Aggressive techniques are effective when dealing with weak opponents, tight players, gritty players, and generally terrible players. Aggression maximizes the value of your medium-strength and strong hands while also allowing you to win the majority of pots where no one else makes a hand.
However, not all of your opponents will lay down, pay off, or otherwise allow you to dominate the game when you begin betting. Some people will get back at you. Some people are just plain nuts. Here’s how to handle opponent hostility.
Your first instinct may be to fight fire with fire. If your opponents appear to be bluffing frequently, you may be inclined to bluff-raise them back. While this strategy has its uses, attempting to run over hyper-aggressive opponents with large bluffs and rebluffs is typically counterproductive. The game devolved into one in which you and your opponent were both wagering heavily, but neither had a significant advantage. And if you are negligent, you and your opponent may present inflated pots to another player who wakes up with a hand.
When dealing with an aggressive opponent, it is generally best to back off slightly. Check in instances where you would ordinarily bet. In such cases, you would ordinarily raise your hand. Allow your opponent to believe he can launch a winning bluff or thin value play, then cut him off.
This change sounds straightforward, but keep an eye out for these two pitfalls:
Do not pay out big bets against an aggressive opponent, only for little bets
There are aggressive players and aggressive players only. Don’t assume that just because one opponent likes to c-bet every flop means he’ll make massive bluff-raises on the river. Many players enjoy 3-betting preflop and c-betting on flops. Players who enjoy making massive turns and river bluffs are quite rare. Don’t pay a player off for $200 with middle pair simply because you’ve seen him 3-bet to $24 a few times.
Don’t give up just because things are difficult
When you’re up against a truly hyper-aggressive opponent that bets big on every street and decide to use a calling strategy instead of a betting strategy, hang on tight! Assume you have pocket aces and choose to call a turn bet rather of a shove because you believe it will result in a river bluff. Inevitably, a frightening river card will appear, and your opponent will challenge you with a large bet. Often, you should call regardless. Follow through on your plan. You may discover that you were indeed rivered at times. That is just bad luck.
However, abandoning your approach is worse because it puts an aggressive player in an advantageous position. There is no worse approach against a hyper-aggressive player than to construct large pots only to fold on the river. This is not to mean you should never fold when a fright card appears. Rather, it should be a particularly unfortunate card.
Let’s have a look at some examples of responding to opponent aggression.
Aces In The Hijack
Stacks cost $200. The player under the gun folds, and you bet $7 with red aces. Only the button initiates the call. He is a reliable, aggressive player who is a regular in this game. You believe he sees you as solid.
The flop is J♦6♣2♦. You put $11 in the $17 pot. The button immediately goes up to $25. What should you do?
Despite his modest raise, the pot will be $67 and the remaining stacks $168 if you call. A turn bet would require you to make a stack decision. You believe he may have everything from a set, a jack, a middling pocket pair, a flush draw, or a complete bluff. You have a decent equity position in that range.
You’ve decided that folding is out of the question; how should you proceed? If you reraise, you expect him to fold all but a set and, on occasion, a flush draw or ace-jack. If you call, you believe he will wager the turn a large proportion of the time when checked. It is true that if he has a flush draw, calling allows him to see the turn inexpensively.
However, a flush draw is only a small portion of his range, and if a diamond appears on the turn, you must redraw to the nut flush.
You call, and the turn is 2♠. That’s a great card for you because it makes a set much less possible for him and eliminates any two-pair outs he may have had. You check as planned. Unfortunately, he looks back.
The river is 7♦. What should you do?
This is a location that many players check with the purpose of placing a suitable wager. However, given your opponent’s range and the river card, betting is preferable. When you’re heads-up and out of position on the river and intend to call a bet, you should usually wager yourself unless your opponent is inclined to bluff.
In this case, he is unlikely to bluff. Why? He checked the turn, and the pot on the river isn’t particularly big. He probably expects you to call with any solid hand as long as he does not place a large overbet. Also, the flush card just arrived, and he knows you might have one. If he was going to continue bluffing with air after the flop, he probably would have just bet the turn.
