SUPER AGGRO STRADDLE MONKEYS

[chimpanzepoopdic]

My regular 10/20 limit home game consists of 8 to 11 preflop maniacs. 4-8 handed capped pots are frequent before the flop. Most pots are raised preflop and a blind straddle is put on at least 30%. Then they turn into pscho calling stations after the flop calling when they should be folding, checking when they should be betting calling when they should be raising, and of course calling anything with a slim hope of winning. Every now and then you will see a strangly timed bluff.

Im probably playing 15% or less of my hands with a pfr of around 9%. I used to worry about playing so tight and that it would cause me to lose action but these guys dont have a clue. There is so much action that I can rarely isolate a blind straddle with a decent hand. The pots get so inflated early in the hand that I feel like it lessens the impact of my opponents post flop runner runner mistakes. I really feel restrained preflop and that a game like this takes alot of skill out of poker after the flop. One good thing about this game is I am able to jam quality draws on the flop and turn with proper odds of course. The only thing is this just adds to the huge chip swings in this game. Its nothing to see a guy buy in for $400 and cash out $2000 or buy in for $2000 over the course of the night and have nothing to cash out. Ive been playing in this game for about 3 months and my BR is way up. The last 3 weeks have been a bit of a downswing.

Am I right to be so selective preflop in the face of all this aggression?

Say Im facing a blind straddle with 3-4 callers from late position or the blinds, since my opponents calling requirements are so low should I be calling and reraising a bit more with my better hands(suited Ace little, quality suited connectors, hands like A5s 89s, J9s, K9s, ATo, KJo and 88)?

I would probably play most of the above hands and raise the straddle with AJ, KQs, ATs and TT.

Okay what should I be doing against a blind straddle with 1-2 callers?

Alright what about a blind straddle with no callers?

I await your wisdomness.

[greggg230]

A game like that is going to be super-high variance, so expect big swings up and down (but more and larger swings up, since they're playing so poorly).

You should obviously bluff less--probably close to not at all--against these players, but your starting hand selection should be much looser.

Don't re-raise with hands like small pocket pairs, suited small aces, and suited connectors pre-flop. There's no fold equity and you're most likely getting your money in bad unless it's going to be capped like 6 ways (though you did say it is sometimes). Raising suited connectors can be +EV normally if it will produce fold equity on the flop or turn; here, it won't. Put another way: With players like this, you don't need flushes, straights, and sets to get money out of them. They sound like they'll call you down when they're beat even by top pair, so play "top pair hands" like AQ, KQ, KJ, AT, AJ, KT, etc. If they're really crazy post-flop, even hands like K8, A8, QT, etc. will show a significant profit. Playing speculative hands like small pocket pairs and suited connectors is fine, but you do not want to inflate the pot with them.

Again, though, expect to be sucked out on a lot by bizarre hands and to have large swings both directions.

[El_Hombre_Grande]

Pre-flop limp a ton of hands that play well multi way; suited connectors, pp. Be willing to dump hands that are surely beat. Hands like 991010JJ are being played for set value; you can be sure that one of your four or 5 callers hit an overcard.

[seahunt]

with multiway raised preflops QT K8 is crap and the type of bizarre hands that you will get sucked out by.

In position, play your 9T suited and 22 when there is no raise. Raise your big pairs for equity and to reduce field even by one player.

Sounds as if you're already doing this.

[ChuckyB]

Play pairs and big suited cards. I've found trouble with medium and smaller suited cards in games like this.

And it sounds like you would never have to raise PF, so I'd do my best to avoid it...just for an extra layer of disguise. Of course if it appears no one's going to raise and you want it, you'll have to do it.

[Flip-Flop]

I`d kill to play in those kind of games.

[buckyb88]

directions?