What to do with Loose-Passive Opponents
Knowing how the opponents would most likely act is an important skill for the poker player. He must keep in mind that if he relies on the values of his cards alone he will lose more. This is because the probability of getting strong cards is only about 10% (or less). This means that nine out of ten games, he will probably lose. Therefore, he must look towards his opponents and see if he can beat them, even when they have the strong cards.
If the opponents at the poker table are those that seem to have deep pockets, and they don't seem to mind losing money, then perhaps this is good news for the poker player who wanted to win. These opponents call every bet that has been made. Thus, when they lose (which is usually often) they increase the pot. This means that the pot odds will certainly in favor of the wise poker player.
However, an opponent like this doesn't increase the pot because he planned on making it that way. He won't even bet or raise on his own. That is, if everyone before him checks, he will also check. And if someone before him (perhaps someone he respects) folds, he will also fold. But if someone before him makes a bet, he will call that bet.
This particular opponent is simply this way. The reason why he is like this is because he probably plays poker for entertainment. Or perhaps he is simply too new to the game of poker. Whatever the reason, this type of opponent is simply categorized as the "loose-passive" type. Therefore, how should a poker player win a game against this type of opponent?
Making inferences on what card values he possesses, based on betting patterns, will be next to impossible. Since he plays almost every hand, one cannot find a distinct betting pattern. Each time he calls, one will never know if he is holding a weak hand or a strong hand. While most of the time he will be holding a weak hand (statistics will assure this), one cannot know when he is already holding a strong pair. Nevertheless, one can play against this opponent with moderately strong cards.
If the poker table is composed of such type of opponents, then the wise poker player who intends to win must concentrate on playing with starting hands that he would normally consider as weak. This is because he would not be surprised with pre-flop raises since none of his opponents would consider such an option. As time goes by, he would find that his patience will pay off.