A flush, a jack, and a middling pocket pair are your opponent’s primary non-air hands. So if you check, you give him too much leeway. He can check behind to watch a showdown and gamble to gain additional value. If you bet, you compel him to pay with the same hands he would have used if he wanted a showdown. And if he has a superior hand, you lose about the same amount as checkcalling because you don’t intend to call a raise. Betting is the best option here.
What amount should you bet? That depends on how likely he is to bluff you if he detects weakness. If he is unlikely to bluff, place a half-pot or smaller blocking bet, as weaker hands are more likely to call a smaller bet. However, if he is likely to pounce on a blocking stake with a big bluff-raise, you should place a larger bet of around two-thirds of the pot.
He’ll be less likely to call the larger bet with poorer hands, but you should be very certain you’re out if he raises. If the river were a blank rather than a diamond, you might choose to provoke a bluff by checking or leading weakly.
Bluff Raising The Flop After Raising Preflop
When you are the final raiser preflop, you usually have the choice of placing the first bet on the flop. However, an opponent will occasionally lead into you. Often, you should handle this bet just like any other. However, sometimes the bet indicates weakness, and you should consider bluffing.
Example 1
Stacks cost $200. One player limps, but you make it.
$10 at the cutoff with A♥ K♣. Both the button and the limper call. The limper is an underperforming 26/7 player. The button is solid 19/17. The flop shows T♠ 5♥ 3♥. The limper puts $15 into the $33 pot. You make $60 straight.
This bluff has several positive aspects. Your big raise in a three-way pot seems impressive. The button, as a decent player, may believe you are committed. He will almost always fold lesser hands than the top pair, most likely like JT, and sometimes as powerful as JJ. The weak early position player will probably also fold. He most likely has a subpar hand after limping, overcalling before the flop, and leading weakly into you. Your aggressive flop bet will likely scare him into folding anything less than an overpair.
When bluffing, you always want to have some pot equity. There are top overcards, a backdoor straight draw, and a backdoor nut flush draw. If your raise is called, you may hit one of your overcards and win the showdown. Alternatively, you could get a stronger draw on the turn and fire again, or you could take the free card if you believe your opponent will not fold to a second barrel.
Example 2
The cutoff allows you to make $7 with 6♦5♦. Only the 17/12 big blind calls. He’s a predictable player. The flop shows 9♠ 8♥ 2♣. Your opponent puts $7 in the $15 pot. You are convinced that he is placing a feeler bet with a weak pair hand and will not play for large sums of money. You raise the pot to $36.
The bluff succeeds since your steal equity is good, and you have some showdown equity. You raise the flop because you perceive the opponent to be weak and believe that a raise will frequently take the pot down. However, you have four outs to a straight, which increases your overall expectation. On the off chance that he calls your bluff, you’ll occasionally hit your straight on the turn. Alternatively, you might check the turn and then hit on the river.
To clarify, the flop raise is a bluff. If your opponent comes back on top, you will fold. Your showdown equity is insufficient to warrant further action. The tiny bit of showdown equity you have is only useful when he calls your raise.
This is not the same as raising on a flop of 8♦7♦2♣. In the latter situation, your showdown equity is so high that you’d be raising with the intention of committing. Technically, you are semibluffing with both hands, but your hand strengths and plans differ significantly.
Example 3
You raise to $7 under the gun with 9♥7♥. You usually fold this hand first to act, but a weak player is in the large blind, and you want to isolate him. Only the smallest blind calls. He’s a 14/11 regular, and you’ve played with him several times. The flop shows J♠ 3♠ 2♣. He bets $11 on the $16 pot. You make $36.
When bluffing, having pot equity is preferable but not required. If your fold equity is favorable, fire away.
Your opponent is tight and a decent player. He is aware of your tendency to play tight under pressure. Your under the gun open, followed by a large flop raise, demonstrates impressive strength. He will most likely fold frequently on this board because he is tight and your range is narrow yet strong.
