Plugging my leaks

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PotluckXXI

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I've been playing underground $1/2 games and have gotten pretty good but I have a serious problem with hyper-aggressive's. There isn't a max buy-in usually so in theory someone could put $100K on the table (though you probably couldn't see him behind his chip stack!). I have been buying in for about 75 BB and have 3/4 of the table covered on a nine or ten ring. The games where I get into trouble is when a super LAG puts $500 or more (one guy bought in for $1,500 the other day) and raises 10x the BB and plays almost ATC from any position. So I see them bust then re-buy with no consideration and they come with deep pockets. I can't match them due to BR considerations. I can't control the pot size since they raise with air or solid hands. Generally I stay away and play TAG and get it all in when I am sure I have the best of it against them. Even worse is when there are one or two truly bad player's who have gotten lucky and tripled or quadrupled up, then it's a free-for-all.
With premium hands like AKs or T's when I miss or over cards (like a K or J when I have T's) hit post flop I get put in an awkward position. Come hands are way to expensive to chase. If I shove I will get called, they almost never fold unless I'm shoving 10x pre and it's clear I have a solid hand when I do, disguising doesn't work since they call and hit two pair with their J7o and crack my pocket K's. I can't read them half the time, they are gamblers not poker players.
It's running bad that is killing me, if my hand doesn't improve. I try to play TAG but am forced to open up my range and play 89s in late position when the table gets down to a six ring or less, the cost increases and quickly diminishes my stack. At this point the game has devolved into a best hand wins. When I'm drawing air I have to fold and it chips away at my stack. Any advise on how to beat these guys? :confused:
 
T

tohos

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Sounds like you are playing scared money and not being aggressive enough. These monkeys play what would normally be losing poker but if you play scared money against them, looking up flops, folding unless you have the nuts, you are going to be the one losing to them.

You either have to nit up or be willing to gamble up your stronger hands(88+, maybe 77 even. AJ+, possibly AT+) by 3betting/4betting, getting it in on flop even if you miss since your effective stack is so small(they are opening 10x, your 3b has to be at least 19x, your stack is 75x).

I don't like the nit up approach because sometimes although they are total fish, they are still not totally retarded and if they see you fold every hand for an hour and suddenly reraise they may find a fold. The more aggressive approach, although higher in variance, should also result in a higher winrate over time.

So my advice is you either push your preflop edges aggressively and gamble up abit or just don't play if you can't handle the variance or are afraid to do so. If you play like 'normal' but can't stand the pressure of their bets you are never gonna beat that game. You have to adjust to their extremely imbalanced game.
 
BearPlay

BearPlay

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Wanna post some hands?
 
Arjonius

Arjonius

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It's imperfect, kind of a bandaid rather than a real cure, but since you seen to be afraid to play your game when you can lose an entire buyin on a single hand, you could try reducing your buyin to whatever the amount is where you can still play your game.
 
H

hffjd2000

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First of the word "underground"
Did you not notice or know about collusion.
If not, then theyre simply using their money to bully you.
Best is get out and look for another poker place. ASAP.
 
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