In HPFAP21 (I think,) Sklansky wrote a section on loose-passive game strategy. Good advice shown here about not raising pre-flop with small EV cards (he even suggests potentially folding hands like AJ that don’t play well multi-way.) This makes the pot size smaller and makes loose calling closer to being incorrect. Conversely, raising with good drawing hands in late position is always fun (like pocket pairs, suited connectors, Axs.) This way, you’re getting paid a lot when you hit your draw, and calling players can’t beat you if you make your hand. He also said that you may want to smooth call good hands on the flop and wait for the turn to show aggression. The idea is that you probably won’t be able to shut out loose callers on the flop, but you may be able to shut them out on the turn so that they won’t suck out a river card against you. Again, keeping the pot size small makes their calling one or two BB’s on the turn incorrect or closer to incorrect.

Another thing. Bluffing obviously doesn’t work. You know he is going to call anyways. So yes, most of your profit will come from value betting.

Having said that, if the game is terribly loose-passive and I can’t tell if callers have draws or second pairs, I sometimes check down the river if any remotely scary card comes (completes a gutshot, pairs the board, maybe even runner-runner flush cards, etc.) Don’t overvalue top pair/top kicker against these types of opponents.

ScottieK