Live Donkfest

DennisGDennisG
in No Limit / Pot Limit Holdem
Alright, here is the scenario.. home game, weekly...typically same players. Pretty much all new players...one or two have the basics down. All know starting hands, but no concept of pot odds or drawing odds.

Self dealing table, with 25min blinds. 5k starting stack...between 6-10 players usually.

I play a pretty TAG game with them...but, still find myself not making the top two...every time, I get a beauty flop and push near the end of the game..I get called (perfect!) and get drawn out on...I know, over time, it is in my favor...but, when you only play once a week..time sucks. No matter how many times I play tight, winning the hands I should at the beginning, it never fails that I have to enter a few races at the end...and yeah, I am usually ahead, but it only takes the one beat to take you out..as bigstack donktard calls anyone.

My question is really this...should I open my game up to try to get some of the chips at the beginning of the game, or just get a bit more aggressive through the whole thing with more hands?

I don't mind losing so much...but week after week of the same crap...it gets old.

Ex. hand...

Me QQ -mp? I think it was.. one limper (aggro big stack usually, but on the shorter side tonight..still aggro though) I raise 4x bb (100)...folds around to him ..he calls...

Flop Q, 10, 9...rainbow

he bets 500, I raise to 1500, he pretty much insta calls.

Turn J

he shoves all in.

I think about it for a bit, and decide that he did in fact call my re raise with a gutshot draw...only needs a King or 8 to complete now, and either is entirely possible in this game.....and fold my trips face up in disgust..he shows the K10..

Later in the game, my short stack push with KK loses to the beautiful offsuit J9.

What is really the best approach on a table full like this???

Comments

  • compueasecompuease Admin
    My guess here is that you have become too predictable, especially if you play the same ppl every week. If you really are sure that you are "perceived" as TAG then open up your game sooner. However be sure you really are TAG in their eyes. Too many ppl call themselves TAG when they are really tight passive. If so start raising non opened pots in late position with almost any 2 cards, follow up with a continuation bet and then re-evaluate from there. Any pot you play should be for a raise or at least a great majority. Keep track and see what your raise percentage is. As a guide it should be 75% or above. I'm sure some would say this is even too low... Tyson?????
  • westside8westside8
    I would suggest playing more pots cheaply in position early.
  • DennisGDennisG
    I don't know if the majority of these players even understand what TAG is...lol..I know one does. But every pot (though they are few) I enter is with a raise....and I always cbet...

    Predictability is possible...but still can't shake the chasers.

    Will try opening more in position with good healthy raises...
  • DennisGDennisG
    Hmm...so ...limp in late to catch, or raise to push out the limpers (if possible)? The pots always have limpers...
  • compueasecompuease Admin
    I like raising unopened pots, are you saying you never have hands that are folded to you in late position? Generally then it's a raise of 2.5 - 2.8 BB's. If there are 3 or 4 limpers to me I am folding unless I have a hand that plays well multiway.
  • DennisGDennisG
    It is VERY rare there is an unopened pot. "I gotta see the flop" is a common line....

    Hands I have seen...

    Any two paint will limp, any suited ace, some..nearly any ace, suited and non suited connectors of any size, suited and non suited one gaps,

    Preflop raises are very uncommon with the exception of myself and one other player.
  • compueasecompuease Admin
    Ihaveyourname wrote: »
    Hands I have seen...

    Any two paint will limp, any suited ace, some..nearly any ace, suited and non suited connectors of any size, suited and non suited one gaps,

    Preflop raises are very uncommon with the exception of myself and one other player.
    Then your assignment, should you decide to accept, is to raise in late position, to whatever it takes to get it down to one player. lol... You may have to experiment to find the correct amount, but there will be a correct amount. Almost any 2 cards play well against 1 other player, especially when you have position. Good luck...
  • DennisGDennisG
    I accept...lol..I will give that a shot tonight...

    Will update you tomorrow...or, well...probably later tonight..lol
  • DennisGDennisG
    Alright...so I raised a pile from late positions early on, they knew I was pushing with mediocre cards but couldn't call a lot..the few times I did get called, I had hands, and they paid me well. Got short stacked in the final 3 by being outkicked on three jacks, but still took down second tonight.
    It was a bit of a different table tonight, only 6 players, and two main donkeys missing...but, the aggressive-lp definitely paid. Will use it again tomorrow night against a set of bigger donkeys...lol
  • compueasecompuease Admin
    Very nice, now if only I had the nerve to do that! :)
  • FRoSTyFRoSTy
    predictability is our enemy as poker player.. so the thing like someone allready proposed would be to play so cheap flop out of position once in a while and using position to your advantage once in a while act like a maniac around the table... use no common sense.. well use it but make it look like you would raise with nothing but have a good drawing hand and make sure to overbet to only get one caller... its working good for me ;) but to each is own..
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