The table bully is a creature you will encounter often in the online poker world. They generally do well early in tournaments when there is an abundance of weak players to take advantage of, but are unlikely to be a final table contender due to their loose play.
Their style focuses on forcing their opposition to fold early. They will bet hard pre-flop and constantly raise any weak bets at the table. They do this in an attempt to avoid going to showdown as they do not want to reveal that they are playing junk.
While annoying, the table bully can be a blessing in disguise as they are one of the best targets for increasing your stack substantially if played correctly.
Picking the Table Bully
It's always a good idea to work out your stereotypes when you sit down at a table, but it can be a dangerous mistake to apply the bully label to someone to quickly.
For example, if a player has just hit the table and makes a 10 bet pre-flop on his first hand that is generally a good sign that you are dealing with a bully. But let the play unfold for a few more hands before you try to take advantage of any perceived overly aggressive play. Otherwise you could be facing up against a tight-aggressive player who is being dealt a string of good hands and improving on the flop.
If the player is still pushing hard after the third hand, it is generally safe to assume you have a bully on in the house and you can now work on playing him appropriately.
Trapping the Bully
The first thing you need to do is not get frustrated. A table bully will wreck the flow of play at the table and has the potential to put you off your game. That is part of their strategy. Don't fall for it. If you maintain your cool and play them the right way you stand a good chance of doubling your stack. So pull back and wait for your opportunity to strike.
You don't want to play any weak or average hands against them. If you limp into a hand, the bully will raise hard in an attempt to steal your chips. If you end up folding the bully will see that he can dominate you when you have a weak hand. This will make it harder for you to set an effective trap later, as he will become suspicious if you call or bet against him in subsequent hands. So you want to sit back and wait for middle to high pocket pairs, high connectors or a suited ace high off the draw.
When you get your cards, do not raise pre-flop. You want the bully to believe you are weak so just call the blind and whatever bet they make. Once the flop comes down, continue to let the bully lead. They like being in control and dominating the play - so check if you are in first position and let them make the opening bet.
How you respond from here depends on your cards. If you made your hand and the flop is not threatening you want to slow play them, so call their bet. Resist the urge to raise them too early as they may back off. Doing this allows them to think they are still in control. Check again on the turn. They are likely to bet and you are good to raise them at this point. With the chips they have committed they will most probably call or get desperate and raise you back. If your hand is still dominant on the river, shove all in. Otherwise, match your earlier bet and call against any raise.
If you didn't hit your hand on the flop, once again you should check if you are in first position. The bully will most likely bet and you now have two options. You can fold and wait for another opportunity, or attempt to beat them at their own game and raise hard. Don't just continue to call and hope to improve - this is what they want you to do. You need to rattle them early. If you raise them before they have added too much to the pot there is a better chance they will fold if they are bluffing. If they do call you and they are playing junk, then they are more likely to check on the turn and river because you have challenged them. This option will work particular well if you have been playing tight up to this point.
So to recap - don't label your bully too quickly, sit back and wait for a good hand, slow play them if you are dominating and fold or raise hard early if you miss the flop. Hope that helps in your next tournament and good luck at the tables.
Their style focuses on forcing their opposition to fold early. They will bet hard pre-flop and constantly raise any weak bets at the table. They do this in an attempt to avoid going to showdown as they do not want to reveal that they are playing junk.
While annoying, the table bully can be a blessing in disguise as they are one of the best targets for increasing your stack substantially if played correctly.
Picking the Table Bully
It's always a good idea to work out your stereotypes when you sit down at a table, but it can be a dangerous mistake to apply the bully label to someone to quickly.
For example, if a player has just hit the table and makes a 10 bet pre-flop on his first hand that is generally a good sign that you are dealing with a bully. But let the play unfold for a few more hands before you try to take advantage of any perceived overly aggressive play. Otherwise you could be facing up against a tight-aggressive player who is being dealt a string of good hands and improving on the flop.
If the player is still pushing hard after the third hand, it is generally safe to assume you have a bully on in the house and you can now work on playing him appropriately.
Trapping the Bully
The first thing you need to do is not get frustrated. A table bully will wreck the flow of play at the table and has the potential to put you off your game. That is part of their strategy. Don't fall for it. If you maintain your cool and play them the right way you stand a good chance of doubling your stack. So pull back and wait for your opportunity to strike.
You don't want to play any weak or average hands against them. If you limp into a hand, the bully will raise hard in an attempt to steal your chips. If you end up folding the bully will see that he can dominate you when you have a weak hand. This will make it harder for you to set an effective trap later, as he will become suspicious if you call or bet against him in subsequent hands. So you want to sit back and wait for middle to high pocket pairs, high connectors or a suited ace high off the draw.
When you get your cards, do not raise pre-flop. You want the bully to believe you are weak so just call the blind and whatever bet they make. Once the flop comes down, continue to let the bully lead. They like being in control and dominating the play - so check if you are in first position and let them make the opening bet.
How you respond from here depends on your cards. If you made your hand and the flop is not threatening you want to slow play them, so call their bet. Resist the urge to raise them too early as they may back off. Doing this allows them to think they are still in control. Check again on the turn. They are likely to bet and you are good to raise them at this point. With the chips they have committed they will most probably call or get desperate and raise you back. If your hand is still dominant on the river, shove all in. Otherwise, match your earlier bet and call against any raise.
If you didn't hit your hand on the flop, once again you should check if you are in first position. The bully will most likely bet and you now have two options. You can fold and wait for another opportunity, or attempt to beat them at their own game and raise hard. Don't just continue to call and hope to improve - this is what they want you to do. You need to rattle them early. If you raise them before they have added too much to the pot there is a better chance they will fold if they are bluffing. If they do call you and they are playing junk, then they are more likely to check on the turn and river because you have challenged them. This option will work particular well if you have been playing tight up to this point.
So to recap - don't label your bully too quickly, sit back and wait for a good hand, slow play them if you are dominating and fold or raise hard early if you miss the flop. Hope that helps in your next tournament and good luck at the tables.
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