How do bad players win?

[SparrowHawk]

70 players. $100pp. I get stuck at a table with newbies and this total drunk, loose, BAD player. I have to play tight and I did.

This joker was in every hand and couldn't be bluffed off. Would you believe he went all the way to the final table and WON!!!. I was freaken shocked. He kept getting luckier and luckier the drunkier he got.

We all keep posting and discussing hands and sometimes it just doesn't matter.

I know 9 out of 10 times this guy is gone in the first hour, but how does he make it to the final table and win.

QUESTION:

How to play against a total loose, drunken fool who is in every hand?

Sparrowhawk.

PS. I think the best cards I had all night were 88 and there was a 10 the blinds raise. No luck for the sober, solid player tonight.

[jwvdcw]

If he never won, he would never play. If you don't win, its best for the worst player to win so he'll contineu to play and lose money over time.

[SixgunSam]

BTW: First post here, long time lurker.

I had the same experience tonight. I had been slumping a bit with my tournament play, so I decided to use some of my FPP points on Stars in a PL Hold 'em satellite and work out some kinks for free. I knew the play would be sub-par because FPPs are essentially freerolls, but this was the most amazing thing I had ever seen.

When we got down to 3 tables, I get this player on my left who would play anything. She was unbluffable. I couldn't steal the blinds ( and I really needed them ) and it was nearly impossible to put her on a hand. She would call everything. She would call my bet when she had nothing or the holy nuts. No raise, no fold. It was hard not to steam, thinking about how many hours upon hours I've put into trying to improve my game -- reading and studying, living by the "raise or fold" mantra, playing great starting hands and here was someone playing loose/passive and raking it in. I had her on my left for the rest of the tournament.

In the end, it all worked out and I got my seat in the next event, but so did she and she finished with about 8k more than I did (making suckout after suckout). I really don't know what to do against a player like that. I guess it was her lucky night. I actually came here during the tournament to search for posts on the subject. I suppose I played it the best way I could against her, don't bluff, make a decent enough hand and get paid off. The biggest problems it presented me was that I couldnt put her on a hand and I couldn't make any plays as long as she was in the pot with me ( which was often ).

In the end, I have the same question as SparrowHawk. What is the best way to deal with a player like that?

[Dentist]

I played in a "limit" event on party...not a freeroll $30+3... and I had the same problem.. for some reason there was a player right to my left that would play EVERY pot, and especially if I raised.

In fact I have run into this in a few tournies of late... There was 1 guy at the table that was playing everything and would not fold to your raise.. guaranteed. Of course after the 2nd or definitely the 3rd time you figure this out and tighten a bit.... but then i ran into them having aces while I had jacks.... geez.

Once that Player has taken away your blind-stealing ability.. you have to come up with another strategy... but I'm not exactly sure what that is yet.. waiting for good cards sometimes doesn't work out.

[Cleveland Guy]

Sucks that such a fish one. Usually these players are easily trapable. I like to play a lot of cheap hands compared to my stack against a guy like this. Usually they will over play any pair - or draw and you can make them play. Just make sure you have it.

When you know you have the nuts - wait for them to bet and push them - they call cause they think you are trying to steal like they always do.

[Jason Strasser]

Sometimes bad player can be very aggressive. And aggression frankly can make up for bad hand selection, and a general lack of understanding of the game.

If he was just a flat out loose passive calling station, he'd need the deck to hit him in the face. If he was a psycho raising LAG, then he could do very well on a given day.

Just look at Sdouble, TheBeat, or...

Che /images/graemlins/grin.gif (joke, he's goot)

-Jason

[SparrowHawk]

I am thinking that the best way to play against a bad calling station is really based upon your stack and the blind level.

If "death by anti" is a possibility, I think we should get in the mix and hope to flop some strong flavors. You have snap a bad player.

In the tourny I spoke of, I told a fellow player ( who's game I respect) to watch this guy and not try and bluff him. As they played my fellow friend snapped him good with a set of aces, but the guy came back. Later in the game my friend went all in at him on a draw..bad decision. the quy had top pair and it held up.

Still looking for some more thoughts on really bad calling stations.

SparrowHawk

[kevyk]

You have the right idea against these bad players: don't bluff, and play more draws as they will be cheap and justified by the implied odds you are getting. Whatever you do, don't gamble with them.

I find that these players cause the most trouble when they are at a tight-aggressive table with a lot of chips. You can't steal (because of the calling station) and you can't take advantage of the loose player's passiveness because the aggressive players are attacking all the time.

It's not always possible, but try to play big hands versus the calling stations while stealing from the tight players.

[playerfl]

thats why they call it Gambling.

[SossMan]

Hmmm...let's see, he calls everything and can't be bluffed out of a pot.

anyone ever heard of

VALUE BETTING?!?!?!?!

[znup]

Agree 100%.

If that doesn't work try out-drinking him.