How do you establish a loose image?

[me454555]

I play the standard 2+2 15-20% of the hands and everyone notices that I'm a rock b/c they all playing 40% of their hands. This still doesn't stop them from calling me down when I miss the flop w/overs but whenever I actually hit something, they seem to fold right away.

What do the rest of you guys do to portray a loose fun image w/out giving up EV?

[4_2_it]

Are you varying your play or shifting gears? How much time do you spend in selecting a table? Do you occasionally raise on the button with air?

One trick I use is that I pick a hand, say 78s, and play it like AA all night. It helps me develop my post flop skills and it adds a bit of deception to my game.

Of course, at the NL $25 table, you don't need to employ any where near that elaborate of a meta game. Just play some suited connectors, raise a few nut flush draws and if any one is paying attention you should get paid with your monsters.

[vexvelour]

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One trick I use is that I pick a hand, say 78s, and play it like AA all night. It helps me develop my post flop skills and it adds a bit of deception to my game.


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I have a similar problem to the OP, but this doesn't sound right to me. Shouldn't position and other players come into play when you decide to 'run' a hand, rather than the cards you have?

[BoxTree]

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I play the standard 2+2 15-20% of the hands and everyone notices that I'm a rock b/c they all playing 40% of their hands. This still doesn't stop them from calling me down when I miss the flop w/overs but whenever I actually hit something, they seem to fold right away.

What do the rest of you guys do to portray a loose fun image w/out giving up EV?

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Hrm...I don't deliberately try to create a loose/fun image, but I certainly do my best to keep the table friendly. I'm usually chatty at the table, but if you're not naturally talkative, I wouldn't spend time/energy trying to improve this less-than-vital poker skill.

It's hard to get people to believe you're not a tight player. Rather than fight the truth, I exploit my tight image. In other words, I'll occasionally bluff. Of course, you still have to keep in mind who you're bluffing. Your opponent has to realize that you're a tight player and are not likely to do this without the goods. If you win without a showdown, don't show your hand.

Check-raising the river when it's HU against a guy who isn't thrilled with his hand, respects your play, and is likely to fold the winner is a fantastic way to risk two bets. I'm successful with this move way more often than the odds require (even so, I don't do it very frequently -- maybe once every other session). It also helps if you've been running well and other players have been noticing. Players fear big stack aggression much more than they fear the same aggression from a little stack. Even at a limit game in a moderately large pot.

I have a bit of experience so it is easier to play that style. I play mainly SNG's and when the blinds are small, 10-20, 15-30, I will raise when I am first one in the pot if there have been a couple of folds in front of me. I will raise with any suited connector, or any with a gap. Then if an A or K flops bet 3/4 pot if your heads up, 2/3 of the time they will fold - Then u show.

If everyone is not calling me when I raise, then you can raise any decent hand K-10, Q-J A-9 etc. steal some blinds Until they start calling, then tighten up again.

[BoxTree]

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Are you varying your play or shifting gears? How much time do you spend in selecting a table? Do you occasionally raise on the button with air?

One trick I use is that I pick a hand, say 78s, and play it like AA all night. It helps me develop my post flop skills and it adds a bit of deception to my game.

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You don't need to shift gears at Commerce. Occasionally mixing it up by raising 87s under the gun or raising 87s on the button makes strategic sense at higher limits where your opponents don't suck (I'd assume some 40/80 games -- I've yet to find a 20/40 game where either of these moves makes sense.) At virtually every 20/40 game I've ever played at Commerce, I can fold every hand for four orbits, look down and find AA UTG, raise, and get three callers. There's no need to mix things up. As for raising 87s on the button, this only makes sense if you want people to stick around if the flop is good for you. These people stick around anyways. Your raise will just increase your variance.

Table selection isn't that important at 9/18 and 20/40. The players are generally so bad and the tables change so quickly that seat selection is much, much, much more important than table selection. (That may be true for any game...I've yet to decide.) I've heard that table selection is absolutely essential at 40/80.

Raising on the button with air is a bad idea. Please don't do it.

Don't play 87s like AA. Play it like 87s. Please.

Again, my comments apply specifically to Commerce, and I presume, to most B&M. Online play is likely to be very different.

With 1 limper raise JTs from mp. Win the showdown. Mention something about that hand being lucky for you.

[onegymrat]

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This still doesn't stop them from calling me down when I miss the flop w/overs but whenever I actually hit something, they seem to fold right away.

[/ QUOTE ] I don't see how a loose image is going to help you with the problem above. You may be mistaking unfortunate outcomes and/or misjudged plays with an image problem. Most loose players, though they will notice that you play tight, won't care what you may have, they just care if their cards will hit.

Should it amuse you to give that image, try some bluff raises in later streets if headsup. If they fold, you take the pot. If they call down, you can open and say, "I missed." This may help them think you're one of them.

[Subfallen]

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I play the standard 2+2 15-20% of the hands and everyone notices that I'm a rock b/c they all playing 40% of their hands. This still doesn't stop them from calling me down when I miss the flop w/overs but whenever I actually hit something, they seem to fold right away.

What do the rest of you guys do to portray a loose fun image w/out giving up EV?

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You're not stealing enough n00b.

[4_2_it]

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One trick I use is that I pick a hand, say 78s, and play it like AA all night. It helps me develop my post flop skills and it adds a bit of deception to my game.


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I have a similar problem to the OP, but this doesn't sound right to me. Shouldn't position and other players come into play when you decide to 'run' a hand, rather than the cards you have?

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Depends what you are trying to accomplish. If you are sitting at the $25NL table, then I agree this is a poor play. I usually will pull this strategy out after my 3bb raises with KK and AA are folded around. That indicates I need to loosen my starting hands and/or my table image (or leave the table.) [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

However, I find at the $100 and $200 tables, some people are paying attention, so sometimes you need to do something that makes you appear unpredictable to help your big hands get paid.

Again, the OP asked how can you appear to be a loose player when that is not the style you normally play. Playing a random, yet playable hand like 87s makes it look like you are gambooling it up and will rid you of a rock image. It will also help your post flop playing and opponent reading skills.

Position and table doesn't matter to OP's situation, he wants to appear much looser than he is in reality.

To answer your question, playing suited connectors on the button in multi-way pots or raising with them to steal blinds are sound TAG strategies. Also, if the table is TAGgy, then you should play (and raise) a wider variety of hands.

My post was geared toward a meta game and not a donkfest (where deception only costs you $$$). Table selection is key when you are considering attempting this.