Beating Rock Gardens

“Rock Gardens” have many very tight-passive players. They are the exact opposite of Maniac Games, the subject of my previous column. Rocks are almost as emotional as Maniacs, but their feelings are extremely different and much less visible.

It’s easy to see that Maniacs crave action. It’s less obvious that Rocks are much too afraid of losing.

That fear is not completely irrational. Many Rocks are retired and have more time than money. They want to fill up the empty hours, grind out a few dollars, and – most important of all – avoid losses. So they play too few hands, too passively.

Recognizing Rock Gardens

The pots are tiny. The blinds are often chopped, and most flops are taken by two to four players. Raises are rare, and three-bets hardly ever occur. Few hands go to a showdown, and there’s usually only one caller.

Because there are so few players, much weaker hands than usual win most pots. There are very few straights and flushes. Rocks don’t play most draws, and the lack of action discourages others from playing them.

Rock Gardens generally occur during the day, and they are rare after midnight. Older people prefer to play during the day, and they go to bed early.

Many Rock Gardens are for lower stakes, and they’re very hard to beat. The rake and jackpot drop take a much higher percentage of tiny pots.

Should You Play?

Probably not. Rock Gardens are hard to beat, and they aren’t much fun. If there are other games, change tables. But sometimes you don’t have other choices.

If you play, you must make huge adjustments. If you play your usual style, you’ll usually lose and become severely frustrated.

As always, your biggest enemy is your own emotions. You can become so bored and frustrated that you become too loose and aggressive, hoping to create action.

You may rationalize that you’re not reacting to boredom. You’re using your superior skill to outplay those boring, timid Rocks.

Wrong!

You can’t outplay them. They will just sit there, waiting for premium cards, trapping you into giving away your chips. Unless you have the patience and discipline to make the recommended changes, don’t play.

Never forget that you, I, and most other people over-estimate our assets and under-estimate our liabilities. You may think you have more patience and discipline than you really possess.

Perhaps you can adjust well at first. But, after a few boring, frustrating orbits, you may revert to your usual style. If you see that you’re loosening up, go home!

Recognize That The Value Of Hands Has Changed

Big pairs and high cards go way up in value, and drawing hands go way down. An ace, king, or one pair can win, and two pair will usually win.

Because the pot and implied odds are much worse than usual, suited connectors and small pairs lose most of their value.

Become Much Tighter

If you play as many hands as usual, you will certainly lose. You must be tighter on every street, especially with draws. You’ll rarely have enough pot odds for most mediocre draws, and your implied odds are terrible. If you make your hand, you often won’t get paid off.

Unless there are limpers, fold A-7 suited and suited connectors below J-10 suited. You don’t have the odds to draw for a straight or flush. If you pair the jack or ten, you’ll often lose to a higher pair. If you pair the ace, you can easily be outkicked.
Rocks don’t play weak aces. If you bet and get called, you’ll often be beaten.

After the flop don’t play drawing hands without excellent pot odds and don’t expect good implied odds. Even if you play only high draws, they are less valuable than usual. You’ll rarely get good pot odds. If you make a winner, you’re unlikely to be paid off.

If you make your hand and get much action, you’re probably beaten. For example, if you play 7-8 suited, make your flush, and get raised, you’re dead.

Don’t Make Thin Value Bets And Raises

You need much better hands than usual to bet or raise. If your thin bet or raise is called, you’re probably beaten.

Don’t Call With Marginal Hands

If a Rock bets, he probably has a good made hand. If your cards would be marginal call in a normal game, seriously consider folding.

Don’t Try To Check-Raise

Everybody will often check behind you, costing you bets and giving a free card that can beat you. You have to bet your own cards because Rocks won’t bet them for you.

Don’t Slow-Play Good Hands

If you slow-play, you will usually just lose bets.

Steal The Blinds

You’ll get many chances to steal them even from middle position. Rocks don’t defend their blinds without good cards, and the players behind you are unlikely to cold-call a raise.

Rocks often telegraph that they will fold. When you’re confident the players behind you will fold, you’ve become the de facto button.

However, if you try to steal, get called, miss the flop, make a continuation bet, and get called, stop! You’re probably facing a good hand. Don’t throw good money after bad.
Occasionally, you’ll steal with trash, get called, and hit the flop hard. That sequence can have two marvelous effects. First, you can bust a Rock who has great cards. Second, you create a Maniacal image, confusing your opponents.

Let’s say both blinds are Rocks, and the two players behind you telegraphed that they’ll fold. You open-raise with 9-7 offsuit, and the big blind flats with aces to trap you. If the flop is 9-7-2, you may bust him, and everyone will think you’re crazy.

Bluff And Semi-Bluff More Often, But VERY Selectively

Rocks are the easiest players to bluff. They are so afraid of losing that they look for excuses to fold. Your bluffs and semi-bluffs provide those excuses.

Bluffs on the flop are especially profitable. For example, if the flop is all small cards, you can be confident that nobody got a piece of it because Rocks don’t play small cards.

Unless someone has a pocket overpair, everyone will probably fold. If there’s a tiny pair, a Rock with an overpair may fold, fearing trips. Rocks don’t chase because it will cost them several bets, not just the one bet it costs to call on the river (when that one bet can win a much larger pot).

However, don’t bluff carelessly. Remember that:

Unless they were a blind, Rocks probably have good cards.

Rocks will check hands that most people would bet. If you bluff only because they checked, you may be shocked to see a good hand.

These recommendations may appear contradictory, both tighter and more aggressive. Why should you become tighter and steal more often? Because you can’t win without exploiting their fear of losing.

The Bottom Line

Rock Gardens are boring, frustrating, and hard to beat. Unless you have the patience and discipline to make huge adjustments, avoid them.

If you don’t adjust well, you will certainly lose and become frustrated.

Unless you exploit their excessive fear of losing you can’t beat them. ♠

Dr. Al” ([email protected]) coaches only on psychology issues. For information about seminars and webinars, go to propokerseminars.com. He is David Sklansky’s co-author of DUCY? and the sole author of four poker psychology books. Please visit my website, Dr-Al-Schoonmaker.net. You can check out many articles, blogs, videos, and books. Please visit my website, AlanSchoonmaker.com and get a free book. Visit www.alanschoonmaker.com for access to his 14 books, 200+ articles, videos and podcasts.