playing against loose/weak players

[vonteego3 0]

I'm playing in a tournament tonight with a group of people that I know real well, but have only recently started playing poker with. 18 players, $20 buy-in. I usually do pretty well in tournaments I play with better players... but with this group, I can't seem to even come CLOSE to the money. It's a group with very few pre-flop raises, alot of callers to my pre-flop and post-flop bets, and calling all the way down with mediocre hands. How should I play this? Loosen up my starting hand requirements, bluff less, and make larger bets when I'm pretty sure I have the best hand since they're gonna get called most of the time anyways?I think my major problem is overvaluing hands like AK or AQ with a K or Q on the board, because it seems like those hands will always lose to 10-6o when they catch a second pair on the river. It's pretty embarassing not cleaning this game up regularly... most of these people seem to think their second pair is good when there are 4 to a flush or straight on the board, so pushing people out (most of them, anyways) is completely out of the question. Suggestions?

[JasonBo 0]

play top ten hands let them raise you when you hit act weak

[TWRIGHT7 0]

Yeah, you cannot value raise these type of players with ak aq etc. It means nothing to them they have j4off. Just call the blind or minimum raise it. MAKE your hand first then bet hard.

[jack24bauer24 0]

When you have big hands raise much bigger...they are likely to call anyways...instead of raising 4 times the blinds, raise 6 or 7.

[Socrates 0]

tighten up, don't loosen up. Make your hands and remember that their bets usually mean exactly what you think they mean.Fish are fish, they're easy to play. GL.

[Kendren 1]

Don't bluff. Period. They ain't folding.

[Nutcracker 0]

How should I play this? Loosen up my starting hand requirements, bluff less, and make larger bets when I'm pretty sure I have the best hand since they're gonna get called most of the time anyways?

Yes, yes, yes.I play in a very similar homegame twice a week. Suited connectors, suited aces, and low pp are more valuable since you'll get to see cheap flops, and can make a ton of money when you hit. Depends on the blind structure though, hopefully it is good enough to where you have room to maneuver for a few dozen hands. I'd still raise preflop with top 10 hands, and make the raise quite big if it's TT-QQ, to get it down to 1 or 2 (when the blinds are small, I usually have to do a 10x bb bet to narrow it down that much).Don't bluff, don't semi bluff, don't continuation bet if you miss. They are going to call, whether they missed or just flopped a straight (their slowplaying can make you quite a bit of money as well).Other than that, just adapt to how they are playing. It's not hard to see who is willing to bet on the river with A high to try and take it down and who is only betting when they have the goods. Try and get fewer tells from mannerisms and more from betting patterns. Fish usually think poker is more about faking out your opponent with a yawn or ear scratch, then go ahead and give you all the info you need through their betting patterns.

[THIR13EN 0]

AGRESSIVE PLAY. that is how you will win. You must raise, raise, and raise. You do not want too many limpers. You need to pick out the tight players and start raising there blinds.

[TheIceman05 0]

Yeah, you cannot value raise these type of players with ak aq etc. It means nothing to them they have j4off. Just call the blind or minimum raise it. MAKE your hand first then bet hard.

I have never seen worse advice in my life. Before you give advice using poker terms like "value raise" please try and understand a few things. Like, the definitions and shit.These are the easiest types of players to play. Value bet EVERYTHING. Don't get all the money in if you can avoid it, unless you're WAY ahead. If they're going to call an all-in with middle pair, you should be happy. I'd loosen up a little preflop (if you're in position and they're passive and limping with garbage), but still bet and raise for value, and be cognizant of the fact that they're playing trash hands. If you miss, that's totally okay. What you're doing here is betting MORE hands for value, and ZERO hands as semi-bluffs.Ice

[TheIceman05 0]

AGRESSIVE PLAY. that is how you will win. You must raise, raise, and raise. You do not want too many limpers. You need to pick out the tight players and start raising there blinds.

Is anybody a winning poker player? I'm terrible at poker! And nobody is making any sense!!Did you even read his post? What year is it? I think that I am a brachiasaurus. Ice

[RogueSage 0]

Don't bluff. Period. They ain't folding.

Good stuff.

[vonteego3 0]

AGRESSIVE PLAY. that is how you will win. You must raise, raise, and raise. You do not want too many limpers. You need to pick out the tight players and start raising there blinds.

Is anybody a winning poker player? I'm terrible at poker! And nobody is making any sense!!Did you even read his post? What year is it? I think that I am a brachiasaurus. Ice

Yes brach, you're right... I said there aren't any tight players, so it's tough to steal the blinds of non-existent players.

[THIR13EN 0]

Talk to DN himself and he will tell you that passive, tight play is not a winning style. If you let too many limpers in pre-flop it becomes a best hand show down. Might as well have everyone go all in and keep doing so until the tourney is over. I like to raise to get the limpers out and the potential limpers out. then I try and steal the pot after the flop. I am not saying bluff all-in with nothing. I am not saying that if they call you on the flop to keep bluffing. Just stay agressive all the winning players are agressive.

