How to play a LAG

[Thigh]

Maybe this is poker 101, but I thought I would ask anyway.

Last night, I'm playing a .01/.02 game at a loose table. There's one there that takes the cake as far as being a LAG goes. My question is, how do you play when you know none of your bets/raises for information or protection are worth anything?

Do you just tighten up until you have the nuts, then play? I mean, if you flopped a top pair, and c/r the flop, only to have it raised back at you by the LAG, it doesn't mean anything. They won't fold and will go all the way to the river.

I had a J's dealt to me. I raised PF, then it was raised back to me. I just called.
The flop comes with one K, and a bunch of nothing. So I bet, LAG raises, and I call. I just checked the turn, nothing fell there either, LAG bets, I call.

Nothing falls on the river, I check, LAG bets, I call. LAG turns over a K, beating my JJ. I know I shouldn't have plaid JJ this far, but I normally play .25/.50, and didn't really care about the pennies. I was just trying to learn something.

Is there a reason to play anything but the best hands against a LAG?

Thanks for any replies to this moronic question. [img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

[RickA]

FWIW I find it frustrating as you do but its definitely a profitable postion for you. I would suggest not worrying about raising for protection or information unless you think you can isolate the maniac. Bet your strong hands for value and call him down a little more with marginal hands. Don't loosen up your cold calling standards too much Pre flop I feel re-raising is generally better than cold calling becasue think he doesn't have anything.THe JJ you mentioned was just very bad luck. I'm assuming he showed you a K-4 or K-5. If he was drawing to 3 outs against your pair you know you'll win that hand a huge majority of the time.

[emil3000]

Isolate the fellow with decent hands, like KQ, 88, and the likes. Don't fold just cause there's an overcard. Mercilessly valureraise your tpgk. Punish him whenever you have a decent hand. The calldown with ace high can be quite profitable against these players, but you need some experience and good hand reading ability to pull that off successfully.

You really want the LAG's in your game, but they can be frustrating, cause you have to pay them off.

[JKetzer]

A LAG makes the average pots larger while keeping the antes (blinds) the same, so you can be much tighter. You might consider reading The Psychology of Poker; it discusses the LAG mentality and how to defeat it, and it's an interesting read.

[@bsolute_luck]

i had to laugh at your post Thigh just because, like every1 here, i have those people all the time! i had pocket kings last night, 3-bet PRF, flopped trips, only to be beaten by a schmuck playing 23o who hit his straight on the river [img]/images/graemlins/mad.gif[/img]

if it wasn't for these forums and studying the game, i'd either have quit or start playing just like him. but, as i've learned, these people are more profitable than costly so you just have to remember that. play a solid game and you'll win with your JJ more than he will.

(oh and that little sucker from my example: i ended up putting him out a few hands later and doubled my $$ [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] )

edit: i know you would have lost more money on this hand, but it is suggested to reraise PRF with JJ from any position.

[Thigh]

Thanks. I think it was a K-5. I would have capped PF with a bigger pair, but with JJ I normally try to keep it around 3 bets PF. Maybe I should change that.

[Thigh]

I keep hearing about that book, I think I'll get it just for the LAG discussion. Problem is, I'm in the middle of SSH and trying to familiarize myself with it as much as possible.

[Thigh]

I normally don't cap the betting with a JJ. I know the suggestion is there, but notice JJ is also under just calling. Like it'll say: Against a raise: Call AA - TT, Re-raise: AA-TT. So I normally don't try to cap unless I've got at least QQ.

Maybe I'm wrong in this. Can someone give me more advice here? Thanks you all.

[Thigh]

What about tightening up a bit on hands you should play? I mean, should I still follow the same guidelines, including internal ones I've created, even if there's a LAG playing?

What I used to do, is tighten up tremendously, but then I figured I was missing out on too many pots. So I loosened up, almost playing the same as if a LAG wasn't in the game. Which of course is hard to find at .01/.02 and even .25/.50 games.

[RickA]

FWIW

I would have similar standards to you in a typical game with JJ. But this fits intop line of strategy vs a maniac. In a typical game most people only 3 betting top hands. JJ is probably in the middle of that range. A maniac is 3 betting a much wider range of which JJ is probably near the top. Thus you should get the money in when you have an edge.

I think the money is to be made post flop. I wouldn't loosen up too much pre flop but push your hands harder(like capping with JJ) and call him down a little more frequently with marginal hands ie middle pair or even A high if its heads up.