help with beating the loose aggressive player at the table!

[Rounder Wannabe]

I play in a regular home game on the weekends. we mostly play SnG's and dabble in cash games every now and then. The action is pretty decent for a group made up of pretty avg-solid players.

However there is one player in particular that makes me feel like im playing at Jackson.

I would definately classify him as a loose-aggresive with borderline maniac tendancies. I have picked up on a few of his tells and more importantly in my opinion, his betting patterns.

some of the things i 've noticed:

-grossly overbets the pot pre flop when he holds a small pocket pair (i.e bets 2k into a 300$ pot (1/200 blinds), from ANY position.
-limps in with a drawing hand
-will not fold his hand to any bet if he has 4 to a flush.
-always bets on the come to a straight/flush draw
-jacks up the pot after bets/raises if he holds bottom pair + over card.

so.. even though i've picked up one his betting patterns/tells.. he still comes out on top soley because he is loose/aggressive. I have yet to see him play tight/agressive. the table we usually play with isn't exactly tight, so he isn't playing opposite to everyone else.

I've tried to keep him in check by check raising more, playing back at him when i have a hand, slow playing big cards/hands when he's to my left and he starts getting out of hand...but i guess the poker gods dont like me right now.

Any tips to help me with my game against him and other players like him? anything would be helpful.

[Quads]

I think you nailed it right there.

I've tried to keep him in check by check raising more, playing back at him when i have a hand, slow playing big cards/hands when he's to my left and he starts getting out of hand...but i guess the poker gods dont like me right now.


Be patient, when he is in the hand on a draw, and you have a made hand, blow him off his hand. I think it's just a matter of time before you break him and clean him out.

[Ace-in-Space]

Buy the book The Psychology of Poker. See the following synopsis of the book:

The Psychology of Poker by Alan N. Schoonmaker, Ph.D.
Poker demands many skills and strategies. To be successful, you must be able to master all of them and then apply them at the appropriate times. They include proper hand selection, appropriate aggression, bluffing, semi-bluffing, understanding tells and telegraphs, choosing the right games, and reading hands. These skills do not come easily since they require unnatural actions.

You cannot win just by "doing what comes naturally." This book does not provide strategic advice; you should get it from other Two Plus Two books. Dr. Schoonmaker is concerned only with the way that psychological factors affect your own and your opponents' ability to play properly.

For example, have you ever wondered why some players seem extremely aggressive while others are passive? Why some are tight and others loose? Furthermore, have you ever wondered why some tactics seem to come naturally to you while others don't?

This text will answer many of these questions. It will explain why you and your opponents play the way you do. Many people know how to play properly, but play poorly. Simply learning strategy does not mean that you will apply it properly.

The author also suggests strategic adjustments that you should make to improve your results against different kinds of players, and he suggests personal adjustments that will help you to play better and enjoy the game more. (330 pages; $24.95, Available about 5/20/2000)

[Hagar]

Those types of players are the same kind that give me lots of trouble, so
I'd love hear a good response to this question.

Having good reads on his tendencies is a great start. At least if you know what he's up to most of the time, you can react accordingly.

Playing back at him is a pretty well supported strtegy, but it's hard to do if you don't have strong hand.

While trying to crack this guy though, you can't lose focus on your game plan. There are other players in the mix and you gotta play your game and not get caught up in "vengence".

Widh I had some more solid advice for you here.....