How to beat the luckiest man in the world?

[THE MAN CALLED SPARTACUS]

I play this amateur poker player. When I say amateur, I mean just 10 - 12 SNG's under his belt. I don't know how to beat this guy. He is very loose and aggressive. He will play every hand and bet on every round of betting, even if it is the minimum bet, but he keeps betting. He isn't good at reading the board. On a few occasions he miss reads his straight or he never realizes that he has a flush when there is four of the same suit on the board. But when I'm in the hand he slows down, checks to me. When I raise he calls, but if I raise too much (anything above two times the blinds) he will fold. He chases down straights, flushes and two pairs and does get it a lot of the times I've played him in a hand. I try to wait for big hands and then take him on, but I don't get enough out of that hand. When I hit top pair with a good kicker, he usually has two pair or better. I managed to be heads-up with him. He had about 80% of the chips. I managed to get him down all the way to 55%, but then I went all in with AJo against his A8o. But he made a straight on the river. I don't know how to beat this guy. He just keeps getting lucky. What should I do, just wait till his streak ends?

[Martini]

It depends on if he's permanently lucky or just temporarily lucky. If he's temporarily lucky then you just have to play through it, pick your spots carefully, and the odds will even out eventually. If he's permanently lucky then you'll just wait until you have a strong enough hand that his luck can't unseat your lead...or just stop playing against him.

[Pondpuck]

So you play with Serge too!!!   

We have a guy that plays with us that is the same way!  No matter what he has, he will hit something big by the time the River is dealt!  He says he's good... he's just da*n lucky!  Won the last tourney with a 2 outer river card...  Called an all in bet of 600 (blinds 25-50 at that time...) with 10-4 os, just because it was only 550 more to him!  He got 2 pairs... on the river... to crack AA from the all in raiser!

No matter when we play, he seems to always hit!

He's got a big target on his head every week, but still manages to come out OK!

[holdemholmes]

His luck will run out eventually...you can't continually run great for your entire poker career...just take advantage of him playing loose and put your money in when you're good..

[stooks99]

You should quit the game....this guy obviously has your number.

[NotFadeAway]

Just play.  Don't even think about 'luck' when you play him (or anyone else, for that matter.)  It will just get you off your game, tilt you, etc.  Just make the decisions you think are best and hopefully variance will be on your side.
Seriously, there are not lucky players.  There are players who have gotten lucky, but not players who have some mystical 'luck' on their side.

[kimert]

" but if I raise too much (anything above two times the blinds) he will fold"

Then I would do this every time.

[holdemholmes]

" but if I raise too much (anything above two times the blinds) he will fold"

Then I would do this every time.

exactly...if you have to play small ball with him to make any money, do it that way....and don't try to bluff a player that will call with anything.

[TwoToGo-Grave]

If it were me, I just wouldn't play the luckiest man in the world at poker.  I mean, who wants to take this guy on...

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[72]

one option is to play maniac aggressive against him and just force him out of every pot the 2 of you are in. you don't maximize the amount you could have got out of the pot, but you don't give him a chance to get lucky. huge raises and reraises will scare him since he's new. don't be afraid to bluff him out if you've got position heads up in early stages of a hand.  one way of utilizing your skill versus his luck.

or you could play super tight against him, playing the top 7% of hands, waiting to take everything he has when he thinks he's got you beat or doesn't have the sense to get out of a hand when he's drawing dead.

try both and switch it up on him so he gets so confused against you he'll try to avoid you in hands.

by the way, top pair with a good kicker is weak. especially if that's all you have at the river - you're usually beat.