How do you play so that they invite you back?

[Wes64]

I am a holdem player, fairly new to PLO. I have been invited several times to play in a live PLO game. It is a GREAT game and the players also play in some higher stakes holdem games that I would like to play in. The pots are almost all stradled and raised out of position pre-flop with 5 of 9 players seeing the flop. It is very easy to beat, even for me.

My question is: How can I create the appearance that I am gambling along with the crowd while really waiting for premium hands that flop big? I want to get invited back and I don't want the play to change. Should I limp more out of position hoping to get raised and fold? Should I reraise some to get isolated with a short stack and gamble with them (that seems to be what they like)? Is my concern even an issue? Are there some PLO players who know what I am doing and just don't care? In the holdem games I play in, it would be no time at all before I got no action if I played as tight as I play in this game.

I know this is kind of a strange question, and there may not be a good answer. So you know, I am already careful to be friendly, engage in the conversation, don't act too serious, never criticize bad play, etc.

[Bartholow]

It's quite possible to play pretty loose preflop in PLO and make a lot of money. Just do that, be friendly, and don't worry about it.

[wazz]

Never complain about a bad beat, always claim you got lucky when you win a pot (even if you put your money in ahead), throw in an occasional cheap metagame play such as making a heroic call-down with a raggy two pair, always straddle, never tank, basically don't give them a reason to think you're not the same as them other than you're getting lucky to be winning as much as you are.

These skills are fairly important if you're playing in a regular, juicy game, btw.

[Troll_Inc]

When I was in Las Vegas for WSOP 2006, I took $1000 and was therefore fairly well underolled for the 2/5 game and only bought in for $300. There were like 6-7 people seeing every flop, and most of the time someone was putting $10 down for a Mississippi straddle.

There were some tight dudes (with a lot of money in front of them) that if they only played VPIP 20 and obviously only waiting for good hands were getting called out for playing 'too tight'. When they actually entered the pot, everyone pointed this out...and ppl would even table talk, e.g. "ohhhh, he must have a monster'.

Since I was quite familar with playing a game where 6-7 people see the flop, I did several things and no one ever complained about me.

1. I always did the straddle and when in the blinds, I autocalled meaning without looking at my cards I called $10.

2. I never raised myself (everyone was doing that for me), but I played a decent number of hands.

3. While I really was very very tight and aggro post flop, no one said anything to me - not once. I wasn't contributing to any 60/40 "gambles" or inducing action by playing LAG, but I guess no one noticed or cared - at least they didn't say anything.

4. And eventhough I was shortstacked, I never pulled any nonsense where I was waiting for AAxx to push all in preflop.

What aggravated people more was that I couldn't count the pot very quickly and when I bet pot it ended up being faster for another dealer or player to help me figure out what it was.

Other ideas:
If there's a chance that they get tired off you winning big, you could dump off some chips if you up too much (a whole bunch of 100bb profitable games is more than one 250bb and not being invited back).
If someone hits their hand on the end and you know it, then pay them off when they bet small.
Or maybe next time you'll have the inevitable session where you aren't a winner - even this happens when you are killing a game - especially PLO? (Over my best streak of 13k hands at PLO25 when I had a 15bb/100 winrate, I only won 61% of my sessions.)

[grizy]

[ QUOTE ]
I am a holdem player, fairly new to PLO. I have been invited several times to play in a live PLO game. It is a GREAT game and the players also play in some higher stakes holdem games that I would like to play in. The pots are almost all stradled and raised out of position pre-flop with 5 of 9 players seeing the flop. It is very easy to beat, even for me.

My question is: How can I create the appearance that I am gambling along with the crowd while really waiting for premium hands that flop big? I want to get invited back and I don't want the play to change. Should I limp more out of position hoping to get raised and fold? Should I reraise some to get isolated with a short stack and gamble with them (that seems to be what they like)? Is my concern even an issue? Are there some PLO players who know what I am doing and just don't care? In the holdem games I play in, it would be no time at all before I got no action if I played as tight as I play in this game.

I know this is kind of a strange question, and there may not be a good answer. So you know, I am already careful to be friendly, engage in the conversation, don't act too serious, never criticize bad play, etc.

[/ QUOTE ]

You can play tight and get away with it as long as you're friendly, and pretending to drink alcohol helps too.

[wazz]

Pretend? LOL [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[grizy]

[ QUOTE ]
Pretend? LOL [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, I meant that. lol. I actually tell waitresses to give me screwdrivers minus vodka. Trust me, it works.

EDIT and PS: The Borgata in Atlantic City serves the best Orange Juice in all of the casinoes I've gone to.

[grizy]

One last thing you can do... I used to do this when I was playing in New York City (you guys know where) is once in a while I'd stay after the game breaks up and offer to go all in preflop blind for a couple buyins against someone. Trust me, people really really KNOW you're an action junkie then.

[CallYNotRaise06]

gamble with them... play alot of hands. give off that im here to have fun vibe.. have a good time with them. make them enjoy losing to you.

[grizy]

I thought about this... and I think there is one metric you should follow when it comes to gameplay:

If it's EV neutral, gamble.