Hello all,

This is a general question but one that has tied me into frustrating knots lately.

We all know the micros tend to have very loose and passive players.  Recently, I seem to be at tables full of these cute little players. I know that value towning these folks is the way to exploit them but how in the world do you do that when you are staring at T4o and the like?  I understand being patient but I seem to be in a particularly long stretch of unplayable hands.  To be fair, I do get tight players in the blinds from time to time and do attempt to steal with trash when able. Obviously I try and play pots in position when I have a decent hand (opening up my ranges a little).  It’s one thing to wait in the early stages but what about in the mid stages?  

When you find yourself at a loose, sticky table AND you are not getting the standard playable hands, is it advisable to significantly open up your ranges?  In other words, do you over call with T7o or a suited Q and what have you and try and smash a cheap flop every couple of orbits?  Is it ever a good idea to simply gamble it up in these situations?  If so, do you set parameters (if my stack gets down to Xbb I’ll start gambling and if it gets up to Ybb I’ll go back to normal)?  I know it can’t be +EV to play like a fish but at the same time I feel like I’m not going to build a stack anyway in these situations.  Kind of like I’d rather die fighting than curled up in the fetal position.

Obviously, I’ve never seen any poker instruction advising the above.  The only advice I’ve heard is to value town loose and passive players.  I don’t think I’ve ever heard of an adjustment when facing a loose and sticky table when you don’t have value hands.  I have historically simply waited it out.  I feel like I’m waiting for something decent in these situations then finding myself short and having to shove.  Is that really the best one can do?  

I will add that I’ve cashed in a fair number of DON STTs by waiting and hoping/expecting others to make mistakes, which they do. Once in the short stack situation I’m very comfortable but it does feel like I’m relying way too much on luck (both in terms of catching something good at the right time and/or them to make horrific mistakes at the right time).  This works okay for DONs but not regular STTs and not MTTs.

I do wonder if this isn’t just a form of variance that you can’t do much about.  In other words, I’m in a bit of a card rut and there really isn’t anything I can do about it in the short term.  My gut is telling me it won’t last forever but sheesh, I feel so handcuffed.

So, any of you micro-grinding masters have any adjustments you make when in this situation?  I guess I could always move up in stakes where they will respect my raises …

Signed,

Desperately Seeking Something, Anything!