Question about the "nothing game"
Ring game
if you are up against a very lose and aggressive and lucky player
Hero has show calling 3-4x raise with hand like 23, 35 and win a big pot because it flop his way, and nobody can put him on that hand.
his style: he never raise, always call the flop, call but may fold the turn, and fold or raise on the river...unless you check, then he make over size bet,........
This hand ( i'm too lazy to dig out the HH)
fulltilt 0.05/0.1 ring game.
i'm in SB with AK. two limper to me (.35 in the pot)
I make it 0.5 to go (0.8 in the pot)
Hero in BB call, limpers fold (1.2 in the pot)
Flop is 2 6 2 rainbow.
I cont bet $1.2, hero Call ($3.6 in the pot)
Turn is 9.
I bet $2.5 (pot is $6.1), <- is this bet a mistake? or should i check? but if i check, he'll over bet the pot, that i can't call.
Hero went all-in.($24. pot is $30.1)
I have $18 left.........I FOLDED. he muck.
since he is so loose, I can't put him on a range of hand.
I have this feeling that my AK is still good, and he is buying this pot, knowing that i have nothing, and i can't call this risky bet with nothing.
How would you play this? would you call?
my table image is tight.
if you are up against a very lose and aggressive and lucky player
Hero has show calling 3-4x raise with hand like 23, 35 and win a big pot because it flop his way, and nobody can put him on that hand.
his style: he never raise, always call the flop, call but may fold the turn, and fold or raise on the river...unless you check, then he make over size bet,........
This hand ( i'm too lazy to dig out the HH)
fulltilt 0.05/0.1 ring game.
i'm in SB with AK. two limper to me (.35 in the pot)
I make it 0.5 to go (0.8 in the pot)
Hero in BB call, limpers fold (1.2 in the pot)
Flop is 2 6 2 rainbow.
I cont bet $1.2, hero Call ($3.6 in the pot)
Turn is 9.
I bet $2.5 (pot is $6.1), <- is this bet a mistake? or should i check? but if i check, he'll over bet the pot, that i can't call.
Hero went all-in.($24. pot is $30.1)
I have $18 left.........I FOLDED. he muck.
since he is so loose, I can't put him on a range of hand.
I have this feeling that my AK is still good, and he is buying this pot, knowing that i have nothing, and i can't call this risky bet with nothing.
How would you play this? would you call?
my table image is tight.
Comments
And how can you call with AK? Yes it's a good starting hand, but you missed everything so far. I put the villain on 92. :-)
I'm not an expert but here's my take.
When a LAG is winning you need to find out if he's lucky or good.
Good loose aggressive players are very dangerous.
They will play all kinds of crap preflop but when the big money goes in they will have solid hands. Their strategy is to outplay you postflop to win back the equity they lose from their loose preflop calls. If you loosen up your play postflop assuming he has nothing then they can crush you.
If he's just a lucky lag - not a skillful one:
Punish him more preflop.
If the loose player *always* calls 5x bet with any two then don't bet 5x, it's not getting you any information, try 8x or 15x. Find out how much you need to fold him... or check. But here you also have to be careful of the active players behind you.
Sometimes you need to bet 10x to get any info on them.
Forget standard C-betting when you miss. Either overbet (probably a bad idea against a call anything guy) or check fold when you miss.
If you have zero fold equity in a C-bet. Don't continuation bet.
On the flop you have 13% chance of hitting your hand.
Why build a big pot?
On the turn, why are you betting 2.5?
He called your pot sized c-bet on the flop the turn didn't help your hand. Do you think a less than pot sized bet on the turn will make the LAG fold?
He's a calling station so you're building a big pot and getting zero information about his hand. It sucks to be passive, but betting here is just blind aggression with no chance of winning the pot.
Your strategy against this Passive-Aggressive should be.
0. Forget bluffing. Forget Continuation betting.
1. Get a big hand. (AK has zero fold equity vs this guy so it's *not* a big hand if it misses, The same also applies to medium pairs that miss the flop)
2. Bet it big (he will call or reraise)
3. Show him the big hand.
4. Collect his money.
5. Give him cab fare to induce him to come back.
If he's a skillful LAG:
1. Punish him preflop with raises, but don't go overboard, they pick up AA just as often as you do.
2. Don't pay off his big bets... it's okay to let him bluff you and show and laugh in your face ... good LAG's will occasionally bluff you. It's part of the game.
3. Remember when the big money goes in he *will* have a good hand. You need to outplay and trap him with a monster.
4. You need to vary your preflop game. It's no longer sufficient to just play tight. You have to let him know that when small cards come on the flop he can't be sure you missed. If you just play TT+ AQs+ in early position then you might as well play with your cards face up. Occasionally play small pairs and suited connectors out of position against him.
5. For me if I'm in a hand against a good lag I really have to think on the turn. You want to make him believe you are playing him like he's a normal shitty calling station loose player. What you're selling him is to make him think you're playing your usual, "I had better starting hand vs this doofus" type of plays.
6. Keep the pot size small on the flop and turn vs a good LAG. Most of them have fabulous postflop skill. When you build a big pot on the flop and turn and they outplay you.. they gain back all the money they lost from their loose preflop plays.