Problems playing loose players.

I seem to be having a bad run against loose players. Maybe its just a run but I feel that I generally suck at playing looser players.

I guess with tight players its easier to get away from a hand when they show strength etc and easier to stack them with sets, suited connectors etc.

Loose players scare me lol. Well to the point where I get pushed around quite a bit and then when I do play back at them I feel like i get into trouble.

Is this normal? Perhaps I need to trust my instincts a bit more when playing loose players especially when they call my continuation bets. I get stuck as to whether to fire a second barrel or not for fear of getting into more strife.

Any general suggestions?

Subcategorise the loose players - there are many different kinds. For example..

laggy spewtard - basically raises and bets all the time.
loose calling station - calls often, only tends to bet/raise with huge hands.
smart lag - plays loosely, but more as a consequence of being at an overly tight table or being against less skilled opponents.

You can see, for example, how getting a spewtard and a calling station confused would be incredibly costly.

Keep notes on players - establish who routinely floats flops but folds to a turn bet, who will call and raise preflop but routinely check/fold flops, who c-bets often on flops but shuts down on the turn, and so on and so forth. This way you will be more likely to know what a bet or a call from a player 'means', and will be better equipped to plan out the rest of the hand.

One of the consequences of Harringtonian poker is that the terms loose and aggressive have become synonyms for BAD. Don't make this mistake. Many LAG players will bully the table PF, and take advantage of tight and timid players post flop, but you rarely see them actually showing down a BAD hand, and I mean BAD in the context of the board, not starting hands. These palyers are well aware of their table image and will punish you when they do have a hand. Against these opponents your best defense is a PF raise or an In-Position call.

If a player appears to be both loose and bad, then try to see alot of flops IP when they enter the pot. When you make a hand, your implied odds are never higher. I will rarely leave a table when I've identified one of these. The challenge is getting to their stack before someone else does.

GL

If you define the player as being foolishly loose then simply sit back and wait for the right oppertunity to felt em! it will crop up, and aslong as you have thrown a few chips their way in previous hands they have won you shoul have no problems trapping them when you have a very strong hand.

Just remember you have to set these plays up. ie: If you fold 20 hands in a row PF, ur unlikely to get much action with a strong hand, even from a very loose player.
So see a few flops, throw a few chips into the loose players pots and wait for the perfect situation.

exactly trapp trap trap let loose agggressive bet right into you and call call call all in lol...if they arent so much aggressive just calling stations...then you become aggressive....make a tbale image and win....

well if they are hyper aggressive players , u have to realize that they dont have a hand everytime so if u reraise their bets u can take the pot down form them because they are just raising for the sake of it.dont just get passive and wait for hands but try to get even more aggro than they are

well if they are a calling station, just bet when u believe u have it, no need to bluff these ppl

Its all about the set-up. You have to watch players and learn how to take the most from them. Compulsive bettors are always easy to trap, this doesnt necessisarily mean check-raise... a check raise gives the strength of your hand away instantly (ala super system) meaning you will only win what he originally bet. If you underbet into a compulsive bettor you will often be raised and can then move in (depending on stack sizes) he will often be pot commited and have to call.

Its all about learning your players, spotting heir weaknesses and exploiting them.

an example from a hand I played recently... .50c/$1 pokerstars table.
There was a player on the table raising with al sorts of bs hands, but would always raise any ace in any position. He would often take the hand to showdown with TPCK (top pair cak kicker!) aswell, so when I say you wait for the ideal oppertunity this is what I mean.
I found myself UTG with a pair of kings, I limped allowing him to set the PF bet and flat calling when it came back to me (everyone else folded). The flop I was looking for hit AK3, I didnt check I pushed right here for about 2-3x the pot (a move than could easily look like an utg steal). He called instantly and turned up A4!!!

He left the table shortly after that hand with his tail between his legs.




Its all about knowing your players and how to take their money

Aleeki when i first started online poker i had the exact same problem . My advise to u is lower the stakes your playing in because to me it looks like you are scared of the blindes. Once you lower the stakes , play a wider variety of hands and observe your oppenents. As of late im not intrested in cash games due to the fact that im building up my bank roll . you could try playing MTT or Multi table sit and go's with lower buy in value that of ur cash game buy in and see how you do in their . Itll help you "tweak" your game

Thanks for the replies so far guys. They are all very helpful.

I feel that another problem I have is how to play the turn. I heard somewhere that this is very important.

For example if I have raised from MP preflop with 10 10. I get called by the button.

The flop comes K 8 2. I bet out like 2/3 or 3/4 of the pot and get flat called. This is where I get stuck.

Do I fire another barrel or check and see what he does? I know it depends on reads but just in general should I be looking for pot control in this situation or fire again and if so how much etc?

That would all depend on the nature of the flop for me. the flop you mentioned K82 if no flush draws on, isnt going to drastically change on the turn of one card (unless the turn is K8 or 2).

In that situation you have bet and been called, there is a good chance your beat but because he has flat called you he may be worried about his kicker. In that kinda situation I like to throw another strong bet (pot size maybe) and be prepared to throw it away to a raise and check it down if called. If you were just called a big bet on the river would be heroic, but maybe not wise.

You'll be surprised how many times a pot sized bet will take it on the turn but remember uv been called on the flop so he has something.

All depends on the situation and who you are in the pot with