How to respond to a frequent re-stealer

[Sm@rties]

I'm playing 100NL and I raise a lot as a steal (30%-35%). However, one of my regular opponents is reraising me a lot either from his BTN when I raise from CO but also from his blinds when I raise from CO or BTN - so he does both in position and out of position. My first reaction was to steal less often against him but that didn't stop him since he is probably using PT and he won't see my change in strategy at first (takes many hundred hands for it to display on the stats if he uses the whole history). After thinking about it I feel I have to re-pop his re-steals (often I raise to 3BB he reraise to 11BB) perhaps making it 30-35BB, but then I pretty much commit myself and many times I would really just be hoping for a lay-down.

Has anyone any good experience with this? If I want to re-pop after his re-steal what should my initial raising standards be from CO when he is BT and what should they be from CO/BT when he is in the blinds?

By the way we always both has at least 100BB and he plays aggressively after flop making pot-sized CBs. So when I just call his 11BB raise preflop, I have a commitment decision on the flop - which means I have to hit/connect good or fold.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[Ranma4703]

He is bloating the pot out of position and making pot sized cbets, I would just keep raising hands like sc, pp, and hands that will make TPTK, then commit on the flop vs him when you hit (meaning, raise or push your straight draws, flush draws, top pair, and occasionally other hands). Show him that if he is going to [censored] with you, he's going to have to play for stacks.
EDIT: Not sure if this is the best plan, people have been doing this to me and I am not entirely sure what to do myself.

[kaby]

call a lot and semibluff shove some flops is very good if he cbets too much (both in frequency and in size,which seems to be the case)

[Shizzle12345]

30-35% is not alot. mine was 50 at a certain point lol. If you think you have an edge postflop, make looser calls when you got position, with hands like KQ J9s and stuff.

[DaGrunt]

If he's 3-betting you OOP just start calling more in position, even with marginal hands. That should slow him down. If your OOP with a marginal hand just fold it most of the time.

If your in position with with a good hand u can either raise again to put it all in on the flop or just flat call, if your OOP with a good hand u need to raise it up obviously.

So just basically just playing back at him more... he can't have a great hand every time. I can assure you he's not feeling good at all when u start calling his 3-bet with KJ offsuite when u got position on him.

[yad]

1. You do have to steal less often. If he doesn't notice, this is great: you will have better hands on average when he reraises you, which you can exploit for profit.

2. You also have to call his reraises more often. Then you have to float or raise his flop cbets some appropriate percent of the time. You can also 4bet a bit more. This is hard to do just right, but you gotta try.

[Shizzle12345]

Dont steal less often, if you steal like 30% of the time you allready arent stealing very much.

[Sm@rties]

Hmm, you made me think of another line - maybe I should just limp (first in) from the BTN when he is in the blinds. He has a tendency to raise me even then and then I should be the one 3-betting. I think the line has a strong look of it and it puts the pressure on him instead of me.

Any comments on that?

Thanks for all the suggestions already.

[immesan]

There´s one at evey table..if it´s someone I play with a lot I´ll def start 4b him light and this often works..sometimes smooth call with something like 88+ or sc and get it in with a gutter+pair/oesd/fd ip.. the best effect is when you keep him guessing what you had then he´s def gonna slow down ..he feels he can run you over and he´s gonna keep doing it and force you into making mistakes....dont go for it keep you head cool..and then BOOOM!! gl

edit: spellcheck damn these spellchecks driving me to the LUNE

[Sm@rties]

I just checked my PT. Normally I steal 35% of the time. Of course my steal attempts depend on how often the blinds call. Do you actually suggest stealing even more on average?

[immesan]

[ QUOTE ]
Hmm, you made me think of another line - maybe I should just limp (first in) from the BTN when he is in the blinds. He has a tendency to raise me even then and then I should be the one 3-betting. I think the line has a strong look of it and it puts the pressure on him instead of me.


[/ QUOTE ]

I dont know good this vill is if hes jst an aggro donk that just like to push ppl around and what not...you should still raise ur hands otb and try to outplay him post flop. Dont like limping in otb... but if think this move will give u some kind of edge to outplay him then do it...maybe it will be the perfect strategy for this particular vill dunno,,,anyways GL

[Ranma4703]

[ QUOTE ]
I just checked my PT. Normally I steal 35% of the time. Of course my steal attempts depend on how often the blinds call. Do you actually suggest stealing even more on average?

[/ QUOTE ]
sc + 1 gappers, osc, Kxs, Axs, any 2 cards 20+, K2o+ if the blinds are tight, obviously all pp, A2o+. Anything I'm missing?

[Some9]

One thing you can do to tackle light 3bets (you need to be sure they are light!) is 4bet shoving Axs,AK,KK.

Or just call in or out of position with the plan of shoving over his cbet on a lot of flops. KQ on J93 is a very good shoving hand.

