Adjusting strategy for the habitual reraiser

[mlagoo]

Situation: 6-8 handed, level 3-4. You are one of the higher middle stacks at the table, but there is one big stack with everyone outchipped by quite a bit. He is in the BB when you are OTB, and in SB when you are in CO.

You frequently in these levels like to open-raise from these positions with a variety of hands that can stand a call but can't really stand a reraise (think around the area of A9s, KJ-KTs, QJs -- that sort of thing). Fairly standard I think

How do you adjust your play when the big stack decides it's his agenda to defend his blinds with a hefty reraise on nearly every steal you make -- and in fact, even defends his button at times. Do you open up your calling ranges for his resteal, or do you just stop stealing? One of the major reasons I do (reasonably) well in the $11s and $22s that I play in is because I get a lot of chips in levels 3-5 stealing blinds. If I am being out-lagged, do I just stop stealing?

[junkmail3]

Start pushing. He can't come over top of a push to get you out of the hand. He has to call, and hurt his stack if he loses. He won't call without the best of hands.

This is a solution.

Not stealing from him is another solution.

Continuing to raise 3xBB is not a solution.

Waiting until you have a very good hand, one that you would want to get all in against him with and pushing against his reraise is another option.

But I like combing pushing more and folding more in this situation, eliminating 3xraises.

[mlagoo]

Yeahh... but I hate open pushing for like 20xBB. Especially into a big stack. It freaks me out.

I guess fold more is an option.

Or just quit getting dealt freakin A9 and KJ on the button when this [censored] won't give me his big blind.

[junkmail3]

Chances also are that if he's doing this often, others will steal from him, and when he tries to resteal, he's going to run into a hand at some point. So, you could just chill until he gets hit, or until he knocks more people out.