2/4 Foxwoods.. what to do in a rock garden?

[RatFink]

Can you clarify this statement:

"I opened up my limping range on the late side "

Is it a rock garden and you are limping late or are there multiple limpers already and it's not a rock garden?

[Scarmiglio]

You need to get much more aggressive at these tables. On your QJ with the 9T on the flop you need to bet every time. I hope you raised QJs preflop too. I would raise more hands preflop and bet more hands. Heck, raise any Q, K, or A preflop when in late position with no limpers to steal the blinds. Also raise suited connectors, suited aces, etc... even in early position. Bet any flop and most turns and if they're really rocks they'll fold often enough to make this play profitable. Rocks don't like lots of preflop raising and this will mess with them. They'll start giving you more action too. Of course, you'll need to change gears after someone looks you up, but the table should be better by then. This style of play is tricky and requires good post flop skill, but it can loosen up a table in a hurry and start to get you action on your good hands.

[Man of Means]

In a lot of these games, even the rocks will recognize an aggressive blind stealer and tend to call down with any pair, sometimes seeing the river with A-high headsup.

In LP, with one rock limper, I'd raise stuff like suited aces, pocket pairs 55+, suited broadways, etc. When they play "fit or fold" too often then you can add in the SC's and stuff that has less showdown value because you will be able to steal so much. Sometimes you can sense the pendulum swinging the other way; they are tired of this hotshot raising every other hand - then you get into solid value-bet mode and get paid off.

I don't like raising a speculative hand in EP against a lineup of rocks. Sometimes you may even open limp with a SSHE raising hand (ATs, KQs) to pull in weaker hands. I still think it's correct to raise big offsuit hands.

These guys are beatable in a no-rake game, but I don't think you can really win when pots are headsup and $1 comes out of the pot on the flop and what is it, the next $1 comes out at $10?

The short answer to OP's question is obviously change tables ... and move up to 4/8 ASAP.

[Granimal]

Hello everyone.

I put quite a bit of time into playing 2/4 at Foxwoods. Perhaps I have gotten lucky, but I managed to earn 1.3 BB / hr over a 427 hour period. However, I have never played against a rock garden in 2/4. Usually it was the polar opposite with 6+ players in each pot.

I know this may be attributed to variance, but I do feel that I played fairly well compared to the competition.

I have since moved up to the 4/8 game. Hopefully, I can maintain and improve on this rate.

[Scarmiglio]

[ QUOTE ]
In a lot of these games, even the rocks will recognize an aggressive blind stealer and tend to call down with any pair, sometimes seeing the river with A-high headsup.

[/ QUOTE ]

That's partly my point. At some point you'll get looked up. After this happens, you can change gears and get paid off on your better hands as no-one will give you credit for a hand.

I agree that getting a table change and moving up to 4/8 is the right thing to do, but sometimes there's only one table running and it isn't too exciting. I was playing 4/8 at Venetian over the weekend and there was only 1 table with little action. I found the strategy I outlined above to be very effective at making me money and waking up the table.