Assume the board was K♠J♠T♦, and the identical action occurred. Should you bluff and raise the flop? No, because you are more likely to be called on a well-coordinated board. You do not have sufficient fold equity.
Bluff raising on the flop can be a solid strategy. Remember:
- Do not overdo.
- Do it only when you anticipate your opponent’s
- Consider your opponent’s range, as well as his perception of your range.
- Prefer to have some.
- Avoid increasing the flop when extremely coordinated.
Dealing With A Floater
Position helps you to maximize the value of your good hands while also stealing a few pots with your terrible ones. However, some players abuse their position and attempt to steal considerably more than their fair share by floating pot after pot.
In a “float,” a player in position calls one or two bets with nothing or a marginal hand while waiting for the out of position player to check. When this happens, the position player rushes into action with a difficult-to-call bluff.
Unfortunately, defending oneself might be tough, even if you know your opponent is overreacting. Most of the time, you won’t have a strong hand, therefore you won’t have many options against someone who pounds position on you. One of your most effective defenses is the occasional checkraise restaal.
For example, suppose the cutoff opens to $7 with A♥ T♥ and the button, a player who enjoys floating, calls. Both blinds fold.
The flop shows K♣ 5♦5♥. The cutoff bets $13 and the button calls. Because the button floats so frequently, he will have a large range of motion. The flop is dry, so he won’t get a draw, and he probably missed it entirely. If you check, he is most likely calling just to take the pot away later.
The turn is 2♠, leaving the board dry as a bone. The cutoff checks, and the button contributes $24 to the $43 pot. Then the cutoff check increases to $84.
On this board and against this player, you should play many hands in this manner—bet the flop, checkraise on the turn. Because your opponent prefers to float, he will frequently call your flop c-bet with weak cards. A well-timed turn check can maximize value for your good hands while punishing him for drifting.
For example, suppose you held pocket aces instead of ace-high. After you bet the flip and are called, your opponent will still be a strong favorite to have nothing. If you place a large bet on the turn, he will most likely give you credit for a hand and then fold. Checking is better since it simulates how you play when you give up. Then, when he bets, you can checkraise for value and hope he caught the king. Even if he has nothing, you will earn more than if you lead again on the turn.
Your bluff has credibility because this statement is appropriate for a strong hand. You’re representing a hand such as pocket aces or ace-king. Because of the dry nature of this board, your opponent is most likely weak, giving your bluff a good possibility of success.
If someone is consistently floating you and stealing your pots, turn checkraise bluffs are an excellent strategy to fight back. You don’t want to try it every time, but if you sneak in a few here and there, you’re likely to recoup the majority of what he’s stealing from you, and your aggressive play may set you up to win a large pot if you catch a strong hand against him.
Blind Versus Blind Flop Float
If you have position in a blind vs blind battle, you can typically win the pot by just calling until your opponent folds.
This hand took place in a $1-$2 6-max game. Everyone folds to the small blind, who offers $6 to go. The big blind, with K ♥ 8♥, calls. The flop is J♥ 5♣ 2♠. The small blind bets $8 on the $12 pot, and the large blind calls. The turn is 7♦. The small blind checks, and the large blind puts $24 into the $28 pot. The little blind appears to give up on the turn, checking, so the large blind bets and takes it.
K♥ 8♥ is an excellent call against a tiny blind who may be opening multiple hands. In some circumstances, you may want to re-raise it.
The J♥ 5♣ 2♠ flop has dried. It’s unlikely to have hit the small blind’s hand, and even if it did, he’ll probably only have a pair of fives. This makes it easier to steal, so the large blind calls, intending to reevaluate on the turn.
The big blind may have raised the flop instead. This raise also succeeds since the small blind is extremely unlikely to hold a hand. You should vary your play style, sometimes calling in instances like this and sometimes rising. Raising the flop denies the small blind a more opportunity to hit his hand. Calling helps the big blind to gain additional information before committing a large portion of his stack.
Both options offer advantages, and both should be a regular component of your strategy.
