Shorthanded Stud/8, Only Low Card Completes Bring-In

[PokrLikeItsProse]

I think you misunderstood. I am talking about the times when the bring-in has the only door card eight or lower (usually lower) and completes the bring-in, so I have a 9, T, J, Q, or K showing, and so does everyone else except the bring-in. He seems to do this every time he has the only low card out, so his range might be two random hole cards. Such a player is often aggressive on later streets and will semi-bluff and pure-bluff with scary-looking boards. If I raise him, I suspect he is capable of a three-bet bluff or semibluff on third street.

This scenario is more frustrating at tournament final tables with rising antes and bet sizes.

It feels like I should just keep folding as normal and only play the hands that I would against a normal completion, but I'm curious if anyone else loosens up here.

[2461Badugi]

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It feels like I should just keep folding as normal and only play the hands that I would against a normal completion

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Yup.

[Micturition Man]

Definitely don't loosen up.

The thing to remember is that your opponent is getting bad odds on the open-complete.

So if he is doing this with garbage hands (like 2 low + a brick) it is very likely -EV. He will run into an overpair often enough.

[SweetLuckyMe]

[ QUOTE ]
I think you misunderstood. I am talking about the times when the bring-in has the only door card eight or lower (usually lower) and completes the bring-in, so I have a 9, T, J, Q, or K showing, and so does everyone else except the bring-in.

[/ QUOTE ] In this situation you want to reraise (punish) him with any pair. If he does it *every* or virtually every time he has the only low card up, then consider opening up a bit - raising with any pair bigger than his upcard, but only calling with playable hands like a 3 flush or overcard 3 straight. If you're not comfortable that you play poker better than he does from 4th on then don't play anything against them than the overpairs to his door card. When I choose to play non-paired hands against this type I like to keep the pot small until he blanks, then punish him when he does. If he catches what appears to be favorable, then slow down a bit, but you've got to punish the donk for overplaying junk, and you do that by keeping the pressure on when he appears to catch unfavorable. You simply have to play poker well. I feel that simply folding every time I don't have an overpair to his doorcard is giving up too much against this type. They'll generally get into low draw chase mode and punishing that type with even modest high hands is a favorable position to be in.