an opponent who won't back down

[chopchoi]

3 handed. Every time I'm SB, heads up with BB, he bets or calls.

3 handed. I start off as chip leader. When I am SB vs. BB, play my usual way of betting every flop, and checking the turn if called, but BB calls everytime then bets the turn when I check.

I try betting the turn as well, but he calls again, so then I get to the river, bet again, and he takes the pot with a weak pair. Next hand I decide to be more aggressive. I check-raise him on the flop. he calls my raise and calls my turn bet and my river bet, and takes the pot with ace high.

Screw this... I'm not going to play against him unless I have a hand. So now every hand goes like this: I miss the flop and check, he bets, I fold. This happens about 3 times, but I'm small stacked by now, so I push every hand. It works a few times, but then I try it with J8 and he calls with AJ and I'm out in 3rd.

How should I play against an opponent like this?

[Voltron87]

I think you just played with me. /images/graemlins/grin.gif

What level was this? You are probably playing a very good player, or a total crackhead. The best SNG players will take it to a level where you know they know to push with crap, and you know they will call you, and they know this, and you only push with good hands and they have easy folds.

[Phil Van Sexton]

[ QUOTE ]
3 handed.

I try betting the turn as well, but he calls again, so then I get to the river, bet again, and he takes the pot with a weak pair.

[/ QUOTE ]

Jesus, how many chips do you have?

You are 3 handed and you are betting preflop, flop, turn, and river.....and you still aren't allin? I think you are in the wrong forum.

[zambonidrivr]

i know that he knows, and he knows that i know, and he knows that i know, and he knows that i know. Isn't that from a movie? Princess of the Bride perhaps? I go through this crap all the time too man. Short handed and playing against someone like that. Just push any Ace and over the haul, you will come out on top. Also, set these people up. Be willing to fold the SB early on when it's folded to you. It will F with him when you need a hand. Good luck

[Tilt]

Against a very good player, you must make your play more erratic. You can't bet like you have a hand every time. Sometimes you will have to let him take it down. Give him the perception that you usually have a hand when you bet.

Then, when you do not have a hand but feel the time is right to take it down with a bluff, you must REPRESENT something to get him to lay something down.

Try some of these lines:

1) Board with a draw - Bet the flop, push the turn. You represent a strong pair shutting out the draw.
2) Limp preflop, then on a scary board you check/call the flop, check raise all-in on the turn. You represent whatever piece of trash might have hit the board.
3) Min raise preflop, push the flop. You represent a strong PP.
4) Push with trash preflop. You represent something like AK.

To make this work, when you have a hand, bet the same way. This really works if they paid you off earlier with these moves.

But, if you are against a player that you can't seem to get the best of HU, then just start pushing like the top 40%-65% of hands depending on blind size and fold everything else. This drives good flop players crazy - they crave flops - and they often keep folding in the hopes that they can get the best of it later at the game they are good at. the blinds have to be a decent size for this, but you can just wait until they get there.

[chopchoi]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
3 handed.

I try betting the turn as well, but he calls again, so then I get to the river, bet again, and he takes the pot with a weak pair.

[/ QUOTE ]

Jesus, how many chips do you have?

You are 3 handed and you are betting preflop, flop, turn, and river.....and you still aren't allin? I think you are in the wrong forum.

[/ QUOTE ]

Maybe. I did just put out little half pot feeler bets, figuring he will miss the flop 2/3 of the time, and he will fold if the flop doesn't help him at all, but not wanting to waste chips if he decides to play back.

Perhaps some real post-flop aggression would have done the trick. It's just that I don't have the guts to push with nothing after the flop. I'm always afraid of getting called by someone who has a little more than I do. And at low limits, I think the fear is somewhat justified.

Also, I won a pot or two off of the other player in the middle of this to replinish my stack a little.

[sofere]

You would get a lot more out of this thread if you posted stack sizes and blinds.

In general...if blinds are small, play good hands and play them strongly. But don't go for the steal as often. If you do hit the flop, check-raise.

If the blinds are large, just push and don't let him out play you.

You probably created the image that you would standard raise with all kinds of crap in stealing position and would fold to aggression. Not a bad image to have if you start playing quality hands.