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AlamedaMike
2K Club
Joined: 29 Jun 2005
Posts: 2042
Location: Alameda, CA
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 Posted: Thu May 24, 2007 1:49 pm Post subject: finally dawned on me |
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Some discussion spawned a train of thought (cross post).
Much of poker is knowing your opponent and if they are unknown then you need to use something else like the odds.
Only in the last few months I fully internalized the real secret of playing poker and that is knowing you opponent.  Something that I have given lip service (really ear service since I been listening) to for years but it never really dawned  on me just how important that is. I figured at low limit poker it did not matter so much since it was really a card fest nofold'em hold'em.
Then re-reading all the advice on strategy it dawned on me that your action depends on what you think not only on what cards are in play. Quotes like this are rife in the strategy books and articles.
| Barry T wrote: | | 1. Calling raises with inadequate values: To excel at poker, you must understand the people as well as the cards. As a result, the type of hand you need to call a raise will vary with your perception of the raiser. If a very tight player raises, particularly from early position, you will need a very strong hand to continue, but if a player with looser standards raises, you might reduce your playing standards, as well. |
It's mentioned in every book and there are books designed to help you categorize the enemy, loose, tight, aggressive and so forth.
So, I read the books and articles on strategy and then failed to implement fully the concepts that poker is situational. I know this but did not give it the true weight that it deserved.
Here I was looking for some supporting material like what are the odds that you are behind if you do not know squat about the enemy.
My problem is that I can remember odds but can not remember how Joe played the last time we met across the battlefield. for instance would he raise me on a draw looking for a free card.
The bottom line is that I used to pay attention to the cards, the pot size, count my outs run the stats to see if I was getting the right price and I was failing to play attention to the players.
So to improve my game I am now paying more attention to the players and trying to identify:
Under which circumstance will each of my enemies
1) call a raise (cold call)
2) call a raise and a re-raise (cold over call)
3) call and re-raises (AA, KK and maybe QQ)
4) check and calls 2 bets after the flop
5) check-raises on the flop
6) limp before the flop
7) raise before the flop by position (EP, MP, LP)
8 ) raise before the flop first in by position (EP, MP, LP)
9) bet a big hand (2 pair or better)
10) bet a draw or raises with a draw
11) bet 2nd or 3rd pair
12) check top pair weak kicker
13) bet top pair any kicker
14) call all the way with any pair
15) call with over cards to the river
16) raise with top pair
17) how he defends his blinds
18 ) and anything else I might think of...
About a year ago I was playing at the Bay 101 on a 6/12 table and I was losing - the player next to me happened to mention that my play was too predictable so I changed and started to win. It works both ways. |
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Piemaster
Author of THE POKER MINDSET
Joined: 15 Jan 2004
Posts: 6931
Location: London
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| Posted: Thu May 24, 2007 2:01 pm Post subject: |
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It must be difficult as a live player to keep track of all that stuff. Online we have Poker Tracker and even if that isn't available, a very handy note-making system. It allows making notes on these things very easy.
Live I imagine that it would be terribly difficult. You would either have to sit there meticulously writing everything down, or try to remember all the little details which is nigh on impossible. |
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AlamedaMike
2K Club
Joined: 29 Jun 2005
Posts: 2042
Location: Alameda, CA
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| Posted: Thu May 24, 2007 2:47 pm Post subject: |
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| Piemaster wrote: | It must be difficult as a live player to keep track of all that stuff. Online we have Poker Tracker and even if that isn't available, a very handy note-making system. It allows making notes on these things very easy.
Live I imagine that it would be terribly difficult. You would either have to sit there meticulously writing everything down, or try to remember all the little details which is nigh on impossible. |
I love poker tracker for obvious reasons. And just as obvious there is no way most people can keep track of all this and even then the player might decide to change on you mid stream.
But, I think the better players develop a feel for a player and their style. It is probably good for us that a leopard can not change its strips and that most players just play the same day after day.
I also think that certain players have an ingrained knack to be able pick up on betting patterns and the players style.
If you read any of Roy Cooke's play of hands you will see where some of his opponent played so predictable that it was like her cards were face up. Or this hand. | Roy C wrote: | The turn card was the  , pairing the bottom flop card - and I had picked up a flush draw. The small blind led into me. I thought about my best option. What did he have? Was he drawing? Did he have a pair? If he was drawing, I almost certainly held the best hand. If he held a pair, would he fold? I thought he might fold a small wired pair of deuces through eights, and maybe a 9. If he was drawing and was going to bet it down, as he likely would, raising would take his bluff value away from him. If I didn't have the best hand, I likely had 15 outs, nine flush cards and six pair cards. |
Barry has a nice article on starting a session.
http://www.cardplayer.com/author/article/all/124/8601
| Barry T wrote: | | Waiting and watching pays huge dividends over many sessions. You will have an idea where you want to sit, whom to raise aggressively, and whom to avoid. You will have a game plan for which players you can bluff, which you can bully, and which may put you on the defensive. |
I can not remember all that is needed but if I can improve my player reading ability then I think my game will improve my game.
I was playing 6/12 and I watched a player raise LP with K6s, 66 and A6s so when he raised I did not put much stock in his hand and would call him more. BTW, he re-bought chips several times. |
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