[Dire]

Start 4-betting small, like 25BB, with a decent range. They're almost never just flat calling it. You force him to make a 75BB decision over your initial 3BB. Lots of people are more than happy to 3-bet with anything, but most people don't have the ability to also 5-bet shove light.

This also lets you make small 4-bets with AA/KK/etc as well, which is nice.

[JFsports]

given villain's description, I like calling his 3bets more and shoving a lot of flops more than 4-betting lighter. You pick up lots of extra c-bets from almost his entire range.

Do it with big pairs as well though, and when you're doing it lighter don't chicken out and just fold to all his c-bets.

I definitely don't think the answer is stealing less. Almost all your profit comes from your button and CO, you need to protect that. The best way to protect this is to discourage him from 3-betting you light.

And the 'solution' of open-limping the button is lol

[Ranma4703]

[ QUOTE ]


And the 'solution' of open-limping the button is lol

[/ QUOTE ]
If he will literally raise every time, then it is good. I doubt he is though.

[Dire]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]


And the 'solution' of open-limping the button is lol

[/ QUOTE ]
If he will literally raise every time, then it is good. I doubt he is though.

[/ QUOTE ]

.... no it's not.

If he's raising everytime, as you propose, then simply tightening your range and 4-betting 100% of it would be optimal.

[Ranma4703]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]


And the 'solution' of open-limping the button is lol

[/ QUOTE ]
If he will literally raise every time, then it is good. I doubt he is though.

[/ QUOTE ]

.... no it's not.

If he's raising everytime, as you propose, then simply tightening your range and 4-betting 100% of it would be optimal.

[/ QUOTE ]
I meant if he will raise his BB every time you limp the btn, then you can 3bet and it is the same thing as you raising, then him 3betting, but you have more fold equity and can decide the size of the 3bet.

[sh58]

you have several options.

call some 3bets and shove on loadsa flops as long as you have outs or a made hand. so you could call his 3bet w AK, then shove over his Cbet on any flop

you can start 4betting him alot, especially OOP. i make mine about 2.5x.

you can also tighten up your stealing range when you are OOP.

you shouldn't really tighten up too much when you have the button because you have such an advantage

[sightless]

[ QUOTE ]
Start 4-betting small, like 25BB, with a decent range. They're almost never just flat calling it. You force him to make a 75BB decision over your initial 3BB. Lots of people are more than happy to 3-bet with anything, but most people don't have the ability to also 5-bet shove light.

This also lets you make small 4-bets with AA/KK/etc as well, which is nice.

[/ QUOTE ]

4 bet small is what i like

[Floyd13]

When you call his 3bet, it makes no difference whether you're IP or OOP. You're gonna fold or shove over his cb anyway.

4betting small could work, but I don't seem to get too many folds when I try it, and 4betting big commits you. 4bet shoving is ok, but a bit of an overbet that rarely gets called. If you're gonna do that, then I think you have to do it A LOT to exploit the fact that he won't call off 90% of his stack. Hello variance.

With that said, I agree with calling and then shoving most flops. Obviously shoving overs, draws, TP, OP's is good, but what I'm curious about is stuff like mid pair. I think we need to be shoving these as well, seeing as we usually have 5 outs + FE + we may actually have the best hand. In fact we should probably be shoving any pair against this type of villain, because when he calls, we're gonna be behind with mid pairs and sometimes even TP. Therefore, the value of all these hands seem to be the same.

[sh58]

[ QUOTE ]
When you call his 3bet, it makes no difference whether you're IP or OOP. You're gonna fold or shove over his cb anyway.

4betting small could work, but I don't seem to get too many folds when I try it, and 4betting big commits you. 4bet shoving is ok, but a bit of an overbet that rarely gets called. If you're gonna do that, then I think you have to do it A LOT to exploit the fact that he won't call off 90% of his stack. Hello variance.

With that said, I agree with calling and then shoving most flops. Obviously shoving overs, draws, TP, OP's is good, but what I'm curious about is stuff like mid pair. I think we need to be shoving these as well, seeing as we usually have 5 outs + FE + we may actually have the best hand. In fact we should probably be shoving any pair against this type of villain, because when he calls, we're gonna be behind with mid pairs and sometimes even TP. Therefore, the value of all these hands seem to be the same.

[/ QUOTE ]

yeah, think of a pair as a 5 out semibluff

[CptnObvius]

in pos I am calling pretty much all his 3bets with any pair and with SCs and one gappers and taking a flop. If I hit any sort of decent draw I am raising flop with intent on AI and prolly even doing same with my mid pairs on non dangerous flops with perhaps one overcard. flop texture crucial here but he's obviously CBing with air plenty and 3betting pretty lite.

I think you just have to be prepared to PLAY with an opponent like this and if he happens to hit against you then too good. more often than not you will take one or two hands away from him and he will slow down. only really down side is when he takes the first big hand you play against him. but that's the chance you take. can't let him just run you over all day though, even if it costs you one stack.

[Sm@rties]

Thank you very much to all of you. Many great advices which I appreciate and intend to implement in my game.