I'm just getting back into poker, still kinda getting my bearings again. A lot of the NL10 tables are pretty tight, and was wondering if loosening up to include maybe 5-10 more starting hands than normal for a tight/agressive strategy is a good way to go?

Open more on the button, keep the same everywhere else would be my advice.

What?

The tables are tight?

I've just finished making a NL25 vid and all the tables I sat on had more than one player with VPIP stats over 50!

If the table is a rock garden then you're only going to make money chipping away at them and picking up small pots with a wider range.

If the player sat directly on your left is a super tight rock then also open a wider range from the cut off as he'll fold so often that you'll effectivly be playing the button twice.

But it shouldn't be too hard at NL10 to NL100 to find big drooling fish, doing all that they can to give away their money. Just keep going through the lobby untill you find a nearly full stacked monkey (80-95bb) and get them sat on your right. These guys are nearly always bad players as most good players keep their stacks topped up.

Good luck

Broker

In the micro-stakes, I think you make money by just hitting your hand and value-town-ing people. Cbet but don't try big bluffs, most players at those stakes can't lay down their beloved top pair. So, I'd be inclined to say remain tight and add another table rather than more hands.

Originally Posted by MoreheadD

In the micro-stakes, I think you make money by just hitting your hand and value-town-ing people. Cbet but don't try big bluffs, most players at those stakes can't lay down their beloved top pair. So, I'd be inclined to say remain tight and add another table rather than more hands.

This advice is pretty generic and on the whole is the right stratergy for beating the micros but......

When I have been experimenting with optimal micro playing styles (I never played the micro limits when I started out) I found that although there are lots of stations, there are also lots of nits, maniacs, bullies and just players that you CAN exploit by taking different lines.

For example against a maniac type player (which I've found plenty of at the micro limits) you may spot him by looking at his insane stats (if you're using a HUD). He'll often have a VPIP of 60 plus a PFR of 40 plus and an AF of 5 plus.

These guys play such a wide range that they are rarely strong but love to play big pots if they think they can move you off of a hand. They live to bluff and pray on weakness and they're addicted to action!

Against these guys I wouldn't just bet, bet, bet as you will get most of your value from their bluffing range (they have a hand far less than they'll bluff). Instead I'd faign weakness and let them bluff off a stack.

However, against a station, I would bet, bet, bet for value and they tend to be loose and passive and will not build the pot themselves unless they have a monster hand!

The point I'm making is that no game of poker at any stake is a one size fits all affair. You get more calling stations at these stakes than 10/20 sure but you should still be thinking about an optimul way to play your hands vs your opponent and his tendancies rather than just the stakes you're buying in for.

Good Luck

Broker