Everybody knows TAG is the best strategy at poker. Right? Till now I though the same way. But It's right when you playing mostly cash games. After two days of unbelievable bad luck I analized my game. I couldn't understand where is my mistake. I was played only strong hands and very aggressive. But I still losing tournaments. Then I tryed to play loose and I've won two SnGs by row, and $7 at $0.02/0.05 cash table. I think if my opponents tight players then I should play loose. And I don't know how flop comes always good for me. For example: > I've preflop raise 3BB > After my raise weak hands should be folded. Right? > flop comes > I did raise 30% of pot > He is calls > In my mind: " He have pair of Kings or waiting for flush" > turn > I've two pairs and doing pot size raise > he calls > In my mind: " If he just called then he have only KK or flush draw but not KJ > I'm all in > he calls > river > He shows > I win
When you play loose but aggressive then your tight oponents can't even imagine what you have in poket but you nearly know his standart tight hands.
Maybe I'm not right, but I will keep playing loose and hard for a season.
Joined: Feb '12
Location: Canada
Age: 64 (M)
Posts: 6036
Most pro poker players who always played loose,...eventually start to play tighter...
Some still play loose like Tom Dwan and that wing nut Tony G,...but most smarten up...
If you always play loose and folks see that,....you'll never win much with cards alone....
You'll have to rely on bullying folks,...or psyching them out... and bluffs are no longer too effective for you....
I play fairly tight,....so when most players see that I play premium hands and win most of them....they tend to think I'm playing something big when I'm actually pulling off the bluff of the century...
Posted by demodawggy: .. If you always play loose and folks see that,....you'll never win much with cards alone....
When I play tight, then I can't win so much chips. Because when I play tigh and folks see that, they are always fold when I'm raise or even call, or play with monster hands against me. So when I play low amount of hands it's not effectively, my win was is blinds or maybe sometimes not much more.
------------ Today most people play like a bots. They have a hands chart in their heads and program "How to play this hand" Everyone reads a mass of poker books, tutorials, videos etc. Game turns into dialog like: > I have strong hand so I will play > Me too so let's see the flop > Ok > Oh.. I've progress so I'm raise > Ok.. Take my chips, I'm fold
Joined: Sep '12
Location: Romania
Age: 33 (M)
Posts: 1052
I use this strategy when i play live game with friends and i let them to bet till i feel i need to push with trips or anything higher than their hand and 90% case i win because they think they play like a pro when they bluff... but they don't realise we play for few $ when a pro play a FT for millions... is good to let adversar to bet when you have AA pre-flop and you hit trips on the flop?
Joined: Nov '12
Location: Canada
Age: 55 (M)
Posts: 4675
G'day mate
I do not know which way is better. I only know that personally, I would rather lose playing good poker then bad poker. If you think loose is working better for you then good luck to you. Just watch carefully as all luck turns around eventually and you might need to readjust soon. best of luck to you. be cool
when one becomes predictable at a table, then, good players adjust...being unpredictable at the table ,adjusting to table conditions, shifting strategies is where the better players excel.
Joined: Apr '11
Location: Romania
Age: 35 (M)
Posts: 6669
I would say loose it's a damn good short term strategy, i mean eventually regulars from a certain limit will realize that you bluff all the time and then you'll start losing money.
You can try this yourself and you'll notice this. But on very low stakes like NLHE 2 or 5 you could use it.
Joined: May '12
Location: Belgium
Age: 32 (M)
Posts: 275
You say you played loose, but it's more agressive than loose. Loose is when the opponent is raising you and you are calling with mediocre hands while your opponent has a better hand. I know what you mean about players acting like robots because they always play the same. But, you can always variate your game to another level: sometimes u can limp instead of raise preflop, or check to induce a bet with a big hand and then reraise (can work very effectively), etc.
Joined: May '08
Location: Lithuania
Age: 39 (M)
Posts: 10090
Hello all the wonderful mobsters out there, this is your friend pochui from Lithuania, somewhere near the sea writing to you, wish a good day to each and everyone of you.
Russian promoting loose play- now that scared the sh1t out of me
I am very happy to be a part of such a great community, wish you the best of luck at the tables, off the tables, behind the tables, under the tables and in your life in general. Yours truly pochui, somewhere near the sea, Lithuania
Joined: Nov '12
Location: Canada
Age: 55 (M)
Posts: 4675
G'day pochui
Holy crap mate. I did not even notice that the original poster was a Russian. When I read you comment it made me laugh. thanks for pointing that out to me. Be cool amigo. best of luck to you.
Joined: May '08
Location: Lithuania
Age: 39 (M)
Posts: 10090
Posted by uno1Bomber:
Posted by pochui: ...bla bla bla Russian promoting loose play- now that scared the sh1t out of me bla bla bla...
Why?
well maybe because 99.96637% of russians i meet @the tables already play uber aggressive...so if you continue to promote loose play and all of those guys would jump in on your post...i think we would have total maniacs left and right
tbh most russians too stupid for this game. They can play roullette or bingo or something else but not holdem I hate play with russians too) But that fact can be turned into an advantage. When you playing with donkey you should play very hard. Don't let them feel weakness. If he raise then you x3 reraise. He wil fold or if not then you will))
PS If you r good player then not matter who is you opponents
Joined: May '08
Location: Lithuania
Age: 39 (M)
Posts: 10090
Posted by uno1Bomber: PS If you r good player then not matter who is you opponents
you're right, but the problem is that i'm an absolute sh1tty player, so i really find it hard to find the ones who are more sh1ttier than me...that's why i'm rooting @the freerolls
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Posted by uno1Bomber: tbh most russians too stupid for this game. They can play roullette or bingo or something else but not holdem I hate play with russians too)
cool- you don't get to hear such words very often from a Russian. respect +1
Joined: May '13
Location: Ireland
Age: 50 (M)
Posts: 54
howdo, I dont get what your hand example is meant to prove? NO prob raising the J9c even depending on situ , Im not madly bothered by plyr not 3 betting his AKs- am presuming he thinks youve a PP and wants to see a flop but he knows youre C-betting any flop. what does get me is his passive call on flop, he should throw your c-bet back in your face, If you were playing LAG on my tab and I flop his hand Im shoving, I mean if he's not gonna raise pre with AK , whats he expecting to flop, and if he is slow playing his top pr top kiker- hes an idiot !
you got lucky and luck does play its part in the game but in the long run I dont think you will improve up thru the levels if gonna rely on the turn cards to dig you out....
Sometimes I'm very lucky it's true. But I think in game everyone have same chances. But when you afraid of losing then you probably will lose. If someone have good chances at preflop, my goal is knock out him from the game. At flop I'll be harder and if he's not afraid then he'll be awarded. Of course you should watch his game before. Use hud and game statistic. "Know your enemies : D " Mostly I playing SnGs at PS and my weak side is heads up. 2nd place is so sick... you know... So now I need improve my heads up game skills.
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Posted by devagrant: ... you got lucky and luck does play its part in the game but in the long run I dont think you will improve up thru the levels if gonna rely on the turn cards to dig you out....
I'm pretty sure you're good ring game player, but not tournament's.
Here is many differences:
Ring game is like a fishing. You can sit n wait for good hand and big fish))
Tournament is like a fight. It's a real battle. You can't wait. You can't go away. You'll win or lose. Live or die
Posted by demodawggy: Hey uno,.....thanks to PokerStars,...and bad Russian players,....I learned a little Russian... It seems they say this to each other a LOT!
preflop raise 3BB 
+1
you know... So now I need improve my heads up game skills.
