1/2 Nl At Local Casino

[msupokerface 0]

Alright, here's the deal. I'm headed to the my local casino (Soaring Eagle in Mt. Pleaseant, MI) to play 1/2 nl which they just started spreading there. My buddy went tonight and said the game is crazy loose with raises preflop anywhere for 10-30 bucks! so say average is 20, that's 10x blinds. I know the general approach it if the table is loose play tight and if the table is tight play loose but does anyone have any additional pointers for me. thanks for any comments ahead of time fellas.

[Jdr999 0]

Alright, here's the deal. I'm headed to the my local casino (Soaring Eagle in Mt. Pleaseant, MI) to play 1/2 nl which they just started spreading there. My buddy went tonight and said the game is crazy loose with raises preflop anywhere for 10-30 bucks! so say average is 20, that's 10x blinds. I know the general approach it if the table is loose play tight and if the table is tight play loose but does anyone have any additional pointers for me. thanks for any comments ahead of time fellas.

Bring a lot of $, you will need it.If the max buy-in is 100, play tighter because you have less implied odds to hit big hands likes sets, flushes and straights.If max buy-in is 200 or more, you can loosen up your calls more. Do not play danger hands like J-10, Q-10, Q-J, K-10, K-J, K-Q, etc... unless it is limped to you in LP, which I would limp in with (more so if it was suited). If it's 10-15 raise pre-flop. I play any pair, looking to flop a set and double up. Any more than 15, and you don't have implied odds unless you are up past 200, and the other player has more than 200.And bet out your big hands, don't slowplay pre-flop, and do not make fancy raises.

[msupokerface 0]

Bring a lot of $, you will need it.If the max buy-in is 100, play tighter because you have less implied odds to hit big hands likes sets, flushes and straights.If max buy-in is 200 or more, you can loosen up your calls more. Do not play danger hands like J-10, Q-10, Q-J, K-10, K-J, K-Q, etc... unless it is limped to you in LP, which I would limp in with (more so if it was suited). If it's 10-15 raise pre-flop. I play any pair, looking to flop a set and double up. Any more than 15, and you don't have implied odds unless you are up past 200, and the other player has more than 200.And bet out your big hands, don't slowplay pre-flop, and do not make fancy raises.

thanks man, appreciate the input. it is a 100max so it looks like tight it is.

[tswing 0]

In these games, often times people do not remember who is playing tight and who is playing loose, so being tight is your best option.Since the max buyin is 100, you really are looking to get it all in preflop with KK or AA, once you double up, then it's nice to play your suited connectors looking to flop two pair and crack the people sitting waiting for the AA. It kinda sux that you can only buy in for 100 cuz the raises are astronomical preflop. Ive only experienced such a small buyin at Turningstone, but it was mad fun anyway.

[DrawingDeadInDM 0]

Actually, I think 100 min/max buy in plays a lot higher than a typical 1/2 game. Just sayin'.

[OrzyVibe 0]

Here's my advice (take it for what its worth)...I play $1/$2 NL tables at the casinos myself, to decent success. If you can buy-in for more than $100, do it....like $200. It'll give you more chips to start with and not make you so worried if you lose a few hands out of the gate. Secondly, play tight the first hour to get a read on the table. Watch what is going on. Third, ( and this may make you uncomfortable), bluff a few all-ins early and then show your cards. But do it CAREFULLY in the right spots. Trust me, you won't get called and it puts them slightly on tilt. Your table image will now be very loose. NOW play tight and you will get the table to call you all the way to the river with next to nothing because amateurs HATE to be bluffed out of pots or at least they hate the idea of it. This strategy has worked for me 99% of the time. But its contigent on 2 important things: knowing the table and bluffing at the right time.

[SuitedHooks 0]

The way I play 1/2 NL is I usually mix up my game a TON! I love to raise in position, I also love to get involved in good size multiway pots with suited connectors etc...hoping to hit a nice flop and take down a nice pot. Bluffing is usually a bad thing in cash games, most of the time you will get caught. If you do feel the need to bluff, do it on small pots where you are not risking much money.Most importantly have fun!

[MasterLJ 0]

It's boring, but you can basically make a living off the smash system in casinos (well, a slight variation).I'm absolutely floored by how stupid some people are. I was at the casino 2 weeks ago an I noticed a complete rock at the other end of the table. I liked the guys at my end of the table and told them not to call ANY raise from this guy. The worst hand he could possibly hold is AQos... he limps with small pair, and raises JJ+. I had shown them this after about 4 hours where I was announcing his hand by his play.At any rate, people are idiots. They do not care about table image. They will still call.Got aces? Don't get cute. At $1/$2 stick $20-$30 in there pre-flop and laugh as you get 4 callers.My advice is to play tighter than tight, and to attack on the turn thus cleaning up your opponent's outs and put them at a huge disadvantage if they want to go for their straight/flush etc.

