Everyone has been to the local game where people play like monkeys. I have found 1 or 2 of those games and by playing tight and only playing premium positions I have learned how to consistantly leave with a profit.

I have recently found a new type of game that I am not sure I can win. The players enjoy drinking to the extent that at least 1 person has to leave the game to pass out and/or throw up before the night is done. This is usually a good quality to play against because sloppy play usually means $$ for me. This group has at least 1 all-in bet every other hand, and 40% of the time it's nothing more than a bluff. 40% of the time the person going all in has top or middle pair. The remaining 20% of the time the person actually has a hand or a good enough draw that I don't want to play against anyway. Every hand I play must be good enough to go all in with or it's a waste of a blind.

My first thought is just to stay away from that game. On a good night you can walk away with 5x or 6x the buy-in amount. On a bad night it doesn't take long to lose 3x the amount which is when I usually end the night.

Any suggestions?

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I want a loose passive game ...not loose aggressive...me

Originally Posted by alockrem

My first thought is just to stay away from that game. On a good night you can walk away with 5x or 6x the buy-in amount. On a bad night it doesn't take long to lose 3x the amount which is when I usually end the night.

Any suggestions?

Assuming my bankroll could absorb the swings, I'd play it and take the bad with the good. As you pointed out, they will give you more money on the good nights than they take on the bad ones. As long as you keep your own play sharp the irresistable force of the odds will pay you off over time.

I love to play at loose aggressive tables. I find quite a few people lose their cool at someone who is overbetting or constantly trying to bully the table and as a result, the almost go on tilt thinking the person is bluffing and they play loose as well. Tightening up your game is the right decision here, but it will take having patience and discipline. You're going to have nights when it seems you're only being dealt rags. Just stay firm in your belief that tight is right. So, you might not take down the most pots....big deal. But I guarentee the pots you do take down will be some of the biggest of the night.

Just don't get caught up in a raise war or let your ego get in the way. Play tight and stick to your guns. Loose aggressive players can fall prey to traps when you have position on them as well. Check calling to the turn and betting the river is an effective strategy against a loose aggressive player.....that is assuming he doesn't try to bet you off your hand by pushing all in before the river.....but even then, if you have the best hand.....is an easy call.

You are exactly right that checking through the flop is the best strategy at these tables. Someone told all of these guys that if noone bets on the flop you should try to buy it on the turn with a very large bet. The all-ins almost always take place before the river on this table.

When I am playing in a game with average or better players I can usually combine feeler bets with betting patterns and have a good idea of how my hand compares to others at the table. Without feeler bets it is very hard to know how strong a person's hand really is. At this table the feeler bet means nothing because before the cards are dealt it seems someone has decided they will be going all-in this hand.

My other problem at this table -
My hand is AK os. On the flop comes 68K rainbow. Normally I would be confident that my kings would hold up with that kicker, but at this table holding a 6 8 is not uncommon and if they are suited they seem to always be played. The lower the hand, the larger the betting it seems like. In this situation the person making the large bets could easily be holding 6 8, 5 7, 7 9, or anything like that. At a regular table it would be hard to get me off of this hand, but at this table it's impossible. Because nobody plays based on their cards I have no way to read them. My only move is to call the all-in and hope it holds up. Would you play that way?

To comment about taking the swings if my bankroll could handle it -
You are right. The problem is my 3x the buy-in could be lost in 45 minutes. I could just as easily win that much within that time frame, but for courtesy reasons I must play for a couple of hours so everyone has a chance to win their money back. Otherwise I would not be invited back.