Very Aggressive Play Can be Very Profitable.

[AdamL]

Ok, so I'm watching a 100NL game and there is a very aggressive player involved at the table. He opens frequently for a large sum, usually 15x the big blind. He doesn't quit on the flop. If you bet, he raises you by a large amount. If you check, expect a big bet.

Yeah, I know, a maniac can be beaten. Especially with a full table, usually once every couple of hands someone has him beat and knows it, and they'll take him down.

But what if it's not a maniac this time? What if the guy has some style, and really knows when to lay off the pressure?

All of a sudden he can make a ton of money, and not lose it all back. This is a guy who will get great action on his hands, pick up a lot of *large* pots (built preflop) and get away from many of the pots where he is beat.

Is this the most profitable way of playing NL hold'em?

Is it advocated anywhere? Has anyone given it serious attention and study? Perhaps published a book on this style?

There is no doubt in my mind that a very aggressive player with the skill and judgement to avoid traps, could sit down at any poker table and dominate very quickly, either killing the game completely or winning a lot of money.

Comments?

[umdpoker]

it certainly seems to me that the guy with the biggest stack at the table is almost always the most aggressive, but i am never sure how many buy-ins it took to get there. i think if you have very good hand reading skills, then playing a little loose and very aggressively is the best way to go.

[Michael Davis]

Yes, it is profitable, except for that part about raising 15x the BB. That is suicide: people are going to be moving in on you left and right if you do this often.

A skilled maniac gets the money here. But he has to be a damn good postflop player.

-Michael

[Brian462]

15x BB? You could beat this guy simply by reraising all-in with all of your decent hands.

If we make that more resonable, like 6x BB, then you can call his raises with your decent hands and then punish him whenever you flop something(usually by letting him bluff the flop and maybe the turn before showing any strength).

Being aggressive is definitely the way to go in any form of poker, but loose aggressive will almost always get you killed.

[faughtandone]

aside from the idiotic 15XBB the style you are describing is pretty much straight out of supersystem.

[Toddster18]

I am nowhere near the level of being able to profitably play like this. But some are. I think the key lies somewhere in knowing when to get away from a hand; and reaidng your opponents uncannily well. But the swings are unbelievable to watch.

Watch Gus Hansen - defition of a LAG, but ...well...he does pretty well, Phil Ivey, Read some of Brunsons' hand histories, etc....

My thoughts.

-Todd

[AdamL]

[ QUOTE ]
I am nowhere near the level of being able to profitably play like this. But some are. I think the key lies somewhere in knowing when to get away from a hand; and reaidng your opponents uncannily well. But the swings are unbelievable to watch.

Watch Gus Hansen - defition of a LAG, but ...well...he does pretty well, Phil Ivey, Read some of Brunsons' hand histories, etc....

My thoughts.

-Todd

[/ QUOTE ]

Very useful comments. Do you know where I could find the hand histories etc?

Thanks

Adam