Anybody read this book by Miller, Skylansky, and Helmuth? The preflop strategy seems awfully loose, but I just started playing and have tried opening with small pairs 88 down to 22, and A9s down toA2s, if no one raises. Are these cards to loose, even for a loose fishy game. I've only played about 700 hands, so my experience is limited. Maybe I have not played enough for some of these starting hands to win a pot.

I dunno-- personally, i cant say enough about that book. The best players you will see, aka the ones with the biggest winning percentages, often play an ostensibly 'loose' game. However, norton is right insofaras that books recommendations dont apply to really big games where the pots are often raised and reraised, head-up affairs. But most B&M games upto at LEAST 20/40 follow that book, more or less...

My logic is basically, if you find yourself in a game that doesnt abide by that book, then its time to getup and look for another game because in tight-aggressive games, all thats happening is a bunch of tight-aggressive players are trying to outplay/outcard each other, and most of the time, any edge you have in a game like that is marginal at best.

Thats just the way ive always seen it--i try not to waste time in TA games, cuz sittin there folding hand after hand to raises, etc is truly a grind.