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Help on a reading a 'weird' player

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  1. #1
    pokerStudent Guest

    Default Help on a reading a 'weird' player

    Recently, I encountered a player at a no-limit game that really confused me.
    1. He doesn't raise pre-flop unless he has a pocket pair. He can have AKs on the button, with no raisers, and just limp in (or even fold if someone raises). If he does have a pair, he'll treat it like the nuts; he'll raise and re-raise regardless of overcards on the board. He raised me, then called my all-in re-raise after the flop with his pocket 4's and the board showed A-9-7 rainbow (I had raised pre-flop and had called his re-raise) If he doesn't raise before the flop, I don't know to be worried or happy if he raises me after the flop. I might raise pre-flop with AQs, and he'll just call with AKs. When an ace flops out, I'll bet and he'll raise and I won't know what he has, other than a pair, likely top pair. I could be dominated, but the situation could just as easily be reversed: they might have a weaker ace. Of course, he could also have flopped two pair or a set if the board pairs.....

    2. He makes weird raises. When someone bets 5 (or 10, or any amount for that matter) and if he raises, he will do so by 0.5, or 0.75, or some other small amount. This will eventually get some players on tilt, and that really messes things up. My cards might be good enough to call a 3 raise, but if he pisses the raiser off with few 0.5 raises, I'm suddenly looking at a 10+ investment.

    3. He makes weird bets. One time he had about 4.50 left in front of him and he bet 4.00; when asked why he left 0.5, he said his big blind was coming up and he was saving it for that. BTW, that hand, he had already made a full house(4's over A's) on the turn with his A4.

    4. He doesn't take into account pot size and pot odds, much less being pot-commited. He'll have 3 of his last 4 invested into the pot and when someone raises him his last 1 he may fold!

    Therefore, my questions are:
    a. how would you go about reading this guy, particularly after the flop? If he'll call raise, re-raise, and call an all-in with his baby pockets, how do I distinguish his pockets from sets/two pairs?
    b. how would you induce this guy into putting chips into the pot if he'll fold after putting 75% of his chips in?
  2. #2
    Fnord's Avatar
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    Default Re: Help on a reading a 'weird' player

    Quote Originally Posted by pokerStudent
    1. He doesn't raise pre-flop unless he has a pocket pair. He can have AKs on the button, with no raisers, and just limp in (or even fold if someone raises). If he does have a pair, he'll treat it like the nuts; he'll raise and re-raise regardless of overcards on the board. He raised me, then called my all-in re-raise after the flop with his pocket 4's and the board showed A-9-7 rainbow (I had raised pre-flop and had called his re-raise) If he doesn't raise before the flop, I don't know to be worried or happy if he raises me after the flop. I might raise pre-flop with AQs, and he'll just call with AKs. When an ace flops out, I'll bet and he'll raise and I won't know what he has, other than a pair, likely top pair. I could be dominated, but the situation could just as easily be reversed: they might have a weaker ace. Of course, he could also have flopped two pair or a set if the board pairs.....
    I've seen a lot of players do the same. AK is a tricky hand and your edge with it is slim. Might not even be worth raising on a particularly wild or extremely tight table. AQ is even trickier; when you raise with it and get called by any credable player with position on you be afraid. Overall, it's your gain since he's not pushing his edge with that hand.

    Quote Originally Posted by pokerStudent
    2. He makes weird raises. When someone bets 5 (or 10, or any amount for that matter) and if he raises, he will do so by 0.5, or 0.75, or some other small amount. This will eventually get some players on tilt, and that really messes things up. My cards might be good enough to call a 3 raise, but if he pisses the raiser off with few 0.5 raises, I'm suddenly looking at a 10+ investment.
    Mimimum raise in NL/PL is the size of the original bet or the rest of the live money on the table. In general, it's a bad idea to hang around between a better and a raiser.

    Quote Originally Posted by pokerStudent
    3. He makes weird bets. One time he had about 4.50 left in front of him and he bet 4.00; when asked why he left 0.5, he said his big blind was coming up and he was saving it for that. BTW, that hand, he had already made a full house(4's over A's) on the turn with his A4.
    If you got him heads up laugh and raise him for the rest of his chips.

    Quote Originally Posted by pokerStudent
    4. He doesn't take into account pot size and pot odds, much less being pot-commited. He'll have 3 of his last 4 invested into the pot and when someone raises him his last 1 he may fold!
    How is this a problem?

    Quote Originally Posted by pokerStudent
    a. how would you go about reading this guy, particularly after the flop? If he'll call raise, re-raise, and call an all-in with his baby pockets, how do I distinguish his pockets from sets/two pairs?
    Sounds like you pretty much have him figured out. Treat him more like an agressive call-station. Call more often, bluff less and keep it simple. Oh, and don't criticize him at the table! Compliment his "tricky", "brilliant" and "unique" play.

    Quote Originally Posted by pokerStudent
    b. how would you induce this guy into putting chips into the pot if he'll fold after putting 75% of his chips in?
    Are the rest of his chips worth the added risk of him outdrawing you on the turn/river?
  3. #3
    pokerStudent Guest
    Fnord,
    Thanks for the advice (particularly the part on praising his 'unique' play, usually when someone plays 'weird' I just don't say anything)and the info on betting; previously heard somewhere that a raise only has to be the size of the big blind so that confused me. And as for him folding after being pot-committed, it's not really a problem, it just left the rest of the table scratching their heads.

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