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#1
02-06-2005, 02:56 PM
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Maniac (?) play on low limit tables
Have you ever tried ultra-aggressive play on the $.50/$1.00 tables? If not, try it sometime.... I'm not claiming that it is optimal play, but it is really entertaining. In fact, I'm sure it isn't optimal, but consider this type of play a fun break from the tougher higher limit games. However, be ready to lose your money fast, as this approach is very high variance.
Suppose you are at a table that is very passive with at most 1 or 2 solid players. (Actually, another solid player may HELP you. More later...) It is the kind of table where no one likes to bet, but almost everyone will call. When you complete, you know that everyone who already bet will also complete. (Watch out for the people who have the discipline not to complete!). Play your medium to strong hands very aggressively. Don't play your own garbage hands. Bet and raise on strong drawing hands. Bet and bet and raise and raise. Overbet your 3 of a kind. Bet for value on your strong draws. Basically, play like you think everybody has trash, which is not too far off in some cases, and know that they will call or even raise. If your drawing hands fall apart or you fall behind on the board, drop out. (This maniacal betting in conjunction with dropping out will have people pegging you as a sucker). The idea is to pack the pot on 3rd and 4th when you have playable hands.... filling it with a lot of likely dead money. If there is another solid player at your table, they may figure you for a sucker or catch on that you are simply stuffing the pot and help you cap out the betting. Often, you can cap out the betting with 4 or 5 people on 3rd street when you have a high pair o, a 3 flush, better yet, when you are rolled up. Even if you are behind the other solid player at this point, the dead money in the pot gives you a cushion. Since players at these limits are less used to aggressive betting, they will just assume that you are just trying to buy the pots. When you complete, they will rush in to play against your perceived garbage, even when they have nothing. When you raise, they will scoff at your raises. Some of them will get angry that you are trying to get one past them and will bet or raise just out of spite. The end result is some monster pots, especially at these levels. I've had pots get to $30, $40 and even push $50 or $60!! with some consistancy. With that many BB in the pot, you know that some of them should have never been there in the first place (sometimes they were yours, however). When you make your hand on 5th street, prepare to rake in the cash as the table fights for the huge pot you've built up, and don't be afraid to bet or raise. Prepare also to deliver and receive some horrendous bad beats, since the pot odds will justify some crazy calling. Also, many of your opponents will stay in, not necessarily because they computed the pot odds but because they don't believe you have anything. Nothing is more fun than watching the reaction after delivering a particularly harsh beat. The great thing is that a win like that will just generate more action the next time you play, both because the table will get angry and because you must be terrible to win like that on the river. Who knows, maybe a higher limit player slummming in the low limits will make a note of your play and misplay you when you are your normal sane self at a higher limit table. Watch what happens when you get a few playable hands in a row. They will simply assume you have gone nuts (because of your latest win OR loss) and will gladly bet and raise into you. If you catch, prepare for a nice payday. Mix in a slow play after the table's betting pattern has gone crazy (another fun side effect), and watch the reaction. Watch out. This kind of behavior will increase the average pots and attract some sharks to your table that will gobble up the big pots you build up. But, these higher pots will help you clear bonuses faster, if that is your thing. 
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