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.
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