Playing Aggro Donks

Man, I used to get tired of playing against the nit regs at full ring (was I one too???), but at 6max it's the aggro donks that seem to think they're the thang and proliferate there. Quite incapable of playing post flop, obsessed with keeping their vpip/pfr stats as close as possible to each other, they think it's uncool to flat call preflop, and instead you can hear them saying "duhhhhhh......it's 3bet or fold with this small pocket pair. Can't set mine at 6max.....duhhhh" Flush draw? Oh.....Check raise all in regardless of the other guys holding, "fold equity" they say.

Post flop they have no dynamic, and its double barreling or folding etc etc. Hand reading isn't in the aggro donk's vocabulary, neither is varied bet sizing. They range from around 21/20 to 34/29 but always have a very high 3bet% and a lowish cont bet after 3betting (suggest you find that stat offline). If you can catch on, and be prepared for a somewhat higher variance style of play, they will pay you off handsomely.

The aggro donk can never understand why he can't get above or even reach 200nl, as they whine in the forums, but its because they can't play proper poker. They take tournament pre and post flop strategies and apply them blindly to cash.

I used to avoid locking horns with them, and did just fine, but as the month closes I have been experimenting with a higher variance style of play before I move back up to 100nl and try 6 max there. It's more out of curiousity to see what exactly they are playing with. It's brought my win rate down a bit, but who cares.

Here's a typical hand.
Aggro donk has position on me and I have been playing pretty tight at that particular table. His stats are 25/23 with a 13.2% 3bet stat, classic aggro profile.

$0.25/$0.50 No Limit Hold'em Cash Game, 5 Players

Poker Tools by Stoxpoker - Hand Details

BB: $56.05 (112.1 bb)
Hero (MP1): $145.35 (290.7 bb)
MP2: $63.15 (126.3 bb)
CO: $16.50 (33 bb)
BTN: $88.20 (176.4 bb)

Pre-Flop: Hero is MP1 with Q J
sometimes I will throw this UTg but as I have been very quiet with a low VPIP, this is an excellent way to open

Hero raises to $1.50, MP2 raises to $5, 3 folds, Hero raises to $14.50, MP2 calls $9.50

MP2 aggro donk 3bets me, and I decide to rep AA-KK and 4bet, he's been 3betting everyone relentlessly, and guess he will have to fold unless he has JJ-AA, AK, in which case he will definitely shove (I hope) and I can fold. He surprises me by flat calling. The only hands that might do that are TT-QQ and maybe AK-AQ. JJ and QQ are unlikely (although possible) due to my holding and the fact that JJ-QQ are still like AA to aggro donks. I am very unhappy that he called however, as I have a weakish holding OOP. I just wanted him to fold.....

Flop: ($29.50) 4 3 J (2 players)
Hero bets $18, MP2 raises to $48.65 and is all-in, Hero calls $30.65
Good flop for me, especially as I am surish he doesn't have JJ-QQ. TT more likely now, but AKs diamond very possible too in which case we are flipping. I am calling his all in 3bet.
Turn: ($126.80) 7 (2 players, 1 is all-in)
River: ($126.80) Q (2 players, 1 is all-in)

Results: $126.80 pot ($3.00 rake)

Hero showed Q J (two pairs, Queens and Jacks) and won $123.80 ($60.65 net)
MP2 showed 9 8 (high card Queen) and lost (-$63.15 net)

Aggro donk proceeds to complain in chat box how I could possibly 4bet there and what was I playing at, completely ignoring the fact that he 3bet bluffed with 98s from an UTG raiser (not the end of the world I guess, but still daft) and THEN called a 4bet with 98s against what looked like AA-KK.

They can't help themselves.

If he had just flat called pre, and 3bet my cont bet, I would have folded, even with TP, on such a bad draw board, as we were both deep and I wasn't committed, and was out of pos.

Edit: see aggro donks part 2 here