Playing Against A Nemesis PLO8
 

I just wanted to solict some opinions from you guys about how to play against a nemesis opponent...I've played hundreds of thousands of hands of PLO8 over the past 14 months and have had a good amount of success so don't take this as a bitching and moaning bad beat post...

But against this one opponent I just can't seem to do anything right...Now he's a good player, which I won't take away from, but he seems to run like he has a horseshoe permanently stuck up his ass and I'm at my wits end in trying to figure out how to play against him...I've tried fast-playing strong draws/stong hands and slow-playing strong draws/strong hands and pretty much everything in between...But everytime we get involved in a big pot he ALWAYS gets the best of me to the point I have really no clue of how to play him...

Like tonite for example...I limped with QQ34 ds in MP and he raised from the blind...Now I was playing multiple tables and I didn't really put him on a hand at that point, but I'm like [censored] it I'm calling and am gonna try to flop a set and bust his ass (which he ALWAYS does to me, calls with a pair and dodges my draws)...Flop is a semi-beautiful QT8, 2 clubs...He bets pot into me and I INSTANTLY know he has AAxxcc...I raise pot and he goes all-in...I don't have to tell you what the turn peeled off and the river didn't peel off...If the situation was reversed I would pretty much guarantee the result would have been different...Now yeah if I put him on that I probably should have peeled, but I FINALLY had him on the ropes...

Any suggestions of how to play against a guy who holds over you would be greatly appreciated...

Re: Playing Against A Nemesis PLO8
 

There is nothing in the Poker World I love more than a loose 8/b PL/NL table. Your obviously a seasoned vet at 8/b and know that when the tables are loose that waiting for those killer started hands will pay off huge in the long hull. If that's what your doing(and your previous story says so) don't change a thing. Whatever you do dont be calling his raises with questionable starting hands just hoping to roast him. That's tilting and you will lose your ass. As far as never beating that one guy, there is no solution. JUST DONT GO ON TILT to beat him. Play the game right and you will 90% of the time get the best of him. Good luck.

Re: Playing Against A Nemesis PLO8
 

usually they do have a horseshoe up their ass, against certain people anyway. I think you played the hand fine, sometimes I will just call in position if it's heads up though if I'm positive he has a club draw, very player dependent though. Also I study a lot vs those people that always seem to get the best of me. Go through a ton of their hands, make sure you can get accurate ranges of their raises and such.

Re: Playing Against A Nemesis PLO8
 

Its hard to discuss strategy when the only content to your post is a semi-bad beat story. BTW I don't think a checkraise is your best play there.

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Like tonite for example...I limped with QQ34 ds in MP and he raised from the blind...Now I was playing multiple tables and I didn't really put him on a hand at that point, but I'm like [censored] it I'm calling and am gonna try to flop a set and bust his ass (which he ALWAYS does to me, calls with a pair and dodges my draws)

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Maybe you should pay more attention to what hes doing instead of calling him lucky, and stop aproaching hands with him as an oportunity to get revenge instead of an opportunity to make money.

Re: Playing Against A Nemesis PLO8
 

One thing variance dictates is that even if all your opponents were equally skilled, after playing ten thousand hands with each of them some would end up looking like donks (statistically) while some would look like they really had your number. Of course in reality some people really are donks and some really do have an edge on you, but if all this guy has done is put the bad beats on you then it sounds more like variance to me.

If the situation was reversed I would pretty much guarantee the result would have been different

If you actually believe this, then just avoid playing hands against this guy.

Re: Playing Against A Nemesis PLO8
 

I didn't check-raise him in this hand as I was in position...He led out pot and I popped him pot...Pot was about $13 or so, so he led out for $13 and I raised him to $52 and he repopped me for the rest of his stack...

I've played so many hands with the guy I know a good majority of the time where he was at...I would have bet my entire poker earnings for the last 5 years he AT MINIMUM was on a club draw, but if he were on the nut club draw ONLY he would check to me and let me fire pot at it so he could keep the pot size small while trying to make his draw...That's why I knew he had AAcc with a low draw, which I knew put me in about the 2:1 favorite range...There isn't too much he does any more that really surprises me...

In another hand I called a minimum bet on the flop with an A4 low draw ( andbackdoor flush draw) against him and another guy who was in between us who bet...I hit my wheel on the turn fired out 75% pot was called by the other guy and my nemesis raised pot...I didn't even think twice about mucking it knowing he had A64x...And what did he turnover? A64x...Against a good majority of the donks I usually play against I call because usually a naked A4 will do this too...

Re: Playing Against A Nemesis PLO8
 

BBart, I don't *actually believe this*...But after that beat last nite that made 3 times in the last 2 nites that we clashed when one of us had a set and the other one was drawing...Twice I had the set and got outdrawn and the other time I was not able to outdraw him and these aren't exactly for small pots either, each were well in excess of $200/pot...It was PURE FRUSTRATION talking...

It's pretty much enevitable that we clash since we are usually the two best players at the table...Like I said I tried pretty much everything I can think of against this guy...I'm gonna try to go back and give my strategy another once over...But any suggestions would be appreciated...

Re: Playing Against A Nemesis PLO8
 

I hit my wheel on the turn fired out 75% pot was called by the other guy and my nemesis raised pot...I didn't even think twice about mucking it

Being able to fold the wheel makes you part of the PLO8 elite [img]/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]

Re: Playing Against A Nemesis PLO8
 

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Now he's a good player, which I won't take away from, but he seems to run like he has a horseshoe permanently stuck up his ass and I'm at my wits end in trying to figure out how to play against him...

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Looks like you answered your own question. You need to fight fire with fire... your solution is to insert into your rectum an even larger sized horseshoe while playing.

Re: Playing Against A Nemesis PLO8
 

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Now I was playing multiple tables and I didn't really put him on a hand at that point, but I'm like [censored] it I'm calling and am gonna try to flop a set and bust his ass (which he ALWAYS does to me, calls with a pair and dodges my draws)...Flop is a semi-beautiful QT8, 2 clubs...He bets pot into me and I INSTANTLY know he has AAxxcc...I raise pot and he goes all-in...

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I would try and eliminate game conditions where you say "bleep it, I'm gonna hope for XYZ dream flop and bust him" when you're multitabling. Also, if he has AAxx clubs in that spot and you're 100% sure, maybe it is a better play to call, hope the turn blanks him, then exert pressure. Don't let the fact he frustrates you change your in-game decisions, except if you're standing when he's sitting. There's nothing wrong with avoidance, to a point. I was going to close by urging you to not be dismissive of the feedback, but after your initial and understandable frustration you seem to be back on an even keel. Maybe it's time to smoke him out of his cave??