Playing against Fish & Donkeys
Kent made a interesting post on How to play against fish and donkeys. I'll use my Brother's Game and reintroduce the characters and how I approach my game.
Brian (Brother #1): He made the comment "no one knows probabilities at this game better than me." He's arrogant and because of this I use it against him when I have big hands. He hates to lose to me. He uses his "probabilities" to make weak calls preflop cause "the pots too big". Very bad bettor. With pot laying $20 at the flop will continue to make the bet $3 or $4 down to the river giving me odds to chase hands. Thinks I'm a fish because of this. Doesn't like to push people out of pot with big hands.
How I play against Brian: reraise him all the time. call down with draws. I generally avoid bluffing him. he'll make weak and good calls on whims and when he's right he chalks it up to a "good read". he's a donkey.
WildBill: Most aggressive player preflop. Will raise every unopen pot preflop to 3 or 4x the BB. Hates to see small pots and will continue to build pot after the flop. Will call down all the way to the river with any draw including 3 to a flush or straight on flop.
How I play against Bill: reraise him too... and big. I'll overbet the pot all the time if I get him heads up because he will call. I usually commit myself to a hand with my bets so I have to have nut hands. I don't bluff Bill. You can't bluff the unbluffable.
Eric: New guy the last 3 months or so. Weakest player I've ever seen. Weak - in that he will never ever raise preflop/flop/turn or river. Will check/call with a hand. Made the wheel in Hi/Low and checked it all the way down.
How I play against Eric: I generally play weaker hands against Eric. He won't raise so I'll chase down the river, hit my hand and make him call me. Very seldom that I get him heads up. He's the target at the table for everyone and Brian hates to let a hand go to him.
Steve: Will not fold big hands even when he knows he's beat. Will call off all his chips with KK on flops of AQQ with 2 all ins before him. Will call most bets on gutshot draws with one card coming.
How I play against Steve: I'm careful with Steve. I generally don't like to bluff him either. He's gonna make the call on the river with 2nd pair so I usually like to have a big hand to cover him. I make him pay for his draws as well.
Kenny: New player. Plays tight and can be pushed off big draws.
How I play agianst Kenny: If i get Kenny heads up I'll make more bluffs and buy pots. The pots against him allow me freeroll against the other guys.
Rick: (Brian's Dad). He's gotten much better as of late and I consider him the only real player at the table now. He folds when he feel's he's beat and generally doesn't mix it up with me.
How I play against Rick: Reraise him. He's become a tighter player but will overbet the pot on a bluff. I use this to call down with 2nd pair and win. He tilts very badly and isn't above calling someone an asshole. I take it in stride as I count the chips.
MY STYLE:
1.) I fold tons of hands. This game sits around 8-9 people nightly and the flop will see 8 people mostly to $1 limps. If i play a hand out of position I WILL RAISE AT LEAST 4X THE BB TO TRIM THE FIELD. This will generally trim the field to 3 or 4 in my game. If i hit the flop hard (set or 2 pair) I will bet at least 3/4ths the pot. Remember: there are fish at my game and I want to trim the field down to HU or 3 players max. If we see a turn I will commit my entire stack to ending it right there. My pots have plenty of money in them already and I don't mind winning now.
2.) With big hands in LP reraise the raiser to at least the pot. BB's mean nothing at this point so don't get drawn into the table talk that you bet too much. Fish will call anyways and you don't want to give the Brian's of the world the odd's to call. (brian - the pots too big so i have to call now).
3.) Don't worry about raising with middle pairs 8s or lower. I actually don't mind limping with these hands. 8s isn't the kind of hand I want to raise with in or out of position anyway and to a table full of callers I don't need to build a pot for someone else. If i hit the flop hard with a set I'll still get paid off.
4.) Hardest point of friendly games is playing too many hands. I used to get drawn into playing K9 / A2s from UTG but I've avoided this now. Pry not too friendly to fold hands, but I'm there to make money. Losing sucks. If you play hands with big kickers you can always raise/reraise with confidence.
5.) Never show your hands to the table. Eff them.
6.) Be prepared to lose some of your buyin's. Write them off mentally and don't fret over bad beats. If you lose to a bad beat you still have more $$ to rebuy. The play will still be as bad when you re-enter. This was hard for me to learn and it almost cost me a seat in this game. Now I just move on, rebuy and crack their ass next hand.
I'm sure I'll add more as time permits. Dee made some excellence points in her response.
