Joined: Feb '12
Location: Canada
Age: 64 (M)
Posts: 6036
Hey guys,... Tell what you know about isolating players.... What are some of the various tecniques for isolating folks around the table from you,...like across the table,... and in relation to your position according to where the button or blinds may be...
What I do sometimes when I want to GET someone, is wait for 2 things,...that person to be on the big blind,...and me having a very good pocket, like AA, KK, QQ, or AK...
It's like the big blind acts like the sights on a gun,...and when they're in the sight.... BAM...! Let 'em have it...
Joined: Feb '11
Location: Canada
Age: 39 (M)
Posts: 1660
I don't find that I'm trying to isolate a specific paly that often, more so just forcing out callers if there are too many in the pot. If they're aggro and raise a lot you can call and hope they raise to push others out. If they're short stack and BB a min raise will often do the trick, people with no hands don't bother to play and a min raise gives the BB odds to call with nearly any two.
Joined: Mar '11
Location: United Kingdom
Age: 55 (M)
Posts: 7371
I think the best way is to raise them. These players hate letting go of anything and if you challenge them their ego will make them call. To just concentrate on one player can be fraught with danher though and you have to be careful
Joined: May '08
Location: Lithuania
Age: 39 (M)
Posts: 10090
the best technique to isolate any player at the table is to punch him hard in the face, or do a head-butt (aka Pardew Punch) trying to knock him out then just leave and move on to another table, when dude wakes up he will feel very isolated at the table...though harder said than done in online poker...guess that's why we should ignore online poker- no real chance of isolating your opponents
You are isolating players by reraising them. Dont do it with marginal hands and dont do it out of position. If the shortstack went all-in before you and you have good hand to take him down dont just call it, cuz you giving a nice pot odds for everyone behind you. Isolation is used to make sure your premiums still have goods odds post-flop therefore you dont want half of the table and the occasional limpers coming with you. Blind stealing is not isolation, and going after somebody just cuz he pissed you off on one hand is definitely -EV.
Joined: May '13
Location: Mauritius
Age: 32 (M)
Posts: 2688
Yep agree with bowie1984, you cannot isolate players with weak hands as you will be dominated afterwards, you are isolating so you can play him on heads up and if you have stats and good read + your hand is dominating his then you are good to go and you have a chance of winning.
Also isolating with suited connecters or some other Broadway can be effective against a fish if you have position and manage to get him hooked to the flop!!
Joined: Apr '11
Location: Romania
Age: 35 (M)
Posts: 6669
Bowie is right, reraise is the bet way to isolate someone, but of course you need the hand to back you up!
Sometimes when there is an over aggressive player that i think can give some of his stack i try to get a better place on the table, if a player leaves the table, i take his place.
Joined: Nov '11
Location: Croatia
Age: 45 (M)
Posts: 426
when im isolate with some premium hand like AA,KK,QQ,AK i do this in late position against short stack,in earlier positions i just push all inn,its depends of phase in game,in earlier phase i dont do something like this,its extreme,but in bubble,when im short stack,no matter of position i push all with monsters,after bubble and when all this aggro maniacs with short stacks kick out,tables are back in normal,then is right time to isolate short stacks and steals blinds.In this phase of game stealing blinds is real gold,if youre a good in this. youre step closer to FT