[THIR13EN 0]

AGRESSIVE PLAY. that is how you will win. You must raise, raise, and raise. You do not want too many limpers. You need to pick out the tight players and start raising there blinds.

Is anybody a winning poker player? I'm terrible at poker! And nobody is making any sense!!Did you even read his post? What year is it? I think that I am a brachiasaurus. Ice

Yeah I can tell that you are a terrible player, being agressive does not make sense to you. You can not understand why someone would raise preflop with out aces or kings. YOUR CARDS DONT MATTER, ITS WHAT YOUR OPPENTS HAVE THAT MATTERSPLAY THE PEOPLE NOT THE CARDS

[21gambit 0]

be agressive cuz thats what all the pros do...sound logic. Bluffing loose passive players is a recipe for failure unless you do it with the intent that thats not how you will ultimately make chips. Using it as a advertisement so that you get paid off when you have a huge hand isnt a bad idea, but planning on chopping away and bluffing these types of players and slowly building up that way is retarded. Straight forward TA poker should work with the occasional bluff to throw them off your scent, showing successful bluffs is always helpful to keep them calling.

[TheIceman05 0]

AGRESSIVE PLAY. that is how you will win. You must raise, raise, and raise. You do not want too many limpers. You need to pick out the tight players and start raising there blinds.

Is anybody a winning poker player? I'm terrible at poker! And nobody is making any sense!!Did you even read his post? What year is it? I think that I am a brachiasaurus. Ice

Yeah I can tell that you are a terrible player, being agressive does not make sense to you. You can not understand why someone would raise preflop with out aces or kings. YOUR CARDS DONT MATTER, ITS WHAT YOUR OPPENTS HAVE THAT MATTERSPLAY THE PEOPLE NOT THE CARDS

You've lost your mind. Read the original post. Good. Lord.Ice

[guinevar 0]

Ice is right. Unwarranted aggression in the wrong place will get you off the felt fast.When the people are going to want to see your hand, SHOW THEM A HAND.

[THIR13EN 0]

I'm playing in a tournament tonight with a group of people that I know real well, but have only recently started playing poker with. 18 players, $20 buy-in. I usually do pretty well in tournaments I play with better players... but with this group, I can't seem to even come CLOSE to the money. It's a group with very few pre-flop raises, alot of callers to my pre-flop and post-flop bets, and calling all the way down with mediocre hands. How should I play this? Loosen up my starting hand requirements, bluff less, and make larger bets when I'm pretty sure I have the best hand since they're gonna get called most of the time anyways?I think my major problem is overvaluing hands like AK or AQ with a K or Q on the board, because it seems like those hands will always lose to 10-6o when they catch a second pair on the river. It's pretty embarassing not cleaning this game up regularly... most of these people seem to think their second pair is good when there are 4 to a flush or straight on the board, so pushing people out (most of them, anyways) is completely out of the question. Suggestions?

ok what I see is not a lot of action pre-flop, letting people limp in with anything. Im sure you want to hear everyone say. play a tight game, never raise pre-flop, only bet when you have the nuts, never call a bet unless you have the nuts... WELL, im not going to say that.STOP BEING A FISH AND BEAT IT YA NOOB.

[TheIceman05 0]

STOP BEING A FISH AND BEAT IT YA NOOB.

...Did you call me a noob? I realize what the problem is now.You're illiterate. Ugh, I feel terrible now. I'm sorry for not being more understanding. If there's anything I can do to help, PM me.Ice

[THIR13EN 0]

Ice is right. Unwarranted aggression in the wrong place will get you off the felt fast.When the people are going to want to see your hand, SHOW THEM A HAND.

If ICE was right he would not be on here asking everyone's opinion. He does not know how to beat it. So obviously what he has tried to do in the past did not work. So maybe trying somthing new will. AGRESSIVE play is the way to win. TIght/passive play might get you to the money, has not worked for him yet, but I play to win so I suggest agressive play.

[guinevar 0]

Posting quick before he tries to delete his dumbness.

[guinevar 0]

Ice is right. Unwarranted aggression in the wrong place will get you off the felt fast.When the people are going to want to see your hand, SHOW THEM A HAND.

If ICE was right he would not be on here asking everyone's opinion. He does not know how to beat it. So obviously what he has tried to do in the past did not work. So maybe trying somthing new will. AGRESSIVE play is the way to win. TIght/passive play might get you to the money, has not worked for him yet, but I play to win so I suggest agressive play.

Shoulda quoted, my bad.And now I am editing this to point out ice wasn't asked advice. He isn't the OP.

[TheIceman05 0]

This guy is awesome.Also, 14.Ice

[THIR13EN 0]

Well, good luck with your poker game. I hope you take down the house.

[TheIceman05 0]

Well, good luck with your poker game. I hope you take down the house.

...? What? That doesn't even make sense.Ice