Proper Adjustments to Game Style

[MikeRand2000]

Hi all -

Was down in Tampa this past week. The only game they had open when I arrived was a $2/$2 limit hold'em; that is, the blinds are $1 and $2, but the betting doesn't double on the turn.

The game was RIDICULOUSLY loose pre-flop. Very rare for a flop to have less than 7 of 10 seeing it. Also, there were two people would would almost always drive the pre-flop betting to a cap with 7 people. So the pots were always absolutely enormous (20+ small bets common).

Post flop 3-4 of the people at the table would play to the river with any draw (backdoor or better), any pair, or any overcard. Any kind of coordinated flop would be at least 2-3 bet (if not capped).

That being said, here were my observations and adjustments.

1) Was dealt AKo 5-6 times, didn't come close to winning one. Given the action I mentioned above, I started folding any offsuit non-pair.

2) Started playing Axs, Kxs, and Qxs from any position.

3) Given the betting for flop and beyond, the effective odds weren't as good as the pot odds seemed on the flop. Even with 21 bets, chances were almost always that it'd cost me 6-12 bets to make it to the river.

That being said, I went to TOP to see what I SHOULD have done and saw the following:

1) With loose players, play come hands more often and more aggressively.

2) When the game structure doesn't enhance implied odds (i.e. the $2/2 structure vs. $2/4), play stronger hands up front and fewer hands that require implied odds to be profitable.

Given the structure that I mentioned and the action, was I right in dumping the AKo or high off-suit cards (even though they were better than most of the cards people would be playing) and playing A, K, and Qxs? I think the action outweighed the structure, just wanted to see if you all would play the same way I did given the structure.

Thanks much,

Mike

[CourtJester]

I live in Florida so i know exactly what your talking about. Thats the highest limit allowed in B&M here sux but w/e, everyones a fish at those places, obviously if the tables are close to 80%VPIP. Ive read in either TOP or HEPFAP that in crazy games that are CAPPED 7+ ways PF its best to limit your starting hands to AA, KK and AKs. Yeah it seems really boring, but those are the hands with the most EV. So when you hit your hand your making the most out of it. The Axs and Kxs dont have as much implied odds as your paying to much to see the flop most of the time. You wouldnt mind that much putting 2 bets in PF w/ A7s, but 3 or 4 bets w/ K8s when you're trapped in the middle of a couple of maniacs who just like shouting CAPPUCCINO is not EV+ as you'll sometimes just hit the flop a little, and with 7-10 people in the flop, you want to hit hard. So basically only group 1 hands you really want to play in a game like this QQ+ and AQs+ when your more comfortable with the swings.

[MikeRand2000]

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Ive read in either TOP or HEPFAP that in crazy games that are CAPPED 7+ ways PF its best to limit your starting hands to AA, KK and AKs.

[/ QUOTE ]

That's right, now I remember. It's in HEPFAP under the "Wild Games" chapter in the Non-Standard Games part. Anything from AA-JJ, AKs-AJs, and AK are playable. Personally, given the swings possible (and my stomach for them), I probably should have restricted myself to your recommendations.

Interesting that they basically acknowledge both sides of my intuition: you have loose players, but you don't have the implied odds. At least I knew what I should have been thinking about (even if I didn't come up with the right answer at the table). I guess I'll give myself a C+ for setting up the problem correctly.