Thin Value Betting Against Calling Stations

[ImmaFish]

Is it possible to be profitable on here with a calling station/passive fish strategy in low stakes tourneys/freerolls? I know @Yorunoame tried out a passive fish strategy and said it was profitable at 2/4 ring games (link below).

Comparing Simple Strategies

Correction on hands included in “Passive Fish” strategy: I’ll also be play Ax suited from any position. So restating the list of preflop hands that will stick around for the flop unless there is a lot of aggression preflop: all pairs all broadway cards (AK, AQ, AJ, AT, KQ, KJ, KT, QJ, QT and JT) all suited connectors (T9s, 98s, 87s, 76s, 65s, 54s, 43s, 32s) Ax suited (A9s, A8s, A7s, A6s, A5s, A4s, A3s, A2s) One gap suited connectors (J9s, T8s, 97s, 86s, 75s, 64s, 53s, 42s) Hands that will st…

[Yorunoame]

I’m not really sure… I did all of my “Comparing Simple Strategies” test runs on the cash game tables, and from what I’ve seen, the play in tournaments is quite different. In general also, I found the passive fish strategy the most unpleasant of all those I ran (but quite a bit of that is probably just personal preference).

[BluffaloKing]

I have had quite a bit of success in tournaments playing against an uber-calling-station, having made some observations about his play after having lost a lot of chips to him in tournaments a number of times.

Observing his play, he would call pretty much any raise preflop with any hand from any position. On the flop he would never bet unless he had 2 pairs or better. He would call pretty much any bet on the flop and turn. On the river, he would bet if he thought he was head, but if he checked he would fold to almost any bet.

The calling station will often bet big on the river with hands like 2 pairs and turn over hands like, K6 suited.

The solution:

1. Raise preflop with hand that have potential to make straights and flushes, but with no card lower than an 8.

2. Check the flop to see cheap or free turn card. Even if you believe you are ahead, he will call any bet regardless of the odds, unless perhaps you shove, however that is unwise, because he will sometimes have a set.

3. Check the turn to see cheap or free river card.

4. If he leads with big bet on the river, fold if you cannot beat 2 pairs.

5. If he checks to you on the river, bet even if you have whiffed, and usually he will fold.

6. If you are out of position on the river, check to him unless you have a hand better than 2 pairs. With a straight or flush bet as he will probably call with top pair or 2 pairs.

7. Remember that if your range is tighter than his range, when you do hit, you are more likely to be ahead. Since he will call preflop with hands like K6 suited, you are much more likely to make a straight than he is, and often when he makes a flush it will not be the nut flush. So your aim is to make higher straights, more nut flushes, and higher two pairs, without putting your stack at risk with huge flop bets.

8. Remember that he very rarely bluffs, so when he shoves the river, he has (or thinks he has) the nuts.