How Would You Handle This Situation?

[brianmarc]

The game is online 5-handed 20/40 limit. The main characters are Loose Passive Calling Station (LPCS) with a 4-figure bankroll, who calls and limps virtually every hand, even with nothing and in the face of a raise and immediately to his left Tight Aggressive Expert (TAE). I am one seat to TAE’s left. The other two players are competent, moderately tight but relatively passive players who tend to not be overly protective of their blinds, do not raise unless they have power hands, even, for example, when opening on the button. On the surface it’s a good game – not many pre-flop raises, little deception, and one rich fish. So the game looks pretty appealing to me.

Unfortunately, LPCS has been riding a streak over a couple hours (more than 100 hands) in which he made miracle late-hand draws for large pots. Needless to say, he’s the big winner on the table. TAE is up a small amount; the remaining 3 of us are all losing.

After a while I notice that TAE has changed his play to almost always raise when LPCS limp opens. Since LPCS plays virtually every hand, this happens around 20% of the time. Respecting TAE’s capabilities my immediate reaction is to fold to his raise unless I have an exceptional hand. The other two players also folded most of the time so TAE gets HU against LPCS. On the flop, LPCS checks the majority of the time and TAE bets; LPCS limps and so it goes with LPCS invariably folding to TAE’s river bet and TAE gets an uncontested pot, and the remaining 3 of us sitting there as spectators. Since LPCS only bets or raises with major nuts, TAE will never call him down when LPCS takes the initiative.

When I or one of the other 2 players limps or bets (i.e., TAE does not have his isolation play), or LPCS bets, TAE invariably check-folds on the flop. When he does play and gets to a showdown he usually wins, further reinforcing the perception on the table that he has our number (except for LPCS who continues playing the same predictable way).

It’s apparent that TAE has read the table perfectly and is exploiting this.

So what am I to do? I know this guy is frequently raising with marginal hands, so should I loosen up and cold call with MY marginal hands? Should I reraise with weaker hands that I would usually 3-bet with? Should I accept that until the othre twoplayers decide to defend thrie blinds I should make no changes and let these LPCS and TAE continuw with their little game, and for me to wait for the right situations in these and other hands? Problem with this is I am, in effect, giving up on nearly 20% of the hands; and I KNOW there are opportunities here for me. Also, I believe I understand what’s going on; the other players don’t. This is potentially valuable information. On the other hand I am up against someone who is clearly a superior player to me; but I think I am a superior player than the other 4 guys on the table.

There are clearly wheels within wheels here (not to speak of some major pots!). I look forward to your comments.