The "Dumb-Dumb" Approach

I found out just how effective this little strategy is just yesterday....even if it was a bit by accident. Let me explain.

I was playing in a SNG (6 player), and I'll admit it, I was playing a bit like a moron the first few hands. Now I know that in a 6 player game you need to play more hands, but I was just making some terrible calls, trying to bluff at the wrong times, or chasing ridiculous draws. After a few minutes of this, I finally came to my senses and said to myself, "What the hell are you doing, idiot? Keep playing like this and you will be out of this one in a hurry!" Now here's where the beauty of this situation comes in.

I had to show my hand a few times, so the players had gotten an eye-full of my terrible play. Well, they all assumed I was a complete dumb-ass, and once I reigned in my game, they obviously couldn't get that out of their heads! I started only playing premium hands, then once I was chip leader started throwing my weight around a little more. They kept calling, and I slaughtered almost all of them. So, my dumb-dumb play in the beginning really helped to sweeten a lot of the pots I was involved in. I'm just thankful that the oxygen supply increased dramatically in my little brain before I blew it all entirely!

Now please understand, I am not endorsing idiotic play in anyway! I just wanted to share my little story of how once I came to my senses, my bad table rep at the beginning became my friend when I played like I knew what I was doing later on!

I love to play the first 3 or 4 hands when I sit down...they think you are a loose goose, and then tighten up!

That's why you should always mix it up with your gameplay. Keep them guessing!

The strategie you´re talking about is the classic "take advantage of your table image". This strategie can work both for tight and loose styles. As you said, if you have a loose image, you can take advantage by playing just premium hands so you will win big pots. On the other hand, if you have a tight image, later in the game when the blinds grow up you can take advantage by playing loose and stealing pots.
Your particular case was an accident, but i read in Sklansky´s book "Texas hold em for advanced players" (i´m not an advanced player, but i read it to learn new things) that sometimes he makes some mistakes deliberately to give to his opponents "false clues". Obviously that mistakes don´t have to cost you too much money.
Anyway that strategie only works on games that players pay attention to your moves, because if you play at low limits were the skills are terrible, even if you are the tighest player in the world they are going to call you with crap if you try to steal. At low limits almost everyone just play the cards, not the players.

Way to go realizing you were in "dumbville" before you were so broke and not able to turn it around. A lot of folkes would have just given up and busted out just to start the next tourney instead of trying to scratch their way back. It makes you feel good to know your play is good enough that you can get into sticky situations and recover!

Well in low limit online hold'em SNG's and ring games the question really is do you even have a "table image"? What I mean by this is to have a table image you first must have players who are playing more than the 2 cards in front of them. In some cases of course there will be players who are looking at more than the 2 cards they have, but the majority of time it has been my experience that the players are not observant enough to notice how or what you play.

Wow!!! You weren't lying about the moderator part Now you can ban me for going off topic in this thread.

On topic. From my experiance at the $25NL tables at Paradice, people usually don't play you on what they read. That doesnt mean you shouldnt try to read an opponets style, but I don't think Ive seen someone fold to me simply becuase they respect my raise etc. (not that Im a psychic and can see into their thought proccess or anything). I

I been burned by catogirizing players before. I call someone tight, and then fold a K high flush only to see them raise top pair

I agree, playing like an idiot the first serval hands isnt a half bad idea, If you come out playin crazy with Jack 6, then when you pick up queens or Kings, and you bet, people are more proned to call you with queens 7 and ace x