Unpredictable players

[Flyer35]

It's a paradoxical question, since the only thing that is predictable about poker is how individual players play. Take the predictability out of a player and you have a totally unpredictable game. My strategy would be to assume they're playing an average range, play the hands that beat that range, and hold firm when the crazy bets come out of nowhere.

 

[Krono00]

I never tried predict specialy the player, only the probability of cards could be in hand

 

[Dimidrol2]

Sometimes I think I'm such an unpredictable player. I sit there and don't bother anyone, but at the right time I break out and paralyze some players, most of the time this is very noticeable at the final table.

 

[Marshmalo1994]

Poker isn’t just a game of math—it’s a game of behaviour and actions...Am I right?!

What is your strategy for handling unpredictable poker players?

In those cases I have no problem to give up a hand if I'm not sure that I'm ahead, but if I have good value, I play more agressive agaisnt those kind of players.
If I can see one showdown without putting too much on the pot, I use that as information.

 

[x patrice x]

The best way is to force this player to reveal his hand in his game situations.

If necessary, I'll buy this information!

 

[Andyreas]

Those are definitely the hardest to deal with. Usually you get a feeling of the other players style after a few hands involved but those who do not show a single play style: oh boy!

My answer to the questions is:
I probably select my hands more carefully when they are already in the hand or in the BB. I avoid taking minor spots and focus more on the ++EV moves.

 

[dompoker]

Expecting good hands and taking out all your chips, that's my strategy.

 

[Dushka]

It depends a lot, there are unpredictable players who are more aggressive and others who are not, but the ideal against these players is to play solidly since against them luck is more involved.

I completely agree with you)
Depends on who's at your table.

 

[renisundernet]

For unpredictable players, I would try to isolate them by having most players at the table notice their unpredictability and trying to overcome this situation of having to face them only myself head-to-head. However, if I notice that their unpredictability carries some weight, then it may signify that they are actually a very good poker player, which in this case I would prioritize to learn a bit more about their unpredictable behavior and my own level of competence as compared to theirs.

 

[finaltable1]

By my opinion poker always speaks for itself, this game is about understanding and managing variance of cards and variance of human behavior patterns, so from such point of view unpredictable player is the one who plays a insanely wide range of cards using even more wider range of behavior patterns. I would play loose game against such player, because highly likely such "random behavior" comes from lack of discipline or from some weird goals that such player is looking for. My goal would be to catch him before somebody else does, so i'll call or bet against him with much wider range, ofc if it's not a preflop all-in, and play inducing game postflop once i hit a big hand.

 

[successlaw]

I play and sometimes I use math also sometimes my instinct

 

[Magallaneroy]

Those players are like bad driver's, is not gonna be good in the long run for them.

 

[puzzlefish]

Poker isn’t just a game of math—it’s a game of behaviour and actions...Am I right?!

What is your strategy for handling unpredictable poker players?

Late to the party, but poker is so much more than behaviour and actions with statistics and math in the background.

It's the great game of incomplete information, and there is even less information playing online than there is live.

In dealing with unpredictable players, my strategy depends on what the stakes are, whether I have any interest in rebuying, and how exactly the unpredictable players is being .. unpredictable. I'd be more likely to be conservative with my play at higher stakes and maybe let them run into someone else's big hands if they are hyper-aggressive for example. At lower stakes I may widen my range and see if I can make them uncomfortable post-flop. Sometimes it works, sometimes it does not. I feel that usually it's best to just stay with the usual approach to the game and let the table sort the player out, sooner or later.

 

[Sebbour]

Against unpredictable players I'm even more cautious and careful than others because my experience tells me when I have opened ranges against them I would lose more often.

 

[jaymfc]

I just consider my hand, my position, the board, the pot size, and the bet the unpredictable player makes.
Then go with your gut

 

[Anna Brito]

When I encounter such unpredictable players, I try to be more unpredictable than them.

 

[4rrowwhy.1207]

IMO, those unpredictable players are the hardest to deal with. It's always a battle of wits against them.

 

[ZenonBR]

Well, I tend to change my game a lot. I'm hard to read. I like to play this mental game, even though I often end up making a lot of mistakes. Something I need to be careful about is playing against unpredictable players who are constantly changing their plays. As I said, I'm like that. What I would do would be to hide my strong plays, check, trap, and let him act. I want him to feel comfortable bluffing and taking me out of the game when I'm in a bad position. I'll certainly catch him. The unpredictable player's flaw is this: he can try wrong bluffs when he's tight at the table. He changes his color all the time, and this can be a problem. Something I myself have to improve and learn to use better. So, in short, I would try to trap him by being unpredictable as well.

 

[reeseflamees]

I never see my oponent. I Dont know what mean my rivals moved.
So I m not good at that.
Just Lucky or my skills

 

[Fallenglory]

Note their habits and learn.

The regs and unpreditable opponents are the hardest ones to play against imo. I have a special category for both player types, against regs I play a little tighter against maniacs quite a bit.

 

[oriole]

Against maniacs, tighten up and let them hang themselves - value bet big and trap when they overplay.

 

[BillyR23]

What is your strategy for handling unpredictable poker players?

You can't just sit and wait for premium hands... IMO the best way is to try and fight back as often as possible(be aggressive) to see how they react and/or try to get to showdown against them to get an idea what their usual story telling is* if they have one... if they end up being just maniacs/ whales/ bad players- than you can just wait for a very strong hand and like other members said- just let them hang themselves...

 

[istbno]

The best strategy for handling unpredictable poker players is to tighten your range and play strong, value-oriented hands. Avoid bluffing too much because they call with weak holdings unpredictably. Focus on position, control pot size, and let them make mistakes by overplaying bad hands. Stay patient, observe patterns in their chaos, and exploit any tendencies like frequent calling or random aggression. Keep emotions in check and adapt without ego—discipline and selective aggression are your best tools against unpredictable players.

 

[RodrigoMartins]

I totally agree — poker isn't just about math. Reading behavior, spotting patterns, and understanding emotions are a huge part of the game.
When I’m up against unpredictable players, I stay patient and try to observe them for a while. I usually play tighter and avoid big bluffs, letting them make the big mistakes.
Sometimes I’ll trap if I catch on to their style, but mostly I focus on not getting dragged into chaos. 😅
For me, discipline is the best weapon against unpredictable opponents

 

[tihomir_kula]

I consider unpredictable players as chip sponsors. bluff is their usual weapon so when I have good cards, I like to play against them.