Passive/Cold Call Players

I am having trouble with reading people who just play extreamly passive and cold call.

Playing tournies and ring games on pokerstars I have run into many occations where I have a good starting and I feel it is the best, even after the flop, turn, and river and we get people who just cold call.

I win alot of money from these people if I hit a nut hand on the flop, but seriously they give no indication on what they have and rarly fold.

When the hand ends 90 % of the time they win is beucase they out draw me on the last card and the cards they play for the money I bet gets really riduculous.

I was knocked out of a tourny this past weekend beucase I had QQ preflop and I bet 8 x BB, some guy cold me.

Flop came with a Q and two lower rainbow cards, I bet a heafty amount the guy calls me.

Same on turn and river, the guy calls me.

He ends up winning beucase he called everyone one of those hands on a 25 offsuit and hit a inside straight on the river.

The amount I was betting was so extreamly against pot odds, I was calculating this as I went. How in the hell did he cold call after the flop when he had to get runner runner cards to make the straight.

This is just one example (meybe not the best), I have many others where people just cold call (like the guy who doesnt bet AA preflop and hits a trip or fullhouse that I have run into multiple times and finally bets on river) you or check the whole hand and give no indication what so ever on thier hand strength.

I really cant figure out a good way to play these people except to not bet against them and let them make the move, which they always lay down a value bet within pot odds or check.

How should a agressive player play people who just call you right up regaurdless of how good thier hands are? I been tracking this of late and this weekend I have lost to these people more than I have been winning.
But on the other hand last night I sat down at a table and seriously floped 3 nut hand in a row and took 3 huge pots and quit for the night, lol.

This is really fustrating to me!!

Just a general idea of what is best to do would be great.

Thanks!

A) Never bluff them
B) Value bet them to death

They give you a lot of value when you have a hand, because they have trouble folding when they're behind. The flip side is that you can not steal from them, since they'll call you down. That's ok. You win money from these players with a winning hand.

Another thing to think about is if they raise preflop, and you have position on them, you can play some drawing hands. These players usually bet weak and give you odds to draw.

Originally Posted by PAnimal

I was knocked out of a tourny this past weekend beucase I had QQ preflop and I bet 8 x BB, some guy cold me.

Flop came with a Q and two lower rainbow cards, I bet a heafty amount the guy calls me.

Same on turn and river, the guy calls me.

He ends up winning beucase he called everyone one of those hands on a 25 offsuit and hit a inside straight on the river.

You want him to do this every hand, and be glad he did.

Originally Posted by PAnimal

I really cant figure out a good way to play these people except to not bet against them and let them make the move, which they always lay down a value bet within pot odds or check.

Don't let this player control you. Bet when you have a hand, and don't put money in when you don't have a hand. You do realize this is the easiest type of player to beat don't you?

It's like someone saying "Hey, when you have a hand I'll pay you, and when I have a hand you don't pay me. Deal?"

It's easy to get aggravated when someone won't fold as the board gets scary, but he's making huge mistakes each time he calls a big bet to see an extra card. Let him, and compliment him when he wins a hand.

Originally Posted by Rondavu

A) Never bluff them
B) Value bet them to death

They give you a lot of value when you have a hand, because they have trouble folding when they're behind. The flip side is that you can not steal from them, since they'll call you down. That's ok. You win money from these players with a winning hand.

Another thing to think about is if they raise preflop, and you have position on them, you can play some drawing hands. These players usually bet weak and give you odds to draw.

Originally Posted by PAnimal

I was knocked out of a tourny this past weekend beucase I had QQ preflop and I bet 8 x BB, some guy cold me.

Flop came with a Q and two lower rainbow cards, I bet a heafty amount the guy calls me.

Same on turn and river, the guy calls me.

He ends up winning beucase he called everyone one of those hands on a 25 offsuit and hit a inside straight on the river.

You want him to do this every hand, and be glad he did.

Right, as long as you can weather the tilt possibility and the knock your BR might take after one of these, not even bad beats, but utterly nonsensical hands, you'll be happy that you're bumping into players like this as much as you are.
What size are the stakes of these games?
You might find this at the lower stakes, where the money is so low that even if you're giving them -EV no bet is high enough to drop them out. This is still in your favor, you just have to not tilt when one of the beats comes up.
And makes sure you know the statistical probabilties of different cards hitting like the back of your hand, there are all the charts on this site alone. Really pay attention to whether your hand is a strong as you think it is compared to how scary the board is looking, and whether the beats are as "bad" as you might think.

Every cent of your long-term profit playing poker comes from exploiting your opponents' errors and predictable tendencies . The more numerous and egregious their errors, the more money you can make.

People getting lucky is +EV for you...

