I should perhaps preface this with a simple but unfortunate fact: Since I stopped nut-peddling, I also started losing at this game. But I'm still optimistic about turning it around.

Here's what happens: The table is playing pretty tight, and I start taking various stabs with top pair plus outs to top 2, or overpairs, then get a call. Then I think, well, ok, I was representing top set, so they can't call if I bet again... it's easy to imagine how this all creates huge problems. And, while I don't do it often enough to "spew" all at once, it does happen often enough to really mess up what would otherwise be some good solid winning sessions.

So, here's my opinion of what one needs to watch in taking stabs at pots that seem to be up for grabs: Do people tend to call when you're not in the pot? If lots of pots are being won with a single flop bet, then it's worth stabbing at it with very marginal hands to keep going (and raising a lot to build pots worth taking). But, by the same token, if they do call, then they are rather likely to have a hand. So, you really need to shut it down unless you've got something serious.

Also, just one of two players who sit down can change the table texture DRAMATICALLY (hence, the shifting gears part). When they do, and you're going to get callers on big hands, then it's a very good idea actually to have a big hand whenever you bet. It's deadly if you wait to shift gears here until you just got called for half your stack and OOP with a hand that's not worth much.

In my own self-defense, I can at least add that I've done pretty well at the casino the last few times. But I think that's because that game is typically so LAG-ish that it's just obviously suicidal to play anything but tight.

is this all live? online?

what are the stakes?

the real thing i want to know is under what conditions various plays will fold. sometimes it takes two barrels. sometimes it takes a bet that reaches a certain dollar threshold. some times it takes an all-in bet. sometimes it just takes a bet on a janky flop. if you want to bluff/semi-bluff, you just need to know this point for the people in the hand and decide whether you're willing to push past their point (regardless of what you're holding).

anyway, if you catch people floating your flop and/or turn bets, just go back to nut-peddling -- that's the correct strategy if they're going to pay you off when you hit.


also, i'm a bit confused about whether the game is tight or laggy. the first post says the former but the second post the latter.

Yes, exactly my point here. I think you really need to do this when the table is tight, but you need to stop immediately when it changes. I think my problem is really adjusting in time.

I hope that partially answers kuso's questions. The losing part is really lately online at the $100 game, and I think the problem is that it plays one way one time and differently the next. And I end up playing too often the wrong way at the wrong time.

The live game has been going pretty well for me lately although really not enough data there to say just how it's going to look in the end. I'm up at at least.

I guess I should return really to the simple version of what I wanted to say in the original post: The VERY FIRST THING to look at in PLO is how many players are normally calling pot-sized flop bets. If the average there is at least 1, then playing tight is a good strategy.

If it's 50-50 or so that you'll get any callers at all, then it's more worthwhile to try picking up a lot of small pots on marginal hands. One thing to watch here, though, is that if they do call your flop bet, they likely have a pretty strong hand. So, be cautious with weak hands about firing again on the turn (I think that's really my leak in that regard).