Aggressive opponents can make your time at the poker table a real challenge, but learning how to fight back is a critical skill for any player.
In the latest episode of Made To Learn, 888poker ambassador and accomplished poker pro Vivian Saliba shares her top five tips for countering and exploiting overly aggressive players.
Saliba’s expert advice can help you turn the tables and gain the upper hand in tough spots, whether you’re dealing with relentless raises or unpredictable bluffs.
Don’t Fight Fire with Fire
If someone is betting weaker hands more than they should, and if they’re bluffing more often than they usually should in certain spots, you shouldn’t get out of line yourself and start making super-aggressive plays. Instead, it is better to play tighter and wait for the right moment to engage in a pot together.
Slow-playing your strong holdings is the best way to win chips against a bully at the table.
Adjust Your Range
Aggressive players are likely to overbluff, which translates to an imbalanced ratio to potential value hands that they might have to complete air holdings.
With this in mind, you should consider widening your calling ranges. Against someone who is betting way too much in most spots, you should incorporate calls with middle and bottom pair sometimes. This exploitative adjustment will work much better when playing a heads-up hand against an overly-bluffy opponent.
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Don’t Feel Intimated
Playing against an unpredictable player that will often put you in tough spots can be intimidating and even discouraging. Don’t let the fear of facing difficult decisions interfere with your game.
Knowing your opponent’s tendencies is an advantage and it’s your job to make the best decisions with the information you have.
At times, you’ll be put to the test, but this is what poker is all about.
Prioritise Position
Having position in poker is always an advantage, but being last to act against someone playing too aggressive is even better.
Remember that an aggressive player may check-raise you more often than you would experience against a regular player, so think twice before placing a bet. Think about all the possible scenarios from the beginning of the hand, and know how you’ll navigate according to your opponent’s moves.
Don’t Level Yourself
You must be careful not to put yourself in tricky spots just because you’re playing against an aggressive player or someone not following proper theoretical guidelines. Be careful playing huge pots with hands that might be dominated.
Just because you told yourself that your opponent’s range is too wide doesn’t mean you will outplay them. Not giving in to someone else’s mental pressure at the tables is harder than we realise. Your goal is to learn how to navigate and respond to their tendencies and weaknesses without compromising your own strategy.
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