question on strategy: playing novice/clueless players.

[Kukareku]

I am often involved in small stakes ($20-40) cash NL Holdem games with people who mostly know the rules only. They have no idea about Gap concept, importance of position, pot odds or odds in general, etc. They mostly call with anything preflop just to see the pot or raise with any ace. What is the best strategy to extract most money out of them? Should I loosen my starting hand requirements because table is much looser, or should I tighten up?

Lenny.

[plummy1013]

I would advise loosening (Spelling?) up slightly if the players are likely to pay you off if you hit a big flop, but you have to be prepared to release a lot of hands when you don't hit. Don't chase with out the correct pot/implied odds. This works well in my very loose chash game.

-Plummy1013

[WhiteWolf]

My strategy in a nutshell:

Preflop, loosen up with the hands that play well multiway - namely small pocket pairs and suited connectors. Try to see the flop with these hands as cheaply as possible. Tighten up with hands that don't like lots of players, namely big unsuited cards. Charge folks as much as possible preflop when you do play these hands.

Postflop, value bet relentlessly, even when you don't have a monster. Bluff very infrequently.

Furthermore, it is more important to know your math than your opponent, since your opponents are liable to be playing nearly anything.

I would echo the advice of not bluffing often if much at all. Don't be too tricky either.

[UATrewqaz]

Rarely bluff, don't try to pull tricky plays like check raising, etc.

Play ABC poker.

Exploit their tendency to call too much by always betting.

Flop a straight? Don't slowplay, bet it, etc.

[holdemfan]

In addition to all of the advice given: Loosen up when the blinds are low and the amount of starting chip is high because almost all will call. This will only apply if they are passive. This does not mean play crap hands, it means you can play connectors or suited A more frequently and in earlier positions. If the blinds are high in relation to the beginning stack play tighter and let the weak hands bleed chips and become desperate in the 3rd or 4th round when they are short stacked.If you get an aggressive player be the tight one and wait to trap them.

Biggest thing to remember is, they don't know what pot odds are. Thus they see "I need a 9 for a straight" and don't even understand that it's not worth the money to chase this gutshot. Because of this you must bet larger than usual to push them off their draws. Some players will call a pot bet on a 4 outer. You win in the long run but its important to know that if they call your pot bet and the 3rd card to a flush hits, don't think it would be stupid for them to have chased the flush, they can't have that, so I will call their raise. It was a stupid call they made earlier but in their mind they are smart as %$*% because they've got you now. Be prepared to lay down that great hand. Also realize they will beat your AA with K7o when they call your raise, hit the 7 on the flop and chase to the river to get the K then they will bet into you. If you get the gut feeling fish just out drew you your probably right. I will still bet (smaller) and see their reaction as opposed to checking and wondering if their bet was a bluff. By betting you control the amount you put in.

In summary be VERY cautious in the beginning until these players bust out. They will lose eventually. Just make sure when they bust out they don't push all of what used to be your chips to someone else.

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they see "I need a 9 for a straight" and don't even understand that it's not worth the money to chase this gutshot. Because of this you must bet larger than usual to charge them as much as they are willing to pay to incorrectly draw to their hands.

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FYP

[trumpman84]

$20-$40 is small stakes now ..geez [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

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$20-$40 is small stakes now ..geez [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

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I was thinking he meant the buyin was $20 to $40, not the limits (as he said it was NL).