Adjusting Commitment Based On Postflop Betting Line
If you have position in a blind vs blind battle, you can typically win the pot by just calling until your opponent folds.
This hand took place in a $1-$2 6-max game. Everyone folds to the small blind, who offers $6 to go. The big blind, with K ♥ 8♥, calls. The flop is J♥ 5♣ 2♠. The small blind bets $8 on the $12 pot, and the large blind calls. The turn is 7♦. The small blind checks, and the large blind puts $24 into the $28 pot. The little blind appears to give up on the turn, checking, so the large blind bets and takes it.
K♥ 8♥ is an excellent call against a tiny blind who may be opening multiple hands. In some circumstances, you may want to re-raise it.
The J♥ 5♣ 2♠ flop has dried. It’s unlikely to have hit the small blind’s hand, and even if it did, he’ll probably only have a pair of fives. This makes it easier to steal, so the large blind calls, intending to reevaluate on the turn.
The big blind may have raised the flop instead. This raise also succeeds since the small blind is extremely unlikely to hold a hand. You should vary your play style, sometimes calling in instances like this and sometimes rising. Raising the flop denies the small blind a more opportunity to hit his hand. Calling helps the big blind to gain additional information before committing a large portion of his stack.
Both options offer advantages, and both should be a regular component of your strategy.
Flop Checkraise Bluff Against An Aggressive Player
This hand took place in a $1-$2 6-max game. Both participants started with approximately $200.
Everyone folded to the guy in the small blind, who bet to $7 with A♣ 5♦. Weak offsuit aces are often weak hands in no-limit, but in a blind-versus-blind duel, they are usually worth playing. Pitted against one random hand, the ace’s showdown value makes it a good starting, even out of position. However, if you believe the big blind is a tougher and trickier player than you, you can simply fold. Ace-rag is still a marginal hand, so you’ll be playing out of position.
The large blind increased the minimum to $12. In a blind-versus-blind match, this minimum raise does not necessarily indicate a powerful hand. In the actual hand, the small blind reasoned that following the flop, he would have the benefit of being the superior hand reader and thus called.
The flop was Q ♠ 7♠ 5♠. The small blind checked, and the big blind bet $20 on the $24 pot. The small blind bluff checkraised into
$68, and the huge blind failed.
When facing an aggressive positional player, the flop bluff checkraise is a crucial defensive strategy. Many of your opponents will raise preflop for position and then continue betting almost every flop. To counteract this tactic, checkraise your c-bets sometimes, both with excellent cards and with bluffs or semibluffs.
This flip gives an excellent opportunity to bluff. The checkraise size places around 40% of the total stacks in the center, leaving the large blind to a commitment decision. Few hands are powerful enough to commit fairly to this flop. Most opponents will fold unless they have a decent queen, an overpair, or a powerful spade.
This strategy works only if the big blind has a diverse range of hands after min-reraising preflop and c-betting the flop. However, as long as the big blind is aggressive, this is typically an excellent place for a checkraise bluff.
A Turn Semibluff
Stacks cost $200. Everyone folds to the 29/26 small blind, which raises to
$8. He’s an aggressive regular who enjoys bluffing, but he’s also a savvy player and an excellent hand reader. You’re in the big blind with A♥ T♣.
Because of his extensive range, reraising is nearly always a viable option when this opponent opens from the small blind. However, you do not mind calling in this location. You hold a good but not great hand and are in the heads-up pot. Calling reduces the preflop pot while increasing postflop flexibility. Reraising improves the preflop pot, eliminates the lesser hands in his range, and exposes you to a bluff 4-bet.
This time, you’re the one who calls. The flop shows Q ♥ T♥ 3♣. The small blind c-bets $16 into the $16 pot. You make a call.
The turn is K♥. Your opponent puts $48 into the $48 pot.
The action is on you.
This is a suitable location for a large semibluff. Your opponent is quite active, and he is not afraid to fire two barrels with a variety of hands. You hold a third pair: a straight draw and a nut flush draw. Your pot equity is favorable, but your implied odds are not, as both of your draws are obvious one-card draws.
