There are all types of players at the tables. The only way to make money is to take advantage of their playing styles. Your style doesn't matter; well it does because if you have one then guess what, everyone with any poker sense has it figured out.
Regardless of how you go about this, you still have to play premium cards from most positions. You just have to adjust how you go about engaging your opponents. I happen to think that the majority of winnings come from taking on shark style players. These players are the ones that play the players, not the cards. If they know you are a tight player, they know what range of hands to put you on when you raise. They can call you safely, and just fold if they did not catch the right flop. They pay you off when you make them feel they are in control, they fold when they know they cannot beat yur hand or successfully buy the pot.
The overall key here is they have to feel in control. Your one concern at this point would be if there were other players in the hand. It is usually best to isolate against sharks so you can let them be your focus. Sometimes a donkey or fish joins in, or even a good player trying to hide a great hand behind the action. This works against your plans to milk the shark, thus why you need to wait on premium hands to take them on regardless.
I do not consider fish and donkeys the players that pay me off the best. I say this as they win their fair share of hands by just playing bad poker. Like playing 8 6 suited and chasing outer outer draws. The shark will only play aggressively here if they hit a hand, like 2 pair, a straight, low card flush. But a fish or donkey just needs hope of completing one of these hands.
This is why you cannot check certain flops. Let your bet tell you what your opponent has when a dangerous flop hits. The shark will still get premium hands, just like you will. The shark will still spike a great flop, just figure out how they bet post flop and you will know how to milk them and also how to avoid feeding them.
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Friday, April 20, 2007
Stop Being So Predictable!
Most players do not realize how predictable they are. Next time you want to call someone a fish or donkey, why not first analyze your play? Wouldn't it be great to see their notes on you? Have you ever thought of using the notes you keep on other players to track the play you have shown them? I am mostly known as a TAG player. There are times after I made a bad play that I see some players type chat comments wondering why I played the way I did.
I have to figure out why some players fold consistently every time I raise, while some others call or even raise back with almost anything. Which player do they think they I am? The usual TAG player, the sometimes LAG player, or something else? Then I have to find the best way to take their money, with them thinking they are still in control.
I love to trap someone that thinks they have me figured out. My best strategy, against all types of players; I check almost any flop. This sometimes forces me to fold a marginal hand, that may have been the best hand, but overall it sets up so many possibilities. It not only allows me to get better reads, but allows me to control my loses. For example, it can allow me to fold TPTK, rather than get stuck defending it. It also seems to slow down some players that like to bet their chases. They may just value bet to build the pot, where if I had bet first they would have pushed back and forced me to call.
Here is something I keep learning the hard way. If you keep ending up all in, then someone is going to out draw you. No matter how hard you work to build up a nice stack, the odds will work against you eventually. That is why the fish and donkeys play the way they do. It just takes one of them to break you, or worse a shark comes along and lets you tie your own noose. Why sit down with lets say $50, build it up to $150, then lose most of it back because you flopped a straight and someone that flopped a set improves to a full house or quads? How many people will fold a flopped set? So unless they force the issue, why not wait to push until you see the river and are still sure that you have the best hand? This plays into your being predictable when a donkey/fish wants to get a call in case their draw hits. They know you cannot lay down your hand when the push or raise. They do not mind the chase, because that's just the way they play.
One day I flopped a set, holding pocket Aces. This was one of those players that love to call my pre-flop raises. Rainbow flop, no harm so I bet the flop, my opponent raised, I wait then smooth call. Turn was harmless, so I waited a while then checked. This player I have tagged as a shark, and he has seen me fold to over bets. He pushes all in, just what the doctor ordered. We are talking a $1 big blind table, pot well over $150. Now, 99% of the time I check that flop and hope someone hits a small set or 2 pair; that’s the predictable part. I bet as if I had an under pair, maybe a weak Ace, and got paid off because I not only knew my opponent, I knew what they thought of me. I used what I hoped he had noted about me, against him. He was predictable, and he didn't think I was good enough to play him that way.
I have to figure out why some players fold consistently every time I raise, while some others call or even raise back with almost anything. Which player do they think they I am? The usual TAG player, the sometimes LAG player, or something else? Then I have to find the best way to take their money, with them thinking they are still in control.
I love to trap someone that thinks they have me figured out. My best strategy, against all types of players; I check almost any flop. This sometimes forces me to fold a marginal hand, that may have been the best hand, but overall it sets up so many possibilities. It not only allows me to get better reads, but allows me to control my loses. For example, it can allow me to fold TPTK, rather than get stuck defending it. It also seems to slow down some players that like to bet their chases. They may just value bet to build the pot, where if I had bet first they would have pushed back and forced me to call.
Here is something I keep learning the hard way. If you keep ending up all in, then someone is going to out draw you. No matter how hard you work to build up a nice stack, the odds will work against you eventually. That is why the fish and donkeys play the way they do. It just takes one of them to break you, or worse a shark comes along and lets you tie your own noose. Why sit down with lets say $50, build it up to $150, then lose most of it back because you flopped a straight and someone that flopped a set improves to a full house or quads? How many people will fold a flopped set? So unless they force the issue, why not wait to push until you see the river and are still sure that you have the best hand? This plays into your being predictable when a donkey/fish wants to get a call in case their draw hits. They know you cannot lay down your hand when the push or raise. They do not mind the chase, because that's just the way they play.
