Standard play against shove monkeys?

Anonemouse

I've just been playing the 19:00 freeroll, and come up against a guy who was literally shoving no matter what hand he had. I recognised this, so vowed to only push back with big hands.

First hand I played at him was AKos. I was 15th ish out of 280 or so remaining, and raised 4 x BB. He shoved all in - rather predictably - with what turned out to be the gargantuan 52 os. Naturally he rivered the 5 to take a mess of my chips, and leaving me fuming.

I'm now very short, and needing to get to work. A dozen hands later I find myself with KQos and 5 big blinds left. I shove, he re-shoves with the massive K5os. Yet again, he rivers the 5 to take me out of the tournament in a pitiful 217.

Now I know you're all going to point out that this is a freeroll, and some people play them like muppetts, but genuinely, is there a way to play against someone like that? I'd been playing really well, adopting Tikay's patented "Rockier than Van Halen playing on Gibraltar" method and had built up an image that meant people almost always folded to me. Up until he came along my showdown win had been at 100% - not bad for 50 mins into a tournament. I'd been in the top 50 for much of the tourney, and had been up to 10th out of a starting field of 1078 or so, for all my hard work to go to pot because of some eejit who doesn't understand that some of us like to take a game vaguely serious.


This isn't just a whinge, it's an honest question: How do you play against someone like this? Any suggestions, or was I doing it right by only playing premium hands?

loonytoons

To be honest i think that all freerolls are 95% luck at least, as players will tend to call your bluffs, will fish for cards, and gamble through the streets with very weak or fishing hands, and if they lose, do they care - NO, do they lose any money - No, do they try again in the next freeroll - YES, so you really have to enter these with the mindset, that play good poker and if you dont qualify, dont beat yourself up over it because freerolls WILL NEVER CHANGE!! and they are free.

donkeyplop

i think you were just unlucky mate!!

i won one of those freerolls a few weeks ago by playing tight aggresive!!!

there were over 1200 people in it too!

id keep playing as you are and you will have more wins than losses!!

Neildown

Monkeys will always have the upper hand mate, its just life

Anonemouse

In Response to Re: Standard play against shove monkeys?:

To be honest i think that all freerolls are 95% luck at least, as players will tend to call your bluffs, will fish for cards, and gamble through the streets with very weak or fishing hands, and if they lose, do they care - NO, do they lose any money - No, do they try again in the next freeroll - YES, so you really have to enter these with the mindset, that play good poker and if you dont qualify, dont beat yourself up over it because freerolls WILL NEVER CHANGE!! and they are free.
Posted by loonytoons

Cheers Looneytuuns. I understand that people will play a bit fishy in freerolls (I'm too skint at the moment to play big boy games, and there isn't a nice, long dirt cheap buy in tourney that I know of on here), and in fact I'm happy to exploit people when they are making fishy calls. That was how I had built up a stack that was 2 or 3 times the average within 15 minutes. It was just the fact that this guys move EVERY hand was to shove his whole stack. Was I right to play the AKos, or should I have gone to my back up plan of fold EVERYTHING until he got knocked out (Which was bound to happen sooner or later - as it turns out he made nearly 50 places on me). The AK looked so pretty it seemed a shame not to play it...

donkeyplop

ive stopped going all in with ak as i keep getting beat by low pairs!!!

if you have a large stack you dont need to gamble with ak if you are short stacked id push with ak!

just my opinion

loonytoons

In Response to Re: Standard play against shove monkeys?:

In Response to Re: Standard play against shove monkeys? : Cheers Looneytuuns. I understand that people will play a bit fishy in freerolls (I'm too skint at the moment to play big boy games, and there isn't a nice, long dirt cheap buy in tourney that I know of on here), and in fact I'm happy to exploit people when they are making fishy calls. That was how I had built up a stack that was 2 or 3 times the average within 15 minutes. It was just the fact that this guys move EVERY hand was to shove his whole stack. Was I right to play the AKos, or should I have gone to my back up plan of fold EVERYTHING until he got knocked out (Which was bound to happen sooner or later - as it turns out he made nearly 50 places on me). The AK looked so pretty it seemed a shame not to play it...
Posted by Anonemouse

Its never right or wrong wether to play the big slick (AK)a certain way, its all circumstances,horses for courses (freeroll every time for me lol). Me personnally, i like to push with it, but hate to call a massive raise with it (doesnt mean i wont) remember 2-2 beats this hand, and your oponent did have two 'live' cards to hit (which he did) As for folding everything til he got knocked out, id say no as although you were 15th, there were still over 200 players, and i believe on these freerolls the top 5 or 15 players qualify only, and with blinds increasing, it wouldnt take too long for you to drop down the ladder. one last point, dont take my advice as gospel, its just my opinion, listen to all and then pick which bits of advice you like.

loonytoons

P.S you wanted to know if there are any long dirt cheap tourneys on here. At 6:15,7:15,9:15,10:15 etc etc there are £2.20 deep stack tournies running in the MTT section, 5000 chips and 12 minute blinds, i dont know if this is dirt cheap enough for you lol, but i dont think there are any more.

Anonemouse

Many thanks for the suggestion Loonytoons - as you know I played the 7:15 deep stack, and ended up going out on the final table bubble, 7/41. Not too bad for the first MTT I've paid to play (always done freeroll MTTs before, or cash/SNG), and the first deep stack I've ever attempted!

Spent most of the tournament in the top 6, and I'm pretty proud that I went out more like a lion than a donkey - couple of suck outs, for both me and my opponents, but I didn't get blinded out. Crashed my snowmen into a pair of 7s that hit on the river, but that's poker.

Next week I'm definitely cashing in it. Hopefully.