t2200, Button has t1400, sb has t2300, BB has t2000. Blinds 75-150. Until this time I had only shown down AK which I pushed with a shutout raise against a desperate small stack. Folded to me with A8, I push, Sb calls with 44 and BB with A4o. Thats not an awful EV outcome, but I wouldn't have pushed if I thought I'd get two callers!

How does my strategy adjust to these players with very low calling standards? Am I doing something fundamentally wrong here?

FWIW, I am doing what I think is pretty well (ITM 45% ROI 48%) over 260 SNGs at the 5's and 10s. So maybe these kinds of plays are correct? I am hoping to multitable the 20s soon so I need to get this right - any help is appreciated.

[raptor517]

first question.. why are you pushing A8o with 220 chips when the blidns are 75-15-??? holla

[Maulik]

this is low stakes, players don't understand fold equity, they see 2 broadway cards or any PP they are going to call, you need to adjust accordingly and take advtange of this.

[bones]

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How does my strategy adjust to these players with very low calling standards?

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but I wouldn't have pushed if I thought I'd get two callers

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[Tilt]

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first question.. why are you pushing A8o with 220 chips when the blidns are 75-15-??? holla

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So he would fold?

In that game, SB was going to call a raise to 450 with any two and make a huge play at the pot no matter what. He did this routinely. I wanted to try and take it down when I was most likely ahead. And I wanted to set them up to call my all in later when I had a monster.

Bad play? How would you play it? I seek your wisdom....

[Tilt]

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this is low stakes, players don't understand fold equity, they see 2 broadway cards or any PP they are going to call, you need to adjust accordingly and take advtange of this.

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OK, so would these plays be acceptable in the 20's?

And how can their calls be incorrect and yet my pushes are incorrect? Isn't it EV to make my opponents make mistakes?

And to take advantage of this, I need to make my pushing standards very high? Or just don't push less than AA/KK, since every time I am called I set myself up for suckout risk? Though obviously I'll have to be pushing much less when the blinds are 150-300 in any case.

[Freudian]

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this is low stakes, players don't understand fold equity, they see 2 broadway cards or any PP they are going to call, you need to adjust accordingly and take advtange of this.

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For many players I meet even at the 22s, folding equity consist of 50% personality and 50% cards/stacksize. If you are good at guessing who prefer folding and who prefer calling it becomes slightly easier. Now if people just stopped picking up AQ in BB I will be happy.

[Phoenix1010]

In these loose crazy games, it is important that you learn to pick your spots. Remember that a lot of the conversations that take place on this board pertain to higher stakes games where the players' calling standards are usually much tigher, making a push-often strategy very profitable. This generally does not apply to lower stakes games. You have to be more selective with your pushing standards and positions, and you have to tighten up in general. Remember that a large part of your EV is going to come from these maniacs knocking each other out. Once the game gets short handed with high blinds, you should be able to make up for not excessively stealing blinds previously simply by pushing when you are likely to be a favorite. These guys will always be willing to double you up, you just have to figure out when that is most likely to happen.

Oh, and I don't like that A8 push. Your stack and the stacks of your opponents are too large compared to the blinds to warrant pushing. If you really want their blinds, try a standard raise and go from there. I would fold it almost every time against loose opponents though.

[valenzuela]

All I know is that u have to push a range between raptor and aleomgus guide...the lower the buy-in the more I lean towards the latter( or to be fair to raptor the higher the buy-in the more I lean towards him)

[Blarg]

That was very well put, Phoenix1010.