loose vs. tight play

[Landon_McFly 0]

I've read TOP, and Sklansky talks about how you should tighten up on semi-bluffs and bluffs in loose games, and how you should do the opposite in tight games. The book doesn't really clarify if you should use that strategy in NL or L, which confuses me because in SSHE it really emphasizes the fact that you should play tighter than Matusow's butt cheeks in prison.I just don't see how it could be profitable to play loose in a limit game.Can someone clarify?

[dmoneypoker 0]

I've read TOP, and Sklansky talks about how you should tighten up on semi-bluffs and bluffs in loose games, and how you should do the opposite in tight games. The book doesn't really clarify if you should use that strategy in NL or L, which confuses me because in SSHE it really emphasizes the fact that you should play tighter than Matusow's butt cheeks in prison.I just don't see how it could be profitable to play loose in a limit game.Can someone clarify?

I will give this a shot but I warn you- I am a generally TIGHT player who plays no limit holdem exclusively (and stud), so I have no clue what I'm talking about right now.If the stakes you are playing at are high enough, loose play can bully people around enough to take pots down preflop when you raise into an unraised pot, or on the turn when you put a big bet out there and no one has a hand worth calling a 2-bet with. I wouldn't try this in a low or middle stakes game.Also you can win huge pots when you have a monster and no one gives you credit for it. A tight player will probably win the pot if he re-raises the flop or turn, whereas a loose player with a monster hand will get it capped the whole way VS as opponent with TPTK or 2 pair.

[closetwin 0]

It's really not a scientific theory, it's like this:If you're in a limit game where people will often bet their marginal hands and fold to a re-reraise, let's say, then you can, at certain times, re-raise them to steal the pot.Or, if they check every time they miss the flop and fold to a bet, you know you're betting that flop. Right?It's not an issue of "table tightness equals 462", therefore make a bluff every 34.6 minutes for maximum EV.CT

[Landon_McFly 0]

I will give this a shot but I warn you- I am a generally TIGHT player who plays no limit holdem exclusively (and stud), so I have no clue what I'm talking about right now.If the stakes you are playing at are high enough, loose play can bully people around enough to take pots down preflop when you raise into an unraised pot, or on the turn when you put a big bet out there and no one has a hand worth calling a 2-bet with. I wouldn't try this in a low or middle stakes game.Also you can win huge pots when you have a monster and no one gives you credit for it. A tight player will probably win the pot if he re-raises the flop or turn, whereas a loose player with a monster hand will get it capped the whole way VS as opponent with TPTK or 2 pair.

I agree with you completely. I think that's probably the only time it's correct to play loose in a limit game due to the fact that SSHE was written for low limit games, but what about when you are playing a Small Stakes game and let's just say that everyone had read SSHE? Would it then be correct to loosen up due to the fact that you know how tight everyone else is playing?Hmm... :think:

[21gambit 0]

Yes, you can run over tight limit tables by playing looser than everyone else. Its simple. And if everyone is calling, then you tighten up and wait for big hands. I dont understand why you cant comprehend this.

[Landon_McFly 0]

Yes, you can run over tight limit tables by playing looser than everyone else. Its simple. And if everyone is calling, then you tighten up and wait for big hands. I dont understand why you cant comprehend this.

What Limit's are you talking about?The highest I've played limit is 3-6 10 handed, and I assure you that you aren't going to be running people over playing loose in that game.

[adidas freak 0]

I think this applies mostly to no-limit games. My only experience in limit holdem is low-limt holdem. The highest limts I've ever played were 6-12. Trust me when I say this, there is no room for loose play in low-limit holdem. Tight play is the only way to get the money. I have played low-limit holdem approximately 200 times at 20-25 different casinos over the last two years and the only thing I have to figure out when I play is should I play tight or super tight. With this said, there was only ONE time when I felt true loose play was justified and worked. This was at Diamond Jims Casino in Rosamond, California at approximately 12 noon. The casino and table had just opened and it was full of retirees and props. Everyone was tight passive and I was able to make some money by semi-bluffing and bluffing in late position when checked to.

