Small blind play against a big blind who never folds

[Nate tha' Great]

This is a general question rather than a specific hand.

The player on your left is very loose. Sometimes he plays passively and at other times aggressively; he calls down a lot and doesn't give you a lot of credit for your hands; he's smart enough to try and rope-a-dope aggressive players; he'll defend his blind with almost anything. You make money from this player long-term but he can be a real pest. Note that this be the single most common player profile at the 10/20 and 15/30 6-max games; I call this sort of player Loose Passive Aggressive (LPA).

You're in a game with a 2/3 blind structure and it's folded to you on the SB. What do you do (fold/limp/raise) with the following hands against this opponent?

a. K /images/graemlins/diamond.gif 6 /images/graemlins/spade.gif.
b. 5 /images/graemlins/spade.gif 4 /images/graemlins/spade.gif.
c. J /images/graemlins/diamond.gif 9 /images/graemlins/spade.gif.
d. 2 /images/graemlins/club.gif 2 /images/graemlins/diamond.gif.
e. Q /images/graemlins/heart.gif 4 /images/graemlins/heart.gif.
f. 8 /images/graemlins/spade.gif 6 /images/graemlins/diamond.gif.

Okay, to be a bit more concete about it, I don't particularly feel like folding any of these hands given the blind structure, but a number of them are difficult to play in this spot, out of position against an LPA opponent.

Is it better to go ahead and raise anyway, in order to retain the initative in the hand, or should I limp in with most of these and play something closer to fit-or-fold on the flop. I do recognize that, if I begin to limp more frequently, I should also be limping with some stronger hands for the sake of deception.

Or is this a case where a little bit of Tommy Angelitis might be a healthy thing and I should avoid the stress of playing marignal hands out of position?

[James282]

Raise A and C, limp B and D, fold the rest.
-James

[gonores]

You'd fold 86o and Q4s for one more chip? If the read is that he never folds and rarely raises, I'd probably limp, with a simple plan of check-folding without improvement. That'd still be profitable, when youre hitting a pair better than one in three times, yes no?

If he's a threat to raise with a decent amount of hands here (say 30%), I'd consider playing these hands the way you would.

[stripsqueez]

if its a 2/3 blind structure and hes not going to raise much then i will put a chip in with all of them - that would change significantly if it was a 1/2 blind structure or he did raise a lot

f b and d are my most likely hands to fold in that order

i have been putting a chip in against some opponents in this spot and then folding to a pre-flop raise - not sure about that play - obviously i reckon the blind structure and my read makes it feasible - its a play i will usually only find once in a given game

i definately mix in good hands with putting a chip in if i have any respect at all for my opponent

if the BB is going to call all my raises and hang around a lot post flop then i will still raise pre-flop with most hands that are a favourite to be in front - i would usually raise a c and e against such an opponent - i figure if i get passive pre-flop because he is passive pre-flop that isnt a good thing

i have a bit of tommyangeloitis about the small pairs - i have seen proof that i play too conservatively with them in this spot and others - i confess to folding hands like 22 heads up in the SB in a 1/2 blind structure because i dont feel like i have the read to know what i'm going to do post flop

i generally have a raise or fold approach in the SB but, particularly in the 15/30 6 max game, i will nearly always complete the first time i'm in this spot - i like to know what my opponent is going to do if i just complete - ideally i just complete, he raises and i get to a showdown to see something like Q6o which tells me a lot

stripsqueez - chickenhawk

[James282]

Hey Doug, I misread it to say that he raises often. Even still, 86o and Q4o are extremely difficult to play postflop as they will very rarely make a hand you can be comfortable betting. You are also out of position and if you opponent is good at all these hands can hurt you postflop, regardless of whether you are getting 5:1 or whatever.
-James