Taking a Stand

JaBlue · #1 08-21-2005, 02:59 PM

I generally play very loose and aggressive. A lot of players at 1-2 and 2-4 just roll over and let me stick it in them, but some take stands. This particular villain had been getting very aggressive with me whenever I was in a pot and pretty much had to win any pot that this was in. At first I kept bluffing off money to him as I would another opponent, hoping he would slow down - but he kept raising me all in and [censored]. Needless to say, I was annoyed and down 3/4 of a buy-in from this guy.

Here's the hand:

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $2 BB (5 handed) converter

Button ($355.95)
Hero ($490.45)
BB ($483.20)
UTG ($469.45)
MP ($200.80)

Preflop: Hero is SB with K[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img].
UTG calls $2, 1 fold, Button calls $2, Hero raises to $14, 1 fold, UTG calls $12, Button calls $12.

Flop: ($44) 4[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], J[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], Q[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (3 players)
Hero bets $34, UTG calls $34, Button folds.

Turn: ($112) 7[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (2 players)
Hero checks, UTG checks.

River: ($112) J[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] (2 players)
Hero checks, UTG bets $50, Hero calls $50.

Final Pot: $212

Hero has Ks Ad (one pair, jacks).
UTG has Ts 9h (one pair, jacks).
Outcome: Hero wins $212.

There's not too much to the hand itself in my opinion. The villain was mostly overbet bluffing against me. And to be honest, had he gone all in on the river, I would have folded. But with his underbet, I felt like he could be easily bluffing more than 1/3 of the time. I also felt that if I was slightly wrong about this - that he was only betting 1/4 of the time, it would be ok to take the -EV because I would shut him down when I did catch him bluffing.

Anyway, I caught him and he completely shut down against me. The lesson is that the best way to handle an aggressive player who is getting on your nerves is to catch them bluffing. This guy never pulled any BS on me throughout the rest of the session and we were involved in quite a few pots together.

This guy was the only guy coming back at me at the table, and as soon as I caught him bluffing, the whole table stopped trying to pull anything on me.

BobboFitos · #2 08-21-2005, 06:02 PM

ja dont post results man, it skews everything

...

i played at your table for a little while to have some fun [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

those raises OOP are so annoying, esp. because i kept having small pairs and calling the 6 or 7x bb raise because we were deep enough...

Anyway, I normally check this flop. it seems your hand is decent, ("2 overs + nut gutshot") but in reality you're often reverse dominated on a coordinated board. If I do fire I like your bet size. Good read on the river, as well. How much do you call? You beat KT, T9, AT, and those are the only logical hand groups...

[ QUOTE ]

Anyway, I caught him and he completely shut down against me. The lesson is that the best way to handle an aggressive player who is getting on your nerves is to catch them bluffing. This guy never pulled any BS on me throughout the rest of the session and we were involved in quite a few pots together.

[/ QUOTE ]
The other best way is just keep playing pots w/ position on them, and raise them when you have better cards. sounds silly, but they get fed up and donate their money eventually.

JaBlue · #3 08-21-2005, 07:32 PM

I posted results on purpose - the post was more about the metagame consequences than the particular hand, which I think SSNL is lacking.

On the river he bet 50$ into the 100$ or so. I doubt I would call much more than that.

I had fun playing with you the other day but was completely card dead. And not even the card dead where I can still raise and make a good hand with the 76o and 35s on the button >:O

Lastly, I wasn't planning to continue the hand after the flop bet unless I hit a ten.