Look for players who limp often, call with weak hands, rarely fold, and go to showdown with marginal holdings like bottom or third pair.
In poker, one of the most interesting players you’ll encounter at the table is the calling station. This is a player who calls way too frequently, rarely folds, and makes it difficult for others to bluff. So, if you’ve ever faced a player who refuses to let go of their hand, no matter how weak, you have dealt with a calling station.
So, how do you adjust your strategy against them? Should you bluff less or bet bigger? We tell you everything you need to know about calling stations, how they play, and how to beat them at their own game.
The term “calling station” refers to a loose player who calls often, even with weak hands. This is a passive player who rarely follows a strategy. You’ll see them chase draws even when the odds are against them.
These players are recreational gamblers and are mostly in the game for the thrill of seeing showdowns, even if it means losing money in the long run. These players are easy to play against because they may not understand other players’ strategies well enough.
Recreational players like calling stations don’t like folding. They play poker for fun and wait around every game to see if their hand improves. This means they are not thinking about pot odds and calculating whether calling would be profitable. Another important thing to note is that these players misunderstand aggression. Putting chips into every hand can backfire quickly.
If you’re not sure whether someone at your table is a calling station, look for these signs:
For example, you’re playing a Hold’em cash game. You raise to £10 with A♠ K♠, and the next player calls with 5♦ 3♦. The flop is J♥ 5♣ 2♦, which means your opponent has a 5 pair. It’s a decent hand, but not very strong, especially at a table with experienced players. A pocket player ranks lower than three-of-a-kind, straights, suited connectors, and flushes.
You have a high chance of making suited connectors, so you bet £15, and they call again. The turn and river cards are 2♣ 9♦. You check, and they show down, winning with a pair of sevens.
That’s a classic calling, where they got lucky with a marginal hand and no strategy. So, in the next game, you’ll know that they have a tendency to call most hands.
Bluffing a calling station is useless. If they refuse to fold even the bottom pair, why waste chips trying to make them fold? For example, you have K♠ Q♠, and the board is A♣ 10♦ 7♣ 3♦ 2♠. You have a high card here but not a very strong prospect of winning. If you bluff, the calling station will likely take you to a showdown.
Calling stations will play several hands in the hope of improving them. So, don’t loosen up preflop. Stick to strong starting hands and let them make mistakes post-flop. For example, you have A♥ J♦, and a calling station limps in after the big blind. The board is J♣ 6♣ 10♥, where you have pocket Js. Don’t make a huge raise where they’ll be forced to fold. Keep the raise to a minimum so they’ll stay in the hand. Keep them calling at the turn and river cards so they keep increasing the pot.
Calling stations rarely raise, so when they do, this means they have a strong hand. If they’re becoming aggressive with their bets, be cautious.
Look for players who limp often, call with weak hands, rarely fold, and go to showdown with marginal holdings like bottom or third pair.
Avoid bluffing and focus on value betting with strong hands. Play tight preflop, and when they do raise, be cautious—it likely means they have a strong hand.
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