Playing Aggressive Players in a Ring Game

[IRV]

Yeah, I have a choice on-line to pick a table or not. But I'm always trying to improve my game so I pick these super aggressive tables purposely so that I can learn to deal with them and develop more skill. The other tables are usually a breeze, so straight forward play usually gets you the $$$.

Thanks for all the advice!

[Manimal 42]

I love players like these and just see their stack as my future stack.

Idea is hard to find but ideally, if this person is on your right, you can play the waiting game, tighten up, call to see the occarional flop and then let him make your flop bets for you when you hit.

I rarely raise a player like this until the turn and then often raise big/all-in. I wouldn't be playing K2o though. I just wait and wait for decent overcards, AT s, KJs Maaaaybe QJs or JTs or a PP. I don't have stats to back me up but I usually don't play lower suited connecters against a player like this as it costs to much to draw.

busting a player like this helps build major table image and you may find, after taking him down a few pots, you can bluff with impunity. My $.02 anyway ;~)

[kurto]

First, as someone else noted, I was confused by your statement that you would get killed waiting for a good hand. If you feel being blinded kills you waiting for a good hand, you need to play lower limits and start with a bigger bankroll. Also, play a full table- you can then be more patient. That being said, I was just having a ball with this kind of player the other night.

I was playing on Pokerstars .5/.10 no limit the other night. I noted this one player was raising 4-6x the BB 3 out of every 4 hands and would bet every single time on the flop. 9 out of 10 times everyone folded. It was amazing to me that people weren't outplaying him. Especially because when he got called and we saw his hands, it was often with nothing more then middle and even bottom pair. He was raising with any ONE card above a 9. (4-J, 8-K... and unsuited connectors, even a 2-9 suited, etc.)

He was sitting directly to my left which excited me since if I had a hand I was going to play, I knew I could limp, he would raise to thin the field, and I would call or check raise him depending on the strength of my hand. I also knew that he would bet the flop no matter what but if I had any piece of the flop, odds are my hand would be better then his.

Finally I was dealt a K-J suited 1 off from the button (he was small blind.) Against his hands, this was a great hand to see a flop cheaply. (he would raise .40 into a pot of equal size and he had a stack about 7 dollars which I had my eyes on.)

There were 3 limpers before me (which I couldn't figure out why they would limp and then fold to his raise when they knew he would raise every hand? If you know he's going to raise, only play a hand you will play for a raise) I limped in, he raised to .50, everyone folds to me and I call.

Flop comes x-10-K. He bets $1. I go all in and he immediatley calls. Unless he has x-10, I have no doubts that I have him beat. The turn and river bring a Q and an Ace giving me the straight. He holds an 7-10 suited for a pair of 10s.

I immediately type, "I love maniacs. So willing to give away their stacks." Some may question this but I do it for 3 reasons... (1) I want others to see him for what he is. I don't like seeing him bully people and want to encourage them. (2) I want people to fear me. (3) I want to encourage him to play even worse.

He reloads (to $5) and continues to steal blinds for a number of hands building up to between $6 and $7. Still, everyone limping and folding to his raises and/or flop bets.

It is around again to him on the button so I know he's going for the steal. I have A-Q. I limp, he raises, everyone folds to me,... this time I reraise, he calls. The flop comes rag-rag-queen. He bets, I put him all in, he calls. He his Q-5 lost to my A-Q.

I typed again, "I love maniacs." Then I asked him if he was going to reload. He cursed me and then left the table. In the meantime, my stack had more then doubled thanks to him.

Moral of the story- Wait for good hands then play them aggresssively. And make sure you have a big stack because you want to take all or as much of their stack as you can.

[sillyarms]

I like to have odds of about 2:1 that I'm ahead. If my opponet is a maniac and is raising 100% of his hands I am going to play against him with the top 33% of my hands. If he is raising with the top 50% of his hands I'm in there with the top 16.7% of my hands and so on. I try to estimate the range of hands he is playing and give myself 2:1 odds of being ahead. I generaly look for these maniac types on party and buddy list them to follow them around. this method has worked well for me. I would love to hear what other people have to say about it.

silly

[felson]

Well said, ugly24. Everyone else, listen to this man!