need advice on playing agaisnt the rock

steal his blinds, fold when he raises

paper always beats rock?

i would say to raise , not enough to kill you . keep the preasure on him and when he does make a move just fold , sooner or later he well break from from the "rock" and crumble

As a rock myself the only way to really beat them is to pretty much get in with a nut draw and hope his hand doesn't improve. You have figured out that you can bluff a rock, you can steal blinds, but that they hang around and will clean you out if you try to play their game. But as a poker player you also need to realize the fact that a good rock will know when to bluff as well. They don't do it as often, but they will when they think that you won't call. Most rocks like to see flops as they know how to play very well after the flop. It's like they say about the pros. In the long run they will win, you just need to be aggressive and take chances to beat rocks. On a side note, playing like a rock is good for getting in the money most times, but unless you can change up and play differently, you won't win alot of tournaments.

I don't play HU matches but have been HU many times in SNGs. A LOT of the rocks make the final 3...one of them is usually very shortstacked. The better ones do know how to bluff and will do so sometimes. That's the plus to their style (for the better ones at least.) However, I like being up against them at the end because they almost never raise PF with less than a premium hand. I'll rarely call with broadway cards like AJ or AT when they raise. And, since few of them ever bet a missed flop position doesn't help them. I raise a lot of hands from position, good and bad, but will fold the truly crappy ones.

Now, a semi-decent rock will definitely c-bet any flop (apparently because they read somewhere that they should.) If I have any part of it or even a gutshot I'll generally call, especially in position. Rocks hate that (I know, I were one.) If he fires on the turn and I haven't improved I obviously have to fold but if I do hit I can stack them. And, since 2/3 of them won't fire a second barrel, I can usually take it away with a turn bet.

The flipside of their play is they will often call you down with TPWK. Sometimes, but rarely, with second pair. When a rock starts calling you he has something he likes. Don't just say to yourself "he's weak" and keep betting with air. You'll bluff off a lot of chips that way. Rocks can turn into calling stations...but they're not as dumb. Most know you probably missed too, so when they call they have something, not just overcards.

If a rock plays back at you, watch out. Because they rarely bluff they usually have what they're representing. Throttle back a bit. If you've been stealing 2 out of 3 times (or more), give them some air. Skip raising that K7s this time.

Sometimes when you raise and they call, don't bet if you missed, Say the flop comes offsuit with no broadway cards. Just check it from position. Now, if a broadway card hits the turn or river and he doesn't bet, you bet like you finally hit...especially if you're lucky enough to have it hit on the river. If he checks to you here he's given up.

Rocks are great in STTs, especially HU. Second place money isn't bad and, unlike a HU match, they can walk away with second a decent winner. Keep the pots relatively small and keep chipping away at them. A lot of them eventually just give up.

Brann

Raise every pot not alot just min raise when he starts to raise only raise his min raise with another min raise when he bets more than a min raise fold it. Continue every hand over and over when he starts to call your min raise in his blind but folds on the flop 3x raise and so forth till he is comfortable folding again it will work he will start to get in more hands when he sees you continually raise just fold to his 3x or 2.5 x bets preflop or simply call to see a flop. Never put him on less than kj suited but you can really decide for yourself on his hand selection.

um, steal steal steal preflop. maybe even make funny 2.5 times the big blind raises preflop. If hes waiting for godly hands, then steal, before he gets them.

Briann6 gave you perfect advice in my eyes. i know it because i was rock too for long time...

be ever ready to fold against any bet postflop if the rock check-calls you. a rock likes it to slowplay as long as the river isnt dealt...
be very afraid if a rock reraises you. he holds then more than only Toppair Topkicker !

to beat a rock you need a lot of discipline and patience and the one thing which a rock has not for regular: aggression!
if there were only minimum bets til the turn raise in position at least more than 2 BB on the river from time to time and you will see that he folds at least 2out of 3 times even when he had hit on the board -because he thinks you have two pair.

good advice