How To Play Against Calling Stations

Have you ever found yourself thinking, “This guy calls everything!”?

 

It can be quite frustrating to play against an opponent who calls everything — that is, unless you know how to effectively exploit them. It may be frustrating at first. However, when you begin to implement the principles defined in this article, you’ll find that you can pick up some extra value in hands that you wouldn’t otherwise get.

There are a lot of semantics in poker, and a “Calling Station” is nothing more than a term that refers to a particular type of player — they are also sometimes categorized as “Pay Off Wizards” , or POWs. The term that you choose to give them isn’t important, although it is critical that you learn how to maximize your wins.

How To Recognize A Calling Station At Any Table

You can recognize a calling station by taking note of a few key elements to their play style. If a calling station has already put money into the pot, they will often flat a 3-bet, depending on the sizing of the bet. They will tend to make far too many hero calls on the river, and they hate folding their blinds to a raise. If they’re a really bad player, they might call you all the way down with nothing more than an overcard to the board.

You should almost never bluff a calling station. You will lose money by trying to stay balanced against this particular type of opponent. Instead, you should go for thin value, and put in a raise when you have a nutted hand.

It should go without saying that your implied odds against a calling station are huge. Realizing your equity with draws will result in substantial payoffs. On the other hand, a calling station will usually call your bets if they have a draw. If you find yourself in a spot where they have check/called the whole way, but then all of a sudden lead the river when the draw comes in, you should probably fold—they will almost always have it.

How To Make Profit Playing Vs A Calling Station

You should never try to trap a calling station—slowplaying a monster hand is a useless endeavor. They’ll often suck out against you or check back a hand that they would otherwise call you with anyway.

A solid strategy against a calling station is to merely play the math. If you’re a mathematical favorite, then you should bet—don’t give them any free cards. Additionally, you should size up on your bets. They may get scared away at first, but it’s in the nature of a calling station to eventually pay you off.

Floating is one of the great options vs such players.

 

One common mistake that players make against calling stations is raising with a draw. The reason why this is a mistake is because you really won’t be able to bluff them on the river if you brick your draw, however, you will get paid off if you do happen to hit it.

Don’t be afraid to go for thin value, either.

 

Calling stations will often call with bottom pair or Ace high on the river, if the action has been weak. That being said, if you do go for thin value and get raised, you are likely to be no good.

What do you think? Do you have any tips for getting the most value out of calling stations at the poker tables? Leave a comment below and let’s talk about it!