A rock is a tight passive player who doesn't get involved in many hands or betting
skirmishes. This type of😊 player is very conservative and plays a tight game and can
take a little longer to identify at the table.😊 They are very predictable in playing
habits and will not normally get involved unless they have a monster.
These players are
😊 easier to play against. They only really play the best hands and they tend not to bluff
or get to😊 showdown without a hand to match. The reason they are easy is that they fold
more than they should pre😊 flop (meaning they are folding relatively strong hands that
are very playable). They also don't take enough hands to showdown.😊 This is all very
exploitable.
This style is the complete opposite of a maniac who likes to get involved
with any😊 two cards. A rock lacks the creativity to get involved with speculative hands
and it won't take good players long😊 to pick up on this and start exploiting this
weakness..
Good players mix their play up so that they are passive😊 at times and
aggressive at other times, keeping their opponents on their toes.
How to play against a
Rock
There is a😊 fundamental problem with this playing style and that it is easily
recognized. Once the table knows that you only get😊 involved with huge hands or monster
draws, the only action you'll get is when you're is up against a bigger😊 hand.
Now that
we know their tenancies, we know the basics on how to beat them.
1. We are going to be
😊 able to steal their blinds more than we would normally be allowed.
2. We are going to
be 3-betting and even😊 4-betting fairly light if they have limped in or bet in late
position. These hands needn't have much showdown value.
3.😊 We will bluff more than we
should against them. Pressure them as we know they will only play with the😊 best
hands.
4. Fold marginal hands if they suddenly appear interested in their hands.
5. If
we call a raise from a😊 Rock and the board hits low, exploit the fact they have likely
missed.
When to stay out of the hand against😊 a Rock
The problem already stated with the
Rocks playing style is that it's fairly obvious when they get a hand.😊 Looking at a LAG
player style, who will be raising and trying to steal all the time, it's very difficult
😊 to know the real hands from the dross. A Rock might fold 30 hands and then suddenly
seem interested. Doesn't😊 take much to identify that he has something big.
As a rule -
when they become active, we're only going to😊 get involved with premium starting hands.