How to play in a very loose game?

[johnzzz]

I've been playing 0.05/0.10 at both PokerStars and Pacific Poker for a few weeks.

Average players seeing the flop at Stars is about 50% and 65% at Pacific. Players at Pacific are often "raise crazy" and pots become very large.

I've made a modest profit at the PokerStars tables but a loss at Pacific Poker. Often I just fold and fold preflop because of all the raising. Playing AA seems pointless as at the River you'd need at least a straight to win.

I've been playing according to WLLH but now have SSH and I am studying it and applying what I understand.

Has anyone any advise for playing these very loose tables at Pacific and what to do about all the raising.

[Nfinity]

Read and Re-read SSH, then read it again. Then, if you still believe that playing AA is pointless because too many people are playing hands WEAKER than AA, then read it again.

Focus on winning money with your better hands like AA, not winning pots.

[droolie]

These are dream games. This is the types of game most of us look for at the higher limits because while frustrating they are ultimately very profitable and beatable. You just have to understand that one pair will often not be enough to win.

What does that mean? Starting hand values change a lot. Offsuit broadway cards that make good top pair hands go down in value while suited holdings (especially suited connectors) and pocket pairs (even AA) skyrocket in value. You're looking for hands that will make sets or str8's or flushes because you'll be able to pump these hands when you get them and get paid handsomely. If you don't understand how to pump flush and str8 draws learn that ASAP. It's very important in these wild games. Don't worry when you have a premium pocket pair and it doesn't win. Those hands will lose frequently but they will certainly win more than their share and they're always worth a raise or reraise pf no matter how many people are in.

As far as all the raising is concerned be positionally aware. Tend to dump your weaker holdings (especillay offsuit hands) in EP and play more hands in LP. Don't be afraid to reraise with very good hands if the original raiser is "raise crazy". Get your money and everybody elses money in the pot when you probably have the best of it. You can also raise suited connectors, suited broadway and all pocket pairs from LP if you know the pot will be 6 way or more. These are value raises designed to build huge pots for those times when your hand hits the flop. Your bankroll will experience more ups and down when you do this but it's well worth it in the long run.

Make sure you understand how to count your outs and how to discount them when they might not be clean. Always look for backdoor draws before folding. Know the concept of implied odds. Many hands that seem like they don't have quite enough pot odds to continue should actually be played on because of implied odds. Know what reverse implied odds are as well. There's a big difference between calling a raise when you are closing the action and when there are many players yet to act.

Don't be afraid to play those suited connectors and pocket pairs from LP for a raise when there are other cold callers before you. If you have a very small bankroll you can play tightly but I wouldn't recommend it if you have a roll big enough to handle some variance.

Stay aggressive when you have a good hand but don't bluff much at all. It won't work with so many players. Just focus on getting maximum value from your big hands and learn to fold your not so good made hands that have weak draws when you know you are beat. Overcards that miss the flop are often reverse dominated and drawing to only top pair. Many times you should just check and fold these from EP if there's lots of action after you.

[Era]

Hang in there, some days you will pull 30+ BBs and others you will lose. Theres so much variance. Keep to SSHE though and you should beat them.

One thing, over the past few days my biggest loser has been AA and my biggest winner is 9Ts. So straights and flushes tend to get big pots and your big AA sometimes get killed by the L-P carrying 25o in early position who flops two pair or draws out his 2 pair on the river. You are free to cry, but also inside you should be cheering because this guy is a money pot just waiting to be tapped.

[MrWookie47]

What droolie said, and if you're getting frustrated and need a good chuckle, reread this.

[WordWhiz]

I play $1/2 at Pacific Poker. It is by far the loosest site I've ever been on. Not uncommon to see tables with 60-70% of people seeing the flop. The stats say that is the case even at the 5/10 and higher tables!

My BB/100 through 20,000 hands of on-line poker is around 2.8 My BB/100 through 2,000 hands at Pacific is 8.6! Yeah, sample size and all. Such a level is probably unsustainable even against the complete donks, but the fact is that even a mediocre noob like myself can clean up big time playing against idiots. You *want* a table full of idiots, even if they occasionally suck out on you with gut-shots, back door flushes, etc.

Advice: read SSH again, keep betting your premium hands unless you're absolutely, 100% sure you're dead, and let the donks pay you off.

For an example of a premium hand holding up unimproved, against a legion of donks, see below:

***** Pacific Hand History for Game XXXXXXXX *****
Seat 8 is the button
Total number of players : 9
Seat 10: Idiot1 ( $293.38 )
Seat 2: Idiot2 ( $91 )
Seat 3: Idiot3 ( $23.9 )
Seat 4: Idiot4 ( $25 )
Seat 5: Idiot5 ( $130.26 )
Seat 6: Idiot6 ( $177.51 )
Seat 7: Idiot7 ( $214.15 )
Seat 8: Idiot8 ( $591.39 )
Seat 9: Hero ( $212 )
Hero posts small blind [$0.5].
Idiot1 posts big blind [$1].
Idiot7 posts big blind [$1].
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to Hero [ Qs Qd ]
Idiot2 calls [$1].
Idiot3 folds.
Idiot4 calls [$1].
Idiot5 calls [$1].
Idiot6 calls [$1].
Idiot7 checks.
Idiot8 calls [$1].
Hero raises [$1.5].
Idiot1 calls [$1].
Idiot2 calls [$1].
Idiot4 calls [$1].
Idiot5 calls [$1].
Idiot6 calls [$1].
Idiot7 folds.
Idiot8 calls [$1].
** Dealing Flop ** [ 8c, Jh, 3c ]
Hero bets [$1].
Idiot1 calls [$1].
Idiot2 calls [$1].
Idiot4 folds.
Idiot5 raises [$2].
Idiot6 calls [$2].
Idiot8 raises [$3].
Hero raises [$3].
Idiot1 calls [$3].
Idiot2 calls [$3].
Idiot5 calls [$2].
Idiot6 calls [$2].
Idiot8 calls [$1].
** Dealing Turn ** [ 4s ]
Hero bets [$2].
Idiot1 calls [$2].
Idiot2 calls [$2].
Idiot5 calls [$2].
Idiot6 calls [$2].
Idiot8 raises [$4].
Hero raises [$4].
Idiot1 calls [$4].
Idiot2 calls [$4].
Idiot5 calls [$4].
Idiot6 folds.
Idiot8 calls [$2].
** Dealing River ** [ Kd ]
Hero bets [$2].
Idiot2 folds.
Idiot5 folds.
Idiot8 folds.
** Summary **
Hero collected [$72].