Making playing expense - My recent B&M experience

[emeraldice]

TAG is definitely the best strategy in these loose, shortstacked B & M games. Wait for the nuts, raise it up to like a million X the bb, and get called by 3 players. Honestly, there is no better strategy, since generally the players will call regardless of raise size and regardless of table image.

[Minnie Man]

I definitely try to raise with SC in position and isolate with big hands (AA/KK, AK-AQ, etc), but these guys come out raising or calling a raise with 9-2 offsuit. All in with 10-5s for about $100. Crazy stuff. I know the SC are real money makers, but with only 50BB max buy in, it can get stack costly fast. A couple of called raises and I am down to 25BB...not enough to pay off and make $$ when I hit. Just a little frustration hitting here. I mean, this guy last night would call with _literally_ anything and hit, taking the pot. I think I might try and raise more. I try and feel out the raising to isolate to the number I want, but maybe isolating more with SC could help. A 87suited hitting an 8 is stronger HU then 5 handed. I will dig deep and come out fighting next week at the B&M!!!

[wickedgoodtrader]

What's the rake in your B&M room? I always know of them to be high especially when playing low limts like your talking about. Seems power poker could take a hit due to the rake. I'm a very successful power player online in the 5-10, 10-20 NL and I've found that power poker ALWAY works best when your up. So if you haven't built a stack yet.. play tight until you do then juice up the game. Also.. you can't play power forever. I will frequently get online and play like a rock but your power image will help you get paid off. People have a very tough time getting that crazy loose image out of their head.

If you try and play power all the time you will end up a loser.

[phish]

Imtimidation is actually very important in poker.

People may disagree, but I would much rather be the most aggressive (don't confuse aggressive with looseness) at a table (even full games) than be in a game with a couple of wacky LAGs that others seem to think are fish.

[CrazyIrishman]

Don't overvalue SC with only 100 in front. They are not your money makers at this stack size. Premium pairs, and big suited broadway hands and cheap pocket pair flops at going to make you the most money until you get 200-250 in front. Then you can start worrying about playing SC's for raises, the implied odds just arent there when you have to put 10% of you stack in PF.

[Minnie Man]

[ QUOTE ]
Don't overvalue SC with only 100 in front. They are not your money makers at this stack size. Premium pairs, and big suited broadway hands and cheap pocket pair flops at going to make you the most money until you get 200-250 in front. Then you can start worrying about playing SC's for raises, the implied odds just arent there when you have to put 10% of you stack in PF.

[/ QUOTE ]

Exactly what is frustrating at the B&M because of the low max buy-in. I try to play tight, but if you get AK, or AQ, or QQ and you c-bet, you are close to pot committed or you fold with half your stack gone on one hand. Then this LAG is betting everything...and big bets...overbets, so you can't continue. 50bb MAX buyin seems a bit low. What is the buy-in at other B&M's? I don't have many around here, so it is hard to compare.

FYI: The rake is $3 if there are 6 or more players in a hand and there is a flop.

[phantom_lord]

Why do they have max buy-ins? And why the hell are they so low? Where I play there's no max.

[Minnie Man]

I don't know why they have a max buy-in, but many complain. It is technically a spread limit game as the max bet is 300. The spread limit is a California law (I think), butthe buy-in can be higher because another B&M in CA has a higher one.

[Rijeka]

yeah very good advise in this thread. the only way to beat that game is to play in it several times and build your mental rolodex of players, get reads on their games, and value-bet like a MF when you get nuts or near-nuts hands. also, position cannot be over-emphasized in games like this.

my local game is very similar to what you describe and i got very frustrated seeing donks and doofuses making big payoffs when i was TAG'ing it to mediocre results. but over time if you're a good player who studies & learns the game, you will crush the game. the good thing is that most of the players at your table are 'naive players', meaning they rarely if ever self-reflect or try to learn from past mistakes.

also, since this is a psychology forum... if you stick at it but continue to find yourself extremely frustrated by 'bad players' winning, you should probably look for another table.

[Split Suit]

OP:

best advice i can give u....keep with ur TAG game at this game. ur playin a 50BB game in the kiddie pool, there is no reason to make advanced plays that no1 will understand. the only play i ever use in this game is the blockin bet.

these LAGs dont last long in the 50BB game structure. they might rush a few times, but dont let their success/luck veer u from ur game. this game is all about makin solid DMTs, and gettin ur small pps in for cheap (as ur generally not gettin the correct IO to call pf anyway with the standard raise at about $10-$12).

just play ur tight game, pick up the small pots, and urll b fine.