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Loose-passive tables can be goldmines if you know how to exploit their biggest weaknesses. In this article, we’ll break down five proven strategies that will help you consistently extract maximum value from the most profitable games in poker.
Raise To Two Times The Pot
Many times, I’ll be playing a passive cash game, and I’ll see one of my friends raise to the size of the pot.
“No!” I want to yell at them. “Raise to two times the size of the pot! They’ll still call you!”
If you’re reading this article, it’s likely you’re more serious about poker than you realize. Most players don’t do any kind of study. You likely play better hands than your opponents. You should raise and get value from them because they’re not going to fold to you!
Your weakest opponents will call anything just to see the flop. Your opponents with a clue will fold. That means you’ll be playing HUGE pots versus the worst players at the table with generally superior hands. If you can get in position as well, this is an INSANE edge!
Do you want to put together a huge stack quickly when you sit down? This is how you do it.
Do Not Three-Bet These Hands
Oftentimes, I’ll be sitting at a loose-passive table with my friends. One of the local regulars will raise for the first time in a while. My friend will dutifully three-bet A-Q offsuit from the cutoff and end up losing a large pot.
On the way home I have to ask them, “What the hell were you thinking?”
They will inevitably say something like, “I had A-Q offsuit in position. What’s the problem?”
But let’s think about this for a moment… If your opponent is the type to limp in with everything, won’t that also include A-J and A-10? If that’s the case, what are they raising with? 10-10+ and A-K+ right?
Oops. Why would you want to three-bet into that range? They’re limping their mediocre and good hands. You have to expect they can only have the premiums left when they finally do raise.
The good news is you can cold call more versus these players because they get married to one pair post-flop. Hands like pocket pairs, suited connectors, suited-gappers, suited aces, and suited Broadways go up in value versus them because they’re so likely to make a top pair or overpair that they can’t get away from.
Who Is Predictable Post-Flop And Who Isn’t?
It’s important when you first sit down at these tables that you pay attention. Some of these players will limp in with anything and then look annoyed once you raise. This is someone who expects to be coddled at every poker table. Their home games back home always featured a lot of limping and flops. They think you’re an asshole for not playing poker their way.
They’ll still call you preflop, don’t get me wrong. But they won’t have a plan for post-flop. They’re not used to pots this large in their home games.
If they flop a set or two pair with draws out there, they’ll often get excited and jump the gun with a big raise. If they just call your continuation bet and look annoyed, they will have a mediocre pair or draw that they want to see more cards with.
Deny them the privilege. Blast them. They’ll hate you and end up folding.
If your table is loaded with players like this, you need to be raising with any hand that has a semblance of value. You’ll be getting so many bluffs through it doesn’t even matter.
However, if the players at your table love to call down randomly or raise for the hell of it, you can’t raise anything you want. You’ll have to raise value hands and play them well. You’ll have to be willing to call down when a line makes zero sense.
Now, that doesn’t mean you play 8-8+ and A-Q+ necessarily. If everyone is limping J-5 suited then K-J offsuit becomes a value hand to isolate with. But you still need something that beats their hand when no one wants to fold.
Who Is Getting Sick Of You?
If you execute the strategies I’ve described above, you are going to make enemies.
Most people want to play a friendly card game. They’ve worked eight hours that day and they want to relax. They want to see some flops, drink some beers, watch some sports, and hang out.
Then your stupid ass shows up and starts raising huge on every other deal. They get indignant. ‘Who does this idiot think he is? Does he think he can bully me?!’
You’ll get folds for a while, but the rubber band will snap at some point. You’ll start seeing hints. They’ll fold with more disgust. They’ll start talking shit, and begin making comments about your raise sizes.
Good. That shows you got in their head. They wouldn’t be complaining about you if they didn’t feel threatened.
If they keep going at you just say a flat, “I guess I play bad.”
If they won’t stop, keep repeating, “I guess I play bad.”
It holds a mirror up to them, and they don’t like it.
Tighten your ranges once you live rent free in their head. You’ll love the results.
Who Always Calls When A Draw Misses?
This is a very important detail…
There are many people that cannot fold on the river when they see a missed draw on the board. The thought that you might be bluffing with a missed draw eats them alive. They can’t live with it. They will always call.
If you learn you have one of these players at your table, you need to bluff them less and go for more thin value bets.
Conclusion
Loose-passive players give you every opportunity to win big pots, you just need the discipline to play them correctly. By applying these five strategies with patience and precision, you’ll turn chaotic tables into steady, reliable profit.
Learn how to play A-K when it misses the flop!
Alexander Fitzgerald is a professional poker player and bestselling author who currently lives in Denver, Colorado. He is a WPT and EPT final tablist, and has WCOOP and SCOOP wins online. His most recent win was the $250,000 Guaranteed on ACR Poker. He currently enjoys blasting bums away in Ignition tournaments while he listens to death metal. Free training packages of his are provided to new newsletter subscribers who sign up at PokerHeadRush.com
