How To play more TIGHT-AGGRESSIVE |
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Posted Thu Jun 09, 2005 9:47 pm GMT by Rounder Wannabe
In trying to adjust my game, im striving to be more tight aggressive....instead of tight passive.. or loose-aggressive.
Anyone have advice on how to be/play more tight aggressive?
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Posted Thu Jun 09, 2005 10:02 pm GMT by snoogins47
Play less hands, and bet/raise more.
Posted Thu Jun 09, 2005 11:32 pm GMT by xDiamond_CutteRx
My advice is don't get addicted to big cards like ATo and KJo, especially in early position. Make sure, however, that you're raising AK and AQ in early and middle position, and 3-betting with AKs when you think it will narrow the field. Many times, as an aggressive play, you'll want to bet the flop when junk hits, even if you haven't made anything.
Hardest thing to learn is how to adjust to position. You don't want to play 98s under the gun, but it's great on the button. Play in position more, and your stacks will improve. Raising and 3-betting pre-flop is a huge part of aggressive play, but you want to make sure you pick your spots and maximize the value of valuable hands.
Posted Fri Jun 10, 2005 1:07 am GMT by tylanthus
Best adjustment to make to your game....quit calling so much. This includes open-limping into pots and cold-calling raises.
A side note....I don't mind limping in EP with 98s. Probably a little leak I have 
Posted Fri Jun 10, 2005 2:57 am GMT by xDiamond_CutteRx
Well, if you expect decent action, it's not so bad. But you'll be in bad position to make moves like buying a free card, which you often must do with a hand like 98.
Posted Fri Jun 10, 2005 1:01 pm GMT by Phil14312
Also, cold-calling with AKs (especially in early to middle position) isn't a horrible play to mix up your game with. You can try to entice others and build a big pot because AKs can win a lot of different ways. Although I usually 3-bet with AKs, but I'm a pretty aggressive player and 3-bet with a wider range so i can usually hide the strength of my hand that way.
Posted Tue Jun 14, 2005 2:33 pm GMT by gol4pro
Limp-raise low pocket pairs
Check raise a lot
Overbet pots when people show weakness
Always take hands to showdown
....Oh wait, that's the Maniac list.
Play less hands, but raise more often
Make smart continuation bets
Make your opponents make difficult decisions, knowing you're going to have a monster 75% of the time.
Learn to read and value bet
Learn to HATE CALLING.
Posted Tue Jun 14, 2005 3:21 pm GMT by NickFlynn
| snoogins47 wrote: | | Play less hands, and bet/raise more. |
This is my nominee for the pithiest post of the month.
- Nick
Posted Tue Jun 14, 2005 3:29 pm GMT by Soup_dog
Snoogins cracks me up. It's either a one sentence response or a freakin book. The nice thing is, I almost always agree with him. LOL
Posted Tue Jun 14, 2005 3:31 pm GMT by PuckJunkieNY
| NickFlynn wrote: | | snoogins47 wrote: | | Play less hands, and bet/raise more. |
This is my nominee for the pithiest post of the month.
- Nick |
I expect 6 paragraphs out of snoogs to make the same point.
Did someone break your fingers snoogs?  :D
Posted Tue Jun 14, 2005 4:36 pm GMT by Loonbat
| gol4pro wrote: | Limp-raise low pocket pairs
Check raise a lot
Overbet pots when people show weakness
Always take hands to showdown
....Oh wait, that's the Maniac list. |
Hey, wait a minute ... the "maniac list"? This is just me on a good day ...
Actually, I've felt like the maniac on some ring-games lately (5/10 FL on Pokerstars). see example below
I have a special attachment to AT and AJ, both off and suited and it is a leak I'm trying to plug. At the time of the hand I was playing, I pretended my ATo was really AA and ended up reraising preflop (taking it down to two opponents), raising the flop, making it heads up, and catching an ace on the turn. I won the hand and my opponent berated me for a few minutes (having played a medium pp down to showdown, unimproved).
The dialogue a few minutes later (just because this busts me up):
Loonbat (maniac of the moment): You should really drop those small pps if they don't hit on the flop (after he just took another to showdown)
Villian: As if I'd take advice from you
Loonbat: Well, you paid for it
Villian: For what?
Loonbat: The advice
Villian: F off
He was jilted, tilted and left not too long after ...
