Feeding Sharks versus Milking Them.

There are all types of players at the tables. The only way to make money is to take advantage of their playing styles. Your style doesn't matter; well it does because if you have one then guess what, everyone with any poker sense has it figured out.

Regardless of how you go about this, you still have to play premium cards from most positions. You just have to adjust how you go about engaging your opponents. I happen to think that the majority of winnings come from taking on shark style players. These players are the ones that play the players, not the cards. If they know you are a tight player, they know what range of hands to put you on when you raise. They can call you safely, and just fold if they did not catch the right flop. They pay you off when you make them feel they are in control, they fold when they know they cannot beat yur hand or successfully buy the pot.

The overall key here is they have to feel in control. Your one concern at this point would be if there were other players in the hand. It is usually best to isolate against sharks so you can let them be your focus. Sometimes a donkey or fish joins in, or even a good player trying to hide a great hand behind the action. This works against your plans to milk the shark, thus why you need to wait on premium hands to take them on regardless.

I do not consider fish and donkeys the players that pay me off the best. I say this as they win their fair share of hands by just playing bad poker. Like playing 8 6 suited and chasing outer outer draws. The shark will only play aggressively here if they hit a hand, like 2 pair, a straight, low card flush. But a fish or donkey just needs hope of completing one of these hands.

This is why you cannot check certain flops. Let your bet tell you what your opponent has when a dangerous flop hits. The shark will still get premium hands, just like you will. The shark will still spike a great flop, just figure out how they bet post flop and you will know how to milk them and also how to avoid feeding them.