You have $172 remaining. Push everything in. Your fold equity is high given of your opponent’s broad range. Your move is powerful, and he’ll have a difficult time calling without a strong hand. And if he calls, you have options regardless of what he has.
To keep your lines balanced, you must periodically make movements like these against good hand readers. If you constantly have powerful made hands when pushing the turn, your stronger opponents will be able to correctly avoid hands such as top pair, two pair, and, in extreme circumstances, straight or set.
A Flop Sandwich Bluff
In multiway pots, players tend to play more straightforwardly. Checks are more commonly associated with weakness, whereas bets are more likely to represent strength. On a coordinated T♥ 9♠ 7♠ board, aggressive opponents are less likely to attempt a stone bluff compared to a dry J♣ 2♦2♠ board.
In this hand, one player employs both of these strategies to steal the pot on the flop. Effective stacks cost $220. An ambitious player opens from under the pistol for $7. With K♣ Q♣, our hand’s hero prompts the next player to act. A loose player calls on the button, and it’s a three-handed pot for $24.
The flop is T♠ 7♥ 6♥. The first player checks. Our Hero Bets
$17, and both players fold.
The underdog player raised preflop, which was a strong move. But then he checked this planned flip to two players. In multiway pots and on coordinated boards, checks are more likely to indicate weakness. This player is likely to have a strong preflop hand that didn’t make the board, such as ace-queen or pocket fours. If the stacks were shorter, the check may have set up a checkraise all-in with a powerful hand. However, given the current stacks, that play is implausible.
What about the button? Despite having a broad starting range, he misses this flop more than he hits it. When he does connect, his hand is typically marginal. So bluffing into the button is appropriate.
Furthermore, there are two advantages to bluffing here:
The button may miss how poor the under the gun player’s check is, and he may feel trapped between the bettor and the preflop raises. This may lead him to fold marginal hands, such 6♦4♦.
The hero has two overcards on the board, so even if the button calls with a flopped pair, the hero may have a chance or two to catch top pair and win the showdown.
Finally, this bluff is more convincing coming from the middle player than from the button. It would also be an excellent button bluff, as two checks would signal a great deal of weakness. However, clever players who first check a poor hand may decide to try a resteal against the button’s clear position bet. This happens less frequently when the middle player bluffs since his bet symbolizes more strength.
Attacking A Weak Pair Of Bets
Weak little bets of one-third of the pot or less are a prevalent and exploitable habit among poor players. Such tiny wagers aren’t intrinsically wrong, but when bad players make them, it usually indicates a poor hand. These ineffective bets essentially urge good players to steal the pot away.
In many circumstances, exploiting a minor bet that indicates a poor hand is as simple as rising. This hand was more active.
Effective stacks cost $80. The weak player limps in from his cutoff seat. The button folds, and you call in the small blind with J♠ 7♠. The massive blind check.
The flop shows K♣ Q♠ T♦, resulting in a one-card open-ended straight draw and a backdoor flush draw. You check, the large blind checks, and the cutoff bets four dollars. You call, and the great blind folds.
The 2♠ turn allows for a flush draw in addition to the straight draw. You check, and the cutoff places a $2 bet.
Coming from a poor player, this betting sequence, first $4 into a $6 pot and then $2 into a $14 pot, usually indicates a weak hand. This hand could represent a jack (J♥ 5♥), an ace (A♣ 3♠), a pair of queens or tens, or an underpair.
Using the straight and flush cards as backup, you decide to exploit the weak bet by making an approximately pot-sized semibluff checkraise to
$20. This wager can sometimes win right away, eliminating the weak combinations. Sometimes the opponent may call, most often with a jack, but it could also be with a pair, an ace, or another hand we didn’t expect. In this hand, the opponent calls.
The river is 6♦. You put all $54 into the $54 pot. This final bet should eliminate remaining hands such as jack-eight, ace-rag, and potentially some weak pairs. Overall, it should result in a profit because it will fold out more hands that beat you (all naked aces and many weak pairs) than the few hands that may still call, such as queen-jack.
