Going After Mr. Critic

One of my regular opponents whom I called Mr Critic, because of his attack on my plays I posted below. He is a quite decent player but with a habit of buying-in for 60 bucks, going all-in, and then dig into his pockets for another 60. He can be aggressive but predictable because of his questionable raising standards, and betting out on his raises no matter what the flop consists of. I got involved with him on the following 2 hands:


Hand 1


Everyone checked to Mr C who raised 3 to my right. I was on the button with pocket 3s. Sensing everyone will fold as the table was in a weak-tight mood, I decided to call knowing I can give it up if easily if I dont flop a set. As I expected everyone folded.


Flop 3 K J rainbow.


As expected, Mr. C bets, I called.


Turn - brick. Mr. C bets, I raised. He called.


River - another brick. Mr. C checked, I bet, he hesitated, and meekly called. I turned up my set, he mucked.


Hand 2. Exactly 1 orbit after, same position.


Everyone checks to Mr. C who raised again. I looked down on Ac7c and said to Mr. C: "Because it's you, I'll call". Everyone folded, HU again.


Flop A 7 x rainbow. Here we go again!


Mr. C bets, I called.


Turn - blank. Mr. C bets, I raised. He called.


River - blank. Mr. C checked, I bet, he pondered and meekly called. I showed my top 2 pairs and he disgustedly threw his cards into the muck and disappeared for almost an hour. I owned him for the rest of the session.


My question: Were my plays correct or were they some sort of vindictive, emotional response to his criticisms of the previous hands I posted below taking into consideration that I can predict his playing tendencies more than 60% of the time?


Comments?

Take my opinion for what its worth as I'm sure you've played quite a bit more than I have. I've been reading a ton and playing when I can. So, here goes.


I definitely would not have played hand 1 with pocket 3's. I would expect you want to play small pocket pairs against a large, passive field and for cheap. However, under the scenario you have given, you are staying in with a raise and expect that it will probably be heads up on the flop. I know you have established that he is somewhat of a maniac, but even maniacs get a hand sometimes.


My concern would be that you have two cards to improve your hand and if ANY overcards fall, which is almost a certainty, you can't be sure whether or not you're behind. Just seems to me like a hand you would want to stay away from under those conditions.


I have similar feelings about hand 2. Again, playing in a situation where you think you will be heads up and with a raise, I would want to be playing big, suited connectors or mid to large pairs. If you really believe that he is raising with complete trash, then I guess this hand isn't bad. If the flop is ragged, you have an overcard and may pick up a nut flush draw as well. The problem I would see with A7c is what if just an Ace flopped and you did not pick up two pair on the flop. Based on his raising standards from what you've said, you have no idea if you are ahead or behind. Do you then throw away top pair with weak kicker if he bets into you on the flop? Doesn't seem to me this is the type of decision you want to have to make.


It just strikes me that against a maniac, if you are going to isolate him, you want to isolate him with premium hands. Both hands you decided to stay with are very vulnerable. The good news is you got great flops in both of these cases. JMO.

The 3-3 hand:


The odds against flopping a set or better are 7.5:1.


You paid 1 Big Bet to see the flop. You collected 3.5 Big Bets after hitting your set. Not exactly the right price. Also, your plan of folding if you don't flop a set is a poor one heads-up.


Both hands: re-raise or fold pre-flop.

"Everyone checks to Mr. C who raised again. I looked down on Ac7c and said to Mr. C: "Because it's you, I'll call"


not sure exactly what you were tryin to accomplish saying this to him. if ya got a fish on the table, i wouldnt say anything like this. sounds like ya took his criticisms a little personal. this is just like criticizing his play.


though i think its fun to watch from the side, i cant see myself ever talking to a guy i 'own' like this. i want him to stay and keep playing bad.


just some ideas...


b

You make 1sb extra when your flopped your set, add to the 3sb in the pot you make 10sb for an investment of 2sb (calling the raise), not counting the small risk you have of losing money when your set doesn't hold up. So you got no better than 10:2 or 5:1 for your set which is only about half what you need.


Calling the raise figuring to proceed only if you flop a set is a pretty hopeless call. You should make this call ONLY if you are confident you will be able to show down and win with JUST your 33 a good portion of the time, such as when you are sure he's raising with no pair AND you can fold later those times he bets WITH pair.


A7s is also a pretty weak call since he's almost surely raising with a better hand. Only play this heads up against maniac or seriusly tilting types.


==> Heads up poker pre-flop is fundamentally about whether you have the best hand. Small pairs "needing" to flop a set and weak Aces are almost certainly not the best hand and so should be routinely folded.


- Louie

I wouldn't have played either of these hands for a raise -- the exception might be A7c, if I knew the table was in the calling mood.


Regardless -- your thought process with the 33 should have been to re-raise if you think you have a good feel for what Mr C has -- You want to isolate -- that's what the position is for. I probably would have folded, not re-raised, but never just call with that hand in late position when it's heads up.

Thinking about it now, I know they were wrong plays but I guess, as bernie pointed out, I took it quite personally against the Smart Alec. I'm glad it worked but in retrospect, it could have been the other way around which could have affected my future plays. Now I know better not to get emotions into the game.


Thanks again for the wake up call.

Ironwood,


I think you were a little over the edge on both of the plays here, however, when an opponent is tiltable, it sometimes pays to take shots that are a little over the edge, because the potential payoff on other hands makes up for the usual losses that happen. So I think you might have been on the vindictive side here.


Well you posted four hands that are all marginal, and you happened to win all four, if you didn't get too far out of line the rest of the session, you should have posted a win ;o).


Good luck,

Bob T.

>>I would expect you want to play small pocket pairs against a large, passive field and for cheap.


I want to play them against a large, aggressive field for cheap. Of course, it's tough to get in cheap against that aggressive field.


I figure 90% of my earnings to come from hitting a set and getting a nice pot (however rare it may be). When I do, I want a lot of betting going on around my concealed hand.


Sure, suited connectors are nice to get in on with passive opponents, I might be around to hit that gutshot straight draw for free, but there's no such analog with a small pair- you hit or you didn't.


2ndGoat

was assuming a no limit game when I threw out the 90% number. I still want to see the flop cheaply vs. a large field of aggressive opponents, but I expect more than 10% of the expectation to come without a set.


2ndGoat