For the moment, I think I'm only going to play them for a limp. The table's too soft to get involved with anything high risk, although admittedly, they don't protect their hands in raised pots either, so I may have to change my opinion. But, for the moment, I just want to take it real slow and easy.
Ok, here's my basic strategy for 76s at this table (please critique). I'll limp on this, I think, from any MP or LP position--just not EP, again, would like to avoid any leaks here. AXs I think I'm only messing with in LP, but will play similarly. Actually, AXs may turn out better here because these guys like to chase flushes, so hitting the flush will win big time against a lower one. KXs might also be considered at this table (opinions?).
Let's say 8 players, with 5 including me, seeing the flop. So, we now have a $5 pot. I'll just assume the straight draw with a flop of K54. (K58 will work the same, but I think I'd rather avoid K89 because of the risk at such a table that some joker is trying his luck with JT there, taking away some critical outs).
In position on the bettor, I think I'm raising hard right there (pot plus double the bet). My plan here is to check the turn if I miss but bet fairly hard if I hit. I think the real money here is going to come from hitting the turn, actually, and I'm thinking full pot is a good bet there. I've got the free card, and I'm not sure about the river. I'm rather thinking that it would be worth it to just bet full pot there, too, although I think they'll fold.
Out of position, I think a similar checkraise is the way to go.
You know, actually, for the moment all of these plays are -EV the way this table plays. I think I need to warm them up first by checkraising some sets and then switch it up once I get them in the habit of folding. The table is actually not really that passive on the flop, when I think about it. They just don't adjust their bets to the size of the pot.
One thing about B&M that I can already say after this one very successful night. You end up (at least here) playing with a bunch of regulars who really do remember how you played various hands. It's just so much easier to remember B&M rather than online because of the full experience of joking around, seeing the players, etc. And you also know you'll see them again--not the case at lower stakes online, and there's such a huge crowd that, with few exceptions for noticeably good players, I only really "remember" due to my player notes.
This is definitely going to be a lot of fun...
I think stage 1 is getting them to fold anything but a monster whenever I bet, stage 2 is hitting them with semi-bluffs, then betting out sets rather than checkraising them. Any comments?
The cool thing about this whole deal is the switch from online to B&M, which I find very interesting indeed. And there are other particulars here, as it's going to be a game of playing against regulars.
There's also a definite table leak in that they raise and call loosely but are then incapable of protecting hands in raised pots. I'll have to retract my "complete loose-passive" statement because their standard bet does protect their hand on the flop at least in an unraised pot.
