Opening Standards with a Calling Station

[Demana]

You can also use Archibald's tenacity to your advantage when cleaning up your outs or building pots with check/raises.

Sounds like the "maniac is on your left, how do you play?" question, only it is focused on postflop play rather than preflop play.

[sthief09]

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I think he is talking about raising first in.

Eh, my point was; it doesn't matter. We raise for value if he's going to call every hand, so be it.

Peace,
Joe Tall

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wouldn't you tend to raise more big cards and pocket pairs since you're usually going to be 2-4 handed with him in the pot?

[sthief09]

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Unless the blinds are supertight or the guy will lay down too often or play very predictable postflop, then I tighten up.

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I don't get why you'd tighten up. in a tournament, I might tighten up, since you want to wait for more +EV situations. here, raising, knowing that he'll call with any 2 suited or connected, a ton of hands are +EV. also if he's a calling station postflop, there's even more +EV

[PokerMike]

Well said, sir.

[Intrepid]

Thank you for the thoughtful response. I agree with the reasons you give for raising less and limping more with Archie on the button.

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Let me preface my answer by emphasizing that we are discussing marginal hands. ...we are discussing hands that are so weak there is doubt as to whether we should even be playing them at all.

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Are you certain the loss of blind stealing equity is so inconsequential that you should not fold any hands that would be clearly playable if Archibald were an average player?

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Archibald should cause you to open-limp with more hands, both hands you would normally fold and hands you would normally raise.

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I agree with limping more when Archie is on the button. However, I question whether we should play more hands than usual in this situation. Although Archie is bad, so will be our position when we limp in. What are the normally unplayable hands with which you would recommend open-limping?

When Archibald has the big blind, I would be inclined to open-raise nearly all the time (with playable hands) in hope of getting heads-up. If he were in the small blind, I would be more inclined to limp with good multiway hands. Do you recommend opening with more hands than normal when a calling station is in the blinds?

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3. Archibald's postflop play reduces the value of a preflop raise. Playing well postflop versus a calling station means making lots of money while losing many pots you could have won by being more "tenacious". The percentage of pots you win is substantially reduced and that reduces the EV of putting in extra bets preflop as opposed to just calling.

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Good point.