-247
Brian (Brother #1): He made the comment "no one knows probabilities at this game better than me." He's arrogant and because of this I use it against him when I have big hands. He hates to lose to me. He uses his "probabilities" to make weak calls preflop cause "the pots too big". Very bad bettor. With pot laying $20 at the flop will continue to make the bet $3 or $4 down to the river giving me odds to chase hands. Thinks I'm a fish because of this. Doesn't like to push people out of pot with big hands.
How I play against Brian: reraise him all the time. call down with draws. I generally avoid bluffing him. he'll make weak and good calls on whims and when he's right he chalks it up to a "good read". he's a donkey.
WildBill: Most aggressive player preflop. Will raise every unopen pot preflop to 3 or 4x the BB. Hates to see small pots and will continue to build pot after the flop. Will call down all the way to the river with any draw including 3 to a flush or straight on flop.
How I play against Bill: reraise him too... and big. I'll overbet the pot all the time if I get him heads up because he will call. I usually commit myself to a hand with my bets so I have to have nut hands. I don't bluff Bill. You can't bluff the unbluffable.
Eric: New guy the last 3 months or so. Weakest player I've ever seen. Weak - in that he will never ever raise preflop/flop/turn or river. Will check/call with a hand. Made the wheel in Hi/Low and checked it all the way down.
How I play against Eric: I generally play weaker hands against Eric. He won't raise so I'll chase down the river, hit my hand and make him call me. Very seldom that I get him heads up. He's the target at the table for everyone and Brian hates to let a hand go to him.
Steve: Will not fold big hands even when he knows he's beat. Will call off all his chips with KK on flops of AQQ with 2 all ins before him. Will call most bets on gutshot draws with one card coming.
How I play against Steve: I'm careful with Steve. I generally don't like to bluff him either. He's gonna make the call on the river with 2nd pair so I usually like to have a big hand to cover him. I make him pay for his draws as well.
Kenny: New player. Plays tight and can be pushed off big draws.
How I play agianst Kenny: If i get Kenny heads up I'll make more bluffs and buy pots. The pots against him allow me freeroll against the other guys.
Rick: (Brian's Dad). He's gotten much better as of late and I consider him the only real player at the table now. He folds when he feel's he's beat and generally doesn't mix it up with me.
How I play against Rick: Reraise him. He's become a tighter player but will overbet the pot on a bluff. I use this to call down with 2nd pair and win. He tilts very badly and isn't above calling someone an asshole. I take it in stride as I count the chips.
MY STYLE:
1.) I fold tons of hands. This game sits around 8-9 people nightly and the flop will see 8 people mostly to $1 limps. If i play a hand out of position I WILL RAISE AT LEAST 4X THE BB TO TRIM THE FIELD. This will generally trim the field to 3 or 4 in my game. If i hit the flop hard (set or 2 pair) I will bet at least 3/4ths the pot. Remember: there are fish at my game and I want to trim the field down to HU or 3 players max. If we see a turn I will commit my entire stack to ending it right there. My pots have plenty of money in them already and I don't mind winning now.
2.) With big hands in LP reraise the raiser to at least the pot. BB's mean nothing at this point so don't get drawn into the table talk that you bet too much. Fish will call anyways and you don't want to give the Brian's of the world the odd's to call. (brian - the pots too big so i have to call now).
3.) Don't worry about raising with middle pairs 8s or lower. I actually don't mind limping with these hands. 8s isn't the kind of hand I want to raise with in or out of position anyway and to a table full of callers I don't need to build a pot for someone else. If i hit the flop hard with a set I'll still get paid off.
4.) Hardest point of friendly games is playing too many hands. I used to get drawn into playing K9 / A2s from UTG but I've avoided this now. Pry not too friendly to fold hands, but I'm there to make money. Losing sucks. If you play hands with big kickers you can always raise/reraise with confidence.
5.) Never show your hands to the table. Eff them.
6.) Be prepared to lose some of your buyin's. Write them off mentally and don't fret over bad beats. If you lose to a bad beat you still have more $$ to rebuy. The play will still be as bad when you re-enter. This was hard for me to learn and it almost cost me a seat in this game. Now I just move on, rebuy and crack their ass next hand.
I'm sure I'll add more as time permits. Dee made some excellence points in her response.
-247
posted by steeler247 at
4:06 PM
2 Comments:
ahh yes ... we all know youre a luckbox
i don't think they read. or write.
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