How to play loose
 

I'm currently deciding it it's possible (and if so, to what extent) to open and play a lot of plots early in a tournament like this where stacks are not that deep.


Party Super Thurs, very first hand, 7 handed.


Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t15 (7 handed) [url:http://www.zerodivide.cx/converter]FTR converter on zerodivide.cx[/url]

BB (t1000)
UTG (t1000)
MP1 (t1000)
Hero (t1000)
CO (t1000)
Button (t1000)
SB (t1000)

Preflop: Hero is MP2 with 9[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img].
<font color="#666666">2 folds</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises to t60</font>, CO calls t60, <font color="#666666">2 folds</font>, <font color="#CC3333">BB raises to t105</font>, Hero calls t45, CO calls t45.

Flop: (t322.50) A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], 8[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], 6[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(3 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">BB bets t55</font>, Hero calls t55, CO calls t55.

Turn: (t487.50) 4[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(3 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">BB bets t555</font>, Hero folds, CO folds.

Final Pot: t1042.50


Maybe this is boring. I guess I could have open limped, but for quite some time now, the thought of not playing this hand preflop (or worse hands like K9s or QJo) makes me sick.

I guess with relatively shallow stacks, a lot of limping and taking a lot of flops might give me more room to outmanuever people, but then the pots just don't get built. Yet putting in 6% of my stack preflop just doesn't seem to be getting it done. Maybe I'm not handling postflop properly, but without many chips to play with these raises just don't create the pot dynamics that I'm looking for postflop.

No real point, looking for any/all comments on the subject. Spill your guts.


This rant brought to you by EverettKings

Re: How to play loose
 

You should have folded preflop. It's ok to play loose, in fact, I recommend it, but you need to take position into account. This is a fine hand to raise in LP but not EP.

Re: How to play loose
 

My approach: I try whenever possible to play cash game strategy - limp with suited Aces, any pocket pair, suited connectors, etc. Your goal is to flop the nuts or a draw to the nuts (and try to put together a nut hand as cheaply as possible) - and then pick up some chips. Trying to bluff people out of the pots at this stage is silly - you win a small pot or you lose a big one. You can TRY ding it - but mostly for the purposes of gathering information about players - how do they react to a pot-sized bet? Half-pot? Check raise? (but you are better off sitting back and leting other people do your investigative work for you, so that you can reap the rewards later).

JMHO

Re: How to play loose
 

[ QUOTE ]
You should have folded preflop. It's ok to play loose, in fact, I recommend it, but you need to take position into account. This is a fine hand to raise in LP but not EP.

[/ QUOTE ]

I was one from the CO. Two people had position on me. I thought my position was good.

Re: How to play loose
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
You should have folded preflop. It's ok to play loose, in fact, I recommend it, but you need to take position into account. This is a fine hand to raise in LP but not EP.

[/ QUOTE ]

I was one from the CO. Two people had position on me. I thought my position was good.

[/ QUOTE ]

err..my bad. I just saw "2 folds" and assumed it was a 9 or 10 person table. You played it fine then.

Re: How to play loose
 

Opening was fine because there're only 4 players left to act, you may very well best at this point, and you would have position on the blinds if they choose to play along at a discount. But when the BB raises you're behind; when he prices you in w/ a minraise knowing he's OOP you're way behind and your chances of outflopping him are slim and he's coming out firing.

Fold to his reraise.

Re: How to play loose
 

Your play looks fine to me.

Perhaps an alternative strategy with villians small flop
bet is to make a 3 to 4x raise and play accordingly.

If you're not going to open raise with A9s with your position you might as well have a nine year old play for
you and alert you whenever you get pocket Aces or Kings.

Bruce

Re: How to play loose
 

[ QUOTE ]

If you're not going to open raise with A9s with your position you might as well have a nine year old play for
you and alert you whenever you get pocket Aces or Kings.


[/ QUOTE ]

Yea... this is not loose. Im curious what you imagine is tight? AA only, KK in position?

Re: How to play loose
 

Careful Bruce,
the players are getting younger and stronger.

Re: How to play loose
 

[ QUOTE ]
Your play looks fine to me.

Perhaps an alternative strategy with villians small flop
bet is to make a 3 to 4x raise and play accordingly.

If you're not going to open raise with A9s with your position you might as well have a nine year old play for
you and alert you whenever you get pocket Aces or Kings.

Bruce

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree that it's an auto-open. I was more looking for some general thoughts on how people find spots to make chips early. Playing TAG definitely doesn't get it done.

Everett