[JJNJustin]

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Is this Justin of the old gremlin card protector? If so you may remember me from my beginnings in the 5/10 game. Back when there was one.

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I am he. I sold that gremlin to the mother of this exceptionally fine chick who used to play $5-$10 regularly. She doesnt play much anymore. Her mom offered me $50 for it and I was broke and needed the cash. Before I sold it, I put a small webcam in it hoping to see the chick naked and broadcast it unbeknowingist to her and use the funds to replenish my bankroll, however, she was always one step ahead of me and keeps the doll in her drawer in complete darkness.

Back to MC limit games:

Motor City runs $5-$10 regularly, but the rake is so high and they have this trick where they keep two short handed games and wont combine them unless you ask. So you'll be sitting on a 6 handed game paying $6+$1 b.b. per hand. If you ask to reduce the rake they will go to $4 and no bad beat. Most players dont want to lose the bad beat and will continue to pay $6+$1 b.b. when playing 6-7 handed.

I'm not even sure the motor city $5-$10 is beatable. The players sometimes are so loose and passive you have to alter strategy. Playing straight forward tight-aggressive hold'em will make you frustrated as you will have the best hand alot until the last card. While playing very few hands and playing them aggressively is the proper strategy given the high rake, but depending on how poor the players are sometimes you are better off playing sneaky and limping in with a lot of hands, trying to trap all the bad players later on in the hand when you have the nuts. This results in the playing of a lot more hands, which results in paying more rake. It is a trade-off. Either way you wont win much. Depending on the "complexion" of the game I switch back and forth between a very tight aggressive "book style" of value betting and protecting my hands and a very non-traditional style of limping in with all kinds of hands out of position trying to outplay everybody after the flop, snapping bluffs with weak hands, trapping people with hidden full houses, etc. You need more focus to play this way as your hands will be in jeapordy alot and you need to be able to make good reads and good lay-downs. If you are not good enough you will end up trapping yourself. The whole idea of this strategy rests on your ability to get away from your hand when things go sour or might go sour.

Here's an example from yesterday's donkfest: 6 players limp in and I am in late position with AJ offsuit. I call and the blinds check. The flop comes A66 rainbow. An early position bets and I FOLD. With all those players in, it is not worth going to the showdown with this hand not only because someone may have a 6, but someone may have me outkicked and even if they down a K or Q will make a chop and a 7,8,9, or T may give someone a better two pair. Had there been a pre-flop raise or if I had had AK, I may have had to stay, but in this loose donk fest you have to play more defensively.

Somebody did have the trips, but that's not really the point. You dont want to get overinvolved with marginal hands in multiway pots. That is the key to playing with idiots. I know so many good players who end up losing their mind playing in loose low limit games because they try to play straight forward hold-em and end up getting screwed all the time. Dont let a host of bad players make you lose your cool.


good luck

-J

-J