Fishes at home games

crabby4 · Nov 14, 2010

I attended this home game at a cousin's friends house. And my god were their so many fishes. it was like 20 dollar buy ins and i ended up losing like 70 bucks. What is killing me is did i really play bad or is it just the ppl im playing with? I mean seriously. I consider myself very good at poker but in this game, their was absolutely nothing i couldve done to win. These guys were calling my ALL INs with like K 4 and 2 3. The one time i get a good hand was KK and the guys calls with AA. It was unbelievable. Are the fishes THIS bad at the casinos or is it just home games??

bgarric · Nov 14, 2010

I'm sure there are fish everywhere. I can't personally speak for casinos, but for home games we've had a few show up before as well. Ultimately, its like anything else, if you're playing correctly you'll win in the long run with these people. In fact, last time we played, we had a guy show up who would be like " oh i was just bluffing i don't have anything". Then we would all say... actually you have a straight. For a while I thought he was hustling everyone, but then he went all in with K A 2 3 4 thinking he had a straight and we had to explain to him that the A is the only card that can 'go both ways'.

Sucks, but keep playing with them as it will turn profitable.

OzExorcist · Nov 14, 2010

A couple of home truths:

1 - You're nowhere near as good as you think you are.
2 - Variance can always be a killer over small samples.
3 - It's really hard to bluff calling stations.

Clambake420 · Nov 14, 2010

haha welcome to my home game where luck is the only thing that will determine who leaves with the money. its a shallow stack cash game (20 buy in .25/.50 blinds) so leaves you little room for error. You just pray the river card does not burn you. I have not found a sound strategy yet, but a Tight preflop strategy seems to be the best. I raise only with good hands as they will call with almost ATC anyways, but i increase my calling range with hands that have potential to flop big then i just stack off the fishy players. Alot of the time TPGK is a good hand against these players depending on board texture. we have this guy in our home game that will bet 2nd pair like its the nuts even on Flush boards.

Tygran · Nov 14, 2010

Most small home games in my experience are more about the social aspect and/or an excuse to drink beer and have fun.

crabby4 · Nov 14, 2010

well their are two types of home games i attend. The one i usually play are full of people who take the game seriously so stuff like pots odds, position etc. really work. But then their are the home games that i just mentioned above where i really think its impossible to win. their is not a SINGLE person there who probably really KNOWS how to play. So is it like that in casions where 99 percent of the people have NO clue what they're doing? or is it slightly better?

LarkMarlow · Nov 14, 2010

In my experience poker room play in casinos is leagues better than what you've described. Sure, every once in a while you'll get someone who is playing ATC just for the hell of it, but as a rule the standard of play is fairly high especially during the week which is when all the regulars usually play.

Weekends can be a different story but even then, the wild ones seem to at least have a clue about what they're doing.

balrog910 · Nov 15, 2010

We get home games going every so often and boy do i clean up on these noobies, they just keep coming back for more just fishin out money like an atm : )

OzExorcist · Nov 15, 2010

crabby4 said:
But then their are the home games that i just mentioned above where i really think its impossible to win. their is not a SINGLE person there who probably really KNOWS how to play.

There's a contradiction in what you've just said there. Can you spot it?

baghead · Nov 15, 2010

these games are so easy to crack dont wait for great holdings all you need is playable cards suited connectors runners etc. get in to as many cheap pots as poss then when you hit bet when you think you can push someone out of the pot raise and fold to most pushes unless you have the nuts. if you wait for good cards they might not come and you have a better knowledge of the game so use it be the shark at the table you will get more action especially when there is drink involved

crabby4 · Nov 15, 2010

yea i guess that's true. I have been to other fishy games where i made money JUST by waiting for big cards. I guess thats the only way to beat them. Oh and i forgot to mention there were 12 ppl playing in the game.

PoKeRFoRNiA · Nov 15, 2010

BEWARE of RIGGED HOME GAMES. I'm speaking this from my experience. And dude, f--k home games. play it clean by going to casino or play online. i rather pay a rake and have a clean game. You have no idea how quickly people can switch a deck to a cooler.

Here's one of my thread I wrote long time ago where I learned never to attend one ever again.

https://www.cardschat.com/forum/general-poker-13/never-play-random-home-games-people-158989/

I'm not a type of person who throws away flopped sets on a flop. In matter of fact, many CCers in this site who has played a lot with me know that I overplay many random hands, from top pair, bottom two pairs, flush draws, etc. For people like me, who get bonded to monsters very quickly, to throw away flopped sets on a flop, only means one thing. Home games can be easily rigged.

Don't underestimate them as retarded fishes because that's what they want you to think.

BigJamo · Nov 16, 2010

Gday, Yes i agree there are fish everywhere. I have attended home games we've there has been mates of mine who are great at Hold'em but get smashed on the odd occasion.

But as I say to them, go with the variance, dont fight it. These fish, will in time have the bad run, then they will be finding themselves scratching their heads wondering what happened.

This wont happen everytime you hit the table, so, just make sure you play tight and keppem close to ya

LarryT503 · Nov 16, 2010

Yes, usually a lot more fishes at home games, and you just have to accept that fact and play as safe as possible or be lucky! Even in online and live casino you have to expect some fish. It seems higher stakes games will weed out some of the riff raff.

Stu_Ungar · Nov 16, 2010

How big is the game?

