What table position do I want relative to a solid TAG??

[teddyFBI]

I generally try to sit on the right of both LAGs and fishy loose-passives, figuring I can isolate them more often than not (at least until the TAGs on my left figure out what I'm doing and start 3-betting me).

My question is this: I still haven't figured out just what the optimal position is relative to a solid player who you'd rather not be in pots with. I don't like being to his right because I much prefer closing the action on each betting round...but I don't much like being on his left either and face his raises when HE now tries to isolate the worse players...i suppose i never really want to be at his table, but if you're going to sit at a table with some good thining players, what position do you want to act relative to him?

[elysium]

hi teddy

as long as this opponent is not in the blinds when you're in the CO or button, and you have at least one predictable passive caller on positioned between you and the great playing opponent, to protect the pot in the early rounds, your o.k; if, however, you have tricky type opponents and aggressives in there, then you simply do not want the great playing opponent in the blinds when you're in steal position.

if you're playing correctly, the great player will be attempting to move away from you as you move away from him. when either of you is involved in a hand, the other should be conspicuously absent. the great majority of the time, when you must play against one another, one will be betting and the other will be calling when it's heads-up. however, these type opponents will release when check-raised properly at the right time. so it is actually advantageous to be in first position when heads-up against the solid opponent, with hands like big suited connectors, and it's better to be in last position with medium and big pairs.

also, when you have this type opponent in the game, you must credit the field voluntarily in the hand with at least something worthy of playing. there just isn't a lot of bluffing taking place when two good players are in the field, and you can usually play it more straight up. of coarse, for the very reason that the solid player has no reason to suspect a bluff, when you do bluff it will be more effective. but that doesn't mean that you should bluff a lot. how it works is that someone will eventually succeed with a bluff, or showdown a hand that turns out to be the best hand that the player betting it thought was a bluff. the fish will then think all the hands not showndown during the session were all bluffs, and get annihilated. the other fish not involved in the hand will observe this and tend not to bluff. at that point, you too should not bluff. do make the infrequent bluff though when the two good players at the table reduce the table's bluffing frequency, and tend to make these rare bluffs on the expensive rounds after check-calling the flop, but there's nothing to say that you can't bluff raise the flop and check-raise the turn. just be sure to turn your hand over whether your bluff succeeds or not. this should cause the solid playing opponent to play more solidly and allow you to bluff again soon thereafter. these double whammy bluffs after long periods of playing straight up tend to unnerve the great player especially if you soon flop a monster and start betting like crazy. and that's how to break open one of these type games. generally, you come out firing totally bluffing after a long train of mucks, and doubling up with back to back bluffs. that second bluff, by the way, often foldsout.

this is still not a good game to be in. ruffing up a great player isn't a big deal. you usually won't deplete the available racks upon departure from one of these type games. they aren't necessarily the very worst type games though.

anyway, we're getting off track. you want to know where to sit. take a seat that will keep you out of the same pots. this usually will be with him in the UTG when you're CO or button.