table image problem?

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tree88

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im very new to the game of NLHE. i just sat down at my first casino live table about 2 months ago . ive been playing at the same casino since then and have got to know some of the regulars a little bit.ive played there enough for most of them to be used to me being in the game.some of the older grouchy players that like to complain when they get beat have informed me through there grumblings that my play is tight and i know they hate when i lead into them when they raise a pot.anyway ,im ok with the tight table immage because that is how i know to play at this level of experience but i also want to be aggresive as well.and i try to be when i have a hand im going to play. i bet instead of check.i lead into raisers with good hands ill 3 bet if need be etc. but my question is. with an image of tight aggresive wont most players figure out that when i am betting a hand it must be good and they will start getting out of the way on those rare occasions and when this happens how can i counter that without having to just start bluffing? im not real confident with bluffing at this point .i seem to bluff at the wrong times and end up getting murdered by the hand i was trying to represent.i hope this doesnt sound stupid and would really appreciate any feed back i can get thanks for your time.
 
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Blue_Fossil

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Seems to me that you have cultivated a table image that can be profitable. Most of the time when you bet, you want the other players to think/know you have a hand. That way, when they play back at you, you have a better idea of where you stand.

Don't worry about getting caught bluffing. If you're never caught bluffing, you're not doing it enough. Maybe for your next bluff, instead of leading into a raiser, check-raise him on a bluff. Note that I try to avoid bluffing twice in a row, unless a lot of time has passed since the last bluff. Your ideal scenario is for the table to remember you bluffed last time, so they don't believe you have a hand and are trapped.

Oh, and old guys complain all the time...it's not just you.
 
IntenseHeat

IntenseHeat

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I don't think having a tight/agressive table image is a problem at all. You just have to know how to take advantage of it. Once you've established your tight/aggressive image, you can take advantage of it by opening your range up a littel bit. Your opponents will give you credit for having strong hands because of the image you've cultivated. You can also use your image to steal pots away from limpers. Say, for instance, a couple of players have limped into the pot in front of you, you can throw a raise (3x + 1x for each limper) at them. If they're not strong enough to raise, then they probably aren't going to want to call a raise, especially from a tight player. You don't want to get carried away. Playing too many hands can be a dead giveaway that you're up to something. After all, you can't always have a hand.

Don't be afraid to continue post flop. Say you get involved in hand with J-8 suited or some such. You miss the flop, but a Q hits board. FIRE! If they've missed as well, they're likely to give you credit for the Q as it would probably be a card that you would likely be holding given your normal range. Losing a hand here and there isn't necassarily a bad thing. You want to be winning them, of course. But you can think of it as a sort of win/win situation. If you win the hand you get the chips. If you lose one, then it makes the other players think that you might not be so tight after all, and they will be more willing to play with you. If you feel like you're starting to get played with or played back at too much, you can revert right back to your tight style until you've resolidified that image again.

Mix it up a little bit too. Position is important and should always be taken advantage of. Here's something to think about throwing in the mix, though. Consider those marginal hands, that you might be tempted to see a flop with, but your normal style doesn't allow for this. Step outside the norm and open for a raise with that hand (if you're playing, you should be raising). On top of that, let's put conventional wisdom on hold for a minute and say position doesn't matter. In fact being OOP might even be better, as your opponents will assume that a tight player is not going to raising OOP with a marginal hand. Once again this creates that win/win situation where you either take down the pot, or if you lose you lessen that tight image up enough that you will likely get more action when you revert back to your tight/aggressive style.

I'm not saying go from TAG to LAG. I'm saying open your game enough to take advantage of your tight/aggressive image. Stay primarily tight. Tight is your 1st base. Take as big a lead away from that base as you feel comfortable with, and look for an opportunity to steal. If the pitcher throws over to 1st. Hustle your butt back to that base.

Good luck.
 
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bz54321

bz54321

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Are you making a profit do you only want to change because of some old farts?
 
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aircasar9876

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ohhh i never understand why people bet our of position on the flop when they called the raise pre. im seeing it more and more though...i agree that if you bluff you will get caught and if u arent getting caught u arent doing it enough.. with time itll come more naturally

instead of trying to represent hands and thinking bout that while bluffing, think about what they have and check raise instead of leading out.
 
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tree88

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thanks for the shared knowledge. i appreciate it. to answer you bz,i have made a slight profit im not trying to change my image im trying to create one thats more aggressive than passive.i get a kick out of the farts and i know if i get them grumbling about my play im going in the right direction as far as aggressiveness goes
 
MediaBLITZ

MediaBLITZ

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with an image of tight aggresive wont most players figure out that when i am betting a hand it must be good and they will start getting out of the way on those rare occasions and when this happens how can i counter that without having to just start bluffing?

You are correct - but at that level there are always going to be guys at the table who are convinced you are trying to pull something and it is their duty to stop you. That's who you go after. Sure there will be times the table is not giving any action - it is not uncommon - request a table change.

And as was stated - you can open up your range some. One of two things will happen:
1) The Red Sea parts and you collect a bunch of small pots.
2) You go to show down and everyone (probably not "everyone") realizes you have opened things up and are going to start calling you more. Then you just go back to your tight ways and break it off on them.
 
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