Too aggressive?

[Arkanin]

A friend tells me he will go all in for $10 preflop, when there's $.30 in the pot, 3 other players at the table, $.10BB, if he has pocket fours every now and then, and buy the pot. He only likes to do this if he thinks the other players are pretty risk averse, and can be scared off easily, and likes to do this more if a couple players can only take you in for $5.00. My friend otherwise plays in a way that is fairly cautious, so he says this has some added psychological benefit?

We are having some dispute about whether this is a good strategy or not.

So would you do this? Is this a good play or is it too aggressive?

[Evansgambit]

Its not a really good move, your friend risks $10 to try and win $.30. Its a very expensive way to advertise your friends maniac playing style, and comes out pretty phoney if you ask me. Better off raising and hence risking, a smaller amount.

While pocket 4's may seem like a good starting hand, its nothing too calibre. Against any 2 higher cards, it is a 55% favourite to win (45% to win), but againt a higher pocket pair - it is severly crushed at around 18% to win (82% to lose). Hence, at best your friend can to be a slight favourite against 2 high cards for 55%, at best.

Statistically speaking, the chance of randomly being dealt a higher pair to the pocket 44, is about 0.45% by 10 = 4.5% (per 1 person) But with 3 other players, the risk could jump to 13.5%. Sooner or later, expect to be called.

I suspect your friend has been watching too much sensationalised TV poker, where Michael Mizrachi - "the Grinder" with 44 moves ALL IN preflop over Eric Lindgren's AQ. The situation here and what your friend has, is completely different.

In answering your question, I would not recommend doing this. Even though you have more chips than the opponent. They are only within one double up from equally you. It is a very risky play for such little reward. I like to think of it as an AA invite actually. If you are in a desperate situation, where you needed to double up quickly or risk being eliminated - then that is a different story.

[Clar17y]

Evansgambit has it pretty much right.

He's risking $10 to win $0.30 and the only cards that are going to call him are at best a coin flip...

So he has to have no callers ~ 13-14 times in a row and then be 55/45 to win for it to make money. If the opponent has an overpair then he has to get everyone else to fold far more times.

Fyi i think it's a bad play on all counts, however an overbet to around $2 would do the same job and not risk his whole stack doing it.
Then as long as he does the same when he picks up a premium hand such as KK/AA, it could be profitable as players will wonder what he has to keep raising so much...

Also note this is not going to work at higher limits. i.e. All-in bet of $50 on a 50NL table will never get called by anything other than AA, maybe KK.

Clar

[littlewashu]

Yes its is way to aggresive and totally maniac play
If I ran into to youre friend I would just let keep on doing it while I wait for a really good hand pre flop or as close as I could get post flop and Bust him sooner or later. Besides betting $10.00 to win .30 I mean just look at it. It just makes no sense.. Like I said A good player would be patient and bust youre friend sooner or later

[BankItDrew]

wouldn't a $3 bet have the same affect as a $10 one?

maniac...

[Chopper]

pushing with 4's in such a small pot is about the fishiest thing someone can do, unless they push with ALL of their range.

its better to wait for a raiser and a caller, then PUSH, if you really want to gambool. at least pick up some chips instead of $.30.

bottom line is you will beat the table into only playing super-premium hands against you. they will only call when they have you crushed, and how many $.30 pots will you have to win to make up for the one $10 pot you lose? about 33.3. do you think that is realistic against a full table of nits?

you would be better off raising it to $3 and cbetting the hell out of the flop. at least you will pick up chips while looking like a complete dumbass.

[jmontis]

in the games he's in, it's probably completely unnecessary to venture into the real of -EV plays to "convince" the other players into calling his future bets.

in short, bad losing players only overbet on a bluff or the nuts. The latter is sometimes warranted when you know the other guy won't fold, but a lot of times you just hurt your potential profit by not really value betting smaller

[Robb]

The all-in preflop opening bet move isn't aggressive. Dangerously suicidal does NOT = aggressive, imo. The play is NOT aggressive because it inspires no fear in my opponents, and puts them to no tough decisions.

[Verde]

its too maniac... as said before $3 could have the same effect.
And too risk, if some one got the way he plays, he will be in a trap later.

[Chopper]

i'm laughing because the poker gods dicked me over on a villain just like this two nights ago. he was running 85/65/0. the 0 is because it was AI preflop, if not, there wasnt much left and he called it off to pushes.

i got him once on w/ AA. but he got me twice. i had 77 and he had A8o. the 8 hit. the other time i had QQ. he had K5s. he hit a 5 on the flop, a flush draw on the turn, and the other 5 on the river to stack me. that one sucked.

i was so far ahead of his ranges (before we saw each others cards) i wouldnt think twice about doing it all night long.