disclaimer*** This is not complaining about bad beats or suck outs etc.

OK

I have played two 10 person tourney's over the last couple weeks finishing 3rd and 6th with a crew of guys that quite honestly play so poorly I am at a loss on how to play against them. These guys have played poker before, but are so new to the game of holdem that they don't even know simple things like the betting rules of NL hold'em. I am having some serious difficulty finding a strategy that works against these players. I am looking for anyone experienced in playing against a table full of the following characteristics.

1. They enter the pot limping with everything from garbage to big hands..sometimes 7 or 8 limpers
2. You almost certainly will have a caller on any reasonable sized bet pre and post flop.
3. players will call thier way to the river with a second pair, third pair, or any ace or any K to see if the are good.
4. They also have the same call and see attitude when they have hit the nuts or a big hand

What I am struggling with is when to push and when to stand down. I also can't seem to figure out where the low risk opportunities are.

What strategy do you guys use when faced with this type of crowd, I feel like there is so much opportunity but I can't figure out how to capitalise.

The strategy I have been using is to see a lot of cheap flops and if I don't hit fold anything marginal.

I also try to milk big hands by trying not to overbet and scare out calling stations.

...also what kind of hands become more powerful in games like this and what kind are less.

thanks anyone who can help.

KK

against the loose, passive crowd you should be limping with a lot of hands pre-flop. pre-flop raises garner you little +ev in these games. drawing hands/small pocket pairs go up in value because you won't get pushed out of pots; everyone sees 5 cards... TPTK hands go down in value when your bets and raises don't narrow the field.

of course, if the structure is poor, a lot of strategy adjustment probably won't make all that much of a difference. if that's the case, be patient, wait for premium starting hands and push push push.

You basically have to catch cards, bluffing is obviously not an option. Try to see cheap flops with low PP's , suited connectors, 2 high cards. When you have a big hand, push hard. Even if you flop a great hand, bet it aggressively. Lastly, do not under any circumstance slow play against players who pay you off with weak holdings.
But if you don't get cards, it's going to be very hard to win.

I play in these games all the time. I used to win consistently, then I went through a dry spell because I was trying to get too cute. I changed up my play, and the last 5 times we have played, I have had 3 1sts and 2 2nds.

The above advice is spot on. Play textbook poker, limp in lots of pots, play all suited connecters down to 4-5 suited with 3 or more limpers in the pot, and just get out of the way if it doesn't hit. I bet I bluff 1 % of the time in these games.