How to deal with really loose/big betting player?

I think you're playing him absolutely correctly. You dont ever want to bluff someone like that cuz they counter aggression with more aggression. Be a calling station, nothing is going to irritate him more than having every one of his big bets cold called. Check calling in hands he's in will allow you to begin to pick up on his bluffing habbits so that later when he makes the same play you can come over the top. This is just how I handle bulleys, do as you wish.

[HPG ADMIN]

I get pushed around by those players all the time. I usually wait until I havea good hand. The problem is that I am usually afraid to see the flop with marginal hands (AJ, KQ, etc) when he raises. Usually I felle good because I avoid crazy hands that can kill me, but I know deep down I am afraid of players like that, and the key to playing NL Hold Em is not having fear so I know my conservative strategy is not the best route.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

I think you're playing him absolutely correctly. You dont ever want to bluff someone like that cuz they counter aggression with more aggression. Be a calling station, nothing is going to irritate him more than having every one of his big bets cold called. Check calling in hands he's in will allow you to begin to pick up on his bluffing habbits so that later when he makes the same play you can come over the top. This is just how I handle bulleys, do as you wish.

So, what if he throws more in? Would you bluff him out then?! How?! Unless you have any kind of hand to begin with, or you plan on betting on the next round, you have no business check/calling.
If you check/raise on the inital bet and you seem like a conservative player, he will be scared and fold unless.
A) He actually has a good hand. OR
B) He has a good tell on you.

I love the bully. I sit in a ring game here in Dallas twice a week. Usually we have two or three real aggressive guys come in and start off immediatly raising the blinds. We play NL 1/2 and 2/5. They win the first round of betting , but if you play back at them when you are ready for a gamble they will stop the aggression after they have been beat. If you are afraid of the re-raise then you are not ready to gamble. These guys will test your resolve at the table, but if you play back at them, then they eventually stop the craziness. The main thing is that you have to show them that you are not afraid of the all in bet. If you are playing tournaments then this is your time to pick up some chips. Let them win the first round of blinds...let's see,ikely they will only win maybe 20.00 on the round because of the aggression. When it comes back to you in the blind and they are sitting on the button or before and they look to steal...raise them. Defend..not at all cost but put them on notice that you can't do that to me. If you can see the flop for cheap and it hits you pretty good. Such as AK AA KK even A Q , don't raise...let them raise and then you go over the top of them. Most likely they will then reraise allin and then the fight is on. Call them and may the best hand at the end win. You are going in the hand the better of the two.

What I am saying is contrary to some peoples theory...poker is and will always be a gamble. You just have to be willing to gamble all your chips. If 20.00 or 30.00 hurts then maybe it is not the game that you need to be in. I doubt it though, you seem to at least know a hand where your " buddy" does not. One thing he does know is if he bets then you all will fold. Stop waiting for the monstor and start challenging. Even if you get busted out, notice has been served. You will become the feared player at the table. respect is the only way you can " bluff". good luck and make some money.

Originally Posted by Mago

I love the bully. I sit in a ring game here in Dallas twice a week. Usually we have two or three real aggressive guys come in and start off immediatly raising the blinds. We play NL 1/2 and 2/5. They win the first round of betting , but if you play back at them when you are ready for a gamble they will stop the aggression after they have been beat. If you are afraid of the re-raise then you are not ready to gamble. These guys will test your resolve at the table, but if you play back at them, then they eventually stop the craziness. The main thing is that you have to show them that you are not afraid of the all in bet. If you are playing tournaments then this is your time to pick up some chips. Let them win the first round of blinds...let's see,ikely they will only win maybe 20.00 on the round because of the aggression. When it comes back to you in the blind and they are sitting on the button or before and they look to steal...raise them. Defend..not at all cost but put them on notice that you can't do that to me. If you can see the flop for cheap and it hits you pretty good. Such as AK AA KK even A Q , don't raise...let them raise and then you go over the top of them. Most likely they will then reraise allin and then the fight is on. Call them and may the best hand at the end win. You are going in the hand the better of the two.

What I am saying is contrary to some peoples theory...poker is and will always be a gamble. You just have to be willing to gamble all your chips. If 20.00 or 30.00 hurts then maybe it is not the game that you need to be in. I doubt it though, you seem to at least know a hand where your " buddy" does not. One thing he does know is if he bets then you all will fold. Stop waiting for the monstor and start challenging. Even if you get busted out, notice has been served. You will become the feared player at the table. respect is the only way you can " bluff". good luck and make some money.

