What’s Up All!

This week’s Question doesn’t involve a Specific Hand. But moreso generalized situations. What would be the necessary adjustment needed when playing Out of Position (OOP) against a NIT that counters your Bet/Fold lines by Min Raising?

Example Hand

Stakes: $1/2
9-Max
Hero’s Holding: 7♣️5♣️
Hero’s Stack: $300
Villain (VI) Stack (NIT): $200

PreFlop Action
*Fold around to CO*
CO (Hero): OPEN $8
BU (VI): CALL
SB: Fold
BB: Fold

Flop: Q♦️7♠️3♠️ ($15)
CO: CHECK (delayed C-Bet)
BU: CHECK

Turn: 2♥️ ($15)
CO: BET $10
BU: MIN. RAISE $20
CO: CALL

River: A♣️ ($55)
CO: BET $15
BU: MIN. RAISE $30

CO: What would your action be? Why?

I did some studying and the recommended betting line/s against NITs are to Bet/Fold. But, the problem I have with this is when the NITs Min. Raise. in response. To me:

1. This raise doesn’t convey any meaning
2. It’s typically SO small relative to the size of the pot
3. It’s begging for a call
4. Makes you feel used, if you got bluffed by this bet.

Perhaps someone can enlighten me on how to counter, deal with, or put meaning to these bets?

***

Start by not betting river in your example.

Try 3 betting their minraise nonsense once or a couple times. Show them you aren't gonna let them nit you around.

Or just exploit it by folding. **** the pot odds.

Agreed. I'd try to find a spot that wouldn't be total spew and put in a good sized 3! to see how he reacts. To figure out what these raises indicate, you're either going to have to playback at him to see how he reacts, or take a top pair type of hand to showdown and see what he shows up with.

Appreciate the feedback guys

Also, if you're opening that wide and flop middle pair how do you not cbet flop? That's as about as good a flop as we can expect and giving V a free turn doesn't help our chances to win this hand. Other than that, agree river bet is asking for abuse after being raised OTT. Maybe V has noticed you are raising wide and often betting thin value. When you do play back make sure as others said you have top pair+ or a pair+draw / combo draw hand that can improve. Something with lots of equity against his range.

I'd fold to the turn raise...but if a "nit" is repeatedly doing this, we have to adjust our read a bit.

whenever I am having trouble with a player I try to get position on them(move seats) or move tables(I am not good I am just better than the people I play against)

c0rnBr34d: This particular NIT is borderline ABC, so I wanted to utilize a delayed C-Bet here. I assume he’d bet most his pair hand 88+. This check allows me some control over the pot while getting information.

Thanks for the recommendation on how to adjust!

whatnow88: I like your suggestion of seat changing. However, this player is typically SO NITty that I prefer to keep him to my left. It’s the exception of when he gets into pots with me that he tends to Min Raise. These situations are rare nonetheless.

Not sure whether this analysis will help any, but you haven't really investigated the flop / turn textures of your sample hand; and you haven't given an indication of what your nit's pre-flop calling range is, either.

Is this a super tight player who uses his/her image to play aggressively when in a pot (i.e. some version of TAG)? Or is this a player who really only bets / calls with nutted hands or big pairs?

In your sample hand, without a strong read, I'd be check/folding the turn (assuming the nit read means he's not betting worse than top pair). And if the turn checks through, I'd lead the river for 1/2 pot when the ace falls, looking to fold JJ TT and some hand with queens in them that the nit didn't feel comfortable value betting. (IME, 1/2 players don't value bet often enough, and nits are no exception to that rule. If anything, nits value bet even less than avg.)

On the other hand, if your nit read is strong enough that his range consists mostly of AK, AQ, AJ and big pair type hands, then check folding the river here is also fine (once it gets that far), but you should definitely be betting the flop and maybe turn. (Again, it all depends on how / where the nit demonstrates his nittiness; if he only plays big hands, but then commits with them, no point in trying to bluff him off a big pair; but if he plays MUBSY poker, then bet into him until he folds.)

Last note: In your sample hand, the turn bet is 2/3 pot, but the river bet is tiny. A good, thinking player will read your river bet as weak and raise it relentlessly. How does this villain react if you bet 40 into 55 on the river?

I used to play with a nittier older gentleman who used to check call flops and lead turn at a super high ratio. I paid attention what he had when those hand when to showdown, often medium/high top pair type hands, so i adjusted by tightening my c betting range and raising with high equity hands on the turn. Eventually he lost a couple of big hands to me and stopped doing this to me, while continuing to punish what he perceived as younger players who c-bet too often.

OP, he obviously sees your delayed c-bets as weak and your $15 river bets into $55 pots as weak too. You probably never delayed c-bet against him when you were strong.

So be less predictable to him. Bet a respectable amount on the river sometimes when you're not as strong, and be strong sometimes when you delay c-bet so that you're able to 3 bet his min raise.