Knowing Your Opponents

After going through some crazy up and down swings on my recent life, I decided to play some sessions on PS $1/2 and ran into an interesting situation. I had AK on the button holding AKo, the guy from SB (40/7) min raises me. What do you do?

- Fold: Hell no!
- 4 bet -> Fold: sounds reasonable but why would you 4 bet against fish like that if you will fold his 5 bet AI
- Call: His raise seemed so fishy!

Anyways, I decided to 4 bet this guy and he moved all in and I called, he had AA and he took down my stack. Call would have been the best move for the couple of reasons

- I have a position
- He is fish, so I can outplay him post flop and fold easily without commiting much of money if I miss the flop
- If K high flop comes on, then I would be stacking him off but it isn't too bad
- If I miss the flop, I can just let him have it as he record indicates that he is complete ABC loose passive player

PokerStars Game #20650599721: Hold'em No Limit ($1/$2) - 2008/09/24 2:30:10 ET
Table 'Polyxo' 6-max Seat #2 is the button
Seat 1: SuperJaz ($199 in chips)
Seat 2: LuxuryMaster ($200 in chips)
Seat 3: jrjueco ($451.60 in chips)
Seat 4: McRoNiX ($401 in chips)
Seat 5: PokerGypsy ($90.65 in chips)
Seat 6: TESIK ($446.55 in chips)
jrjueco: posts small blind $1
McRoNiX: posts big blind $2
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to LuxuryMaster [As Kd]
PokerGypsy: folds
TESIK: folds
SuperJaz: folds
LuxuryMaster: raises $4 to $6
jrjueco: raises $8 to $14
McRoNiX: folds
LuxuryMaster: raises $32 to $46
jrjueco: raises $66 to $112
LuxuryMaster: raises $88 to $200 and is all-in
jrjueco: calls $88
*** FLOP *** [Jd 5c 3h]
*** TURN *** [Jd 5c 3h] [Qd]
*** RIVER *** [Jd 5c 3h Qd] [8d]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
jrjueco: shows [Ad Ac] (a pair of Aces)
LuxuryMaster: mucks hand
jrjueco collected $399 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $402 | Rake $3
Board [Jd 5c 3h Qd 8d]
Seat 1: SuperJaz folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 2: LuxuryMaster (button) mucked [As Kd]
Seat 3: jrjueco (small blind) showed [Ad Ac] and won ($399) with a pair of Aces
Seat 4: McRoNiX (big blind) folded before Flop
Seat 5: PokerGypsy folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 6: TESIK folded before Flop (didn't bet)


On contrast, I ran into situation where I had KK on the button, the BB 3 bets and I decided to get tricky on this spot and decided to call. My reasonings were

- I have a position
- He is unknown, he might seemed like TAG but no info or stats
- If flop comes low rainbow and he c bets 99-QQ then I can raise and I thought he will commit himself

Flop comes Q98s he leads out and I raise he shoves and I have insta call. Turn 9, river blank. He takes down the pot with quads. My pokertracker has a little bit of delay but it later showed that he is (20/18). This type of player is thinking player who is capable of 3 betting out of position w 99 because he knows that I can raise any 2 cards on the button. The correct move here would have been 4 bet and polorize my range with air here often.

PokerStars Game #20650565722: Hold'em No Limit ($1/$2) - 2008/09/24 2:26:55 ET
Table 'Polyxo' 6-max Seat #2 is the button
Seat 1: SuperJaz ($199 in chips)
Seat 2: LuxuryMaster ($203 in chips)
Seat 3: jrjueco ($453.60 in chips)
Seat 4: McRoNiX ($200 in chips)
Seat 6: TESIK ($449.55 in chips)
jrjueco: posts small blind $1
McRoNiX: posts big blind $2
PokerGypsy: sits out
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to LuxuryMaster [Ks Kh]
TESIK: folds
SuperJaz: folds
LuxuryMaster: raises $4 to $6
jrjueco: folds
McRoNiX: raises $16 to $22
LuxuryMaster: calls $16
*** FLOP *** [Qs 9h 8h]
McRoNiX: bets $28
LuxuryMaster: raises $40 to $68
McRoNiX: raises $110 to $178 and is all-in
LuxuryMaster: calls $110
*** TURN *** [Qs 9h 8h] [9s]
*** RIVER *** [Qs 9h 8h 9s] [2d]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
McRoNiX: shows [9d 9c] (four of a kind, Nines)
LuxuryMaster: mucks hand
McRoNiX collected $399 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $401 | Rake $2
Board [Qs 9h 8h 9s 2d]
Seat 1: SuperJaz folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 2: LuxuryMaster (button) mucked [Ks Kh]
Seat 3: jrjueco (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 4: McRoNiX (big blind) showed [9d 9c] and won ($399) with four of a kind, Nines
Seat 6: TESIK folded before Flop (didn't bet)


You might say I am saying something result oriented but you have to realize the opponent you are playing against and be able to adjust accordingly. I ended up losing about 2 BI at the end of the sesion but it was worthwhile learning experience.