Some players use a standard basic strategy when playing No Limit Hold’em. When I say basic strategy, I mean the commonly used strategies designed to limit the house advantage in favor of the player. The most widely used of these strategies is the Primero System, named after the Italian game of the same name. While the Primeros themselves are not really basic strategy, its application against particular opponents can lend it credibility when used opportunistically.
While the Primeros itself may not be very insightful, it can be VERY useful when applied against particular opponents. In particular, it can be very effective against very weak players, ones you may want to challenge on an individual basis. You can then loosen up for mixing up your play, so as to take advantage of their positional blinds. Don’t be intimidated by their chip stacks, their position at the table, or the nature of the table itself – this is a very simple and easy process, and it will be the foundation for your successful LAG strategy.
While the Primeros system itself is by no means foolproof, it can be very predictive when used in conjunction with other LAG strategies. The Italian game of Vlettera is the basis for much of LAG strategy, and its effectiveness is demonstrated in many real world situations. The Italian game is not used as a standard, and the system only really applies when the opponents are of a lower skill set. It will not work very well in situations where people are very used to using Big Bet as a sole strategy, such as heads-up play. You’ll need to use other LAG strategies alongside it, or not at all.
LAG is firmly rooted in psychological and mechanical realism, and so its predictions are not always precise. If you really want to sever LAG from its validity as a strategy and rely on it as the only method, you can do so merely by discarding the idea of bluffing, and thinking mathematically. It’s also important to bet with your hands and not against them, since you’re playing in a strictly mathematical context.
I’ve used this style of play successfully, and so can you. It’s not profitable all the time, but it is an effective method of playing that can help you find your edges, and win more coin flips than someone who flat calls all the time. If you want to win more coin flips than anyone else in the world, just learn which opponents are susceptible to being led into traps and exploited, and then exploit them.
People think online No Limit Hold’em is a lot like live pokerace99. You raise with a wide range of hands and get checks from your opponents. The truth is that while you’re frequently raising post flop, you’re also checking pre-flop, and getting the right implied odds on your money. This strategy is the exact opposite of what your opponent wants you to do, and is a lot harder to do once you get a read on their strategy. But because it is so hard to do, it works most of the time as it is applied successfully.
If you want to exploit your opponent’s tendencies, you will have to be extremely selective and selective in the hands you play against them. If you check and call when you have good hands, and play big pots with hands that have a less than perfect hand, you will not be giving anything back to your opponents. Their money goes where your balls go, and you have to work at it.