Playing a Villian that is Very Lucky

[Goalie35]

I have played in a weekly home game using an online App for several years. There is one player that is very lucky. It seems when he needs to hit a card he gets it. He is an aggressive player but would not call him a maniac. However because he is lucky he tends to have wider than normal opening and calling ranges. The problem is if he needs a 2 on the river, he gets it, if it runner runner for a straight he gets it. I have never seen anyone get the cards like he does.
How do you play against a player that has a long history of sitting on a horseshoe?

 

[fundiver199]

Future outcomes are independent on past ones. So just because he has been lucky in some hands, does not mean, he will be lucky in the next one, and therefore you should basically just continue to play your game. The second point is to go through some hands away from the table and evaluate your line, when you are not emotionally involved in the hand.

The danger of playing against someone, who is "running hot", is, that it can get into your head, and then maybe you start to make bad river calls, because "it cant be true, that he continue to be this lucky against me". Whereas maybe if he put in a big raise on the river, then he did actually hit something (again), and your top pair is no longer good, so you should fold it.

If you really feel uncomfortable playing against someone, it can also be ok to try to avoid them a little bit. Maybe he dont play every week. Maybe you can try to get a seat on his left, so you at least have position in most hands. And maybe you take off some marginal spots, if he is already involved in the hand, and you dont attack his blinds as much.

 

[Goalie35]

Future outcomes are independent on past ones. So just because he has been lucky in some hands, does not mean, he will be lucky in the next one, and therefore you should basically just continue to play your game. The second point is to go through some hands away from the table and evaluate your line, when you are not emotionally involved in the hand.

The danger of playing against someone, who is "running hot", is, that it can get into your head, and then maybe you start to make bad river calls, because "it cant be true, that he continue to be this lucky against me". Whereas maybe if he put in a big raise on the river, then he did actually hit something (again), and your top pair is no longer good, so you should fold it.

If you really feel uncomfortable playing against someone, it can also be ok to try to avoid them a little bit. Maybe he dont play every week. Maybe you can try to get a seat on his left, so you at least have position in most hands. And maybe you take off some marginal spots, if he is already involved in the hand, and you dont attack his blinds as much.

Thanks for your comments. I will give you a bit more background. The game is actually a tournament with the app assigning position so I don't get to choose my seat. There is usually 12 to 14 players with a max 9 at a table. Positions may change as players register, bust out and rebuy.
The feeling at the table is he has a horseshoe up his...... I realize that is not scientific but he appears to get the cards he needs more than normal.
I admit I am not a great player but watching his opening, calling and raising ranges his win rate should not be close to what it is.

 

[Poker Orifice]

Be luckier.

 

[fundiver199]

The game is actually a tournament with the app assigning position so I don't get to choose my seat. There is usually 12 to 14 players with a max 9 at a table. Positions may change as players register, bust out and rebuy.

Ok then you obviously cant seat select. But you can still select to play less hands against him. Like maybe you would normally open JTo from CO, but if he is BTN and you know, he is going to call or raise you a lot, then just fold such marginal hands. Also in tournaments stacks are often shorter, which makes decisions easier. If all the chips go in on the flop or turn, when you are ahead, and he then hit something on the river to beat you, then what solution do you even think, there is for that? Its poker, and if you get your chips in good, that is really all, you can do against anyone.

The feeling at the table is he has a horseshoe up his...... I realize that is not scientific but he appears to get the cards he needs more than normal.
I admit I am not a great player but watching his opening, calling and raising ranges his win rate should not be close to what it is.

Yes and would it not be nice to have some of this luck? But we cant control, how lucky or unlucky we are going to be in the short run. And therefore focusing on our luck or others luck is just a distraction. The goal is to play emotionless poker and to have fun, even when we are losing.

 

[eberetta1]

Sounds alot like Ultimate Bet and Absolute Poker. You may have to play at a different site if you want to improve your results.

 

[fundiver199]

Sounds alot like Ultimate Bet and Absolute Poker. You may have to play at a different site if you want to improve your results.

The super users on those sites could see their opponents hold cards and therefore make "perfect" decisions. They could not control the community cards, so that they would always hit, what they needed, when they were behind. The signs of a super user is, that they never call on the river without having the best hand, they never bluff into the nuts, they bet for very thin value, when they are ahead etc.

This however is just someone, who have been running hot over several tournaments. And then maybe it has gotten into the heads of OP and others, so that they tend to notice it more, when this player get lucky, but perhaps forget about the times, where he get unlucky. Its also possible, that he might actually be better at poker, than OP give him credit for. Maybe he bluff in spots, where he has equity, and then he sometimes get there, when he get called. But he might also take down pots without showdown, which more passive players give up on.

 

[EvertonGirl]

The only emotion I use when getting my ass kicked by their luck is laughter. I often laugh when I see their magic card on the river.

Don't let results tilt you, if you are starting to tilt just take a break for a while, do something that you love to get you back in the right mindset.

 

[dreamer13]

There are days, but it’s rare when you’re carried along in the game like on a wave, you know you’re going to win, a good card is coming your way, and it’s played in one breath.

 

[Mr.$t0k]

i think we must play secretly with oponent like you write
Good luck