Any tips on how to beat a wild game?
18 January 2009
7 Comments
David L asked:
I have a weekly poker game that I go to and the play is mostly very wild in nature. People just play any 2 cards and then either bluff or get lucky and hit some crazy hand. What’s up with that? You pros out there must have some kind of system for weathering the Wild Game storm, right?
Are there any specific places on line or perhaps books I can read to learn how to deal with this? This really pisses me off!
QUICK ANSWER
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Doyle talked about this briefly in Super Systems, and it’s very simple. When playing very bad players who will call with just about anything, just ‘play it straight.’ In other words, wait for good cards, then bet hard when you hit something, and check or fold when you don’t. They’re not thinking about what they’re doing, so trying to make plays at at them won’t help you at all. If you wait for good cards, you’re automatically creating a statistical advantage, and will crush them in the long run. And you only need to start making plays once they figure out what you’re doing and stop calling you.
I’ll agree with Matt and add that peoples reckless play is quite ignorant and they have no business at a poker table.
Wild table = you play tight solid
Under normal circumstances you want to be the aggressor, but sometimes its impossible to out aggress certain players so you just have sit back and wait for your spots.
Unless your a gambler… then you can just gamble it up with them. Keep an eye on your odds and whatever happens make sure your not playing too bad mathematically even though you might be playing bigger pots than is comfortable.
thats not poker
In a situation like this, patience is the best.
Here is a scenario:
You are dealt pocket aces. (As, Ad)
You are slow playing this hand to maximize damage to other players, so you check.
The flop comes Ks, Kh, 8h
You are the dealer, and the someones already gone all-in.
What do you do?
The correct answer is fold. The person who’s gone all in most likely has three kings, a full house, or a nice flush draw. (Or they have a miracle draw, will call everything, and ultimately suck-out)
You need to wait for those AA again, where the flop is A, 7, 9 or something.
It’s only a matter of time until you get the nuts and someone is Bluffing dead into you.
In other words, don’t make dumb bets, and don’t bluff against bluffers unless you have a good hand! They’ll always find a miracle draw, or suck-out to beat you.
You’re final question is the easiest one to answer, there is a multitude of places online, at the bookstore, etc…Just google poker strategy or walk into you’re local Barns and Nobles and see the 100 plus poker titles on the shelf and sift through them.
The meat and bones question, how to play the game to a positive return.
The first question you need to ask is why the people are there, are they there to play for entertainment or the rent? If you’re there for entertainment be ready to take into account that multi-level thinking needs to be realized that only 1 or maybe 2 players at the table will use it.
But anyways most home games are considered small buy-in games at the casino level, usually 25c 50c blinds up to 1-2 maybe even 5-10…So typically the average casino poker player sees small buy-in games as showdown games (anything under $10-$20 no limit (and even there)/ 30-60 limit games in my experiences). The term showdown game means that the game will run till the end of the hand, where player(s) will expose their hand(s) to win the pot. In such a game the concept of ABC Poker works best. This where you will only play high quality hands and use that to your advantage, you might or might not get paid off if the table is paying attention, but since it seems like it’s a typical home game, showdowns are a must.
Remember play towards your strengths if you are a solid post flop player than play after the flop with them, it’s not hard to pick up players bet tendencies and tells so use that to your advantage. Develop an image, I personally in high action games low limit buy-ins that don’t even represent a real percentage of my bankroll anything under 2% of my total BR, then I want to use my strength as a hyper-aggressive post flop player who can make reads on the flop. But if its my first time in a game that I hear is extremely loose, then I’ll sit and pick up information on the players I’m playing with, play slow develop a soft-weak image, and then pick up my traditional blasting image on the table…Also its nice to have a card room manager/dealers know who you are, in the casino setting who you have faith in their ability to judge games and players, to use their information to help you out. So have fun and don’t worry about the money, scared money won’t win any money. Also remember you’re playing a showdown game, if you have something bet it and maximize your profit when in with the best, and minimize your lose when you think you have the worse of it.
Remember any two cards has a chance of hitting a flop 1/3 of the time, so if you take into account 4 players see the flop only a 1/5 chance no one hits, so if you hit be willing to play back and use your reads. Don’t fall into the concept of over thinking it’s the most common flaw that destroys gamblers and bankrolls.
So my best advice is learn the basic concepts of the game, learn the advance concepts, pick and choose what defines your game in this particular situation. My personal favorite thing is listen to how you’re friend’s days are going, a bad day will lead to an aggressive night usually so be ready to bend your friend over and stick it in.
As my dad always told me when I was a kid keep your tool cool and don’t let your meat loaf. Stay on the ball, and enjoy the game.
Patience patience patience. Basically you want to play the opposite of everyone else. If everyone is tight play more aggressive. If everyone is loose and crazy play tighter.
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