How do I read calling stations?

[silverfist]

I find that I can't read calling stations at all. No matter what they have, from bottom pair to a full house, they just call, call, call. So, out of position, I'll just throw all my chips at them with top pair. What am I doing wrong here? Here's a case from earlier. She called all her chips away with TPNK:

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t100 (5 handed) FTR converter on zerodivide.cx

saw flop|saw showdown

Button (t1690)
Silverfist (t5040)
BB (t1640)
UTG (t3340)
MP (t1790)

Preflop: Silverfist is SB with K, T.
UTG calls t100, 2 folds, Silverfist completes, BB checks.

Flop: (t300) K, 6, 4 (3 players)
Silverfist bets t200, BB folds, UTG raises to t400, Silverfist raises to t600, UTG calls t200.

Turn: (t1500) 2 (2 players)
Silverfist bets t1000, UTG calls t1000.

River: (t3500) 3 (2 players)
Silverfist bets t2000, UTG calls t1640 (All-In).

Final Pot: t7140
Main Pot: t6780 (t6780), between Silverfist and UTG.
Pot 2: t360 (t360), returned to Silverfist.

[a500lbgorilla]

Calling stations don't raise. Your flop 3-bet was stupid and reckless. Your hand has no value, and your opponent cant fold to that.

-'rilla

[silverfist]

I didn't ask for advice to be insulted. Sorry for trying to learn the game. She had K3o, by the way, and called me down with TPNK, as she had been doing to people all game.

[a500lbgorilla]

I didn't ask for advice to be insulted. Sorry for trying to learn the game. She had K3o, by the way, and called me down with TPNK, as she had been doing to people all game.

Hi, don't be offended.

I was insulting the bet, not the person.

The bet was poor becuase it demonstrated no pot control. You're out of position with a questionable hand and you're just dumping chips in as fast as you can. This is OK if you have a good reason to believe you're ahead but generally it's a bad practice.

-'rilla

[Scuba Chuck]

Once you're raised on the flop, and you feel like you're up against a weak player, you should move into a different mode. Specifically, the thought process is that you want to see a cheap showdown. So here's what you do.

Flop. Just call the raise, do not reraise
Turn. Check/call
River. Check/call OR make a blocking bet.

By the way, I would not consider this person a calling station. He obviously has you viewed as a donkey, who could just bet any flop here, and wanted you to know he had a King. Once you retook the impetus to bet on the flop, he essentially just turned into playing the hand I suggested you to play above. Can you see? FWIW, I think had you checked the turn, he would have checked behind. If he checks behind, you can likely bet the river for value.