Stud/8: Strategy vs LAG no folders
 

The 'loose, aggressive, no way on earth folding' player often gives me problems, so I thought I'd share my strategy and hope others will add/disaggree.

1 I try to wait for premium hands and throw away A_68 and ak7 suited, hands I normally play, because they can't always take the heat.

2 I try not to let him dictate tempo, so I tend to play raise or fold

3 I concede early in the hand if it appears I don't have an advantage - meaning I toss it even if I think the hands are roughly equal because I can't control the size of the pot and i hate just check/calling/praying.

4 I try to play back at him and build a monster pot when I feel I have the best of it.

5 If he's in the bi, i reraise with hands I normally would just call with to discourage him coming into the pot and screwing things up 4me.

6 I call the river frequently even when I know I'm practically giving them a bet - I scoop often enough with small pairs to make this profitable, even against a king doors raising.

7 I keep in mind this is showdown poker no matter how scary my board may appear - so I generally shutdown with a hand like 6c3c/5h7h6h when I brick on 6th, although I normally would semibluff.

8 I try not to get too frustrated, when he sucks out on me like a cheap ho. He'll go to the river with a pair and hit trips vs my open aces and will catch 3 runners to scoop me when I had a good low, and he started off with a,k,2,q.

9 I often misjudge the strength of his hand because he'll play garbage 6 hands in a row, then end up with a real hand and smoke me with it. Since I play back at him often, this is a problem I haven't figured out how to deal with???
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Any advice would be welcomed! Thanks.

Re: Stud/8: Strategy vs LAG no folders
 

These all seem valid to me. Sometimes though if I have great position on the maniac (ie right behind him or close to it) and the table is fairly tight, I will reraise a large portion of my hands to try and isolate him. I only do this though if I feel like I can outplay him, i have a good read on him, and that I'm fairly confident that I can get it heads up. I will do this mainly with high hands, but also with some low hands as well. Just something you might want to think about. Other than that, I like the ideas that you outlined.

Mike

Re: Stud/8: Strategy vs LAG no folders
 

Please state the stakes, antes, bring-in, what kind of door cards he likes, how many players in the game, can you get it heads up with him, etc.

Re: Stud/8: Strategy vs LAG no folders
 

1. A86 isn't a hand you should be "normally" be playing anyway. AK7s is a pretty decent start. The worst the other guy can do is make it a full bet, right? Go ahead and gamble.

2. There's nothing wrong with just calling. Really. The raise-or-fold mentality is better suited for one-way games, especially hold'em.

[ QUOTE ]
I concede early in the hand if it appears I don't have an advantage - meaning I toss it even if I think the hands are roughly equal because I can't control the size of the pot and i hate just check/calling/praying.

[/ QUOTE ]

This sounds a little weak-tight, but without knowing exactly what you're throwing away, it's hard to know whether you're giving up too much.

Re: Stud/8: Strategy vs LAG no folders
 

[ QUOTE ]
A86 isn't a hand you should be "normally" be playing anyway. AK7s is a pretty decent start.

[/ QUOTE ] low hands with an 8 are pretty weak, but low hands with a brick are also weak. The odds of making a low starting with 2 babies are slim. Why do you rate ak7s above a86, if aces and flush cards are live in each case?

Do you muck a86, or does it depend on your position and if anyone has entered the pot? Would you limp fold with this hand? In my experience, I like this hand if the ace is at the door: I can win by bluffing when we both brick with a 4th st. continuation bet. Also I can get away from the hand if I don't hit an ace by 5th st. and my opponents has a better low draw.

Re: Stud/8: Strategy vs LAG no folders
 

Sometimes I prefer that my ace not be in the door if my opponents are the non folding type. That way when i pair my ace I will get some action out of it.

A86 though I am almost always mucking unless I am on an ante steal or I can play a multiway pot against high only hands

Re: Stud/8: Strategy vs LAG no folders
 

"A86 though I am almost always mucking unless I am on an ante steal or I can play a multiway pot against high only hands"

do you play a28?

Re: Stud/8: Strategy vs LAG no folders
 

Depends.

If the 8 is showing than usually not. If the 2 or A is in the door than I will sometimes, but again it usually is based mainly on position, other player's door cards, tightness of the table, etc.

Maybe with the new Poker Tracker Stud we will get some new quantative evidence on this type of stuff.

Re: Stud/8: Strategy vs LAG no folders
 

thx scaqs. 876 is one of my favorite hands because when I catch a 9 my opponents will often misread my hand especially if I played it aggressive on 3rd as well. I usually reraise with 876 to try to thin the field, as this hand plays much better against as few low draws as possible. What about 854? I'm assuming this hits the muck 4u, but you might play 875?

Re: Stud/8: Strategy vs LAG no folders
 

876 is a hand I like too, but I have to be careful with it sometimes. I like to thin the field with it as well, but sometimes I incorectly complete (IMO) when there are a bunch of limpers already with scary door cards. That just bloats a pot in which I am probably second best in both directions already.

875 I still only play if I am in an ante steal situation or am the only low hand out. With this hand, you cant be happy with any low that you make because it it so weak. 875XX is not a strong low as you know. The exception to this being that I might play it in a high ante game and am last to act and can get in for the limp, assuming my cards are all very live.

Mike