(Part 1 of ?)
(My game is highly dependent upon my impression of what the other players at the table are going to do. Below are my initial ramblings on getting into the other players’ thought processes to maximize value. I will probably edit it into one long article after I finish all my posts on the subject.)
We are always trying to make the most profitable play in every situation, whether it is folding when we know we are beat and our opponent won’t lay his hand down, betting the maximum amount that our opponent will call when we have the best hand, making the right bluff at the right time, making the right size bet when we are bluffing, or making the tough call when you know your opponent is bluffing. The biggest variable is what thoughts are going through the other players’ heads. Knowing the players that you are playing against can greatly improve your profits.
It can be extremely difficult to get into some player’s heads while other players appear to be open books. You must be aware of who is at your table and put yourself into their heads. How do they play their premium hands against me/others - Do they always try to trap, bet big, or mix it up? Are they calling stations? Are they rocks? Are they clueless? Are they tilting? Are they tricky? The key is to pay attention to their play/patterns and exploit it to the best of your ability.
What do they think of you?
You should also ask yourself what other players think of you. What do they think you are capable of? How are they going to react to your play based on your table image/past hands? Do they think you play way too loose or too tight? Have you folded to some re-raises from the same player more than once? Is he/she going to keep pushing until you push back? Is he/she more likely to believe that you have a hand because you have folded to those re-raises in the past? Are they more likely to raise/call you lightly because you have been playing too loose? Are you getting called down way too often when you are representing big hands? Are the other players folding every time you bet?
Make them pay for underestimating you. Switch gears to throw them off. Stay unpredictable and keep them guessing. If you have been playing tight for a while, use that to your advantage by taking down some pots by representing big hands. If you have been playing loose for a while, maximize your profits on your big hands. If they are calling you too lightly when they shouldn’t, sit back and wait and your big hands will probably get paid big.
Do they think that you/everyone plays the same way they do?
After playing with someone for a while you will start to notice some of their tendencies/ betting patterns. Some less observant players think that you/everyone play like them. Use this to your advantage. If he/she bluffs a lot by making oversized bets then make an oversized bet when you have a huge hand in a heads up pot with him. If he/she makes oversized bets with big draws, then make oversized bets when you flop a monster (set, etc) on a draw heavy board? Does he/she usually check (hoping for a check-raise) when they make a huge hand? If so, check-raise them occasionally when it looks like you may have hit your draw. Basically, if they think that you play like them, do the opposite at the optimum times.
Are they capable of folding?
Some players will not fold top pair or a high pocket pair with an over card on the board. Identify these players and punish them. If you know a guy won’t fold top pair, top kicker get as many chips in the pot as you can against him when you have better than top pair, top kicker. The passive calling station type that can’t fold will stop betting, but keep calling, when you raise them if they only has top pair, top kicker. They will usually re-raise with a better hand than top pair, top kicker and you can re-evaluate your hand. The aggressive donk might think top pair, top kicker is the nuts and push all-in to a re-raise. Be patient with them until you are sure you are best, then move in for the kill.
More to come….
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