I got my start playing poker in a casino. In fact, I paid for my first two years of college playing the lowest stakes at Turning Stone, 1/2 NL. I'm going to share with you some insights into what the losing players do and how you can exploit it.
By far, the biggest mistake the fish will make in the casino is calling too often. Generally, though, their calls are not multi-street plans to steal the pot or make a move later: they just want to see another card. Since even casino players have their limits, you have to be willing to fire two or three barrels when you are bluffing. But, you should also bluff less frequently.
Oftentimes, the pot is multiway and limped. Bluffing in multiway pots is a good way to go broke. Utilize this table dynamic by limping a lot of hands when you have position, and even limping some suited connectors when you're out of position. If you hit a hand, you will likely get paid off.
When you pick up a strong hand before the flop, like JJ+ or AK, try to raise 8-10% of your stack, even if this looks like an overbet. Live players at 1/2 will even call $30 preflop to see what cards come on the flop, and you should exploit this by forcing them to call off a significant portion of their stack. Otherwise, they could actually be making a good play considering their implied odds.
After the flop, it's important to get as much money in the pot as you can when you flop the best hand. Since live players tend to not understand a whole lot about hand reading or bet lines, you can be pretty transparent and still get paid off well. Ask yourself, what has the most value? If I check, will he bet, and will he bet large? Then it may be prudent to let him bluff. If I bet, will he often call? Then it may be prudent to bet. This is a good strategy even if it means calling one street and leading into the bettor on the next.
