Skip to forum
Notifications
Clear all

Everybody limping every time

6 Posts
6 Users
0 Reactions
1,231 Views

Hello all,

I am a college student, and regularly play poker with my friends/acquaintances on campus. Out of all of them, I am the only one who has played a significant amount of online play at the micro stakes (mostly nl10). Am I the best poker player in the world? Definitely not. However, I have put in a fair share of studying the poker maths and the theory, so I'm not completely lost.

Before I say more, I will say that I am 100% a winning player at these casual cash games with my peers. The typical table consists of:
- 2 calling stations (folds before the river ~20% of the time no matter what), goes to showdown with Q high all the time
- an extremely bad lag (basically just gambles on everyone else having air, triple barrel bluffs every time)
- extreme passive player (only bets with nuts)
- Me

There is one thing that all of these players share in common: they limp every single time. Pre-flop play doesn't exist here. While this is indeed amazing (for me), it is also frustrating. All the pre-flop strategy that I have practiced in online micro stakes goes out the window here. When I say they limp every single time, I mean they will limp 2 - 7 offsuit all the way to pocket aces. As for raising, none of them ever do, and when do (which is obviously every time I don't fold right away), they all call 100% of the time. While this sounds amazing, it is very hard to get accurate reads or put any of them on any sort of range (because their ranges are all possible combinations of cards). While yes I shouldn't be complaining as I've made absurd amounts of money from them, the feeling of getting beat because somebody beat my top pair top kicker with a two pair of 5s and 3s is pretty rage-inducing.

So, I'm assuming 95% of the people who took the time to read this are much more experienced and knowledgeable than myself. What are your thoughts? How would you play against these guys? Am I an idiot for complaining?
Whether you roast me or offer me advice, I appreciate all of you. Thanks.


Reply
Quote
5 replies
Tomaloc
Joined: 17.01.2011

start raising really damn big (15-40 BB, open jam), see what happens.
you still want to get called - just try to figure out what the "limits" are


Reply
Quote
nsavov
Joined: 24.09.2010

Those are obvious:
As Tomaloc said, try experimenting with retardedly big sizes and see if they still bite.
Work on your mental game.

This is just as obvious but still have to be spelled out:
What you studied for online games was mostly opening ranges and CBet and barreling frequencies on different boards for heads-up and 3 handed.
Have you done any work on 4+ handed pots?
Study the multiway pots!
Try doing some work in Equilab for multiway pots.
Your TPTK isn't so good in multiway pots. Perhaps you gotta lay it down.


Reply
Quote
Super Moderator
VorpalF2F
Joined: 02.09.2010

Originally posted by Tomaloc
start raising really damn big (15-40 BB, open jam), see what happens.
you still want to get called - just try to figure out what the "limits" are

Yup -- that is one route -- but you can't do it every hand of course.
Another is to join the limpfest and get aggro post-flop when (if) you hit.
Another is to raise pot pre, then go aggro on the flop.

Above all, vary your play a ton


Reply
Quote
ghaleon
Joined: 17.10.2007

Good advices above. Biggest advantage on such live game is you know your opponents so adjust to them.

If those passive calling machines show aggression they usually have good hand. At least in their mind. So usually if they keep calling with absurd hands you want to go for thin value bets and give respect if they show aggression. Remember you don't need to beat all of their calling range just more than half of it.

Versus crazy maniac fellow aim to give rope. Meaning check to him more than you would as default also with strong holdings. I had once reggy opponent in my games who literally almost always bet big on flop and turn if you checked to him being preflop aggressor out of position. So I did ton of x-c and x-r lines. My cbet range was on other hand pretty weak. So very big exploitative tactic. Now was his strategy so absurd? I think it actually worked good versus player pool as most opponents probably took x-c flop and check turn line with very capped and weak ranges. Resulting in ton of fold equity.

Some players could be also very passive and tight. E.g. if you double barrel they continue only with good top pair or good draw. So going bit wild on these can print money.


Reply
Quote
zyvy
Joined: 20.02.2009

you said it yourself, that you are a '100% wining ' player there and you 'made absurd amounts of money from them'
why fix something that is not broken
i would enjoy milking that cow , and if you looking for challenge or something like that go play online
good luck :f_drink:


Reply
Quote