I faced this opp today who played really tough to beat poker... he's never bet out except with the nuts on the river or on the turn and he waits for a chance to check-raise whenever I make a weak-looking bet. He'd never bet out second or 3rd pair but will call them down meaning I can't safely bluff if opp checks since he might still have second pair and call me!! I couldn't find any holes to exploit in his game and resorted to using the same strategy as opp, checking all my hands and only betting out with the nuts.

Please could you guys help me with what to do against opponents like these!! My HU match went on for almost an hour 250 hands since neither one of us were willing to bluff and the match ended in a crapshot of who had the best cards. There's no way I could play poker like this consistently and win!! Please help me how to combat this guy's slowplay tactics...

I've posted a few hands of his to illustrate how his game is like:



First hand of the match:

Poker Stars $3.29+$0.21 No Limit Hold'em Tournament - t10/t20 Blinds - 2 players
DeucesCracked Poker Videos Hand History Converter

BTN/SB: t1500 75 BBs
Hero (BB): t1500 75 BBs

Pre Flop: (t30) Hero is BB with A 2
BTN/SB raises to t40, Hero calls t20

Flop: (t80) 7 7 3 (2 players)
Hero checks, BTN/SB checks

Turn: (t80) 6 (2 players)
Hero bets t60, BTN/SB calls t60

River: (t200) 6 (2 players)
Hero bets t60, BTN/SB raises to t280, Hero folds



Second hand of the match:

Poker Stars $3.29+$0.21 No Limit Hold'em Tournament - t10/t20 Blinds - 2 players
DeucesCracked Poker Videos Hand History Converter

BB: t1660 83 BBs
Hero (BTN/SB): t1340 67 BBs

Pre Flop: (t30) Hero is BTN/SB with 5 8
Hero calls t10, BB checks

Flop: (t40) 3 9 4 (2 players)
BB checks, Hero checks

Turn: (t40) K (2 players)
BB checks, Hero checks

River: (t40) 9 (2 players)
BB bets t260, Hero folds



Poker Stars $3.29+$0.21 No Limit Hold'em Tournament - t15/t30 Blinds - 2 players
DeucesCracked Poker Videos Hand History Converter

BB: t1560 52 BBs
Hero (BTN/SB): t1440 48 BBs

Pre Flop: (t45) Hero is BTN/SB with 4 7
Hero calls t15, BB checks

Flop: (t60) K 2 5 (2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets t30, BB calls t30

Turn: (t120) K (2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets t60, BB calls t60

River: (t240) 3 (2 players)
BB bets t270, Hero folds



Poker Stars $3.29+$0.21 No Limit Hold'em Tournament - t15/t30 Blinds - 2 players
DeucesCracked Poker Videos Hand History Converter

BB: t1485 49.50 BBs
Hero (BTN/SB): t1515 50.50 BBs

Pre Flop: (t45) Hero is BTN/SB with Q 7
Hero calls t15, BB checks

Flop: (t60) 6 5 7 (2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets t60, BB raises to t120, Hero folds



Please help me figure out a way past this opp!

check-call most of your hands, bet if you want to get raised

in general just play more value hands, bet when your strong ch when your weak.

hand 1, your better of trying to get to sd than betting, not a ton of value
hand 2, take a stab on the flop or the turn, you have no sdv, just a minbet
hand 3, played it fine
hand 4, dont fold, there are plenty of draws, clubs, plus 8x type hands that you beat. this deep i would just call the min cr, call a turn bet too that wasnt too large, say half pot, if the board gets scary with 8c 9c or similar type cards makes a fold easier.

1. C/c River. Why are you betting? You have SD value and very likely the best hand, but no worse hands will call you. And I dont like calling Ax pre again aggressive opponents oop, either fold or 3bet.

2. Fold pre.

3. Again, fold pre. Why are you limping these crap hands? Raise or fold, but limping is the worst option.

4. Bet is good, snapcall his mincheckraise, reevaluate turn.

Theres no need to feel helpless just after one match. Aggressive opponents will always put you into tough spots, sometimes you WILL have to make tough calls, and you have to because only then you can figure when and with which types of hands he is doing what. In general avoid playing too much oop, play most hands otb so have more control over the action and pot size.

?

Its part of the game. Sometimes what all do is 4 bet there raise. Especailly if there raising light and they keep doing it. Its ok to 4 bet over a raise. I don't know why that leaves peoples minds. I have seen guys fold top pair and think they make a great lay down. Sometimes all see them do with with middle pairs. And during a match i might jam over the top and when they fold show them the air ball i have. That way it sets up my big hands but also makes them back off from even considering doing a raise. The reason there raisig too is they dont think you will fight back in that particular spot. But you can put people in a lot of tough spots if they think they can get away with going to value town and value raising with marginal hands. But usually when someone raises they got the nuts but in some of these spots they know your weak and you can never have the nuts in a lot of those board textures so its a pretty easy in a lot of those spots with complete air to just raise you after you bet. Your never repping the nuts in any of those situations.