Intimidation --- maybe not the best way?

[dev]

There were a few posts here about pocket kings or queens on an ace flop. I posted that I bet pretty much every time. Gabe, who is beating games that I think are much tighter than the ones I'm used to, said that most of the time he plays it more passive in order to extract money from lower pairs and such.

It occurs to me that my style of play has always been based on intimidating the other players at the table. I am very, very agro. The passive approach doesn't seem right to me, but I think it's because of my style of play. Can you lull opponents into giving you action by just playing like you're tight/weak? That seems to be the ilikeaces philosophy, too.

I know I'm talking about two players I don't really know and have probably never played against, so I could be way off. Sorry if I am.

I'm just curious, because I've never really considered this until just recently.

[bigboy5540]

as you learn the game you learn situations where being passive gives you the most value.

[dev]

I'm talking about playing style in general. Is it worth it to spend some time studying/practicing a more passive style and how opponents relate to it?

[piratepeaty]

Passive play does not work in general. However, there are situations when it is called for. The kings example you give is clearly a WA/WB situation, although I don't usually play it that way. I want to be feared going heads-up, and known for 3-betting with a variety of hands, not just a set.

[jackvance]

Funny I read this now because I've been trying that out all day today. Mainly b/c I noticed that my opponents were doing those kinds of things a lot, and then a too aggro style is suicide. An added benefit, and this is just theory, is that people will also be less inclined to bluff you out, as a sign of weakness could be a ploy. If you're always aggro, a sign of weakness is more often than not real.

[Renton]

Passive is great when you have a strong hand (not a monster hand but a strong hand like AK on a K93 rainbow board), and you cold called an aggressive players bet preflop.

He'll just keep betting into and you'll keep calling.

This works even better when you have top pair against another players top pair.

Like you cold call a raise preflop from a fairly tight aggressive player with AK, you suspect him to be on a dominated ace, and you both flop an A. In that situation I will just call it all the way down and put in a value raise on the river (like a minraise that they can't get away from).