Say in a low level MTT (NLHE) you find yourself at a table with lots of players, 4-7 seeing almost every flop for the minimum.
How should yuou adjust your play? Go along for the ride? Start raising preflop with marginal hands? Fold till you get a big hand?
Full Version: Lots Of Players Seeing Flop
Play tight. See cheap flops with pocket pairs. Don't slowplay.
You don't want to raise light now because you'll be bloating pots up with speculative holdings. If these players are all seeing the flop then what would raising with KTo accomplish? You may say, 'well, I probably have the best hand,' except you probably don't because these players will limp with an ace, bigger broadway, and pocket pairs. You want to open up against tight tables since you can steal against those players.
In this situation you'll want to see cheap flops with pocket pairs, suited connecters, and other decent drawing hands. Suited aces, etc. The idea's to hit a flop hard and scoop the pot, stacking a player or two in the process if it's at all possible. When you do get a big pair or big ace then do as tuff_fish says - raise the hell out of it.
In this situation you'll want to see cheap flops with pocket pairs, suited connecters, and other decent drawing hands. Suited aces, etc. The idea's to hit a flop hard and scoop the pot, stacking a player or two in the process if it's at all possible. When you do get a big pair or big ace then do as tuff_fish says - raise the hell out of it.
i wrote this for a small forum elsewhere, maybe it'll apply to this question.
the play on AP versus PS.
i mostly play morning $2R and $5 MTTs on the site, so my take on the play may be decidedly different from someone who plays there during north american evenings (with more crazy american players).
the biggest difference i see compared to a site like pokerstars is the limp factor. people seem to want to play nice with each other & all see a flop and THEN start raising if they hit something. this is a strategic blunder that you can use to your advantage. when your M (ratio of blinds+antes to your stack) is large, it lets you see marginal hands correctly. that is, suited connectors play best in multi-way pots & they are giving you great pot odds to try & hit a monster. they'll chase TPTK or gutshot straights if you keep your raises about pot-sized or a bit less.
what if you have a strong hand? raise pre-flop & you'll get mostly folds and get to heads up with one person, or maybe two will call on occasion. again, you are controlling the action (and playing for their dead money in the pot). large pocket pairs lose value in multi-way pots, plus AK is only ace high until something connects. with 5 people in the pot you'd have no idea where you stand on ANY flop texture. they really do limp in with any two cards. raising & evaluating the flop means you have to have decent post-flop skills. many people are great pre-flop but sort of fizzle once the cards hit the board.
there are also the BB protectors. only, they aren't really protecting it at all. you'll spot them when they call almost any late-position raise, then fold to most continuation bets. this is called chip spewing, not bb protecting. they're holding out for that magic bb special flop that occasionally hits. they should be folding or re-stealing with a raise more often. or at least changing gears with how they handle pressure in the bb.
mid to late in tourneys, raising will also get people easily frustrated. they STILL want to limp in & think your raises are you playing crazy (which occasionally will be the truth... don't tell them). once they verbalize this frustration-- ie, recently had someone say "keep raising, jackass"-- you have them primed to call off their chips with weak aces to 'put you in your place'. you have to be willing to fold if you were raising with junk, obviously, but eventually you'll smoke 'em.
patience, and aggression. they do go hand in hand. you want to look more aggressive than you actually are to induce Very Bad Plays.
most of this falls apart on pokerstars. half the field is blindingly aggressive in the first hour. if you aren't catching cards to let someone double you up to safety, you'll end up pushing something marginal just to stay afloat.
the play on AP versus PS.
i mostly play morning $2R and $5 MTTs on the site, so my take on the play may be decidedly different from someone who plays there during north american evenings (with more crazy american players).
the biggest difference i see compared to a site like pokerstars is the limp factor. people seem to want to play nice with each other & all see a flop and THEN start raising if they hit something. this is a strategic blunder that you can use to your advantage. when your M (ratio of blinds+antes to your stack) is large, it lets you see marginal hands correctly. that is, suited connectors play best in multi-way pots & they are giving you great pot odds to try & hit a monster. they'll chase TPTK or gutshot straights if you keep your raises about pot-sized or a bit less.
what if you have a strong hand? raise pre-flop & you'll get mostly folds and get to heads up with one person, or maybe two will call on occasion. again, you are controlling the action (and playing for their dead money in the pot). large pocket pairs lose value in multi-way pots, plus AK is only ace high until something connects. with 5 people in the pot you'd have no idea where you stand on ANY flop texture. they really do limp in with any two cards. raising & evaluating the flop means you have to have decent post-flop skills. many people are great pre-flop but sort of fizzle once the cards hit the board.
there are also the BB protectors. only, they aren't really protecting it at all. you'll spot them when they call almost any late-position raise, then fold to most continuation bets. this is called chip spewing, not bb protecting. they're holding out for that magic bb special flop that occasionally hits. they should be folding or re-stealing with a raise more often. or at least changing gears with how they handle pressure in the bb.
mid to late in tourneys, raising will also get people easily frustrated. they STILL want to limp in & think your raises are you playing crazy (which occasionally will be the truth... don't tell them). once they verbalize this frustration-- ie, recently had someone say "keep raising, jackass"-- you have them primed to call off their chips with weak aces to 'put you in your place'. you have to be willing to fold if you were raising with junk, obviously, but eventually you'll smoke 'em.
patience, and aggression. they do go hand in hand. you want to look more aggressive than you actually are to induce Very Bad Plays.
most of this falls apart on pokerstars. half the field is blindingly aggressive in the first hour. if you aren't catching cards to let someone double you up to safety, you'll end up pushing something marginal just to stay afloat.
One way I like to adjust is to start pushing big pairs and AK from any position. Because if I raise to 80 or something, I know I will get a bunch of callers and one of them will probably suck out on me. So I think it is better to just win a small pot. But if someone makes a mistake and raises small with a big pair, I will call along with just about anything, becasue that gives me the chance to take down a massive multiway pot.
Another thing is that whenever someone wins a big pot with a crap hand, you should type into the chat things like "calling a raise with 49o? lollll" - this gives you the image of a weak tight jerkoff and will give you good future action.
Another thing is that whenever someone wins a big pot with a crap hand, you should type into the chat things like "calling a raise with 49o? lollll" - this gives you the image of a weak tight jerkoff and will give you good future action.
QUOTE (dingas @ Sunday, March 11th, 2007, 12:24 PM) 
Another thing is that whenever someone wins a big pot with a crap hand, you should type into the chat things like "calling a raise with 49o? lollll" - this gives you the image of a weak tight jerkoff and will give you good future action.
No, that's called tapping the glass, and makes you look like a jackass. Just say "nh" if you're going to say anything at all.
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