Getting the caller to fold

For me, there’s nothing more frustrating than seeing a loose gambler at the poker table keep throwing chips in like they’re mints at a restaurant. He could be in the worst position at the table, he could even be one of the shorter stacks, but it just doesn’t seem to matter. He’ll either start the betting every time (as if he doesn’t even know what a check is), or call whatever is thrown his way. And all it takes is one win out of a half dozen to renew his confidence and keep him going.

Sure, you could get up and try a new table, but these guys are everywhere, and sooner or later you’ll need a strategy for competing with them.

So, is there one? There’s basic strategy for every situation, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to work. And unlike a pickup basketball game player who fouls the crap out of you every time, this guy probably knows he’s frustrating at least a few of you into silent hysteria.

My advice here, and I know it only goes so far, is to trust the odds. If you’re playing the game correctly, and have this guy on an accurate range, it’s only a matter of time before he fails to catch and drops his chips. You can whine all night about how he should’ve folded on sixth street, but that won’t do you much good after he somehow catches that river straight for the second time.

Here’s a hand that I played on Full Tilt Poker that got me fired up recently. I had holding King, Jack, and I knew this guy was playing loose for about an hour. He was about five seats before me in the rotation, and came out with a pre-flop bet of around $10. I re-raised, and he called. The flop was three mid-cards, I raised and he called. Sixth street was a jack, I raised and he called. No other pairs on the table, no flush draw, so I have reason to believe I’ll take the pot. The river gave him a straight (and inside straight), and he won.

I was furious, but knew I’d played the hand correctly. Like I said, not much solace after dropping a couple hundred, but that’s poker. I didn’t stick around long enough to see if he gave the chips up to anyone else. If I had, I probably would’ve made an irrational, emotional move and cost myself what I still had left.