20/40 Home Game Hands

[rory]

I played in a great 20/40 game tonight, but it is the type of game I am having a ton of trouble with. The players are loose, and don't raise much unless they have the goods but they occasionally get out of line-- here are a few hands I would like some feedback on.

7 handed.
Hand #1
UTG raises, he seems like a reasonable player so far after an hour and a hald of play. It is cold called in 3 spots, the cutoff, who seems to play his cards fairly randomly raises, i cap in the SB with AA, the BB folds and everyone calls.

Flop comes 678, rainbow. I check, UTG bets and is called in two places. I call. The turn is a 2, UTG bets and is calle d again in two places. I raise, UTG 3 bets, it is folded to me and I call. River is the 8h. I check call.

Hand #2
4 limpers to me and I complete in the SB with 46s, the button checks and we all see a flop. The flop comes 10-4-5, rainbow. It is checked around to the button who bets-- the button is a drunk guy who just got back from the strip bar. I have no idea what he has but everyone is happy to see him come into the game. So, I raise, the BB cold calls two pretty quickly and the button calls. The turn is a 3. I bet and both call. The river is a 6, I check, the BB bets and grumbles "Let's see what drunk guy has". He has talked like this before when he had whatever hand was out there and I had not seen him bluff yet. I fold.

Hand #3
I have AQo UTG and raise. It is folded around to the button who cold calls, and the BB calls. The button is a little loose preflop but plays well postflop. The flop comes AJT and I am check raised by the button. The BB folds. I call. The turn is a 9 and I check call. The river is another 9 and I check call.

I am having trouble adjusting to these types of games where people call too much, bluff too little and raise too little. On Party poker calling down a lot is good because a lot of times people are bluffing. But at Foxwoods and at the few home games I have played at I have found myself calling down too much. I have a war in my head, one is telling me I am beat and to fold, and the other is telling me that the pot is reasonably big and they only have to be bluffing 1 in x amount of times for my call to be profitable and what not. I had an opponent fold an overpair on the turn in a very big pot to me after I check raised him, so I am not getting paid off with my big hands but I am paying them off. I realize that I am not bluffing enough if people are making laydowns like that and that I need to call down less but I am having a heck of a time identifying situations to do both. My poker education has been entirely on \line, mostly with completely maniacal Party poker games. I realize the question is very broad but do any of you online players in particular who have made the transition from the wild games to more passive ones have any advice on how to stop the war in my head and start playing properly for the game I am in?

Playing on Party I feel like the don't fold in big pots advice from SSHE and on these forums is making me tons of money. But in these more passive live games I am feeling like it is costing me a lot. Help?

-rory

[rory]

Oops in Hand #3 I am raised on the flop not check raised.

[Steve Giufre]

Hey Rory,

A while ago I posted something in the news and gossip forum about how a lot of internet play can really screw up your live game IMO. You get so used to calling down on Party that it becomes tough to let a hand go. I also find that sometimes I value bet a little hard live after playing a lot on the net.

Anyhow, hand 1 looks good to me. I'm not totally convinced you didnt take this down, or chop it up with the other two aces. If he has a set so be it, I think you played well.

Hand 2 looks bad. I realize the button is probably a gambler but you dont have much of a hand here. I would probably fold on the flop. If I did get to the turn I would check, after the BB calls two cold one of them probably has a hand. I wouldnt want to put myself in a position to pay two bets and you obviously need to get to the river. I like the fold on the end.

Hand three is tough. On the net I'm calling this thing down every time. Live I might not end up paying it off agaist a predictable opponent. He should assume you are all over that board and he is still firing. I might end up paying it off, but you really dont beat much. Unless he horribly overplayed AX suited, or a pair and a straight draw you have a loser. This hand along with hand one are just tough spots so I wouldnt get too discouraged.