Trying to Loosen Up Preflop

[Haiku]

My VPIP right now hovers around 15-16, with an appropriate PFR (10-11ish). In an effort to LAG my game up a bit, just how terrible of cards are you guys (Pokey, dbitel, Jam) willing to open with in LP on a regular basis? Is stuff like Q7s fair game opening from CO? KTo from CO? I realize this is a really vague question but I've tried to open up my game preflop and honestly have gotten nowhere...my VPIP pretty much stays the same, so I must be just omitting some hands I could potentially be raising.

I already raise stuff like suited aces, suited connectors/one gaps and pretty much all PP's, but my VPIP is still sooooo low.

[abarrenfuture]

6-max? full ring?

[testaaja]

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6-max? full ring?

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I bet 6max. I'm curious about this too as my vpip is around 15 too. I play KTo as a opener from co but do you guys play it with a bad limper?

[Haiku]

6-max.

[Isura]

Widening your game is all about reads, table conditions, table image, how well you are playing, how well you are running, and probably a few more things that I'm forgetting. Just do it slowly, and when it feels right. On my good days I will fold AJo UTG at a loose-passive table, and open 96s from UTG against weak tighties. Playing marginal hands requires you to really understand your opponent's tendencies and your own table image.

[abarrenfuture]

[ QUOTE ]
Widening your game is all about reads, table conditions, table image, how well you are playing, how well you are running, and probably a few more things that I'm forgetting. Just do it slowly, and when it feels right. On my good days I will fold AJo UTG at a loose-passive table, and open 96s from UTG against weak tighties. Playing marginal hands requires you to really understand your opponent's tendencies and your own table image.

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Good post. A VPIP of 15 is pretty low, but it's all about what you're comfortable with and the other factors mentioned above. Loosening up simply for the sake of raising your PT stats is silly and will get you into trouble.

One thing to add to Isura's list: how well you play post-flop. The more marginal hands you play, obviously the tougher decisions you're going to face

[ajmargarine]

OP:

Play poker situationally. Look for your spots to open up; don't have a preconceived notion of hands you *have* to open it up with.

Yesterday, whilst 6-tabling, after about 100 hands at one of my tables, I was running at about 10/7 (and up about 1.5 buyins). At the same time at another table I was running at 35/20. Different tables called for different tactics.

--aj

[Haiku]

[ QUOTE ]
OP:

Play poker situationally. Look for your spots to open up; don't have a preconceived notion of hands you *have* to open it up with.

Yesterday, whilst 6-tabling, after about 100 hands at one of my tables, I was running at about 10/7 (and up about 1.5 buyins). At the same time at another table I was running at 35/20. Different tables called for different tactics.

--aj

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Of course, I'm not looking for a chart or specifics, just some suggestions on hands/situations that some of the looser posters might open with at a fairly passive table that I might not have thought of. I'm asking because I'm always on the tight side even when I'm consciously trying to open up at a tighter table. Sometimes to this end I'll do random things like steal the blinds with any two if I haven't raised in a while, but I'm really trying to make my game more versatile so I can adapt to table conditions, and that's what I was trying to get at in my original post.

[Keyser.]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
OP:

Play poker situationally. Look for your spots to open up; don't have a preconceived notion of hands you *have* to open it up with.

Yesterday, whilst 6-tabling, after about 100 hands at one of my tables, I was running at about 10/7 (and up about 1.5 buyins). At the same time at another table I was running at 35/20. Different tables called for different tactics.

--aj

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Of course, I'm not looking for a chart or specifics, just some suggestions on hands/situations that some of the looser posters might open with at a fairly passive table that I might not have thought of. I'm asking because I'm always on the tight side even when I'm consciously trying to open up at a tighter table. Sometimes to this end I'll do random things like steal the blinds with any two if I haven't raised in a while, but I'm really trying to make my game more versatile so I can adapt to table conditions, and that's what I was trying to get at in my original post.

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I think the obvious answer is to raise with suited connectors from positions where you would usually fold them. Another way might be to practice calling raises with non-dominated hands in position like 75 suited.

I was recently thinking about this same topic--many of the good posters here have LAG stats, but it seems like every time someone posts a hand where he called a raise with 9[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]T[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] from the button, people respond with "fold preflop."

[Haiku]

To perhaps guide this a little more: how do you LAGs handle unsuited connectors? Maybe I could raise a limper or two OTB with JTo/78o type hands sometimes? Normally I fold almost all of my offsuit connectors unless I'm opening in late position.