[TheMightyJim2k]

So my game is typically 1/2 Limit on Party. Tonight I sit down at 2AM and start 4-tabling. Within about 20 hands I am up 50 bucks by seeing great hands and great flops, and catching one suckout.

(I had KK on a low board a guy had flopped a set and after he 3-bet the turn I knew I was behind, but I caught a K on the river and with set over a set I won a big one).

Anyway... point of the story is...this rush continues at each of my tables till I am almost plus $100 after about 30 minutes. I was not however donking it up, but was just seeing AQ, KK, JJ, 98s, 44, 99, etc all hitting the flop and winning big.

After the rush ends however I feel like I have a target at two of the tables. Every time I raise I get reraised. All continuation bets are raised. Now obviously no longer on a rush I don't expect to keep winning big, but it becomes increasingly obvious that I am going to need huge hands to pick up pots as everyone is shooting to take me down.

I lost about $30 of the $100 that I won, and then decided to get up as I felt the vibe was just not good.

Does this ever happen to anyone else? How do you deal with a table when the rush ends? Do you tighten up after a rush (I tend to), or loosen up and keep firing. I know that rushes are mathematically normal, but they definitely impact the table and how players interpret your bets and raises at the table.

Just wondering how to deal with the post-rush and its affect on your table image.

[Eldog]

This has happened to me afew times recently, i normally play short handed .50/1 NL and if you come onto a table and raise say the first 6 or 8 hands in a row the table will start to play back at you raising you on every street. The only good thing about this is when you do have a monster you get paid off nicely. If my good cards keep coming and players have started to play back at me ill just limp in and let someone else do the raising(I only do this if i think im coming off like a maniac say raising a ton of hands in a row).......if i hit the flop and im in position i usually hit them with a check raise to try and slow them down or see where im at.

Anyway More to your question when my rush ends i tighten up and try and work on my table image.

-Eldog

[Jambine]

Originally Posted by TheMightyJim2k

......I lost about $30 of the $100 that I won, and then decided to get up as I felt the vibe was just not good.

Does this ever happen to anyone else......

Yes. After I win a hand, I always try to see the flop on the next hand. I want to know if I’m starting a rush. Conversely, I try to avoid playing a hand after a bad beat. I know it makes no sense statistically, but I’ve seen it happen so many times. The trick is to know when the streak is over.

As far as how to deal with it and table image, thats a hard one. Depends on how big the rush was and how other players are reacting to it. These streaks kind of take on a life of their own.

[TheMightyJim2k]

I dont really have any superstitions like that, I generally just play the cards as they are dealt. I definitely think that table image changes when you are on a rush, but I am wondering if it is optimal in limit poker to change your play relative to this image?

Logically it seems if you keep playing your hands the same way you are going to get paid off big when you have a hand. The question is what do you do with your mediocre hands? But I guess that is kind of always the tough question in poker...

don't know if I helped myself any there.

[Jambine]

Originally Posted by TheMightyJim2k

....Logically it seems if you keep playing your hands the same way you are going to get paid off big when you have a hand. The question is what do you do with your mediocre hands? But I guess that is kind of always the tough question in poker...

don't know if I helped myself any there.

That is the question. It’s tough especially in a limit game where it’s so hard to pull off a good bluff. Makes it hard to mix up your play.

There, I think that should totally not answer your question.
Oh, and on the superstition thing, I don’t really worry about that either. Just count to 7 and throw some salt over your shoulder.

[Poboy]

I usually play 6max 1/2 limit. There are only two things really that you can do when people are gunning for you after your rush has ended. The first thing is to just leave. There are plenty of tables to play on. Conditions have changed to a less profitable one. Why waste time there?

If you don't want to leave/there are no other tables available, stop raising when your rush ends. Switch gears and go passive. Turn into a calling station - the enemy of bluffers.

[TheMightyJim2k]

I think this is the best strategy. I went on a similar rush today, but when I was up 70 bucks I would make normal preflop raises, but on any kind of scary board or any miss I would just check and either fold or call.

I found that more players were bluffing or would be betting with mediocre hands and I could sometimes win with AK no pair or a medium pair when their worse cards tried to run me over. I kept making money and came out about 140 ahead even though it was a slower process.

My analysis of these outcomes leads me to believe that you make most of your money on rushes from mediocre to quality players. These players typically are more aggressive than average and bet and raise when you have the goods. Then after you have won several pots they give you credit for a bluff and believe that the law of averages means you don't have a hand every time. In this case you can slow down and let their aggressiveness and misperception at the table bulid the pots for you.

Conclusion: If you are on a rush play aggressive and keep taking them down with your made hands. When the rush ends switch gears and become passive and let the aggressive players lose money to you when you do pick up a hand.

thanks to the guys who replied and bounced ideas off, I think this simple discussion may have improved my game at these limits.