Exploiting predictable player types

[Outlaw]

I will use 6-max as the example because that is where I play.

Assume you have at least 100 hands on each player and no other reads. In order to exploit them to the max, how would you play each of these players with the following stats both preflop and postflop, in position and out of position?

Player 1- 70/0/0.5

Player 2- 40/2/5.5

Player 3- 5/4/2.5

Player 4- 35/25/1.8


If someone wants to add another player type please feel free to. I just stuck some arbitrary types that I seem to see a lot. I didn't add in your typical 20/15/3.5 reg because playing regs is a whole thread in itself.

[Illfavor]

Isn't each of these a thread unto itself? Couldn't we start some awesome weekly series about exploiting each of these types? B/c that would be amazing...

[Micro2Macro]

If I have 100 hands on someone and yet no read or note on them at all besides HUD stats I am bitchslapping myself across the face for not paying attention.

[bjsaust]

Fold to c-bet matters if you're using stats

[Micro2Macro]

Fold to c-bet matters if you're using stats

Don't forget about attempt to steal blinds.

Here I'll give it a shot:

I'll draw ranges for you guys

|--F--|--B--|--C--|--R--|
first range is fold, second is bet or raise as a bluff, third is call, fourth is bet or raise for value

1. fish
make sure not to try to bluff and fold when fish bets/raises since he has the goods
so widen your value range at the expense of your call range and widen your fold range at the expense of your call range
|--F------|B|-C-|---R--|
so our bluff range shrunk a lot, but we can cbet against some of these fish and against others we can't, it totally depends on fishyness post-flop
2. there are two cases:
a) 5.5 af is because he's very raise or fold post-flop but actually really nitty and only raises with the goods and calls very infrequently
against such a guy when he bets we should be calling with the bottom of our value range instead of raising because he's never going to call a raise anyway with worse; he's shoving better. We only want to raise him with the goods hoping he is strong enough to get it in. I even threw in bluffing more for a good measure
|--F-|---B--|--C----|R--|
b) 5.5 af is a really bluffy fish
so call him down, we still bet sometimes if he's willing to bluff raise
|--F-|---B|----C----|R--|
you can't tell between a or b using AF, you can only tell between them using AFq - Aggression Frequency
a would have AFq of like 20 and b would have AFq of like 55

player 3 is a nittag
we can sometimes get away with bluffing him, but we should fold most of our range when he's interested and get involved with the top of the top of our range
|--F----|B----|C|R--|
player 4 is a standard low stakes player that is too loose preflop and slightly too loose post-flop
this is the player that I assume I'm up against when I sit at a table with 5 other unknowns
|--F--|--B--|--C--|--R--| is our range it is made exactly for this player

[kmind]

Isn't each of these a thread unto itself? Couldn't we start some awesome weekly series about exploiting each of these types? B/c that would be amazing...

I think each player type would take only a few days to be honest. The only problem is that the stats are still too generalized in the OP and we'd have to create kind of like a tree for each player type such as starting with the 70/0/0.5 and then have different thoughts on if he folds after limping a lot/does he call with overs on the flop/etc. if you know what I mean.

[bjsaust]

Having a read on someone as "fish" is probably the most useless read you can have.

[Outlaw]

Okay sounds like we need to tackle one type at a time. I guess we first need to come up with a list of all the common types, their stat ranges etc. I am sure each type will have subtypes but our main reason for doing this here is to discuss some of the default plays we should make against predictable players. We can then always adjust based on our current read and notes we take.

I will throw some types out there for us to work off of. I will throw my brief definition out there too.

1. TAG- Narrow range. Makes mostly +ev decisions. Shows down a lot of solid hands. Solid ABC play.

2. LAG- Has a wide range. Plays the person, not the cards. Plays position. A lot of bluffing, loves to pounce when they see weakness.

3. Calling Station- We bet, they call. They fall in love with their hand too much and typically always think someone is bluffing.

4. Maniac- Likes to raise, reraise, impossible to predict the cards he has. His range is any two. Similar to LAGs except maniacs tend to play the same way against everyone, don't understand position, and don't seem to give a crap about money. Sometimes they build a huge stack in a short period of time and go busto even faster.

5. Rock- Describes their preflop play. Tends to play very aggressive postflop most of the time. Has you sitting there thinking, "where'd this guy come from??? I didn't even notice him at the table for the past 300 hands."

6. Cagey Codgers- I stole this one from Poker Tournament Formula by Arnold Snyder. They like to limp a lot preflop to see cheap flops, love to play sheriff, and play very tricky postflop. They slowplay monsters and delight in raising the river with the nuts against some aggressive kid. They absolutely despise people who raise preflop. Play fit or fold poker. It s a friendly game right?

7. Fish/Oaf/Idiot- Whatever we call these guys doesn't matter. No clue on postion, ranges, implied odds, odds in general. They tend to play on whims and sometimes think they've won when the chips slide to someone elses stack. Yes this is the guy that hit the runner runner wheel on the river with 93o against our AA after we bet pot 2 streets. Then they just call the river on another bet on a rainbow board. Usually just a recreational player or complete moron.

Once we come up with a nice list of player types to start tackling, we can then go through them one by one on a separate thread, linked from this main thread.

[bjsaust]

Until you realise that people have two stages to their play styles, pre-flop and postflop, any attempt at exploitation is halfassed.