I wouldnt play a big game outside of a casino.

Usually when people talk about home games they are talking about very small games (much smaller than any casino would host). These games are really just social events.

Obviously go with a mindset of winning and playing well. But at the same time go for the reasons everyone else goes.. to get drunk and have fun.

People seem to take $10 games between friends far too seriously.

crabby4 · Nov 16, 2010

yea after the hand where i had a nut straight on the flop and some idiot called me with q high and backdoored a flush on me, i just quit playing seriously there. But yea in casinos though im planning on playing more seriously which is why im hoping it isn't as bad.

Stu_Ungar · Nov 16, 2010

crabby4 said:
yea after the hand where i had a nut straight on the flop and some idiot called me with q high and backdoored a flush on me, i just quit playing seriously there. But yea in casinos though im planning on playing more seriously which is why im hoping it isn't as bad.

Its not much better.

Online the lowest stakes are 2NL. In a casino its usually 200NL.

The standard at the lowest live stakes are akin to 10NL online.

People dont go to the casino to fold, and thise who go to play will move up in stakes, just as happens online.

xdeucesx · Nov 16, 2010

If its a 20$ buy in home game and it truly is "all luck", then kick back and have fun, its only 20$... but most likely, your not as good as you think you are.

Alot of home games break down like this:
-1 to 2 "sharks" aka players who know the basics of the game (pot odds, position, basic styles of play, TAG or LAG, etc.) these guys are typically either a. where the game is hosted or b. the one who organizes the game and their normally the "big winners"

- 2 to 4 "normal players" aka players who know not to play K2o or 6 2o, but play any Ace and chase their draws. These guys could go up or down on any given night, mostly based on whether the luck is in their favor.

- 1 to 2 "fish" aka players who honestly have no clue whether this is blackjack, holdem, gin rummy or bridge and neither do they care. They call with any two cards hoping to win big. There just there for the social aspect of the game and the thrill of gambling. These are the guys who call your all in with Q4o and flops two pair to win haha

Home games can be profitable, but at the same time there just home games. There not meant for 1,000's of $'s to change hands, there more of a social reason to get together and play some poker while watching football/basketball etc. If you just learn basic poker strategy and play very TAG, then you should be able to turn a couple of extra bucks playing with these guys

CntryBoys · Nov 16, 2010

send those silly fishes to my home games. i would love to take some of there fishy money.

crabby4 · Nov 16, 2010

haha the only way that would happen is if u got all 11 people to fold on the flop and pray none of them will make backdoor flushes/straights etc.

I have yet to go to a casino but i hope when i do the plays wont be that dreadful

ph_il · Nov 16, 2010

Blah. It's a home game, what do you expect? Most players at home games don't know how to play...or the may only know the basics and rely a lot on luck to get them through. Do you really think they care if they lost $20 or so bucks in a home game? Probably not. They're probably thinking luck wasnt on their side that night.

Just because you might 'know' more than they do doesnt make you a very good player. And honestly, if you cant over come simple home game luck boxes, then you're not as good as you think.

You say its a $20 buy-in and you end up losing $70, sounds like a cash game. What are blinds starting at? If its higher than .10/.20, then thats probably your first error. Trying to short buy against call stations. We have the same thing here at my home where its a $20 buy-in and .50/1 blinds. I'm the only one who doesnt play because variance is too high against luck boxes.

crabby4 · Nov 16, 2010

You're probably right. The blinds were very high and we were all starting off as short stacks. And just to tell u how i lost it, it went something like this: FIRST ALL IN: i had a straight. guy calls with q high on flop and turn and rivers a flush
SECOND ALL IN: I have KK and i have to go all in, women calls me with K 4. gets trip 4s
THIRD ALL IN: I flop a straight again. like 5 ppl call me and one of them back doors a flush on me again
FOURTH NEAR ALL IN: lose 3/4 of my stack when i flop trip Kings and opponent has a pair of aces. rivers a 3rd ace.

appaz86 · Nov 17, 2010

I play a home game that is 25/50 with a mandatory straddle to $1.

Sometimes we get the double straddle going and minimum buy in is $100.

Usually a very tough game with strong players. I'm up on them overall but not the the level i'm up playing $2/$3 at the casino (this is the easiest money i've ever made lol)

Depends on the game, but I prefer softer games with more fish, the casino fits the bill where im from. My home games are on another level to playing fish at the casino

thebigdawg · Nov 17, 2010

I have played in a lot home games, some cash game and some tourneys. In most of the cash games I have played in its more of a social event then poker, which don't bother me much because it is usually easy money.

Seems like in the cash games I have played in, the guy who comes out with the biggest profit usually wins one huge hand. In the tourneys I have played in its mostly about well-timed aggression.

OzExorcist · Nov 17, 2010

crabby4 said:
yea after the hand where i had a nut straight on the flop and some idiot called me with q high and backdoored a flush on me, i just quit playing seriously there. But yea in casinos though im planning on playing more seriously which is why im hoping it isn't as bad.

*facepalm*

If you can't see that this is a VERY GOOD THING then you shouldn't be playing in a casino. So you got drawn out on - so what. You've found a game where your opponents are, apparently, willing to get their money in as huge dogs over and over again. If you can make a long-term profit in that game then it's time to quit now.

Wanting to go to a casino, where they'll charge you rake as well, because the players are better is stupid. DUCY?

Fishes at home games

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