Live-game "creative betting"

[zoltan]

OK, so I'm in Vegas last weekend (second weekend in a row), and playing 3-6 LHE. First session, got excitable, lost about half my stack in 30 minutes. Got up, took a deep breath, came back later that evening intent on playing tight and moderately aggressive. Tripled my stack against a table full of calling stations. And so it went most of the weekend, except one older guy who observed I only played big hands (which was true for the most part). That's fine, but then he demands I show my cards EVERY SHOWDOWN I'm in whether he is or not, pointing out my tendencies to all of the other players, and generally making my life miserable. While I'm not maximizing my winnings, I'm paying for my hotel room, which is fine by me. Other than changing table (I did), any other insight into "creative betting" that wouldn't cause me to lose my stack? Better a rock than a fish, unless someone wants to correct me on this.

[Harv72b]

In small stakes B&M LHE games, the strategy you went with is often going to be your best bet. The calling stations will pay you off more than enough to make waiting for those premium starters worth your while.

Some things you can do to give yourself more of a LAGgy appearance, while still maintaining a +EV style of play, are to raise more often in late position when holding a hand that figures to have an equity advantage against the types of starters these calling stations will limp in with. Things like suited broadway cards, mid pocket pairs, and even some smaller suited connectors, especially if you're on the button behind 3 or more limpers. In the case of the suited broadways/connectors, these hands play so well against a large field that you will usually have a preflop equity advantage (maybe not the biggest advantage, but one nonetheless); in the case of the mid pairs, while you may also have a preflop equity advantage, most of your edge will come from playing them well after the flop & with position. For example, raising 77 behind 5 limpers will often allow you to take a 4-card flop when the whole field checks to you after AK4 flops, and will disguise your hand should you end up making a set or especially a straight. Raising these hands in general will make your play seem much less predictable to a semi-educated opponent.

BTW, while the older guy was technically within his rights to demand to see your cards at every showdown, that (and especially calling out your playing tendencies to the whole table) is generally considered very rude at the table.

And also BTW, it's best to look like a LAG while playing a TAG game. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]