Latest Session ):!! 4/8 limit THE

Latest session over the weekend, at the local card room w/ mostly regulars, who I have played w/ many times.

I decided prior to the session, that I would slow play my big hands( I usually raise A's,K's, and Q's), as I my table image is that of a knit w/o much experience, which is true.

So in around 3/4 hrs. , I was down around $ 300, after having of played around 7/8 hands. I played some smaller pocket pairs, but folded post flop after not catching a set.

I played 10's ( 2X), J's (2X) ,Q 's(2X) K's ( 4 X) and a large suited Ace ( which flopped the nutt flush)- which all lost !! None of my pairs improved, and when I had the nutt flush, it was beaten by a full house on the river w/ pocket 5's.

My pairs were beaten by weird hands such as : q/3 only to make 2 pair, or trips, 3/5 off to make a straight, basically any 2 cards.

Some times my raise has an affect, some times not. In this game 7/8 people to the flop.

People are very eager to gamble w/ me, raising my blinds and live straddle constantly ! A few times the guy on my left did it every single time I was in the big blind- he lost all his money though.

I also noticed players want to sit on my left.

How can I change my game so I can be more competitive in this game ? There 5-10 players that appear to beat this game up, playing almost any 2 cards w/ frequent raises and re-raises.

Everything I have read says " play tight " do not play marginal hands .

The people I play w/ are not overly intelligent and do not appear to do any study of the game of poker but are beating this game very handedly on a regular basis.

This is my regular game so I would like to try and turn the tides and be one of the regular winners as opposed to what I am , one of the regular losers.

I have vowed to take the next 6 weeks and find how I can start being more competitive at this game.

On another note , I will be in Vegas in Dec., and will be playing 1/3 NL THE and some tourneys. How can I improve my game for the LV scene.

Also, I seem to be much more competitive Omaha O8(still a regular loser) but much less than THE. Basically I only play 2 way draws for low and high but again I see players w/ a wide range crush on a regular basis.

Thanks for reading !! Clearly frustrated but motivated to improve !!

I love playing poker. My general rule to myself is to play tight and really take your time to evaluate any situation where somebody comes over the top of you bet wise.
Bottom line is getting tons of experience under your belt. That's why I miss the glory days of internet poker. When I had a pokerstars account, I played just about everyday. It was so much fun and got a ton of experience. I remember Live pro poker players complaining that what took many years of experience playing poker to get good, hardcore internet players were gaining the same amount of experience but in about 6 months.
The more I played, the better I played.
I miss internet poker, maybe I should get a Bovada account.

If you are playing on a very loose table with loads of players seeing a flop then playing tight doesn't help you one bit. These guys are going to outflop you constantly because they are staying in with wildly varying hands. Pocket pairs are designed to go up against the fewest possible players in a pot. If you are holding, lets say pocket J's and you slow play them by simply calling the blinds, you get another 6 callers behind you, you are already going to be in trouble because somebody is going to catch a hand or at least a strong draw with which they are willing to call any raise you might make after the flop.

Rule of thumb is, if you have a strong starting hand, it is wise to make a small to medium raise, perhaps 3 times the big blind is a nice indicator for a starting raise, depending on your position of course.

I would stat playing a lot more loose on a game like that, especially if you are going to have 6 to 8 players moving to the flop every hand. Start playing suited connectors, perhaps even K, 10 suited, K, J off an the like.

The only time I would consider slow playing (and this could backfire too, big time) is if you are under the gun, just call with ACES, but be sure to make a mid size range bet afetr the flop to put pressure on the other guys to draw to you, otherwise if you make it cheap enough for them to stay in with a draw you are going to get into trouble.

Poker is a tough game but you don't want a table to run over you because of your playing style. Learn to adapt to what the game is doing and you will be a lot happier and have some winning sessions too!

Quote: DonPedro

How can I improve my game for the LV scene.

You should post hands. Feedback on actual hands will be better than vague feedback on your overall game w/o having specifics.

In a low limit THE game I almost always at least see a flop with suited connectors. Even hands like J 8 suited, Q 8 suited, etc. When I first started playing low limit THE I tried playing tight and only playing premium hands but I just couldn't make any money. I'm not a professional but I feel like playing a more wide range of hands is more beneficial

this is the problem with limit. people play everything because the pot odds dictate it. 7 players all limping means I only have to win 1/7 to break even. get a little lucky, and I come out ahead.

also, limit games are magnets for those trying to win the bad beat jackpot or the hourly high hand (if your casino does that). some casinos also have free roll tourneys for those who spend the most time in the poker room. so if they play a break even game all day every day, they get into these tournament with little investment.

all that said, play no limit. the swings can have a greater impact on your bankroll (i once went from $100 buy-in, to $300, to broke in less than an hour), but a tight player can make money off those loose players in the long run.

Thank you for the replies, I will widen my range a bit w/ drawing hands and see more flops. And yes that is very true, players are very concerned w/ the hourly high hands, bad beat JP, and monthly free role.

Stoney's right. I played Limit for a long time (on and off line). I crushed pot odds and bonuses (high hands, aces cracked, and bad beats) and was a consistent winner playing tons of weird hands. I got tired of "winning with math" (math is my day job too) and switched to no limit.

I have had mixed results with NL. I still read the board and my odds correctly, but the learning curve on reading others' bets has been steep. I can normally break even (winning enough to cover tips, drinks, and the rake). I now choose the game I play based on my life goals for the day:
*get hammered, watch my sports bets on TV, and have fun: limit (I can still do EV math hammered) and low spread limit
*grind, be patient, read other players and focus: no limit

I find I seem to have the best results wherever (vegas, online, home game) when I play slightly tighter than most of the winners at the table, but have a more wild image (cultivated via showdowns and banter).

How much to raise is my biggest problem also. Twice I slow raised Aces and then 10's and got beat both times. Once with three aces to a straight where the guy had 9/10 and two pair where the guy ended up with three fours on a K/4 suited. UGH!! It was no limit and i was all in at the end and got clobbered.

Quote: hook3670

How much to raise is my biggest problem also. Twice I slow raised Aces and then 10's and got beat both times. Once with three aces to a straight where the guy had 9/10 and two pair where the guy ended up with three fours on a K/4 suited. UGH!! It was no limit and i was all in at the end and got clobbered.

I would stay away from low limit poker. I would not start widening your range until you get better. If I had to guess, you are paying people off far to often when it is almost certain you are beat.

I am afraid you are right

Quote: hook3670

I am afraid you are right

In limit poker you are only supposed to be making 1 or 2 units an hr at best. If you are calling dead on the turn and river that really adds up. The problem is Your getting irresistible pot odds temptation makes it hard to fold. Folding a winner Is devastating to your earnings, It's a fine line and hard to master. Very few people actually beat low limit holdem. mistakes, Rake plus dealer tipping will eat you up. 1-2 no limit seems to be a better choice. People make horrific mistakes in that game. I think you will find far more success in that game.