How do you beat good players

Even though i am not at the stage of atempting to beat good players, but i was wondering if everyone is playing tight/agressive can the game be beat?

If you're predictable and not adapting to your opponents you're easy to beat. This is why top players at very competitive tables change gears often.

Too tight - Play more suited connectors to make a deceptivly better hand with small cards. Steal small pots. Play fewer hands with kicker problems. Get out of dodge when they represent a hand you can't beat.

Too loose - Tighten up.

Too aggressive - Back off the draws. Slow play, bait and trap. Let them steal small pots and get cocky, setting up a big score.

Too passive - Play more draws. Get out of dodge if they suddenly become aggressive.

Calls too often - Bet big hands into them. Don't bluff, semi-bluff less.

Folds too often - Bluff them, semi-bluff a lot and steal pots.

I would like to thank you again for all your advice. I was wondering how long have you been playing holdem for?

I think Fnord INVENTED Hold'em.


And booooyyy, are we glad to have him.

Well, by definition you cant "beat good players" ...otherwise they wouldnt be good. However, solid players with a tight aggressive style can be beaten if you can get a fix on them, learn how they bet , when the bluff, what tells they have. Sometimes if they play too tight you can bluff them out of pots if the board pairs or a flush card hits on the turn, also if they are too aggressive wait till you get a strong hand and let them bet it for you then stick'em with a check raise if you know they will bet on the river. Often taking a guys stack of chips can throw off their game making them play according to how many chips they have and not according to what the cards are.....

the best way to 'beat' good players is to simply go all in preflop. That way it comes down to more or less a gamble (assuming you choose your hands you go all in with) and they don't get a chance to outplay you with a flop.

I don't know if I'm qualified to answer on this thread but I think that one or two good players on a table of 10 is not gonna be a big problem if the rest of the table is fish. The problem is to play good players shorthanded, but then again, playing short handed is a problem for many players (regardless of the resistance) and I'm one of them.

Originally Posted by toekneechin

the best way to 'beat' good players is to simply go all in preflop. That way it comes down to more or less a gamble (assuming you choose your hands you go all in with) and they don't get a chance to outplay you with a flop.

Only works if the blinds are big enough.