Can't get away from being too tight...

tazer

tazer

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I feel as if I am playing too tight. It seems to me I get my stack blinded away more times than I don't due to my tight playing style. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to loosen up a bit to limit this type of thing from happening to me all the time?
 
horizon12

horizon12

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The question "why do you need ?

If your stack size will be less than 15bb you must only push/fold, also you need steal more blinds, that's all..
 
H

hffjd2000

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Join a stake where it will not hurt your BR significantly.

It really matters because by doing so, your mindset tells its just okay if you lose. It makes you somehow being loose.

Examples I can give you are those public freerolls and lowest stakes.
 
iflylight

iflylight

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yes i agree with hffj and play lower stakes so you can play different hands see if it is profitable to play those hands and then bring that information to the stakes you were playing at before
 
ZekeRam

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The best way to become looser is to work on one concept until you're comfortable with it. At this point, I'd probably start at light 3-betting. Depending on your volume, try to light 3-bet in LP at least 5 times in early tournaments followed by c-bets. Once you start getting comfortable, start using it to against players you have a good read on. The more you do it, the more you're aware of the situation and the more comfortable you'll get.

From there, graduate to floating, apply the concept into your game again, at least 5 times in a tournament and use it more once you get comfortable.

If you're uncomfortable with light 3-betting, you can start at blind steals. What you're aiming for is being put into situations that require a ton of thought so they're more familiar. The more familiar you are with certain situations, the more you'll feel comfortable with them.

Lastly, remember that betting is probably the most powerful tool in your arsenal. It provides the betting lead and it turns the tables from you having to make a tough decision to villain making tough decisions.
 
dj11

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I have done this for years;

When I finally figure out exactly what change I need to make in my game, I go play 10K hands of play money games (at a stake high enough to represent decent players) and practice till I feel comfortable doing this new thing.

It is almost like muscle memory, where I use to do X in situation Y, I have to retrain myself to do Z there instead.

Much of the problem in my case (and probably most folks case) is not understanding why Z is preferable to X. So figuring out what it is you want to do is likely the hardest part. Then you go and change that muscle memory, which is mostly a rote thing, and play money games will serve that purpose very well. I highly suggest Zoom poker at Stars, where for nothing you can get in 10K hands in about 2 weeks. Retraining your mind is not something that happens in one afternoon.
 
TeUnit

TeUnit

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just try to constantly look for new spots to play, look at the villans and who you can easily steal from, look at who folds to cbets alot, look for players that fold a lot to 3bets, etc etc etc
 
ringworm

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Take advantage of late position to raise or limp in with anything and bet the flop when it checks around to you. You'll learn to play position and the control that you have being the last to act. After you get a good sense of this, you can then occasionally even try to steal out of position when the timing feels right.
 
Jean le Grand

Jean le Grand

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You could also analyse your starting hand. Is the range you consider to be a good starting hand too tight?
 
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bluejay2220

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play tight in the beginning, loosen up in the middle also push your position,(playing out of position with bad cards can cost chips and you most likely wont see the flop cause everyone knows you are tight and will push you around, by the end most people just shove.
 
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Jeremy Schatz

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To play loose you have to know your opponent's range well. It's not that hard to do, especially with a HUD. Most hands don't make it to showdown, so know that no one is going to know what you had if you played loose correctly and ended up bluffing some. It's a way to win more chips at tight tables.
 
Shumkoolie

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Lastly, remember that betting is probably the most powerful tool in your arsenal. It provides the betting lead and it turns the tables from you having to make a tough decision to villain making tough decisions.

Well said. Half the battle is putting your opponent into a spot where they have to make a tough decision. They will be more likely to make a mistake.

ie: Folding when you should be calling; Calling instead of raising; Raising instead of folding

You get the idea.

Of course we're all going to make mistakes, but you learn from those and apply what you have learned to your game.
 
SteelyDanFan

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Are you playing a lot of turbos, rebuys and s&g's? If so, your tight style of play may be better suited to deep stack tourneys or MTT's with slower blind structures. Turbos force EVERYONE to play loose and raise light, especially after 10-12 levels. You have to adapt your style of play to the tournament structure and it sounds as though you're getting blinded out in turbo's or s&g's by playing too tight. Good luck!
 
tazer

tazer

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I don't think I am tight in the way I have trouble betting my hands. I think I am tight in the way that I don't play enough hands. It is hard for me to know what marginal hands to play in what position. Maybe if I just used a starting hand guide while playing it would open up my range a little bit and help me play a different type of poker.
 
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Jeremy Schatz

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Maybe if I just used a starting hand guide while playing it would open up my range a little bit and help me play a different type of poker.

Exactly. Don't treat the raising chart as God though. Use a program like Equilab to pull up typical tight, regular, and loose ranges that will generally keep you out of trouble. Raise these hands up confidently, and c-bet in favorable situations. That should be a good starting point, and then you can adapt your ranges to fit the table.
 
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