Dangerous Play in Texas Holdem

There's a particular style of play in Texas Hold'em that's very dangerous and erratic.  It's dangerous to the rest of the table because it can cause opponents to suffer extreme losses.  It's dangerous to the player using the style because it can result in extreme losses.  It's erratic because it can also cause extreme swings from losses to wins.  This style is called "Loose-Aggressive".

It's loose because the player will play a very wide range of starting hands and it's aggressive because bets are large and raises are frequent.  Recently, I've had the opportunity to play against 2 or 3 new guys who could be categorized as loose-aggressive.  Actually, they're the text book definition.

This kind of player can thrive against tight-passive players because these people tend to play scared, waiting for the perfect hand to bust their opponent with.  They're thrown off by the loose-aggressor and find themselves checking to the player and folding to his large bets.  In fact, they fold until the blinds have eaten them alive and they're forced to make one final all-in bet that usually loses, and when it wins, simply puts them in a position to have to do it again.  This continues until they are quickly on the sidelines.

Everyone loves to beat the loose-aggressor, but many players don't have the guts to get it done.  Sometimes, you just have to play that A-9 aggressively to beat the aggressor with the A-6.  That hand doesn't seem so strong with a board showing K-J-10-8-3, but the loose aggressor is hoping that you will fold to his bluff.  So, what should you do?  Disappoint him.  How many hands in a row could he have made anyways?  1 out of 5?  Maybe.  That would mean that 4 out of 5 times, he's got air.  Push back.

"Aggression is the ultimate equalizer."  The loose-aggressor is not equalizing.  He's unbalancing the table with his aggression.  So, you have to equalize with your own aggression.  There's a good reason the tight-aggressive player is referred to as a "Stone-Cold Killer" in poker.  You play tight until you get good cards and you play aggressively when you get your cards.  Against the loose-aggressor, you just need to loosen up a little yourself and then let him have it with your perfectly timed aggression.  How about this?

Check . . . Bet . . . Raise

The check-raise is a killer to the loose-aggressor.  But be ready for his all-in re-raise.  He's a maniac.  What else is he going to do?  Beat him (at his own game) on this hand and if he's still in after that hand, he won't likely do it again (to you at least).

And sometimes you just have to stay out of this person's way and out-last the rest of the table.  Get him head's up and you're style can break him down because a much looser range of hands will win head's up. 

When you don't get good cards to check-raise with, then the key is to stay alive.  Be aggressive against the rest of the table.  Build your stack and get head's up.  Maybe the loose-aggressor will even step off into one against someone else along the way.  Then, you're in a great position to take it all down.

When you understand how to play against the loose-aggressor, that style of play is no longer dangerous to you.  Instead, it's dangerous to him and to all of those who don't know how to handle him.  Hang around, build a stack, and take it down.