Weak Lead Poker
If a poker player is called a donkey, he's a bad player who makes blatantly bad poker plays. This term is used for a weak or inexperienced player, especially one who plays his hand against the odds and doesn't fold poor hands. Donkey is also shortened to donk.
An experienced player might announce that he's playing badly or planning to, as in 'I'm going to donk it up tonight' or 'I donked.' A poker tournament that has a high percentage of donkey players is called a 'donkament.'
Before the term donkey came into common usage, these poor players were known asfish, pigeons, or underdogs. Another slang term used by some is 'ATM,' as in a cash-dispensing machine. An experienced player can be frustrated when playing against donkeys, or he can enjoy the benefits of playing well against them.
Definition
Weak-Passive Poker: Why Calling So Often Can Be Your Biggest Leak. Allowing others to take the lead and decide the size of the pot is like trying to be a backseat driver. It doesn’t work. That said, I have found that most weak players will release hands worse than top pair if you fire all three streets. This should lead you to bluff on the turn and river versus these weak players. Beware that some weak players elect to check-call with hands as strong as K-J with the intention of check-calling down.
The donkey has long been a symbol of stubbornness and ignorance or limited intelligence. In the world of poker, these traits can easily play out at the poker table. Typical plays that can attract the label as donkey moves are calling every hand, continuing to call while holding poor cards, and going all-in on a poor hand. Stubbornness would be seen in continuing to bet on a hand despite a poor flop and with other players showing strength by raising the bet.
The term is often applied to a player that beats another player who has a strong hand. An example would be a player holding A-A who is beaten by a player holding 7-2, who continues to bet and makes two pairs, a set or a flush, especially when he makes the winning hand on the river after one or more raises. Sometimes a player will be incorrectly called a donkey by the players he beats, even when he's playing wisely and losing was simply due to skill or luck.
Weak players who are playing tightly are rarely called donkeys, as they are likely to fold hands they should have continued to play. They don't show the stubbornness and brashness that are the hallmarks of a donkey. However, they might be likely to call other players donkeys.
Signs of a Donkey
- Overplaying hands that have low odds of winning. A donkey might play a 7-2 rather than folding as any experienced player would wisely do.
- Talking too much at the table, discussing their previous hands with the other players, or giving away information about their style of play.
- Showing their cards after a successful bluff and crowing about their success.
- Calling most hands, no matter what cards they are dealt and which position they are in at the table.
- Going all-in frequently, either as a bluff or when they have only a moderately good hand.
- Making raises when they are not in the best position to benefit from doing so.
- Overusing bluffs.
- Goes on tilt after a beat.
Experienced players can love or hate donkeys. When a donkey has a run of good luck, he will be a source of exasperation. It's up to the experienced player not to go on tilt.
Without a shadow of a doubt, the most difficult player to combat at the cash game tables or in tournaments is one who plays a loose-aggressive poker strategy and plays it well.
A good loose-aggressive player, or LAG, at your table is a constant thorn in your side. Such players will frequently raise and three-bet preflop, fire more than their fair share of continuation bets, are not afraid to barrel on all three streets, and will pounce on any sign of weakness.
When no-limit hold’em was first becoming mainstream, there were very few people who knew how to play loose-aggressive poker, or at least were willing to do so. I vividly remember reading an older strategy book when I first discovered poker and seeing a section that said to proceed with extreme caution if you had been reraised, even if you held a hand as strong as pocket kings!
This may have been solid advice in the days of passive poker (played both loose and tight), but with so many players adopting a loose-aggressive poker strategy these days, you would be burning money by playing as advised by that particular book.
What is Loose-Aggressive Poker Strategy?
As its name suggests, a loose-aggressive poker strategy sees players loosen up their starting hand requirements (they play quite a lot of hands, often 30% or more that are dealt to them) and they play them aggressively (by coming out betting and raising).
However, not all LAGs are created equal. Bad LAGs are often reckless and will never find a fold, but LAG players who know the nuances of how to play loose-aggressive poker well almost always know where they stand in a hand and will fold to resistance. The former can be frustrating to play against, but the latter can decimate your stack and bankroll if you are not careful.
Loose-Aggressive Poker: Starting Hands
Some LAGs will play literally any two cards dealt to them and rely on their aggression or postflop skill to outmaneuver their opponents once the community cards come into play. If you are looking to start playing with a loose-aggressive poker strategy, it is advised to have some structure to your starting hand requirements.
We mentioned earlier than LAGs play a lot of hands, often 30% or more that they are dealt. Thirty-three percent of hands is a range that would include:
- 22-AA
- 54s+
- 75s++
- K8o+
- K4s+
- A2o+
- A2s+
As you can see, 33% represents a lot of hands, which is where some of the strength of a LAG style stems from — you have a difficult time knowing if such players are strong or weak preflop and whether they are betting with a pair, set, draw, or on a bluff after the flop.
How to Combat a Loose-Aggressive Poker Strategy
You have probably gathered by now that taking on those who know how to play loose-aggressive poker can lead to stressful situations at the tables, but that is not to mean that they are unbeatable. You just need to adapt your own style to combat theirs and use their LAG style against them.
First, when playing against LAG players give more consideration to your own starting hand requirements. Finding yourself out of position against LAG players is a nightmare, but even having position on them while holding a weak hand can be equally as difficult.
A hand such as may be a perfectly legitimate hand to open with from the button, but if there is a good loose-aggressive player in the big blind who has been three-betting you all session, it is probably best not to raise here as a steal because you are likely to be playing in a bloated pot with a weak hand against someone who is not going to let you see a cheap showdown.
Second, when up against a LAG consider slowplaying your strong hands both before and after the flop. Players who are starting to get out of line with how frequently they three-bet you are likely to fold to a four-bet because their reraising range is so wide. This gives you the perfect opportunity to simply call a three-bet with strong pairs such as aces, kings, or queens. While you should not make a habit of this, it is a good play to have in your arsenal when taking on someone playing a solid loose-aggressive poker strategy.
Furthermore, you can extend this slowplaying to postflop, too. LAGs will often make a continuation-bet and at least another bet on the turn (barreling), yet put the brakes on when they face strong resistance. Instead of check-raising or raising a hand as strong as a set, let your loose-aggressive opponents have a little more rope with which to hang themselves.
Also think about using an opponent’s loose-aggressive range of starting hands against them by bluffing them. A couple of paragraphs ago we advocated slowplaying big hands preflop, yet you can also four-bet bluff a habitual three-bettor — especially if you have a tighter image — because they will give you credit for a strong hand and they are more likely to be holding something less than stellar.
Likewise, the occasional check-raise bluff on later streets can work wonders if your loose-aggressive opponent has shown to be capable of giving up on a hand when facing aggression.
Conclusion
Weak Lead Poker Games
Like all moves in poker, do not overuse any of the tips mentioned above. If you do, you will become much easier to read, and someone will eventually call your bluff. Once players with a solid loose-aggressive poker strategy figure out what you are trying to do against them, they will target you and make your time at the tables most uncomfortable.
Weak Lead Poker Game
Meanwhile, learn how to play a LAG style yourself and you can be the one making things less comfortable for others at the tables.
Weak Lead Poker Card Game
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cash game strategytournament strategyno-limit hold’emloose-aggressive styleaggressionbluffingstarting hand selectionposition