Ed Miller

HOW TO USE YOUR OPPONENTS’ AGGRESSION

AGAINST THEM

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Yeah, poker’s gotten tougherStop relying on the same tired, oversimplified rules of

thumb $1-$3 is “showdown poker” Keep “initiative” Always bet your own hands

Today’s regs, even not-so-good ones, know how to bet in obvious situations.

DON’T STAY STUCK IN 2006

Many regs routinely bet too frequently in certain predictable situations.

A major part of my game at $2-$5 and $5-$10 is to allow these players to make their bad bets and then to capitalize.

IN FACT…

Dynamic flop types privilege position. 7d6s2s 4d3s3c Jd9d7s

Flops with a low top card, with flush and straight draws, and combinations thereof tend to increase the value of position.

OOP players should bet these flops less frequently and with a stronger range.

CONTINUATION BETS FROM OOP

Many $2-$5 and $5-$10 regs don’t understand this concept, and/or they assume that they won’t be punished for overaggression.

The tactic is simple. Don’t fold early in the hand, and wait for cards that change the board complexion.

CONTINUATION BETS FROM OOP (CONT.)

A reg opens for $20 in a $2-$5 game with $1,000 stacks. A player calls, and you call on the button with 6s5s. The blinds fold.

The flop comes 7s3d2c. The reg bets $40, and the next player calls. You call.

The turn is the Ad. The reg bets $90, and you call.The river is the 7c. The reg checks. Bet $300 and take

it down more than half the time. Or overbet $500 and get select regs to lay down AK for a huge fold rate.

EXAMPLE

Also options are to raise the flop or the turn. When you raise the flop, you rep a set, which is a little

diffi cult to pull off, but you should do it sometimes. With so much money behind, you can apply enough pressure.

When you raise the turn, you rep aces up or a set, which is a little more credible. It’s a good option.

The main problem is that the typical preflop raiser is betting this flop with too many overcard hands.

EXAMPLE (CONT.)

You open with QcJc from the cutoff for $30 in a $5-$10 game. An reg in the big blind who 3-bets a lot makes it $100, and you call.

The flop comes 9d7d7c. The reg bets $100, and you call.

The turn is the 6d. He checks, you bet $220, and he folds.

Again the problem is that he’s c-betting all his overcards or other light 3-bets.

This board neutralizes the power of his preflop range and favors the player with position.

A SECOND EXAMPLE

Dynamic boards dilute the value of hands like AA and KK in a preflop raiser’s range and favor the player with position.

Many $2-$5 and $5-$10 regs fail to understand this idea, and they c-bet too frequently from out of position on these boards.

Don’t fold often. At least stick around with a call. You can also challenge these bets with raises.

CONTINUATION BETS FROM OOP WRAP-UP

This is one of my bread-and-butter plays against low-level (i.e., $2-$5 and $5-$10) professional players.

These players tend to play a style designed to take advantage of the typical regs in these games.

This means they take aggressive risks in spots they rarely get punished for them.

INDUCE VALUE BETS WITH CAPPED RANGES

The concept of a capped range is a critical one.A capped range is one that can’t (or is very unlikely

to) include the nuts or near-nut hands.These ranges are always vulnerable to big bets,

especially if your range is uncapped (i.e., you can plausibly have the nuts).

WHAT’S A CAPPED RANGE?

Two players limp, and the pro raises the the hijack to $30 in a $2-$5 game. You call in the big blind with AcQc. The limpers fold, and it’s just you and the pro.

The flop comes 9d4d3c. You check and call $50.The turn is the Qd. You check, and the pro checks.The river is the 2h. Check again to induce a thin

value bet.

INDUCE THE THIN RIVER VALUE BET

The pro’s range is eff ectively capped. The nuts is a flush, but when the pro checks back the turn he eff ectively denies a flush.

Your range is uncapped. You could easily have a flush, at least up until you check the river.

By rights, the pro should be very cautious about betting the river. Betting a capped range into an uncapped one is tricky business.

In reality, many pros have become accustomed to making thin value bets in this spot because they are rarely punished.

INDUCE THE THIN RIVER VALUE BET (CONT.)

Why not value bet your top pair on the river? Your range is uncapped, so when you bet the river (at least

if you make a big bet), you have rendered your opponent’s entire range a bluff-catcher.

Pros tend not to bluff-catch much in these games. While AQ is likely good, it’s not even remotely the strongest

hand you can have in your range. If you check, your opponent will likely value bet all

lesser queens as well as hands like TT or even A9.

INDUCE THE THIN RIVER VALUE BET (CONT.)

Same action, except this time instead of A-Q, you have 9c8c for a flopped top pair and backdoor flush draw.

If you check, you will induce bets from hands that beat yours (i.e., TT), and you will also perhaps induce some bluff s. Your opponent may tend to check down hands that you beat in a showdown (i.e., 77).

If you check-raise the thin value bet big, you will likely maximize the value of this hand.

BLUFF-RAISE THE THIN VALUE BET

Two limps, pro raises, you call in the big blind with 9c8c, and the limpers fold.

The flop comes 9d4d3c. You check and call.The turn is the Qd. It checks through.River is the 2h. You check. If it checks through, there’s a decent chance you’ll

win, because…

BLUFF-RAISE THE THIN VALUE BET (CONT.)

Many pros can’t resist value betting thin in this spot, even though their range is capped.

You’ll usually see a fairly small bet. So in this $170 pot, you might see a $70 bet.

Check-raise to $300. You’re repping a flush. Your opponent is unlikely to have a flush. My experience is that he’ll likely fold.

This is much better than check-calling the $70 only to lose to TT.

BLUFF-RAISE THE THIN VALUE BET (CONT.)

Your opponents aren’t total punching bags anymore. Don’t think of them that way.

They make bets. Sometimes, however, they are insensitive to factors that make betting unwise.

It’s often unwise to bet from out of position on dynamic flops with deep stacks. When your opponents do this, don’t make it easy on them.

You can often induce thin bets from pros just by checking two streets in a row. They may ignore the fact that their range is capped or too weak compared to yours to justify a bet. Set up situations for them to make this error, then punish them.

DON’T BE STUCK IN 2006