Help! NL Home game advice needed.

[ScottTheFish]

Hi,

i am mostly a limit player online. But I play in a weekly NLHE home game with some friends with this structure:

$15 max. buyin, reload back to 15 any time. .25/.50 blinds, usually 7-10 handed.

with such a small buyin, there is a LOT of calling, with many hands going to showdown. Almost plays like a limit game. Can anyone give me some general strategy advice on a game like this?

Should I be more or less aggressive than in a more standard NL game with a bigger max. buyin?

Early on when the stacks are all about equal and small, should it be all-in or fold on the flop? Like if I hit TPTK or something should I just go all-in, as that is about the only way to get drawing hands to even consider folding.

I feel I am the best player at the table in that game usually, but I am not doing great in it. Breaking even or a little ahead overall. then again maybe I just suck [img]/images/graemlins/crazy.gif[/img]

Help!

[SkippingGoat]

First, I'd consider either increasing the buyins or decreasing the blinds. Often buyins are made too small to make the games more "friendly" especially to new players. Additionally, making the stacks drastically too small increases the role of luck in the game which also tends to be new player/socially friendly. You'll be blinded out by sitting back and waiting for a strong hand (unless you annoyingly constantly rebuy back up to $15) and once any real action gets going the players in question will be all-in, making the game very coin-flippy. By lowering the blinds you can keep the buyin low without sacrificing decent gameplay.

As far as game play, I'd fold any kind of drawing hand preflop. Suited aces, suited connectors, and even low pairs simply aren't going to give you the implied odds to play. If the pot is raised preflop I'd push with 99-QQ but would consider just min-reraising with KK or AA to get more money in the pot. Of course you would then push on the flop (barring an ace flop with KK). AK is pushable preflop as well to any kind of real raise. I also think it's almost impossible to get away from TPTK on the flop unless the board is very scary or you have a very strong read on someone. It seems like any real raise in this game would be pot committing.

Bottom line, get it all-in with a strong hand, double up, and start playing some real poker where it's neccessary to make meaningful decisions.