Letters to Doctor Jack
Hi Dr Jack,
I hear people on about "Calling Stations" and "Maniacs" all the time while at the table! What’s the best way to play against these types of players and should I be taking extra risks or playing tighter??
Another question is what does "power poker" mean???
I look forward to reading your response!!
Thanks,
!rugsy!
The best way to play against aggressive players is the subject of much debate by poker experts the world over.
If you find yourself at a 'maniac' table, my advice would be to play tight. Play premium hands and let the Maniacs do the betting for you.
The famous Mike Caro would suggest a different approach. He says that when playing against a loose, aggressive player you should simply call more. i.e. reduce the quality of your starting hands and call more bets made by the maniacs. The theory behind this is that if they are playing a large range of hands, you can beat them in spots when you would fold against other players.
e.g Calling a reraise with K10, on a K high flop being a much stronger proposition than against a more conservative raiser.
To your second question, Power Poker refers to the style of poker written about by the famous Doyle Brunson. His style is to bet at any opportunity and to basically follow up a bet with....another bet. A good example would be raising with AK spades preflop, getting 2 callers and the flop coming 10 high with 2 spades. Some players would fold to a bet when another player comes out betting representing a 10....but Doyle recommends that you stick your chips in, representing a bigger hand, putting the decision on the other player and having 'outs' if you are called. Power poker at work.
For more information on Power Poker, Doyle Brunson's 'Super System' and 'Super System 2' are available in the books section of our Points 4 Prizes store.
Good luck at the tables,
Dr. Jack
All about Dr Jack
Dr Jack is one of four brothers from a large family of fifty two. A dapper gent, you will always see him in a suit. Although on the more debauched side, he claims to like a woman with a nice pair and has occasion to get blind drunk on his favoured tipple, “Gin”. He likes to run occasionally and would describe himself as straight, although most people do think he is a bit nuts. He was once caught folding to a gay waiter...
Flush with cash and a member of several affluent clubs, he once ran a marginally successful fresh water lobster farm. Unfortunately the business flopped leaving him feeling like a bit of a cowboy. He left the world of opulence to follow his heart all the way to poker heaven. His peers describe him as a “diamond geezer” and “one of a kind”. Those who have fallen foul to his superior skills refer to him with less gracious terms.
Dr Jack lives in a rather full house in the Cotswold’s with his two dogs Siegfried and Roy and a Bolivian tree frog called Boris.
