25 or 50NL - Couple of useful strategy questions/discussions

[pwnosaurus]

Adjusting to loose tables:
I've found that 25 or 50NL tables in general are extremely passive where you can play standard cardrunners style pretty profitable (raising in position, c-betting and putting pressure on opponents to have a hand).

However, sometimes you run into a really loose aggro table with a lot of limping, calling raises out of position, and not folding to 1,2 or 3 barrels with any piece of the board. What are the best adjustments to make in this situation.

Typical scenarios: You're on the button and 2-3 limps to you.

Obviously raising the field with a premium hand like AK/AQ+ is best.

What about suited connectors/one gappers. Is it ok in this situation to limp along and see a flop multi-way.

Hands that you might raise in position on a passive table to isolate a single limper like QTo, KTo. Best to throw those away?
What about a hand like KJo or KQo. Not really hands that you want to play multiway, but they seem to be marginal hands to raise the field with. Raise anyway to try to get it heads up?

Postflop in general, seems like cutting down on double barreling would be one good adjustment. Would love to hear some thoughts on other adjustments that could be made to make these tables more profitable (adjusting c-betting frequency etc..)

Blind Vs Blind situations:

I've been having a little bit of trouble lately with blind-to-blind situations, and I'm really trying to understand some of the theory behind blind steals and what the most profitable way to play them is.

Assumptions: Unknown opponent, and you've been playing a 19/15 TAG game. Lower limits (25NL or 50NL).

Common scenario: Folded around to you in the SB with ATo and you raise. Flop comes rags, you make your standard continuation bet.
If your opponent folds, good.
If he calls, you're done with the hand and check/fold the turn?
if he raises, fold. (bear in mind that this opponent is unknown to you, so you don't have a read yet as to whether he's making a play).

If this is the typical scenario, isn't it then +EV for your opponent in the big blind and in position to raise any flop and put you to the test. If you have a big hand, you stick half your stack in the middle and he gets away. You're going to fold most of the time. If he happens to have a huge hand like 2pr or a set against your overpair, he's going to stack you.

Even against a known aggressive opponent. You bet the flop, get raised and suspect he might be on a steal. You need to stick 50% of your stack in there as a 3 bet on the flop to show him you won't be pushed around. Initial objective was to steal a blind, and now you're sticking 50% of your stack in there with no pair no draw.

Just doesn't seem +EV. I would love to hear how other people on this forum approach blind-vs-blind situations.

[bozzer]

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Typical scenarios: You're on the button and 2-3 limps to you.

Obviously raising the field with a premium hand like AK/AQ+ is best.

What about suited connectors/one gappers. Is it ok in this situation to limp along and see a flop multi-way.

Hands that you might raise in position on a passive table to isolate a single limper like QTo, KTo. Best to throw those away?
What about a hand like KJo or KQo. Not really hands that you want to play multiway, but they seem to be marginal hands to raise the field with. Raise anyway to try to get it heads up?


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nothing wrong with limping behind SCs when you have good implied odds and little FE.

with KT-KQ i generally think you are going to make money by getting involved as long as you are sensible when you have top pair multiway. i think raising it up really helps if there is a reasonable chance of getting HU and there is a reasonable chance of taking it down with a cbet. you don't have to win the pot preflop for raising to be a better move.


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If this is the typical scenario, isn't it then +EV for your opponent in the big blind and in position to raise any flop and put you to the test. If you have a big hand, you stick half your stack in the middle and he gets away. You're going to fold most of the time. If he happens to have a huge hand like 2pr or a set against your overpair, he's going to stack you.

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what you are talking about is standard aggressive play - it's the equilibrium situation for NLHE. Fortunately few people do this, and it would be massively spewy to assume otherwise without a read. I think the standard 50nl player has lighter calling standards in the BB BvB but rarely will they make a bluff raise. Just play your hands and maybe tighten up a bit (its fine to fold weak aces for example).

[daboytim]

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However, sometimes you run into a really loose aggro table with a lot of limping, calling raises out of position, and not folding to 1,2 or 3 barrels with any piece of the board. What are the best adjustments to make in this situation.

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Think about limping more with small PP's (22/66) not c-betting/2nd/3d barreling as much as u often do and valuebet every street if you have a decent connection with the board. Bluffing is EV- most of the times as villains won't fold.

[aufbruch]

Adjusting to loose tables:

You can definitely open up your limping range in position and from the SB. You want to be playing hands that play well multi-way and can make very solid hands that get paid off when they hit. These are most valuable when you get into the pot cheaply. Being in position means you can get paid off more easily when you hit and being in the small blind means you can often get like 10:1 odds pre-flop.

Hands like KT/KQ you can definitely put pressure on limpers with. Do it in position so you can control the size of the pot more easily or extract every little bit of value.

Double barrels work best on players who can fold - these guys don't sound like they can though. If you have to, look for decent turns where you can really rep something or they can find a fold (an overcard comes, the FD hits) rather than where the board texture doesn't really change (Q38 flop and another 3 comes on the turn).

To put the maximum pressure on these players you need to be able to identify their ranges accurately. Will they call down with any piece of the board? Call a couple of streets with A high? Will they call pre-flop raises with Ax/Kx? Does their flop min-raise mean air or 2pair?

Against players that call too much, your bluffs become pretty useless. Instead the key is value - TPTK can be a goldmine against the right player. Sure it sucks when they river their kicker but keep piling the pressure on.

Continuation bets are generally a good thing and the majority of these opponents will still fold HU to a c-bet more than 50% of the time. There will be times that you want to keep the pot small though so position is a useful lever. Multiway and on very wet boards you should cut down your c-bets though.


Blind play:

I can't reccomend this post enough - Pokey on Blind Stealing

Hope it helps!