Having a Bully @ the Table

Being in situations that involve tbl bullies when you have a decent or small stack are hard to handle. I've been in the situation where the tbl bully has raised every 2 out of 3 hands & was doing it just to do it. I confronted him about it & he/she said this "i really don't care, i have the chips & even if i have 7 2 offsuit i'm going to raise up." That was bizarre to me cause that person was a good player from what i had noticed & didn't need to bully the tbl in order to win. They just kept it up the whole time & most of the time would get people to fold by raising up 6-7 times the BB everytime. A few times the bully would donk off a few & let a smaller stack double up but somehow it seemed that it was all mapped out by the bully & they knew exactly what was going to happen. They had bs hands most of the time & would hit the flop or suckout out on the turn & knock some1 out.....what was happening was bizarre. What would you do in a situation like this in order to keep a bully from succeeding?

play tight, i'm sitting at a table right now with a calling station, he's sucked out at least 10 hands. play your monsters and hope you catch your hand. at least that's what i would do.

I'm assuming that you're talking about ring games, although it's not 100% clear to me.

If it's a tourney, bullying is standard procedure, especially as the blinds get higher.

At a ring game, you shouldn't have a "decent or small stack" or you're not going to have chips to manouver if the the pot swells early and you want to be able to give players pot odds to make mistakes.


Otherwise, play tight, see flops where you have decent pockets, take him deep when you hit a monster. If he's aggressive postflop as well, use the rope-a-dope strategy.

Play tight and when you get a quality hand, burn him.

Bullying is standard game tactic. As Ninelions said, especially in tournaments, its a usefull method to control the table if youre sitting good. You keep opponents from hitting anything on flops. They have to decide real early when to make a move. As everyone agrees, when someone else is doing it to you, just tighten up and be patient.

Have to admit, i sometimes try bullying in ring games, if the opponents seem insecure. Defused a few calling stations as well, by forcing them to pay up the wazoo for every call. Seems a bad idea to let everyone get a shot at a good hand, if you can prevent it. Hope it doesnt make me a bad person :-)

-crancko

I know it's frustrating to have to risk half your stack just to see a flop when you got a bully at the table but as much as I hate being bullied, I gotta tell you I think it's their job.

I was at the final table of one tourney where the big stack refused to call any blinds and so chips were just traded back and forth and we sat for over an hour without anyone going out. I don't know what IS more frustrating - being bullied or no one patrolling the blinds.

Elle

Testing a player on party poker right now. He's right impatient, keeps telling everyone to gogoGO...

Which made me alter my playing style to using max time every round. Ill post if it works on the guy.

-crancko


Blew it, took a chance short stacked when less than 100 was left in the tourney, got whacked. Havent a clue whether it worked, he wasnt in the hand that took me out.

I would play tight and try to crack his hands.

I have succeeded a few times by complimenting the bully for good bully play.
Some comment like, 'He is playing the bully part very well' as a generic statement to the table has softened up the bully a bit. Not always, but short of a baseball bat to the face, what will always work?

If he respondes several things happen. He generally will recognize that you recognize what is going on, and his opinion (read) on you will go up a bit. By broadcasting the fact, he will also know that his secret is out.

Then play very tight for a while, and when you hit pretty good cards, raise before he gets the opportunity. DO NOT LIMP LIGHTLY INTO THE FRAY!!!

Sometimes it works. Only other option is to accept 2nd place........

i'll 2nd the tight play. but, later in a tourney, if your chips have been going bye-bye, you have to take a shot at the guy with less than favorable hands. especially if he has been getting calls and his cards have sucked. with my luck, i'll call and he'll have pocket aces.

i was in a situation in a tourney yesterday where it was me and just a bully at a table with everyone else sitting out. It was a $400 freeroll.

He raised about 10 times the BB every 3/4 hands. I basically just waited for AA, KK or something similar to come. Then when i was really short stacked i got QQ he raised i called. Flop came something like 4 8 j. He checks i bet he raises i go all in and he calls. i doubled up.

I continued to do this through out the game and doubled up 3 times through this guy. When confronted with a bully be patient eventually you will get him.

i finished 30 in the tourney but hey it still payed.

lmao keep on waiting for hnds v the bully i love it

bully makes so much in blinds he doesnt care when he doubles uup with ure micro stack all u can do is grow some conkers and reraise him he will get the message soon enuff

This is true. Here's what you do: pick a terrible hand like 83o or something and come over the top with it. SHOW your cards at the end of the hand (whether he folded or re-raised and you folded it doesn't matter)-- that should slow them down (at least where you are concerned).

^^^ very true.

Stefanicov relishes the bully role when he gets a decent stack and if I tried to tighten up and wait for a hand I would be blinded out in no time. Just like the schoolyard you have to pick your moment and take a stand.