How can I best take advantage of this oddly-structured 4/8 game?

[michaelp]

I don't have TOP in front of me, but I thought TOP related the blinds to the size of later bets not the pot.

The concept being that if the blinds are large compared to later bets, your winning hands will not adequatly cover your blind loses if you play to tight. This won't be the case with small blinds v's larger bets later in the hand.

[PSW]

I believe that ckessel has the right of it. The thing to notice is that that while the blinds are 1/2, it only takes 2 to see the flop. This means loose play is correct. However, if the blinds were 1/2 and it still took 4 to see the flop, then tighter play is correct.

psw

[Borno]

I am quite sure you ought to play quite tight preflop except for your pocket pairs, you should also raise more with your higher (JT, Q9, etc.) sooted connectors. I would play all pp's from all positions even cold calling with them sometimes. The reson for this is clearly because of the implied odds idea and the fact that your opponents will more frequently hit hands like 2 pair because they are often seeing the flop "cheeply". And you have the possibility of getting paid off huge while many opponents continue to draw while not thining about pot size. With hands like JT sooted in position and in the blinds you should be raising because of the likelyhood of opponents cold calling more than a normal 4/8 game. You are not only pushing your equity but making the pot a reasonable size so that you can draw. Note, you should only be raising / playing this hand when you know how many people are already committed - this hand is almost surely -EV if you raise upfront and pushout the field (playing it against few opponents is not wise). Raising PF is especially true with hands like A9 and AT sooted and ATo from any position. You gain more in extra chips with your superior hand than sloplaying it and people will cold call you with less. Plus there is an added bonus with this structure. You allow your opponents to EASILY make another mistake on the flop by drawing weakly when you protect your hand.