One day I flopped a set, holding pocket Aces. This was one of those players that love to call my pre-flop raises. Rainbow flop, no harm so I bet the flop, my opponent raised, I wait then smooth call. Turn was harmless, so I waited a while then checked. This player I have tagged as a shark, and he has seen me fold to over bets. He pushes all in, just what the doctor ordered. We are talking a $1 big blind table, pot well over $150. Now, 99% of the time I check that flop and hope someone hits a small set or 2 pair; that’s the predictable part. I bet as if I had an under pair, maybe a weak Ace, and got paid off because I not only knew my opponent, I knew what they thought of me. I used what I hoped he had noted about me, against him. He was predictable, and he didn't think I was good enough to play him that way.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Who's game are you playing?
Some days when I review my game, usually in the middle of it, I come to the realization that I am no longer playing my game. What I will discover is that I am playing someone else’s game. I may even be winning, but I am usually losing before I stop and think things out.
Who's game might I be playing? I am sure you have already come up with your own answer. If not, then maybe you need to go figure this out for yourself real soon. Maybe there is a very LAG player attacking every pot, and I get tired of waiting for a TIER I hand to take them on. Then worse, I get a big pocket pair and no one calls my raise. The LAG player folds because they really have nothing and no one else because they don't want to battle both of us. The opposite happens when I slow play my big pocket cards. If no one raises pre-flop so I can re-pop them, 1/2 the players see the flop. Now my big pockets are going to go down!
What about the fish that sees every flop and calls every bet? They will probably suck out a nice pot against you, but you took that risk into consideration. What is worse; you focus on them and someone else tags along for the real kill.
I guess the first step to recovery here is of course to recognize the problem. Even when you are winning, analyze what you are doing. I have ended up winning some big pots but also lost almost as much by playing all-in too much. If I had stuck to my game plan consistently I would stay ahead. Maybe not have as many real big wins, but would definitely have a lot less big loses.
Who's game might I be playing? I am sure you have already come up with your own answer. If not, then maybe you need to go figure this out for yourself real soon. Maybe there is a very LAG player attacking every pot, and I get tired of waiting for a TIER I hand to take them on. Then worse, I get a big pocket pair and no one calls my raise. The LAG player folds because they really have nothing and no one else because they don't want to battle both of us. The opposite happens when I slow play my big pocket cards. If no one raises pre-flop so I can re-pop them, 1/2 the players see the flop. Now my big pockets are going to go down!
What about the fish that sees every flop and calls every bet? They will probably suck out a nice pot against you, but you took that risk into consideration. What is worse; you focus on them and someone else tags along for the real kill.
I guess the first step to recovery here is of course to recognize the problem. Even when you are winning, analyze what you are doing. I have ended up winning some big pots but also lost almost as much by playing all-in too much. If I had stuck to my game plan consistently I would stay ahead. Maybe not have as many real big wins, but would definitely have a lot less big loses.
Sunday, April 1, 2007
Losing Weight (discipline)
I was in a 'biggest loser' weight loss challenge at work. Fourteen of us put $50 each into the pot at the first of the year. Rules were simple, biggest loser by percentage of weight lost, we all weighed in on the same scale. The contest lasted three months, and yesterday I weighed in with a 40-pound loss, started at 231 pounds. I ended up in third place. The winner lost 46 pounds, started at 204. Second place beat me by less than 1% difference.
I hit my goal, losing 40 pounds is a win in itself. The $700 would have been nice though. Now to continue the discipline I learned, at a different level. I need to eat more calories and maintain weight while adding healthy muscle and continuing to drop off bad fat.
I think this applies to poker discipline. Why? Because I can win in spurts playing aggressively, but also will lose in spurts just as big. Just like one can cut calories and lose pounds in spurts, but also have a big meal and put a lot back on. Playing big and not having enough discipline to control big loses is not smart poker. I want to learn to be consistent, win lots of the small to medium pots, take my big ones then I can, but keep my loses small.
So, my way of eating will change. I will consume more calories, but under the same controlled balance that let me lose weight. My weight loss will slow down, but be more manageable and I will workout much more so be healthier. I hope to parallel this in my poker discipline. Stay within my comfort zone; limit my risks while maximizing my gains. Play consistently, while keeping up a healthy image.
I hit my goal, losing 40 pounds is a win in itself. The $700 would have been nice though. Now to continue the discipline I learned, at a different level. I need to eat more calories and maintain weight while adding healthy muscle and continuing to drop off bad fat.
I think this applies to poker discipline. Why? Because I can win in spurts playing aggressively, but also will lose in spurts just as big. Just like one can cut calories and lose pounds in spurts, but also have a big meal and put a lot back on. Playing big and not having enough discipline to control big loses is not smart poker. I want to learn to be consistent, win lots of the small to medium pots, take my big ones then I can, but keep my loses small.
So, my way of eating will change. I will consume more calories, but under the same controlled balance that let me lose weight. My weight loss will slow down, but be more manageable and I will workout much more so be healthier. I hope to parallel this in my poker discipline. Stay within my comfort zone; limit my risks while maximizing my gains. Play consistently, while keeping up a healthy image.
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