You played it fine, don't worry yourself over it just value bet these people to death and they'll be broke so fast that they'll break the rail on their way out.

Oh, and...

Originally Posted by Rondavu

Never bluff them Never bluff them Never bluff them Never bluff them Never bluff them Never bluff them Never bluff them Never bluff them Never bluff them Never bluff them Never bluff them Never bluff them Never bluff them Never bluff them Never bluff them Never bluff them Never bluff them Never bluff them Never bluff them Never bluff them Never bluff them Never bluff them Never bluff them Never bluff them Never bluff them Never bluff them Never bluff them Never bluff them Never bluff them

Ya, I will just value bet these guys.

I am fed up with these people, they need to learn to play, lol.

I yell at them through my monitor and they dont listen!!!

I keep trying to play agressive with these guys and I keep getting burned. I will stop that as of today when I get a read on the player.

I have been told by many people these guys are easy money, but with me being so agressive I have not yet seen a profit for me on these guys.

What would be considered a good value best 3 to 4 x BB ? more less ?

Also, I am currently practicing strats on micro stakes on pokerstars.

Been doing really good with the ex eption of the supper agressive all in players every turn and the extreamly passive cold callers. LEARN 2 PLAY PLZ!, heh.

Also, at what level will I see less of this crazyness in play? .50/1 BB? 1/2 BB?

After playing about 2 K hands on micro and running into alot of these situations, I dunno how much I can really learn.

Also what is a good winning percentage for a solid tight agressive player. I am floating around 11 to 13 % now (have been up to 18 % in tournies that I have done well in) and wondering where I am and where I should look to be.

Thanks guys,

Originally Posted by PAnimal

Ya, I will just value bet these guys.

good idea

I am fed up with these people, they need to learn to play, lol.

1. stop tiling
2. why would you want the fish to learn how to play? Where do you expect to make money?

I yell at them through my monitor and they dont listen!!!

1. see above
2. keep cool when you are playing. you will play much better with a level head.

I keep trying to play agressive with these guys and I keep getting burned. I will stop that as of today when I get a read on the player.

Against this kind of player, think of it as tight-agressive-when you have it. If you don't have solid holdings, draw cheaply or get a cheap showdown.

I have been told by many people these guys are easy money, but with me being so agressive I have not yet seen a profit for me on these guys.

you don't sound like a very good player, so I don't think anybody is easy money for you. I would assume others think you are easy money. There's no reason to be over-agressive against calling stations.

What would be considered a good value best 3 to 4 x BB ? more less ?

'depends'. I like a 3-4x opener preflop most of the time and in most positions.

Also, I am currently practicing strats on micro stakes on pokerstars.

These players are terrible and may send you in a further rut if you aren't aware of their play. You should be able to adapt and beat all different kind of players however, these included. You never know when a rich fish is gonna play high stakes...

Been doing really good with the ex eption of the supper agressive all in players every turn and the extreamly passive cold callers. LEARN 2 PLAY PLZ!, heh.

Ideally, you would learn to play better but not your opponents. You should be using both kinds of players as your personal ATMs.

Also, at what level will I see less of this crazyness in play? .50/1 BB? 1/2 BB?

I wouldn't be overly concerned with this.. I would just concentrate on learning the game, consistently making good decisions, and making money.

After playing about 2 K hands on micro and running into alot of these situations, I dunno how much I can really learn.

After 2k hands, you are still a beginner. You see bullets on average of what, 9 times over 2k hands?

If you ever noticed, no one is ever lucky that much. There is always a turnabout regarding their crappy crappy play. I play mostly LHE and they always dump back what they've luckily won and then some. Stick to your guns and enjoy the crappy players... it's not like you want them to take your money for real right?

Lukie you makeing me go on the defesive, however I do appricate your comments.

I have honesly never played poker online until three weeks ago, I do not lose to much and I do not feel I am over agressive. I try to play over agressive against these cold callers and have lost a few and won a few.

My question was how to play these passive players who cold call, untill this past week I never ran into one and I kept trying to over bet them to with the pot. It was the first time in my life I ran into one.

I usually just play poker with my friends, many of which do play online. Have been doing this for over 10 years. But online is new to me so I am a newb to all of this.

I dont think calling me a bad player beucase I dunno or ever played one of these cold calling/passive players before. No one I ever played has done this to me, most my friends I play are tight agressive.

I jsut need mroe experience with diffrent types of players, that doesnt mean I am a bad player or as they say if you cant find the sucker at the table you are it. I understand this concept fully.

I am just trying to figure out the best ways to play these people.

I am in the process of reading reading multiple books as well, per this site.

Thanks for your comments though, I will live and learn while playing poker.