Right on the money!

Your friend plays like every other over-aggressive idiot-bully I've ever seen:

"He plays with reckless abandon, and often times builds a huge chip lead then loses it all"

So your strategy should be simply this...play solid poker! I totally disagree with the "poker is a gamble" theory...yes, you will have "luck" beat you from time to time...nothing you can do about that. But in the end, the math WILL prevail...so play mathematically sound poker, and you will beat this player regularly.

The only real strategy change I might make is don't bet marginal hands that you THINK you have won (but you're not sure) for value. Take what money you can get until you have the monster...then lower the boom.

I do agree with the one poster's suggestion that you have to play back at players who consistently bulldoze...but only to a point. This strategy SIMPLY DOESN'T WORK AGAINST A WEAK PLAYER...far too often you'll end up putting your OWN self on tilt doing this. Play solid, fundamental poker...get your brain around the math of the game, then simply outplay the weakling. Against a stronger player, though, you HAVE to serve notice that you won't be pushed around...so yes, in that case, you have to play back at them now and then.

Lastly...you probably DO need to alter your table image a bit...by mixing it up. The thing that confounds you about your friend is you just can't get a read on him. Frustrating, isn't it? SO ADAPT THIS! It's time you started frustrating everyone else!

I know this play very well because this is exactly how I play but not all game.
My only reason for playing like this is to get action from marginal hands down the road. And like you said he turn up winner sometimes.
My advice is early on with a hand like A-10 or better push all your chip in even take a chance with K-Q. I know he will fold if he does not have a hand or worst case you get all his chips when he goes with you. By the third or fourth time playing back at him he will be broke or slow down. When you notice he is being less aggressive thats the time to be carefull. He want his chips back he will be so he will over bet top pare make sure you have good kicker or I recomend at least two pare

In a limit hold'em game math plays huge over time, but in No Limit, it is a gamble. If all you do is play monsters then you will hardly ever make the money that is available. You have to be ready to get all your money in the middle and that is some times with the worst hand going in.

What do I mean by that...? Say you raised the pot...two callers come in, you are holding 6/7 suited. Flop comes 45A. You are now open ended with the potential of having the nut straight and since you raised the pot before, you will bet out even though you did not catch a pair or two. You are only open ended. Now, most of the time the other players are going to put you on a high hand so the A does scare them. So the bet on the flop will win you the pot most of the time.

What if someone plays back at you? Well here is the (Gamble)...do you know the player? Is he a rock? Is he lose? How has he been playing during the night , etc. Are you getting sufficient odds to call his bet or are you going to get all your money in the middle. ( Gamble ) If you raised and he is only bluffing at you then a big raise over the top will most likely get him to fold.
( Gamble ) What if he goes all in, now what? You either have to release the hand or ( Gamble ). Not knowing what he has and knowing that you are open ended you could be getting great odds for your all in call. You will win and you will lose. It is an aggressive play but if you are to win and I mean big, you are going to gamble....not stupidly gamble. You will have to study the math and the odds and then take the calculated (Gamble) that you will win.

( Gamble) That is the nature of poker and especially No Limit Hold em. Strong poker and strong players make the money and weak players who only play monsters can not and never will win over time. ( No Limit that is )

Statisics are only statistics...take craps for example . The dice each have 6 numbers 1 - 6. Let's use the 11 ( 65 ) . Statistically ( Mathematically ) the number eleven is supposed to show up every 16 times it is rolled. That is a true statement. So for every 16th roll I should bet on the 11. Bet 10 dollars and you win 150.00. Good for you and bad for the casino. Or is it? No because the casino knows that the dice could be rolled 100 times and the dice never show an eleven. Statistics show that every 16 rolls it should show up. So what happened? Well on roll 101 the dice rolled an 11, and then the next roll an 11 and then the next. and then three rolls later another 11. So statistically is is now catching up to the math.

And in Poker, over time with few mistakes, if you played only the hands you were supposed to and everyone else did the same, then yes, matematically you would win small or at least break even over time. But is that how you play? No, you play the person...no math there, you play position... no math there, and you play rushes... no math there and also you will bluff from time to time...no math there.

So to say that poker isn't a gamble you do not understand he nature of chance. Skalansky is one of the greats in Poker and I recommend his books. But if you only read him and study he math side of poker you probably can only make a living thru being a serious grinder at the poker table. Tough stuff. But most of us aren't grinders, we want to play. And win. So good luck and play some poker. Cheers.