A cost of aggression

[David Ottosen]

I just played the following hand on Paradise. I am two off the cutoff with 8 /forums/images/icons/club.gif 8 /forums/images/icons/diamond.gif . Folded to the player on my right, who open limps. The player on the button, I have a note about him that says "ridiculously weak tight". I figure it's a darn good spot for an isolation raise, so I raise. However, ridiculous weak tight (RWT) calls, the SB calls. The BB folds and the limper calls. 4 of us see the flop.

Flop: J /forums/images/icons/heart.gif 8 /forums/images/icons/spade.gif 7 /forums/images/icons/club.gif

Luckily, a good flop for me. Checked to me and I bet. All three call.

Turn: 7 /forums/images/icons/heart.gif

So, it looks like I won't be sucked out on, excellent. Checked to me and I bet. RWT calls, SB calls all in, limper folds.

River: A /forums/images/icons/spade.gif

I bet and RWT calls with what I later discover to be AQ.

My thought after this hand is that I am finding it extremely difficult in such games to max value for such hands; I am not sure I pick up enough benefit from other hands where I power through unimproved and win (in part because I suspect I might have the best hand on those plays anyways).

What methods do you use to maximize your value when you generally are being forced to play one bet poker on each street?

[Dynasty]

What methods do you use to maximize your value when you generally are being forced to play one bet poker on each street?

From an earlier position, you would obviosly consider check-raising. When you're in late position with a big hand and they keep checking to you, there's not much you can do.

If the game isn't aggressive enough for you to get multiple bets on post-flop streets with sets (or any really strong hand), then the key may be to play more hands which want to draw cheaply. If it's one bet per street, you should open up your starting hand selection to include more suited connectors from earlier positions.

[SoBeDude]

I think you played it well.

And in fact you *did* get the maximum possible out of the hand. You missed no betting opportunities.

You'll not get raisers every hand. Be thankful you had some callers to pay you off.

How many times to you just pick up the preflop bets after the flop hits you, you bet, but no one calls? happens to me often online, especially when I raise preflop and have an aggressive table image.

-Scott

[Clarkmeister]

Seemed to work out quite well. You got RWT to take the worst of it on every street, even calling flop bet drawing near dead and a stone cold deat turn bet.

If RWT gave you any action, you were beat, no? How much do you like your 88 if RWT raises your butt on the turn or river? All you EVER get from RWT's is one bet at a time. And that's just fine.

You touched on a good point, however, and that is the cost of aggression. People soon enough learn that the most effective counter is to simply go limp and call down. When that happens you start to lose some value from your real big hands. However, you can now start taking more free cards and start playing more efficient postflop. This allows you to start increasing the number of hands played when in position because of all the money goes in when you want it to and not when they want it to. And they are too afraid of getting raised to effectively try and stop you.

Playing a very aggressive style is difficult to maintain because you must constantly be adjusting, and your judgement must be spot on. It is awful easy to degenerate into a full fledged maniac when you aren't on top of things. Take frequent breaks to stay fresh and focused. Even when you don't think you need it.

[SoBeDude]

That sounds like great advice.

I have noticed, any time I get a good string of cards early I always have a good session. Thats because I play them very aggressively - lots of re-raising and betting.

It does intimidate the table, and it makes it really easy to steal pots for quite a while afterwards. Seems after I've jammed 3 or so hands and flipped over big cards, no one will stay in a hand with me. When I raise preflop unless the flop hits them, they'll fold to my flop bet.

This is a really wonderful situation to be in. If they call I know they have something. easy read. also they'll rarely raise me without a BIG hand so its an easy fold when they do.

The when I do get a monster, I limp, string them along, then wham! slam the door on a later street. They jump out of the hand like rats leaving a sinking ship.

I wish I could just get there more often.

-Scott