THE END
And stop adding me to your "fish lists"!!!
Posted Tue Jun 14, 2005 8:05 pm GMT by Jackal
| Phil14312 wrote: | | Also, cold-calling with AKs (especially in early to middle position) isn't a horrible play to mix up your game with. |
Unless you are in a game where someone is sure to raise don't limp in with any premium hand from an early position. Unless you want some lucky player in the big blind cleaning your clock with a 5,4. Always protect big hands with a raise at every opportunity. If you fail to protect a big hand you will get hurt because it will be hard to fold the monster.
There are far better ways to mix up your preflop play.
Posted Wed Jun 15, 2005 7:06 pm GMT by Rounder Wannabe
| Jackal wrote: | | There are far better ways to mix up your preflop play. |
Do enlighten us (me), jackal.. everyone's input is interesting.. just absorbing all that i can. ... also.. are we talking limit/no limit? or in general?
THanks!
Posted Wed Jun 15, 2005 8:19 pm GMT by Phil14312
| Jackal wrote: | | Phil14312 wrote: | | Also, cold-calling with AKs (especially in early to middle position) isn't a horrible play to mix up your game with. |
Unless you are in a game where someone is sure to raise don't limp in with any premium hand from an early position. Unless you want some lucky player in the big blind cleaning your clock with a 5,4. Always protect big hands with a raise at every opportunity. If you fail to protect a big hand you will get hurt because it will be hard to fold the monster.
There are far better ways to mix up your preflop play. |
Cold-calling is not the same as limping in. The point is instead of re-raising with a hand like AKs, you can hope some more players come in and play for a big pot. Its one of those hands that plays equally as well heads-up as against multiple opponents. If you think someone has a line on your play then this can be a decent way to mix it up.
Posted Wed Jun 15, 2005 9:15 pm GMT by suitedaces84
| Jackal wrote: | | Unless you are in a game where someone is sure to raise don't limp in with any premium hand from an early position. Unless you want some lucky player in the big blind cleaning your clock with a 5,4. Always protect big hands with a raise at every opportunity. If you fail to protect a big hand you will get hurt because it will be hard to fold the monster. |
That's strange. I always found it more easier to get away from a premium hand in smaller pot. I also have noticed that my oppoents a less likey to chase in a smaller pot. Could you explain why it's easier to fold in a bigger pot than it is in a smaller one?
I've always raised, 3-bet and capped preflop with premium hands for value. Should I really be raising preflop to "protect" them?
Raising preflop to "protect" is premium hand is silly, IMO. It's important to raise with premium hands, but understand why you're doing it. Get over your bad beat phobia and remember that the idea is to win the most money, not win the most hands. Most of your profits will come from oppoents who call you with inferior hands. If no one called you when they were behind it would be very difficult to turn a profit.
Posted Thu Jun 16, 2005 2:58 am GMT by age_of_sages
I agree with what suited aces said, but to continue on Jackal's train of thought, it's much better to mix up your play by raising with less than premium hands such as 76s rather than slowplay monsters such as AKs. That way you're being aggressive and still keeping them wondering what you've got.
Generally you don't have to do this much though, especially at low limits where people aren't as likely to give you credit for what you've got anyhow.
Posted Thu Jun 16, 2005 12:51 pm GMT by suitedaces84
| age_of_sages wrote: | I agree with what suited aces said, but to continue on Jackal's train of thought, it's much better to mix up your play by raising with less than premium hands such as 76s rather than slowplay monsters such as AKs. That way you're being aggressive and still keeping them wondering what you've got.
Generally you don't have to do this much though, especially at low limits where people aren't as likely to give you credit for what you've got anyhow. |
I agree, although, mixing up your preflop play at lower stakes is a bit of a waste, IMO. If you're going to raise with hands like 67s do it from LP when there are a lot of limpers--this way you won't stand to lose much EV, enough callers and you could even gain EV. Another good way to mix it up is to limp-raise with premium hands from EP. Please don't be the donk who limp raises with QTs.
Posted Thu Jun 16, 2005 1:14 pm GMT by Dave B
"Dont limp in w/ 89 suited in EP"....why? This is exactly what and where I want this hand. You limp early, you are inviting more limpers behind you because of the pot odds created. Havent you ever said, "well, it is just K9, but with all this action I might as well see a flop." I am much more likely to lay down a suited connector from the button w/ no limpers, this is a drawing hand that needs pot odds for value. Limp early to encourage action or raise late to disguise your hand and try and steal.
