How to Deal With Chasers

We had a 21 person 3 table tourney last night. There are about maybe 8-10 of us that have been trying to learn the game and getting better. Lately we have been playing very well against each other.

Last night, we were getting bounced early. I was second one out after this hand:

I had KQ suited. We started w/ $1500 chips and were all pretty much even. I bet $300 (blinds were 5/10 - but most of our players only think we have 50 and 100 dollar chips). Got two callers. Flop comes out K6Q - flopped top 2 pair. Pot was $910 - I bet $500. Got a caller. River comes out A and he bets $200...I reraise to $500 and he goes all-in...most of my chips are in the pot so I call. He flips over J 10 - straight.

His post turn play was great...but I had put him on a pair of Ks and maybe K6. Thought my preflop and postflop bet would have gotten rid of drawing hands. Nope - he even said afterward that he chases.

What really sucked - he was at final table.

There were four or five stories of that same thing happening around the room. Lots of river rats cashing in and getting lucky.

So we started another game w/ some of us that were bounced and it was actually a much better game - more grinding going on. Finished second in that one...but played heads up w/ the chip leader who had me about 5 to 1 for a while before finally losing to trips w/ my two pair.

Anyway - after all that - here is my question. When you are playing with a bunch of fish and chasers...ones you can't push off of pots early, how do you play that? I know in the long run they can't win chasing things. But it's to the point that you are afraid to make large bets until after the river and you KNOW what you have. Because if you bet large to push drawing hands off, they call anyway and they get to draw against you. Long run, they'll miss their draws - but when they hit it, you are out. If I sit back and only play the nuts, my stack starts to dwindle.

The two guys that were heads up - one went All-In w/ AQ suited (he's actually not too bad, a little wreckless, but consistent). The other guy calls - he flips 2-3 suited...and that's how he had played all night. Of course he lost - but how did he get to the final table playing like that?

Anyway - the "semi-serious" players - we were looking at an entirely diff final table than we are use to over at his house...maybe 2 out of the 10 we would have placed at the beginning. None of us had answers. We all felt like we had best hands going in, and they caught a flush/straight/trips on the river. But that's because they'd chase no matter what you bet.

You raised 30BB!!!! That is your first mistake. You made this pot huge with your bets. What happened to a 3xBB raise. You forget that you have smaller chips too, lol. You bet 1/5 your stack when the blinds are 5/10. You risked to much to fast. What happened on the turn? You are right that you were pot commited but that is your fault as much as his.

I like to play small stakes poker with these guys and nickel and dime them, not crack them open all at once. You give maniacs money and they can chase all night. The good players at the table will eventually whittle these types down, the last thing you want is to give them lots of money early. Tournaments are marathons and not sprints.

Remember, even the biggest donkey has the right to catch cards. I like to let them graze off me, not feast. Yes, everyone loves to be the one who eliminates annoying, crazy players like them but you also hate to be the one who gets busted by them.

Good point.

I guess our tournaments are geared that way and noone can really explain why. If you bet less than 100, it's pretty much considered a weak bet and everyone will play. My intent was to knock out any drawing hands with my bet. Didn't think anything less than that would accomplish that w/ the players we had. But at least, as you say, I wouldn't have been so committed.

I guess I just need to lay low in the future and play really tight. Like I said, everyone seems to bet around $200-300 if they have a hand. I think the best way to play it in the future, against the same type of people, is to play low and and let them take the blinds unless I have the nuts. Of course, while I lay low, others are betting these huge amounts and getting chip leads - but letting luck basically make the choices.

I'm going to play our tourney's like I should - play relative to blinds. If others aren't, it makes it tough, but I think that's the smart way to survive.

Usually, with the same group of people, we do play lower - but w/ some of these guys that showed up last night, big bets were the norm.

Good words titans4ever! As on of the 'semi-serious' players at this tournament, knocked out early, it is easy to look back with what you said and see how we, the semi-serious' players created this situation. Once the 'semi-serious' players stared betting big the 'chasers' were just emulating them/us. They are learning, as are we, and going with the flow. We are their poker heroes after all!

If we programmed them that way, we can de-program them. With patience and bets more in line with the 3X to 5X blinds we'll be able to play longer without jeopordizing our stacks over two or three hands.

I feel as if a new light has opened up into my play. Thanks titans4ever!

Now if FinalTable can beat me heads up he'll see the light too!

Ha Ha. Love ya FinalTable.

)7even 4our(

I almost had you - lucky str8 on the river saved you...I know I know - 8 outs. There will be another time for heads up and you won't be so lucky.