If you check, however, you should not fold if your opponent places another little bet against you. He’ll have a jack or another hand you’ve beaten too frequently to fold at $54 to $2. You may call or checkraise.
The point of this hand is that you can frequently exploit bad players who place little bets by increasing them. When you don’t win right away, like with this hand, you may be able to narrow down your opponent’s options. That understanding may allow you to bluff profitably in the next round.
Be wary of strong players placing little stakes. They may be attempting to trick you into attacking them with bluff-raises. Some players are excessively weak when betting like way, while others are not. Before you assault, make sure you’re targeting the weak player.
Hand Against A Tough Opponent
In a 6-handed $1-$2 game with $240 effective stacks, the player in the middle raises for $7. You’ve had a lot of experience playing this opponent. He is a rough, loose-aggressive player who sees you as the same. His stats are 28/26, with a 3-bet percentage of ten. The cutoff folds and button calls. The button is a tight 16/14 player that plays straight postflop. Small blind folds. You’re in the big blind with K♠ 9♠.
There are three potential possibilities here. Folding is acceptable since you are out of position with a marginal hand versus capable opponents. 3-bet squeezing is adequate, but you have a track record of getting into 3-bet/4-bet battles with the guy in middle position. You believe a squeeze here would appear transparent, and there is a considerable probability he would 4-bet you. You decide to call because you are closing the action, you are comfortable holding your own postflop, and the presence of the tight button in the hand will keep the middle position player in line.
The flop shows K ♥ Q♣ 3♠, resulting in top pair and a backdoor flush draw. The pot is $22, you owe $233, and you are the first to act. You decide to leave the pot short for now, allowing the initial raiser to c-bet, and watch what happens. Surprisingly, both opponents checked.
The 7♣ is the turn card, adding two clubs to the board. What should you do?
The action on the flip should give you a good idea of what your opponents hold. After raising preflop, the aggressive middle position player would almost never check a huge hand in a multiway pot on this flop if only one player behind him is tight. He presumably checked because he was anxious about what the tight button contained. He most likely has nothing or only a modest hand, such as a queen or a middle pocket pair. However, he rarely has a good hand unless he hits a set of sevens on the turn. Furthermore, the button most likely does not have a large hand. We know he plays straight, and he checked behind on the flop to end the hand.
You nearly always have the better hand on the turn. The only better hands that your opponents are likely to play so cautiously are king-jack and king-ten. However, those hands are unlikely given that you have a king and that they would have bet the flop a significant percentage of the time.
You should be prepared to back your hand with your entire stack against the player in middle position, as well as to call at least one bet against the button.
If you wager first, both opponents will most likely fold. And if they call, you could be in a difficult situation on the river, since the board now includes numerous draws.
When you check the turn, you will frequently see a bet from either a hand that received a draw or a medium strength made hand that kept the pot modest on the flop. The middle position player may simply wager since he is unable to resist after seeing you check twice.
You check, the middle player bets $18, and the button folds. You checkraise to $68, and your opponent responds with $118. The reraise surprises you, and you begin to wonder if you misunderstood his hand or if he pulled up a miracle hand on the turn.
However, you played the hand very suspiciously, and there’s a good probability your opponent believes you have nothing, especially considering your history with him. Most importantly, you anticipated this and made your commitment decision prior to the checkraise. Put the rest of your chips in.
This is an out-of-level play. You check a solid hand twice in an improbable situation in order to confuse the strong player and cause him to make a mistake. Out-leveling moves are lethal when employed sparingly, but extremely vulnerable when abused. If your opponent has come to expect such tactics from you, he may learn to check pocket aces on the flop to provoke bonus turn action. That would be him outclassing you. Before you try to out-level your opponent, you should be fairly confident that you will typically win.
When playing against difficult, aggressive opponents, you must occasionally use unconventional lines to keep things interesting. Wider opponent ranges result in looser and more aggressive commitment decisions. As always, smart hand reading and knowledge of your opponent’s perception of your hand should dictate when and how you make those judgments.
