Image Maintenance
 

So I'm steal raising with a broad, but reasonable, range of hands. I'm preflop raising my big hands and isolating the suckers. I'm following up with continuation bets on the flop when I hit or when I miss with non-hellish boards. I'm using bet/fold lines against the calling stations. I'm doing the things I think good little TAGs ought to do and then I hit a stretch when my bet folds all end up in folds and, from an outside perspective, it just looks like I'm completely FOS and can be pushed over with any flop or turn raise. The laggier fish are now taking shots at me and I end up having to make lots of uncomfortable folds. How does your play change when you realize your image is garbage?

Sure, the easy answer is to tighten up, steal less, and don't put your chips past the line without the goods, but I'm finding that executing that strategy is easier said that done. Any tips?

Re: Image Maintenance
 

You could just showdown more if you think they're taking shots at you. For 6 max a garbage image is usually +EV over a tight image, assuming you know how to play both.

Re: Image Maintenance
 

When your running bad they are almost never taking as many shots at you as you think they are.

Over adjusting in these spots is very tempting and it often helps make a bad run wrose.

I find the best strategy is to remain patient and evaluate who is taking shots on you based on known information.

Those that are legitmately taking shots at you tend to do so predictably and the tend to attack TAGs on low ragged flops, narrowing your preflop range further can potentially play right into their hands.

Re: Image Maintenance
 

I read pistolero's HH transcript for the session thread, and his isolation play is excellent, raising to push blinds out where i usually fold (the blinds at 2/4 stars seem to love to call raises, which doesn't help isolating with A9/KT etc).

He was also running bad over the session i had, with some cruel suckouts, but i noticed a hand where a person i had tagged as quite passive started betting at him; it looked like "shot-taking" to me.

My advice would be for pistol to pretty much keep up what he's doing. But yeah, single out the laggy thinkers who try and push you out and SD against them. Just don't take it too far and SD against anyone who raises you.

Better luck,
Pete

Re: Image Maintenance
 

Whats makes you think they're taking shots at you?

Just play you're usual game, maybe do a few call downs if you feel they may be bluffing(Helps image, and you'll win if they are taking shots at you). Don't turn into a calling station!

I'd continue my "Game" and let them try push me off and my hands. More money for me if they get cocky!

Re: Image Maintenance
 

[ QUOTE ]
When your running bad they are almost never taking as many shots at you as you think they are.

Over adjusting in these spots is very tempting and it often helps make a bad run wrose.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is excellent advice, thanks. This may be compounding a bad run of cards more than anything else.

Re: Image Maintenance
 

[ QUOTE ]
Whats makes you think they're taking shots at you?

[/ QUOTE ]

An unusual number of flop raises from someone with a flop aggression < 1.0, turn donks from passive players, etc. I see them in my mind as shots after having folded the last 10 hands I've played on the flop or turn. They aren't necessarily, though, and I think I need to be more discriminating before assuming I have a big red X on my chest.

Re: Image Maintenance
 

[ QUOTE ]
(the blinds at 2/4 stars seem to love to call raises, which doesn't help isolating with A9/KT etc)

[/ QUOTE ]

At 2/4 stars the blinds love to call preflop but most play fit or fold postflop which can be very profitable because you often make money even when you miss.

Re: Image Maintenance
 

[ QUOTE ]
You could just showdown more if you think they're taking shots at you. For 6 max a garbage image is usually +EV over a tight image, assuming you know how to play both.

[/ QUOTE ]

I disagree with this. I think it is harder to win if you have a garbage image. If your image sucks, then people are going to be 3-betting you, isolating you and taking you to showdown. That's fine if you happen to catch cards, but you can't rely upon that. It's much simpler if they respect your raises and don't react with aggression.

In fact, I think that if are getting a bad image the best thing to do is to move tables.

Re: Image Maintenance
 

Like I said you have to be able to showdown some very marginal hands if you have a garbage image. But you'd be amazed how far people go vs you with crap hands when you have a 47% ATSB.