Your opponents at an online poker table who use a tight-passive playing style are often referred to as rocks. A rock tends to have extremely rigid requirements in selecting which starting hands to play. They also don’t often display aggression, either before or after the flop. When you do find a rock betting or re-raising pre-flop, be certain that he’s holding a high pocket pair. But the typical lack of aggression on most hands other than or something similar can mean that a rock fails to get optimal value on his winning hand.
Perhaps you’re wondering why someone would employ such a playing style. That seems somewhat boring and only enters pots with the very best of hands. Nature of such weak-tight play tends to avoid losses due to not playing hands that have slim chance of winning. The strategy of online poker game can be successful if a rock happens to get action from other players on the hands he chooses to play. By minimizing his participation in weak hands, the rock does away with getting involved in hands in which he may not have the best of it.
There are number of strategies to employ when facing a rock on felt to maximize your profitability. The first would be to open up your range of starting hands. This would include hands that may hit the flop in a big way such as suited connectors and small or mid-level pocket pairs. If you happen to flop trips versus a rock and make the proper sized bets, you can be paid off handsomely in some instances. Especially, if your poker online weak-tight opponent has an overpair to the community cards on the board!
Range of playable hands should be extended
Your range of playable hands should also be extended. As aggressive betting on your part can often time push a rock off his hand. Take down pots even though your hand may not be legitimate. As opposed to a tight-aggressive poker online player, a tight-passive player has a tendency to look for reasons to fold instead of seeking ways in which to win. When the board shows a possible straight or flush or pairs up to allow for the chance of a full house. Rocks often falsely believe that their opponent made their hand and hit the straight or flush.
For this reason, your bluff attempts versus a rock should be quite liberal, taking advantage of his tendency to fold at the sight of danger on the board. You can always fold if your bluffs are met with a raise. But more times than not, you’ll be pushing a tight-passive player off of the pot unless his hand is very strong.
The ideal positioning at the table against a rock is to be seated to his immediate right. You want to be acting first not only to push him off pots that he has entered. But may be reluctant to continue, also to steal his blinds that he will tend to not defend. Should he choose to call your raise and defend his blind. You can always rely on outplaying him post-flop knowing that his range is extremely narrow.
Calling station passivity not the best way to maximize value
Rocks can sometimes be frustrating to encounter as they may check and call all the way to fifth-street with strong hands. This situation is difficult because they may not raise even with a premium hand–choosing instead to call–which doesn’t let you know the full strength of their hand. The calling station passivity is not the best way to maximize value. However, if your hand is weak and your intent is to push a rock off the pot by betting but a fold is not forthcoming. You must re-evaluate the situation and assume that your weak-tight rival may have you beat or he would have folded.
Weak-tight players only play the best starting hands. And often won’t play them strongly, preferring instead to check and call than raise. A rock will rarely ever bluff and if he bets. You can generally be sure that his hand is a strong one. The ways to take advantage of a rock include widening your range of starting hands. Bluffing even without legitimate hands as rocks tend to fold at the sign of danger. And try to seat yourself in front of the rock to act first and be aggressive.
Remember to muck your cards if a rock won’t seem to fold and your hand is weak. Using these tactics, rocks are profitable to play poker against in the long run. However, count on winning small and frequent pots instead of a massive score. Being involved in a huge pot with a rock could spell trouble, because the weak-tight approach won’t allow them to enter such a pot without being sure of winning, so be forewarned.
Happy playing!