Best strategy against an opponent who's playing possum

[Godfather80]

I played in a 30 player $50 buy in NL tournament a few weeks ago and was fortunate enough to win it. I have a question about a specific opponent who gave me and everyone else at the table fits before I eventually busted him.

This player began the day (1pm) complaining that he had been up all night plowing snow. He claimed to be totally wiped out from the experience and didn't think he could play a full tournament. While in the early stages he made some ridiculously loose all-ins, seemingly trying to lose quickly, but, as luck would have it, he doubled up and tripled up to the chip lead going into the middle stages.

He then completely changed gears and when seated at my table proceeded to nut-peddle for several hours until we broke for the final table.

At this point I decided that he either was tired earlier, but caught his second wind when he realized he was in good position to win; or, was simply an unorthodox player who took advantage of others who believed what he said.

At the final table, he once again began to complain of fatigue and began throwing chips around and going all in in strange situations (ie where if he were to be called he would have to be beat). When people folded to his outlandish all-ins he would act hurt and show his meager holding and say "do we really have to drag this out".

By now I had a commanding chip lead and had no interest in f-ing around with an opponent who could change gears, but my other tablemates started taking shots at him. Lo and behold he started showing down winners again. I finally took him out when he made a very good semi-bluff on a turn which just happened to make a better hand for me.

My question is this: what do you guys do with a player who is constantly acting like he wants to lose, but always seems to sneak by? Do you avoid him like the plague, waiting for others to take shots? Do you look for a quality hand and hope to isolate? What is the highest EV strategy for this situation?

[Al Schoonmaker]

Your description of his playing and your characterization are inconsistent. He doesn't sound like someone who was "playing possum" or shifting gears intelligently. He sounds like someone who was extremely lucky.

If he made "outlandish all ins" at the final table, he was NOT playing possum.

I also don't understand how a 30 player NL tournament can take several hours. With that small a field, tournaments normally take much less time.

Regards,

Al

[West]

[ QUOTE ]
I also don't understand how a 30 player NL tournament can take several hours. With that small a field, tournaments normally take much less time.

[/ QUOTE ]

A live tournament among friends like this can take forever. Lot of time wasted in between hands, players who take forever to shuffle, etc. If your blinds go up every half hour or so, you're guaranteed several hours right there, often with fewer hands played than you would expect. The inexperienced players that I have played with tend to play a passive style, and typically don't realize the value of the blinds as they start to get large relative to players stacks, so what I've seen is that depending on who survives, there sometimes is less aggressive play than there should be based on the blinds, which tends to prolong things further.

[mackthefork]

[ QUOTE ]
I also don't understand how a 30 player NL tournament can take several hours. With that small a field, tournaments normally take much less time.


[/ QUOTE ]

The Party 3 table structure is much better than their single table format SNGs, the blinds go 10/15, 10/20, 15,30, 25/50 etc and go up every 10 minutes instead of 10 hands, thus they last 2.5-3 hours.

Regards Mack

[Pepsquad]

Al is right. All-in's when "if he were to be called he would have to be beat" isn't the recipe for too many final tables. That said, he did show the ability to slow down and play quality poker after showing the table a couple crap hands. In your position, I think you played it correctly to avoid him in marginal situations.

[TheJunkyardGod]

When you play against anyone who's unpredictable, or really lucky, or any situation that makes him difficult to beat. You're best idea would be to sit back and let other players try to take him out, while you sit back and wait for some good cards, or hands he's not involved in. I have a few players like that at my home game. They play very loose and have immense luck. Trying to outplay them doesnt work so you just sit there and let the cards dictate the game. If someone else gets lucky and busts him out, good for them.