[norshvind]

Last night we had three players come and go at different times and each one clearly had their mind set on being the table bully.

I actually don't mind a bully because they allow me to sneak my better hands in unnoticed.

Eventually I nail em, but it's a difficult road getting there. I have to fold quite a few of those "Man.. just know I have it" hands. You know, those ones where you know he could be bluffing, but it's just not worth it to find out he if he'll luck in to it on river.

One particular bully won a hand against me when he first sat down. He posted a rather large bet on flop and I had to fold. He proceeded to play very aggressive every hand he was in and was clearly a bully. Noway he could have a hand worth what he bets every single time. Well, I waited and waited by staying out of pots he was in until I had premium starting hands. I also studied his play while waiting. He loved to bet the flop big to get as many folds as possible, but then he would check both turn and river against anyone who was still in. These were major signs of missed draws for sure. He clearly wasn't watching anyone at the table and didn't care who was playing so he would never notice me from anyone else.

I finally get QQ and called his raise. Flop is all rags with two hearts and he bets like a maniac again which has now become his tell tell sign that he's full of horse dung. He's most likely on a draw to a flush or straight. A straight wasn't very likely with this flop and I hold the Qh which is one of his outs. I call his bet and a Q hits on turn. He checks which has also become his tell that he screwed the pooch and missed his draw so far. I say a small prayer to the drawing gods to please give me a break here and went all in. Sure enough he calls and misses the river and he's toast.

Thank you thank you thank you!!!! About frickin time I win an all-in against a drawing hand.

Most of the time when I put somebody all-in with their flush or straight draw I get my butt handed to me by the river. I thought drawing hands were more like 35% chance, but against me they are around 90% chance.

Anway, this is how I deal with a bully. Anyone else have different tactics?

[chris]

I know what you mean with getting outdrawn. Its one thing if theres 3-4 people in it, then its almost expectd, but heads up. I think my name says it all. Good read on the bully. Patience and agressiveness are the keys to this game. By the way ive always enjoyed reading your observations. When a new guy hits the NL tables i tend to stay out of the way and that has saved me money, except for today about an hour ago. New guy hits the 100Nl tables, about 5 min. later has a stack of about 250 all runner runner bullshit. I egt pocket AA long story short i lose my 150 by runner runner str. Hey thats poker right.

[johnf]

Well I Believe The Best Way To Shut A Bully Up It To Push Back... Reraise Him And Show Him who's up...Now This Wont Let you take all like you then But It Will make him switch his game play if you scare him and he may only Be A Good Player Agressively...Putting Him In A Bad Spot...

[norshvind]

This tactic doesn't work for me.

Why?

Because it sets me up as the aggressor and puts him on alert to play better. I don't want them playing better in order to beat me. I want them to stay confident and keep their ego soaring in the clear blue sky. I want him thinking that I am a scared wittle wabbit who will fold to his powerfull almighty all-ins every time. I don't want to battle for 5 pots to clean him out. I only want to win one pot and clean him out.

That last thing I ever want at a table is to become feared by my opponents. My first goal at most any table is to establish a loose/passive image when I'm actually tight/aggressive. Cheap hands allow me to lose gracefully to establish this image.

I have a saying that I try to stick to... "give a little, take a lot more back". In otherwords.. that $5 will get me $30 later.

[lork]

I like that part about saying a small prayer to the drawing gods...lol. Been there, done that!!!

[ballen]

I love playing NL with guys like that. I'll tighten up, fold more hands, and wait until I have a huge hand, then lay a big check-raise on them on the turn. Do that twice and they will lay off.

[jhasper]

Usually against a bully I will go into weak tight mode (unless it's one of those rare times they fold pre-flop). I usually don't try to push back because sometimes bullies get AA too. In fact it seems like every time I try to push back they do. I will avoid a big confrontation pre-flop unless I have AA or KK, then all the money goes in before the flop. If I'm going to push back, it's going to be after the cards are out with position.

Usually I will just wait to make a big hand against them. What I'm hoping for is to get them with a good hand against my nut hand. I will still let them take charge of the hand most of the time. That way I can get them pot committed when in move in on the turn or river. If I flop a hand that is very good, but still vulnerable, I will lead right into them if they raised it before the flop. It takes patience, but if you give them enough rope, they will eventually hang themselves.

I have also discovered that you can use his table image against him. I have seen time and time again that loose players get loose action. People remember the times the bully got caught bluffing when he was betting big and they begin to loosen up their calling requirements, even trying to run him down with bottom pair. In NL this type of play makes for a volatile table. Online I have seen players who move in pre-flop on every hand. People will start calling out of frustration with hands they shouldn't be.

In a short handed game, I try to be the bully. I do it mostly because I know that I am better than my opponents, and I know when to back off. In a full game, I mostly play tight-agressive. The down side to being tight aggressive is that if players take notice, it will often be hard to get your big hands paid off. But there is an upside. My tight-aggressive image allows me to steal many more small pots. They give me the equity to call 10X BB raises with pocket pairs and small connecting cards in hopes of building a hand. I can get equity from my big hands when the bully is in the pot by letting him bet my hand for me. In order to do this I have to have a hand that has a low chance of being outdrawn. In multi-way pots, his bets will get loose calls from other players. My bet would probably scare everyone off. I want to break the bully, but I would love nothing more than to take one or two others along for the ride. There's nothing like taking down two players at once.

This play doesn't always work. Better players may get suspicious that Mr. Tight Aggressive over there is just quietly calling down the big bets from the bully. Some of the more astute bullies will even check it on the next round after I called. Most of the time the bully won't stop, and the other players will think you are trying to run him down just like they are.

[ThomasR]

Me, I like to give him a few free chips with some loose calls. The when I do get something, I play like before. I throw chips into the pot, nothing particularly confident and nail them at the river - it's nice to see them call you something or other when they realise they've been strung up like a kipper.

A dangerous game to try and beat the bully, and it's even more dangerous as it can bring on tilt to an extent, so be cool, be patient and you'll be able to milk them in time.