Best strategy against someone who always raises the flop

[mjkidd]

So I play mostly at WPEX. These games are very aggressive in general, but lately I've been thinking about a particular quirk of many players: the guy who will always raise the flop if he's the preflop aggressor and you bet into him.

So let's say I'm in the BB and the action folds to the cutoff, who raises. It folds to me; I have a hand I want to defend with, so I call. I catch a pretty good piece of the flop...let's say I have A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img],8[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] and the flop comes:

T[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img],8[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img],3,[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]

So this is a nice flop for me, and against most players I would checkraise or lead the flop; to a first approximation I think both lines are equally good against your average opponent.

Now consider players who will always raise the flop no matter what. If we lead, he will raise.

So, I have two questions.

1) Do you guys agree with me that in the hand above leading and checkraising the flop against are equally good options against an average opponent? If not, which do you like better and why?

2) Against someone who will always raise your flop lead, how does your answer to question #1 change?

[ninjaunderwear]

Check-raising is better in both scenarios. There is a good chance you are ahead; a 3-bet will introduce some evidence to the contrary.

[Oscar the Grouch]

check?

[shark6]

I think check/raise is better in both options. Considering what a typical TAG will steal with from the CO, you're ahead with your hand. Plus, it better defines Villian's hand and gets more money in when we're ahead.

[JJNJustin]

If you have opponents between you and him and you are first you should c/r, to knock out these opponents. If he is to your left and there are opponents after him, you should bet so he raises and knocks out opponents. Bet into him again on the turn unless a straggler is chasing, then you might check, let him bet and see what the straggler does. Before you raise. If you are certain the straggler is on a draw, bet again and hope he raises to knock out the straggler, but if he raises it is more likely your tens are no good, although with some players you just dont know.

-J

[TheHip41]

Just looking at the title, I'm guessing bet the flop when you hit, either to 3bet, or to protect your hand.

[JJH3984]

As Justin says, just be hyper aware of your relative position related to the aggressive player. When you need to protect your hand, find a way to face the field with 2 bets. When you want to build a pot, trap as many players between you as possible.

[mjkidd]

[ QUOTE ]
I think check/raise is better in both options. Considering what a typical TAG will steal with from the CO, you're ahead with your hand. Plus, it better defines Villian's hand and gets more money in when we're ahead.

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree that we're ahead of most of our opponent's range in this spot. Do you think that our hand is strong enough to bet/3 bet against someone who will raise the flop 100 percent of the time?

[Man of Means]

IF he always raises, 100%:
Heads-up, if you bet you're always getting at least 2 bets in on the flop. Plus you can choose to 3-bet, donkbet turn, or checkraise turn from there. (Does he take free cards often or followup 100% on the turn?)

So: Bet your good hands

[Harv72b]

Bet/3-bet seems pretty obvious in this particular situation. As the last poster pointed out, that will always net you at least 2 SBs on the hand, and in a blind battle there's a very good chance that your second pair/top kicker is good.

Where it gets tricky is when you're up against someone who will vary their play when you fire back like that, and is equally capable raising the turn with better and worse hands than you're holding...or of calling down with better hands, or of capping the flop with worse hands, or...this is what I love about poker. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]