How to Use Loose Play in Poker

 

Mastering the fundamentals to win in $1-$2 games such as getting value for your good hands or solid preflop play, you need to enhance your strategy with something new. The case here would be you will be able to assess your own hand strength correctly.

Several $1-$2 players with such skills will be caught up when other players won’t play at all. Refusing to pay-off stems from the assumption that other players will play hands of specific strengths like assuming an opponent will check down top pair, but will bet two pair or better.

Here’s the thing, these assumptions are either correct or incorrect since you are just assuming. Players at small stakes usually assume such. These could lead to playing erroneously or anxiously, before you know it, these players are complaining. The ugly part is that if you apply such playing approach, seasoned players can turn your assumptions on you. If you think there’s a flush coming, an opponent will do credit and folds.

How to Use Loose Play in this Situation

Remember that loose players tend to make bad hands. It’s how “loose” is defined by most players. These are the players who are loose play bad preflop hands. It’s simple, why? Bad preflop hands are bad since they make bad postflop hands.

So the approach in how to make a loose play give you an edge is not to wait for good hands. If you are idle and waiting for hands, these players will dink around in a number pot. The result will be an unprofitable play. It’s best to stick around in hands early in the game. Observe your opponents and get a feel with the frequency they make a hand.

Making the Best out of Turn Bets

Keep in mind that you just passed up on an opportunity if you just saw another player win a pot with J-7 on a board like J-9-3-A-8. You need to prevent loose opponents from doing measly showdowns with one another. The idea here is to be aware that your turn bet is your pal.

It can be useful especially if your opponents start to stall by the turn. For instance, a player raises to $25 preflop, and there are four calls. The preflop raiser bets on $50 on the flop. Several players call then the preflop raiser checks the turn. It’s a decent risk and try to steal, it won’t work every time but it should work to be a good bet.