Playing with a Call Station

NewUser2006 · #1 08-09-2006, 12:07 PM

Yesterday I found myself in a juicy 3/6 game where there was a "rich" call station who would basically call down to the river with any pair or even one overcard. In multiway pots with her, I tended to be much more cautious with my bets when I had whiffed high cards or weak made hands (when I'd usually be betting or raising to try to eliminate players). I found that this was a necessary adjustment to the call station, but that other people in the hand benefited greatly when they were allowed to draw to gutshots and low-out draws for free.

My question here is twofold:
Is there a way to have the best of both worlds by not paying off the call station and at the same time limiting the field?

Also, is entering pots with weaker holdings than you would normally play with (suited gappers or something similar) a viable option when a call station is in the hand WITH AN AWARE OPPONENT driving the action because of the additional free draws you will get?

theundertaker12 · #2 08-09-2006, 02:58 PM

It is going to be hard to eliminate the field in a game as low as 3/6, especially if somebody has a substantial amount of chips in front of them. At that low of a betting structure, you are going to have some people chasing on every hand. It is very hard to bluff at this small limit. With that said, don't play more hands. Play your better hands more aggressively. In my opinion, you need to raise with your premium hands only. If you have a marginal hand, call the big blind and possibly one raise from a late position. If you hit on the flop, bet and continue betting as long as you think you have the best hand. The calling station is going to gladly donate to you. You're never going to be able to bluff off a calling station, so don't donk your money off to him. Fold if you don't have it. Instead, play solid poker and show him the best hand. Although you are going to donate to the CS sometimes, if you play solidly when you are ahead in the hand, you will make your money back and more when you show him the best hand.

_TKO_ · #3 08-09-2006, 03:01 PM

If the pot is multiway, treat the station as a non-player. If the pot is shorthanded (3, maybe 4 players), get heads up with the station and value-bet the hell out of him.

theundertaker12 · #4 08-09-2006, 03:05 PM

[ QUOTE ]
If the pot is multiway, treat the station as a non-player. If the pot is shorthanded (3, maybe 4 players), get heads up with the station and value-bet the hell out of him.

[/ QUOTE ]

totally agree

NewUser2006 · #5 08-09-2006, 03:33 PM

[ QUOTE ]
If the pot is multiway, treat the station as a non-player.

[/ QUOTE ]

That doesn't seem optimal. There are many times that I would raise bottom or mid pair in an attempt to clear players out of the pot where this would not be profitable with a call station in the hand.

theundertaker12 · #6 08-09-2006, 04:18 PM

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There are many times that I would raise bottom or mid pair in an attempt to clear players out of the pot where this would not be profitable with a call station in the hand.

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I would argue that you are playing too aggressively for a 3/6 game if you raise a lot with only bottom or mid pair, particulairly if you are betting in an early position. With the 3/6 its obviously not uncommon for players to chase with A or K rag. I can see bets and raises from a late position where rags fall on the flop, you hit, and everybody shows weakness. However, if you are continually raising with bottom and mid pairs, you're going to lose a lot of money to those chasers, especially with a CS at the table. I just don't believe that bluffing and semi-bluffing makes you much money at a 3/6 Limit table over the long run.