[Wandigo 1]

Pretty much what Master said sums it all up. I've played up at Mt. Pleasant and this is all very true. Chances are you're not going to see a $6 raise pre-flop. Usually it's $15+ to go. So yeah if you get a premium hand like aces or kings, play them very strong because you will certainly get callers guaranteed. Try to play tight-aggressive for the first hour or two and get some reads on your table. Even if someone notices you're a very tight player, for some reason they will still call big raises from you with junk cards. Good luck, can't wait to hear how ya do.

[MasterLJ 0]

Pretty much what Master said sums it all up. I've played up at Mt. Pleasant and this is all very true. Chances are you're not going to see a $6 raise pre-flop. Usually it's $15+ to go. So yeah if you get a premium hand like aces or kings, play them very strong because you will certainly get callers guaranteed. Try to play tight-aggressive for the first hour or two and get some reads on your table. Even if someone notices you're a very tight player, for some reason they will still call big raises from you with junk cards. Good luck, can't wait to hear how ya do.

They STILL call.After I had pinned the rock on 2 exact hands (set of QQ's, then AK) and told my buddies at my end not to call his raises... they STILL did.The rock raises, I fold my rags on the button, dude on my left calls and gets into a KQ vs AQ battle (rock has AQ). I told him that he should have folded.Another hand about an hour or two later it folds to the rock who raises... I piss off the dealer by turning over my AsJs on the button and telling the rock he has to give to get. SB calls, BB calls. I really was trying to help them =\.

[Gibbo 0]

My first casino trip I played $1-2 with $60 Max buyin. I found that at that level all you need to do is try and get in a race preflop to double up so you got some chips to work with and then get to it. Have a few buyins ready because the last thing you want is to be playing scared. The only big hands I lost that night were races where EVERY time the other player had J-10o. 3 times that happened, it was unbeleivable and the spiked a j or a straight every time./end badbeat

[benhoug 0]

Do not play danger hands like J-10, Q-10, Q-J, K-10, K-J, K-Q, etc...

maybe its just me, but I don't consider J10 to fit into this category as a "danger hand." The other hands you mention are clearly TRAP HANDS, but J10 is such a good drawing hand I think it belongs in a different category. If you're playing J10 to hit pairs you're playing it wrong...

[DB10-2 0]

good lord.i would never recommend an all-in bluff with no hand at a 100NL 1-2 table. if you raise preflop and get a caller or two, then move in on the flop if you think they're weak, my experience is they'll still call with middle pair or worse, or any kind of a draw. this is great when you've got an overpair, hit a set, or have flopped two pair since you'll win an overwhelming amount of the time. but if you're really just on a stone cold bluff, my feeling with the loose play at those limits is that you'll get snapped off well more than half the time.that's like one of the top rules of low limit poker: never try to bluff the unbluffable.

[jowest 0]

first of all I can not believe this thread has gone so long without someone yelling about posting in the wrong section. (I don't personally care). Everyone must be in a great mood because it is Friday.As far as my advice goes (and I suck)... I agree. Don't bluff the unbluffable. Everyone thinks they are getting bluffed in that game. I bet out of 10 players at that limit 9 of them LOVE to gamble. Please read the thread about "you know you are playing a fish when they say.....". This might help you understand.

[vonteego3 0]

They STILL call.After I had pinned the rock on 2 exact hands (set of QQ's, then AK) and told my buddies at my end not to call his raises... they STILL did.The rock raises, I fold my rags on the button, dude on my left calls and gets into a KQ vs AQ battle (rock has AQ). I told him that he should have folded.Another hand about an hour or two later it folds to the rock who raises... I piss off the dealer by turning over my AsJs on the button and telling the rock he has to give to get. SB calls, BB calls. I really was trying to help them =\.

why the **** would you turn your cards over with 2 players left to act?

[Tiltinagain 976]

why the **** would you turn your cards over with 2 players left to act?

He said that he was trying to help his "buddies" at his end of the table....and get heads up against the "rock" from what I'm gathering.

[vonteego3 0]

He said that he was trying to help his "buddies" at his end of the table....and get heads up against the "rock" from what I'm gathering.

get heads up by folding? Interesting course of action.Oh, and effectively announcing that you're colluding usually isn't a winning game plan, either.

[nutzbuster 7]

I LOVE K - 10!And it .... well, HATES me.But it is my crack, my achilles heal, my cross to bear, my (u get the picture)That said, play TAG my friend. gl