[bigspenda73]

I was all when I saw the word "exploiting"

then I opened the thread and you only had PF stats up

let's talk postflop so I can be

[bjsaust]

I should stop posting in the BC, its redundant with spenda on the case .

[Outlaw]

Feel free to expand on the player types I have listed. Or would everyone prefer we stick to stats only instead of named types?

When I initialy started the thread, I figured we would tackle preflop first and save postflop for another thread.. or is that impossible?

[bigspenda73]

PF is fairly simple because it's only one street. However, exploitation postflop is cool because you have three streets to work with to own someone.

[Outlaw]

Tons of players have read a guide or a bunch of hand charts so the most solid play in micros is preflop. 90%+ of players are horrible postflop there, however, so you are definitely right. So there's a lot of postflop dead money if we can just learn how to exploit it?

[daven]

When I initialy started the thread, I figured we would tackle preflop first and save postflop for another thread.. or is that impossible?

the reason you can exploit is based on how you can get their $$, which doesn't usually happen pre-flop. Exploitation of a 30-25 with 15% 3-bet and who open shoves every flop is different from that necessary with a decent 30-25, etc.

[bjsaust]

Heres the problem:

70/5/0.5 - Limp/Calls a lot preflop, folds a lot postflop
70/5/0.5 - Limp/Calls a lot preflop, wont fold any piece of the board or draw (even gutshot) postflop, has been seen to call down with Q high.

Exploiting those two people with identical stats requires different approaches.

[Illfavor]

Heres the problem:

70/5/0.5 - Limp/Calls a lot preflop, folds a lot postflop
70/5/0.5 - Limp/Calls a lot preflop, wont fold any piece of the board or draw (even gutshot) postflop, has been seen to call down with Q high.

Exploiting those two people with identical stats requires different approaches.

We should do it like this. That's why I suggested dividing them up. Maybe not weekly or whatever, so that we can get specific. Most ppl here don't have problems beating 70/5 players preflop (just play better cards mostly), but we could get really in-depth with postflop discussion about the various types.

[Sir Pawnalot]

Here I'll give it a shot:

I'll draw ranges for you guys

|--F--|--B--|--C--|--R--|
first range is fold, second is bet or raise as a bluff, third is call, fourth is bet or raise for value

1. fish
make sure not to try to bluff and fold when fish bets/raises since he has the goods
so widen your value range at the expense of your call range and widen your fold range at the expense of your call range
|--F------|B|-C-|---R--|
so our bluff range shrunk a lot, but we can cbet against some of these fish and against others we can't, it totally depends on fishyness post-flop
2. there are two cases:
a) 5.5 af is because he's very raise or fold post-flop but actually really nitty and only raises with the goods and calls very infrequently
against such a guy when he bets we should be calling with the bottom of our value range instead of raising because he's never going to call a raise anyway with worse; he's shoving better. We only want to raise him with the goods hoping he is strong enough to get it in. I even threw in bluffing more for a good measure
|--F-|---B--|--C----|R--|
b) 5.5 af is a really bluffy fish
so call him down, we still bet sometimes if he's willing to bluff raise
|--F-|---B|----C----|R--|
you can't tell between a or b using AF, you can only tell between them using AFq - Aggression Frequency
a would have AFq of like 20 and b would have AFq of like 55

player 3 is a nittag
we can sometimes get away with bluffing him, but we should fold most of our range when he's interested and get involved with the top of the top of our range
|--F----|B----|C|R--|
player 4 is a standard low stakes player that is too loose preflop and slightly too loose post-flop
this is the player that I assume I'm up against when I sit at a table with 5 other unknowns
|--F--|--B--|--C--|--R--| is our range it is made exactly for this player

This one is great- only problem is format. Hard to digest.

Someone stated in the thread "winning in poker" that these stereotypes we are dealing with here- simply fail to adjust to different players, situations and table conditions. It is their inability to adjust or readjust, that we exploit.

Since these players do not adjust we can simply construct the perfect strategy against each and every one of these players. The more information we have about villain- the more optimal our counter strategy will be.

It is wise to go from general to specific. If we believe someone is LAG- we use a readymade strategy to combat him. As we gain more information about the specifics of his game- the more refined and successful our counter strategy will be.

When we are up against people who adjust we must always try to be one step ahead. Even retards may adjust to some degree and we need to sniff out and readjust before we get trapped.

[Ragnar4]

Seems like exploitation ought to be simple.

1) Figure out who the guy is that calls too much with weak holdings, Middle pair, top pair top kicker on a co-ordinated board. Wait until you have something really strong and bet all 3 streets.

2) Figure out the guy who folds too much and only ever shows down a straight and a flush, raise every pot he limps in, and bet, and bet, and bet again as long as the flush or straight doesn't complete. Charge him to enter the hand he wants to limp into, and autolead a large percentage of the pot when he checks to you.

3) Find that guy who only ever plays against 3-bets with AA, KK and AKs because he's 24 multitabling, and every time he raises, pop him back with any two cards. Walk away against any 4 bets, and play called 3 bets cautiously unless you are ahead of above said range post flop.

4) Find that Guy that floats every chance he gets. Let him float you when you have a nice hand, say top pair top kicker on a dry, or med dry board.

The list can go on for miles.

The reason why it's not so simple... is what I can't do, and that's: get the idiots who are playing predictably, to play predictably against ME!....