[TheIceman05 0]

It most definitely applies to limit games. If the table is very tight preflop, you can steal the blinds/antes in hold'em/stud. If the table is tight post-flop, you can play any two cards in position and bet the flop and show a profit. Ice

[brian67 0]

The real key is to know what the other players around you think about what you are doing. If they think you are playing really tight then you can take advantage of this by buying pots here and there. If they think you are playing loose then you have to adjust your game. Keep people guessing, and never let them put you into a category and always be right.

[JaysonWeber 0]

What everyone above said, I browsed over and will just agree lol too lazy to read too much.Regarding loosening up in Limit games, it's all position, you're not popping a raise in from UTG with 6-7s (although I'm guilty of nearly that a lot), To loosen up and play aggresively at a Tight table you need to be a very good, aggresive and alert post-flop player and position helps with all of this.I honestly prefer a tight tight table at times when im playing online it's just so much more fun to raise it up from the CO with some marginal hand knowing you are going to scoop the pot a few times and even if you dont, you can probobly take it on the flop or turn if the right cards dont pop.It's all relative really.

[harvey 0]

Looseness does not equal agression. In limit games, small stakes holdem does not advocate playing loose in a tight game, or tight in a loose game.You should be playing tighter in a tight game, but bluffing and semi-bluffing more.In a loose game, you should loosen your starting hand requirements and play your quality hands much more aggressively.You always want to maintain an edge over your opponents preflop, so never loosen your starting hands too much. If you play tight in a loose game you will still show a nice profit as long as you are agressive with you real hands. You will show an increase in variance and also in profit by loosening you game a bit as recommended by ssh.Small Stakes holdem contains some of the loosest recommendations of any poker book by the way, not the tightest.

[JaysonWeber 0]

Looseness does not equal agression. In limit games, small stakes holdem does not advocate playing loose in a tight game, or tight in a loose game.You should be playing tighter in a tight game, but bluffing and semi-bluffing more.In a loose game, you should loosen your starting hand requirements and play your quality hands much more aggressively.You always want to maintain an edge over your opponents preflop, so never loosen your starting hands too much. If you play tight in a loose game you will still show a nice profit as long as you are agressive with you real hands. You will show an increase in variance and also in profit by loosening you game a bit as recommended by ssh.Small Stakes holdem contains some of the loosest recommendations of any poker book by the way, not the tightest.

Isn't loosening up without aggression -EV? I've always thought it was, tables i'm opening up my hands on are tables where I can either "buy the pot" or the players are so terrible that I feel im value betting the hands I am in on.I guess I wasn't thinking of looseness in the fish terms, when SSHE or any other similar poker pook advocates loosening up I always tend to think that this takes place in specific games and by loosening up your requirements you're not going to just be folding on the flop if you don't hit, betting out with nothing but a draw can be okay a lot of the time.

[harvey 0]

Isn't loosening up without aggression -EV? I've always thought it was, tables i'm opening up my hands on are tables where I can either "buy the pot" or the players are so terrible that I feel im value betting the hands I am in on.

Well, you should bet your made hands aggressively, because you will get worse hands calling much of the time, which is what I meant when I said you should play your quality made hands aggressively. Unfortunately, aggression with unmade hands is sort of a blunt weapon in a loose game. Semi-bluffs are powerful in a tight game because of the increased value you get from the probabilty of folders. In a small stakes game, people fold much, much less, so that value is dramatically reduced. So I would have to disagree with the part where you say, you bet out your draws in a loose game*.. (of course this is just generally speaking, as your games might be different than mine)*The exception is when your chance of drawing out is better than the percentage that you are contributing to the pot. Like, a flush draw 35% chance with 3 other players (contribution %25) this gives you a big edge that you should value bet.--as for th e OP's question if this applies to no limit: anytime your in a game where folding probability is reduced (lots of calling stations) low the percentage of plays you make that rely on folding value (bluffs and semi bluffs).

[Othafa9 0]

I saw a guy at 15/30 raise, and reraise every street, every hand. He turned $200 into $1400, then lost it all.

[JaysonWeber 0]

I saw a guy at 15/30 raise, and reraise every street, every hand. He turned $200 into $1400, then lost it all.

lol daniel nutbarring?