I think you guys are all wrong.

[spoohunter]

It occured to me the other day that I don't play at all like any of the players here. And I don't think you guys play optimally. Not to say you don't win, I think you guys do, probably lots, but I think you make a few key mistakes.

#1 - You play too tight in raised pots.

Here's an example from the other day. I'm in LP with 87o and a player who I hadn't not observed anything incredible from raised to 4x the BB. We both have 200x the BB, he has me covered. I had position on him, I called, so did one other player.

The flop came down K86, two hearts, and he bet the pot on the flop. I called again. Here's why : Villian either has TP or better, and will bet the turn, or he has less than top pair and check. When he checks the turn, I bet the pot and fold AQ, AJ, A10, but more than that, QQ, JJ, 10-10.

Much more importantly than that, if he does have AK, KQ, AA, then he's in trouble. Why? Because he puts in 16x the BB and is risking 100x the BB or more.

This is a very clear cut hand, and yet, not one in twenty of you would have played it this way. Not one in twenty of you would have played it.

The play, but almost all the players who play low limits, is so weak post flop, that it is fine to put your money in preflop with weaker hands. You are sacrificing money preflop, for larger profits post flop. Which leads to my second rule :

#2 - It's not that easy to flop a pair.

You may get the idea that I am a pay off machine. And I do make alot of speculative calls on the flop. I get into alot of marginal hands. But I don't do anything like "always call the flop with middle pair" or "always pay off two pair". The situation is very dependent on the board, the action in previous rounds, etc. Basic hand reading.

Now, when people limp in, I play alot tighter than when someone raises. That's because, as Doyle says, six people just tried to flop the nuts for free (or almost). So when I limp in LP with 67s, and the flop comes 972, I'm check folding. But the very same hand against a preflop raiser, and I'm calling. Calling for information, calling for two pair, calling to fold to a turn bet and bet a turn check.
Should I raise? The problem is, when I raise, I'm all of a sudden paying him when he has me beat, and folding out worst hands. Yes I get six outs to fold, but is that worth laying him a pot sized raise? Or worse, what if he calls? Now I've got a horrible hand in a bloated pot. So I'm calling, to improve, and to find out what he has.

#3 - Sometimes it's ok to slowplay. Honest. At a certain stage, it is important to get value out of your hand than it is to protect the pot. The worse your opponent is, the more this is true. The better they are, the LESS this is true. Doing alot more flop calling against auto betters also allows you to disguise your set or better hands for an extra bet, especially against observant opponents.

Am I a loose passive fish? Maybe I am... but I'm winning more than ever. Maybe I'm a small stakes passive aggression Tommy in training. Maybe this is another way to win.