2 NL10 hands from today: Stop harrasing my Fish!

[Sherman]

The guy to my left in both of these hands is terribly loose and mostly passive. However, he almost always bets when you raise PF and check to him and he always bets if you check twice.

The player to my immediate right in these is pretty laggy. In fact, I am pretty sure he open-raised every button for at least 6 orbits in a row. Clearly he was isolating the weak player to my left and I was getting caught in the middle. This was very annoying as I was trying to play as many pots as possible with the guy to my left.

Hand 1: I need to find a line against the fish here. It just felt too passive.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.10 BB (5 handed) internettexasholdem.com (http://www.internettexasholdem.com)

SB ($4.20)
BB ($6.60)
UTG ($11.30)
Hero ($9.75)
Button ($4.85)

Preflop: Hero is MP with 7/images/graemlins/heart.gif, A/images/graemlins/heart.gif.
<font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises to $0.4</font>, Button calls $0.40, <font color="#666666">2 folds</font>.

Flop: ($0.95) 8/images/graemlins/heart.gif, A/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, 8/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
Hero checks, <font color="#CC3333">Button bets $0.3</font>, Hero calls $0.30.

Turn: ($1.55) K/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
Hero checks, <font color="#CC3333">Button bets $0.5</font>, Hero calls $0.50.

River: ($2.55) T/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
Hero checks, <font color="#CC3333">Button bets $0.8</font>, Hero calls $0.80.

Final Pot: $4.15


Hand 2:

In this one I am really getting fed up with this guy raising my SB every orbit. So I decide to play back when I pick up a good hand. I haven't seen one in a while, but against someone with a PFR of 28, I figured A4 would do well enough. I also just hoped to slow him down from attacking the fish on my left. Good strategy? Is there a better way to adjust to his play?

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.10 BB (6 handed) internettexasholdem.com (http://www.internettexasholdem.com)

UTG ($7.60)
MP ($5.85)
CO ($18.25)
Button ($18.30)
Hero ($12.90)
BB ($9.75)

Preflop: Hero is SB with 4/images/graemlins/club.gif, A/images/graemlins/diamond.gif.
<font color="#666666">3 folds</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Button raises to $0.4</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises to $1.4</font>, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, Button calls $1.

Flop: ($2.90) 4/images/graemlins/spade.gif, J/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, 8/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">Hero bets $2.25</font>, Button folds.

Final Pot: $5.15

[shoxbb6]

Hand 1, why no cbet here? you can take this down on the flop a good amount of the time. The check/call down is fine, though you're going to be tying a fair amount of the time.

Hand 2, I don't like 3-betting with a weak, offsuit ace, I'd rather start 3-betting w/ good suited connectors, medium pps, or stronger suited aces. To play back at him, you don't need to 3-bet him, you can also start calling him preflop and checkraising the flop, or donking, etc.

[Arcturus]

Hand 1: Really there isn't much you could do here other than call down. That paired flop just killed any chance of doing anything with your kicker card. I guess you could check-raise on the flop...but with him being passive, I don't think you would win any more money than if you just let him bet out.

Hand 2: For the reasons stated, I like your play. He is obviously trying to take advantage of his position every time in the button. So, good stand.