EP/UTG w strong starting hand at a timid table: how to play it? + my misc leaks

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leni

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So despite the popular belief that 25NL is full of people who routinely pay too much to see a flop with almost anything that resembles sth that could possibly become some kind of a hand, I often find myself in a situation in FR tables where I cannot so much as raise 75 cents with my AA first in (or really, anything, since they don't see my cards) without everyone backing right out. I have wondered why this is, and I guess it's mostly at tables where I've been sitting for quite a while and haven't made any very obvious donk moves for a while and maybe it's my table image and they're just careful.

However, this fenomenon ends up making it really easy to steal blinds from any position and I proceed to abuse it heavily and I would think, very noticably, and I do not get how they don't catch on and start calling me or re-raising me with a wider range so I could once in a while get some action on the pre-nuts I hit EP or MP, because really, I don't want their blinds because getting 35 cents for my possibly decent hand is not very +EV.

I have tried the following things against this:
1) calling with nuts: in a FR table perfect recipe for having sb hit sth at flop with their low pairs or suiteds or whatever
2) raising every hand I enter, the same amount->
downsides:
-makes it cost more to see flop, not hit and fold
-makes it psychologically difficult to get out if I hit a part of the flop and think I have a chance because I'm as yet undisciplined enough that I'll be tempted to semi-bluff a draw with a cbet or a check raise, which depending on the board and other possible nuts I MIGHT be thought I was holding, I tend to take way too far and continue when I'm stone-cold after river sometimes, which has won me nice pots but it seems like an obvious leak in my play and I think it costs me more than it makes me or at least it will, in the long run. Of course this downside is correctable - I have to just start being disciplined even at those times when staying solid does not come naturally (often :rolleyes:).
3) playing pretty much ATC for a while, not every hand but getting into lots of hands - v. v. bad. And since I somehow instinctively thought combining this with 2) would be very clever :confused: it's twice as bad.

So doing those two latter things for a while, the texture of the table changes, I get calls, but my stack has shrunk down and I'm generally not feeling confident at all and although I've tightened my range right up I'm too scared to play anything properly (like if I'm ahead, but there's a flush draw, and I get action) at any street which is just the worst possible mindset to be in.

Never knew the emotional/psychological factors would affect my play so much.

Oh yeah, the point. How do you play starting nuts if you're UTG and pretty sure a standard raise will not get called and limping will get too many people to the flop or if not the pot you win will be marginal (I've had plenty of situations where I'm head to head with the big blind after my limp who then quickly folds to my flop bet)? Or how do you play overall to avoid this kind of table-versus-you relationship developing WITHOUT donking it up to the point where it's harmful to you?

Or just leave the table where you're no longer getting action? Or take those blinds for your pocket rockets UTG and be happy to play whatever nuts you might be dealt when there are others in the pot already?

Any other tips to improve general style/discipline/control over table image/control over self etc are also appreciated. :)
 
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leni

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Um... could I have this moved to general maybe? I'd like some feedback, but don't seem to have much of a chance here. :(
 
eagle jim

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Sounds like you need to work on table selection. I have started over the past few weeks really working on table selection and it has helped my bb/100 amazingly. If you sit at a table full of nits, you only get called with premium hands. Look for tables with high vpip/pfr and also with a couple of maniacs/fish. When the maniacs/fish leave then I leave. Most of the time you can find players with 30+ vpip if you just look before sitting in. Or sit in but don't post until you have a feel for the table.

Best of luck to you at the tables
 
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Wolfe

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Min Raise

Give the min raise a try when you are first in. You may only get the BB or you may get a reraise from the button trying to push you off a barely playable hand and steal the blinds. Either way, you have a better chance of getting some action on these hands.
 
Lemlywinks

Lemlywinks

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Sounds like you need to work on table selection. I have started over the past few weeks really working on table selection and it has helped my bb/100 amazingly. If you sit at a table full of nits, you only get called with premium hands. Look for tables with high vpip/pfr and also with a couple of maniacs/fish. When the maniacs/fish leave then I leave. Most of the time you can find players with 30+ vpip if you just look before sitting in. Or sit in but don't post until you have a feel for the table.

Best of luck to you at the tables

^^^ This.

When selecting what tables you are going to play, check the "players to the flop" which is basically vpip. The higher the players to the flop, the fishier the table. This will make getting paid off a whole lot easier

Oh and plz don't minraise pocket A's. Ever.
 
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