Being the Table Bully

[blueday]

I found an interesting article at Optimus Poker (USA OK) on being the table bully.

Now this might sound like a harsh way to play a game of poker but it definitely does have it's rewards. 

You've probably seen a bully at the table on many occasions.  Aggressive play, blind stealing, heavy raising and just generally being very annoying and picking on certain players - usually tight players and short stacks.

Here are the tips as detailed by Optimus Poker:

1- You have to become the table captain. Whenever possible, take control of the table and dictate the size of the pot to make the rest of the action easy to read. In this way, you will know that when a player re-raises you they are likely to have a strong hand.

2- Always keep in mind who your opponents are as well as the size of their stacks. You are the table bully, not the table philanthropist  so don’t help anybody double up.

3- You have to identify the players that won’t let themselves get intimidated and those who will try to ‘survive’ to the money. In either case, they could have so few chips that they will need to go all in with whatever hand they hold.

4- Your common sense should always rule over your level of aggression. No matter how many chips you have, you always have to place the right bet against the right player. Do not go for all the pots with any hand.

5- Being the bully can sometimes mean making decisions even if you know that you will lose some chips. Keeping in mind that your final goal is to kick players off the tournament, it could be good to call some bets even though the flop isn’t that favorable to you. You have enough chips to get to the river and if you get beaten up in the showdown, you can probably live with it.

Taking control of the table, studying your opponent, using your common sense… After all, being the bully doesn’t give you license to do whatever you want. Above all, you have to play smart poker.

Is this something you think you could do?

I'm not sure that I could actually be the bully for long although when it's heads up, it makes the job easy.

I'd love to hear your comments.

blue

[dabigdog]

i only play on pokerstars for free chips and this is the role i end up playing on every session...i end up with 3 or 4 hundred K and everyone else is just rebuying at 15 to 40K and i just big stack em lol

[blueday]

i only play on pokerstars for free chips and this is the role i end up playing on every session...i end up with 3 or 4 hundred K and everyone else is just rebuying at 15 to 40K and i just big stack em lol

Interesting to hear.

Got any tips then dabigdog?

blue

[dabigdog]

well i play that free poker just so i dont gamble with the casinos so i dont know if any of my tactics would work for real money.....i bet aggressive and irrattic so the other players are always still confused from the last hand.  i routinely weigh the odds of my draw hands versus how much damage i can do to the other players stack when i think they already have a good hand....so one out of four times if i hit my hand,  they will go all in and get smashed lol.......table bullys are aholes ahhahahahah

[kattboots]

Well blue, I am still somewhat intimidated by bully players and don't think I would be good at being that player. Besides they are just too annoying. Nothing stops them and it is hard to play decent poker against them. I can see why it might be a good thing to do, but i don't have big enough neuticles...

katt

[dabigdog]

on real money tables, the real bullies would be those who could afford to lose alot more at much higher stakes tables but choose to "mess" with smaller stake players for sport....it is twisted but i am sure it happens all the time.  the reason they dont play good poker is because they are not at the appropriate stakes table for their skill or bankroll.......it is an ego trip.....it is about the only enjoyment i can get out of playing for free chips,  especially smashing clowns who like to talk crap...other than that you just have 20 million little fake green plastic chips

[Rosebud]

I do try to play the way they said but sometimes I get so irritated with the bullies that I knock myself out of the game instead of them!!

[blueday]

I think if you come across a bully you gotta stand up to them.  Don't let them walk all over you...re-raise them and see what happens; they will likely fold.

blue