NIT to my left - how do i play against? cash

Hi, i wondered if anyone could help me out a bit. i'm playing micro's at the lowest level.

A player seems to be tracking me and always sitting at my table he's the person i've lost most money to so far. - he's currently directly on my left.
I've just dloaded HEM today and his stats are 13/4/1.6 VPIP / PFR / AGRF. over 250 hands (i know thats not much).

i'm new to HEM but by those stats i'm working out that he's a nit - am i right? i've never notice before but the HEM has opened up my eyes -even after only 300 or so hands. i can't believe how useful it is.

anyway, how should i play against this guy? - i keep stealing his blinds relentlessly unless he plays back - which isn't a lot, and re-raising when i think i've the best hand.

any pointers on how to beat / take some cash off this player?

any advice much appreciated, and thanks.

Eek. Looks like you are being hunted. He is sitting next to your left because he has learned he can get money from you. No offense, but that little hitch you feel in your smile might be a hook in your mouth.

Most likely you need to tighten up your hand selection a lot, and just fold more.

Those stats are not terribly nitty really. And at 6max they wouldn't be nitty at all.

Finally concentrating on "how to beat / take some cash off this player" is a partial mistake. Knowing how to play him is all good. But focusing on him specifically is bad.

Good luck.

That's def nitty/passive for 6max, I think you meant FR?

LMAO ! yes i know i'm a bit fishy !

and for a long time i didn't care - it was just something to do. i could afford to put $40-50 back in if and when i lost and it gave me something to play with. i had about a year off and have come back to poker in the last couple of months, only now i'm determined to build up a bankroll the proper way and eventually become a winning player.

i've looked at my game and started to tighten up a lot pre flop and cut back on the over-aggression. simply by playing tight and only playing premium hands (with the odd hands that might co-ordinate with a flop thrown in) i've managed to grind a profit of about $16 today in about 300 hands.

funny thing is - i love playing poker, but i'm loving studying about it nearly as much ! i'm looking forward to reading and applying lessons on this site and becoming a better player.

That is indeed what I meant.

Chances are if your losing a lot of money vs this guy its probably at showdown. Stealing his blinds and cbetting like you've been doing is good, but you have to be careful investing a lot of money with 2nd best hands vs these guys because when they put in a lot of money they usually have the nuts or not far off from it.

Good Lord. The knight-regent diocese of Muckingham has appeared!

But yes. Richy says what I was trying to say with my stunted advice to "fold more". If he is calling all your cbets you need to assume he has something since he is passive.

I have a feeling he is trapping you and letting you do his value betting for him sometimes.

Thanks for the responses, yes i think your right - i was playing into his hands a bit looking at it. i have now tightened up and am gonna play straight forward for a long while. i wasn't looking to beat him 'personally' just after some ideas on playing when he tracks me down. i actually think i might be ok now ive identified him and started notes on him i'll just be more careful (tight !) its hard to tighten up when you've been playing loads of hands for so long.

the HEM is a real help tho - i know you can't totally trust it for micro stakes but just the fact that you can see who is playing EVERY hand and those who are v tight means you can adjust accordingly - i'm loving it at the moment, even tho i'm not up to speed with all it can do. (i've just won 600 bb in the last half hour simply by adjusting to people playing every hand and vice versa). not enough to retire on yet but a good day today !

Boy, you don't have to explain that one to me.

TBH the main adjustment I would make would be to ignore him, play as though his seat was empty and the handful of times he enters a pot after me, assume he has a better hand than I do!

Basically when we are in the CO he will call a bit on the button, but not all that often and you should still be able to c-bet him of some hands PF provided you pick the spots well.

When he is in the Blinds you steal 65%+ and fold if he plays back

I dont see him as a nit. I see him as weak and passive and pretty tight but looser than a NIT. I would Imagine that he turns into a calling station postflop because the vast majority of his hands make TPGK. If he raises your bet postflop he has 2pair+

Seen the same guy on my table again just now - but then noticed that he's currently playing 17 tables !!!!!! wow thats gotta be scary. i don't think i'll be able to miss him at the tables somehow !

i feel more confident after your responses though so thanks very much - i just need to re-design my game into playing tight and not bluffing the river, as it doesn'n't work anyway.

I am becoming good friends with the Fold button and am happily massaging it all day long - much to my reward !

Whats your thoughts on the Pokertables ratings site and their analysis side of things - oh, and do you think the Grader is useful? It says i'm too loose preflop and too aggressive on turn and river. any thoughts?