How to handle this type of player?

[iheartponeez]

Probably getting locked, but I'm still gonna ask because I don't know where else to:

There's a certain, decently astute type of player that likes to wield position vs. preflop raises. You raise your AJ from MP, he flat calls on the button. The flop comes out 668, you c-bet, he raises. You fold. He makes this move over and over on ragged boards. If you have an overpair, like 99, you probably get a few streets of value, but you also get the stress of holding a very vulnerable hand, and having to hold your breath through scare card after scare card, and sometimes even call down when he hits.

If you don't c-bet, he fires at you, and you can float, but he will 2 or 3 barrel you, and it's very difficult to ride AJ unimproved through the turn.

So what do you do against a guy like this sitting to your left? I can just get up to a new table, but I'll never learn that way. How do I prevent him from using position so strongly?

[yegon]

this should be exploitable

a. cbet less often and if he fires when checked to regularly consider checking when you hit sometimes

b. if you cbet (with lower frequency than normal), cbet bigger so it's more expensive for him to raise, if he still does raise often then this is very profitable for you bc when you have a hand you win a much bigger pot.

if he's not observant you could also :
c. steal only with premium hands when he is to act behind you
d. only cbet when you hit

[Lego05]

I'll 3bet the AJ on the 668 flop vs. the right opponents (most of the time I do have to know they can fold 55/77/99...but if they're like what you're describing they probably have two unpaired cards so much that it might be ok if they call with 99.


Double barrel him sometimes.

When you hit bet the flop and then cehck raise the turn.

Check raise the flop with the goods and occasionally without.



Not c-betting on certain boards can be considered as well a tightening pre-flop range in some spots against him.




Take a seat on his left when it opens up.

Go to a different table.

[vixticator]

Go to a table with a fish.

[kroeliewoelie]

Tighten up in MP and open up in the CO/BTN when he doesn't have position on you.

[ama0330]

I am probably going to lock this thread eventually because its much too general, but consider this.

What you have here is a battle of bravery. He is weilding his position on you, yes... but it works because you wont play back at him. The answer to your question is actually quite easily come across if you are prepared to play with your stack.

You raise, he flats. You bet, he calls. You check the turn and he bets at you - which is where you normally fold - but this time you call, and open shove the river.*

You raise, he flats. You check, he bets, you call. You check again, if he's dumb enough to bet again, you checkraise allin. If he checks through, bet 5/8ths pot on the river and see what he thinks about his ace high now, bitch.

(these hands are obv board dependant. you have to represent something)

The thing is that you are afraid of him, and you are afraid of losing your stack to him. But the point is, he is using that fear against you, and he will win every single pot until you grow some balls and play back at him for stacks. Hit him back! Let him know that you are an insane mother [censored] and money means nothing to you, so you can't be pushed around.

If you cant do this, leave the table (which tbh is more than acceptable and what I would often do if I was in the mood for a low variance session).


*this is a fantastic and dangerous line. They will almost always fold the first time you do this, but its such a spastic line and it looks so bluffy that the next time you do it, they'll call you (you will have the nuts, of course).

[iheartponeez]

Word, Ama. I'm mostly used to cruising through with ABC poker, with the occasional post-flop puzzler, but when someone like this shows up it turns every hand into a poster for weak-tight play(Or I know he's giggling at his monitor as I double barrel into his two pair).

But in the end: Grow a pair, Poneez!

The other issue is that more often than not, when I try to play a hand as a bluff, I taken to town, but next time I find myself seated next to a clever guy like this, I'll chalk $50 up to experimentation and take a little run at him.

I hope that one good game of chicken will calm him a bit for a session.

[ama0330]

Practice practice practice. Your bluff timing and frequency is as important as anything. Dont try and outplay him every hand, he'll just call you lighter. Pick a spot and go with it - dont worry, he'll remember. Then, tighten up against him. Dont be afraid to check fold the flop after you PFR. The next time you have a monster, play it trappy.

You will get a feel for this with time but these kind of players are dying to stack off to you.

[iheartponeez]

Yeah, the one thing I do do is note which tables I've shown down a bluff at, and make sure to play superstandard there for a long while.

[Lego05]

[ QUOTE ]
Yeah, the one thing I do do is note which tables I've shown down a bluff at, and make sure to play superstandard there for a long while.

[/ QUOTE ]

Do that with villians who are regs too. I just started doing that and I think it's a good idea so when I'm playing them a few days later I can remember what happened the last time we played and what they might think because of it. For example I made a note on one reg that just said...."only 3bet premiums for a while" after I 3bet him with garabge and the BB cold called both raises and I hit trips on flop and took BB's stack. The reg saw the garbage I 3bet him with hence the note.