Back to the original question, play less hands and raise more is the perfect answer, but how. This is table dependent, but I favor eliminating more hands on the high end (K10 Q10 KJ) and replacing these with smaller hands 75 76. Why? If you play only premium hands, you are much easier to read. Show down a 86 suited, even raising preflop with it, and you WILL see action on your big hands. Play only big hands, no action.
Now, I dont play every junk hand-that wouldnt be "tight" aggressive. But playing one small hand with some potential ever 20 hands or so will help to make yourself harder to read.
BTW-as hard as it is to do, laying down wired pairs 88 and lower preflop in limit will serve you VERY well. It hurts when the set hits and you folded, but track over time and realize how much you are bleeding out one or two bets at a time w/ these hands.
Posted Thu Jun 16, 2005 1:30 pm GMT by p3nguin
| suitedaces84 wrote: | | Please don't be the donk who limp raises with QTs. |
Fish question: Why not? Because it is not a priemum hand?
Posted Thu Jun 16, 2005 1:38 pm GMT by Dave B
Q10 is fairly weak
Posted Thu Jun 16, 2005 1:52 pm GMT by Always_Bored
| Dave B wrote: | | Q10 is fairly weak |
its better than aces! All you need is to hit a queen and a ten then your golden. I can just smell the money already.
Posted Thu Jun 16, 2005 2:00 pm GMT by Dave B
I was late in a sng on Tuesday and pushed all in w/ QJ-not a great hard, but we were evenly stacked but I had him covered and blinds were big, so I was hoping for a laydown.
Anyway, he calls w/ 10 8 suited. Of course he hit a 10 and won. So I commented "wow, that was quite a call w/ 10 8".
He replied, "10 8 suited is better than QJ". My jaw dropped. Maybe, just maybe if 9 see a flop, I might rather be suited, but heads up, please, J2 off suit had him beat. We all know I was a 60/40 favorite.
Posted Thu Jun 16, 2005 2:40 pm GMT by Always_Bored
| Dave B wrote: | I was late in a sng on Tuesday and pushed all in w/ QJ-not a great hard, but we were evenly stacked but I had him covered and blinds were big, so I was hoping for a laydown.
Anyway, he calls w/ 10 8 suited. Of course he hit a 10 and won. So I commented "wow, that was quite a call w/ 10 8".
He replied, "10 8 suited is better than QJ". My jaw dropped. Maybe, just maybe if 9 see a flop, I might rather be suited, but heads up, please, J2 off suit had him beat. We all know I was a 60/40 favorite. |
just goes to show you how retards way overvalue suited cards. People just dont understand how unlikely a flush is to happen and that the J,Q is winning already based on the fact that the cards are of higher rank. Their wicked suited hand has to catch up to win. I would just agree with him Dave and let him continue to play retarded poker.
Posted Thu Jun 16, 2005 3:38 pm GMT by Phil14312
| suitedaces84 wrote: | | age_of_sages wrote: | I agree with what suited aces said, but to continue on Jackal's train of thought, it's much better to mix up your play by raising with less than premium hands such as 76s rather than slowplay monsters such as AKs. That way you're being aggressive and still keeping them wondering what you've got.
Generally you don't have to do this much though, especially at low limits where people aren't as likely to give you credit for what you've got anyhow. |
I agree, although, mixing up your preflop play at lower stakes is a bit of a waste, IMO. If you're going to raise with hands like 67s do it from LP when there are a lot of limpers--this way you won't stand to lose much EV, enough callers and you could even gain EV. Another good way to mix it up is to limp-raise with premium hands from EP. Please don't be the donk who limp raises with QTs. |
Sometimes this is true suited, but if you raise with 67s and show it down for a winner, I find a large majority of the time people will take notice of that. I don't think they would notice that you limp in with K10 in EP though, so I think that doing some things will get you more action, and this is where mixing up your game does help, even in low-limit games.
Posted Thu Jun 16, 2005 4:13 pm GMT by Ginobili
Hey guys...just registered but have been reading and learning on here for a while. I was wondering what type of ratio to aim for as far as raising/calling pre-flop? I usually just play NL so in regards to that...thanks and I love this place..lots of good info here.
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