|
||
|
||
|
Server Time: 8/30/2008 2:34:35 AM PACIFIC |
 Proffessional advice for a rookie, cantfoldem, 19. Sep 2003 06:22 | ||
| View ( Message | Thread ) | Return to Thread List | |
| Assessing your opponents in a low limit holdem game. When you sit down and play in a game where you don`t know anybody, If you had a list of FIVE things you wanted to know about your opponents right away, what would those Five things be and how would you determine each of the Five. And say maybe you already knew a few players do you remember there style or do you keep notes about how people play? I`m thinking about keeping a list of FIVE things on other players but not sure what kind of things are most important . Thanks Again | ||
| Return to Thread List | ||
| Re: Proffessional advice for a rookie, Mark Gregorich, 19. Sep 2003 10:43 | ||
| View ( Message | Thread ) | Return to Thread List | |
| on 19. Sep 2003 06:22 cantfoldem wrote: > Assessing your opponents in a low limit holdem game. > > When you sit down and play in a game where you don`t know anybody, If you had a > list of FIVE things you wanted to know about your opponents right away, what > would those Five things be and how would you determine each of the Five. > For lower limit games, I'm assuming that the game is pretty loose and not super aggressive. My list: 1) What kinds of hands do they play? (some players play any ace, any two suited cards, or any 2 big cards; others only play a lot of hands in late position, so you know if they enter a pot in early position they have a good hand) Knowing at least a ballpark range of what types of hands your opponents are likely to be playing is helpful in reading their hand. 2) What are their preflop raising requirements? (Only big pairs and AK, or is it Ax and suited connectors too?) 3) Who bets draws aggressively, and who only bets with made hands 4) Who bluffs frequently, or not at all? 5) Reliable tells Basically, this info can be gathered by paying attention in the game and following all the action. It really doesn't take that long to make a pretty accurate assessment of your opponents if you are focused and alert. Of course, sometimes they'll throw you some curveballs, even if you've played with them for years (be attuned to their current mental state). > And say maybe you already knew a few players do you remember there style or do > you keep notes about how people play? I do both - my recollection of past hands and tendencies is pretty good, and I also keep some notes on players I play with frequently, and devise strategies on how to most effectively deal with them. > > I`m thinking about keeping a list of FIVE things on other players but not sure > what kind of things are most important . I think the 5 I listed are important, but I didn't intend it to be a definitive list. I'm sure you'll get some other good feedback on your question. > > Thanks Again Good luck - Mark | ||
| Return to Thread List | ||
| Re: Proffessional advice for a rookie, jordanc79, 19. Sep 2003 10:50 | ||
| View ( Message | Thread ) | Return to Thread List | |
| I'm in no way a professional at this game, but I'll share with you the things I take note of when I start with strangers. I always want to know who the stronger, solid players are, who's makes typical low-limit mistakes & desperately weak players. Starting hand requirements. This is singly the most important aspect to figure out about an opponent. If you know what a player will stay in a hand with in each position, it makes it's very easy to read their holdings once the board comes out. Enough time studying an opponent, you can even call their exact cards sometimes. This is why it's extremely important to watch every showdown even if you're not in the hand. Replay the hand backwards and you will reveal exactly how an opponent has played. Based on these starting hand requirements, you'd like to find out what actions they will make with certain hands in certain positions. 1. What a player raises pre-flop and in what position, especially early. Many low-limit players don't take position into account and can raise early with something like KJs. You want to find out this guy out ASAP and re-raise late with good holdings. If they're the opposite and you see AK, AA, KK, QQ all the time, then you will have an easier time folding hands like AJs without a blink. Another thing is "button raises" as too many low-limit players think that position makes them invulnerable...if they'll raise just the blinds with almost anything, you know you can call a hand like K7s and likely be the favorite. 1a. Similarly to above, what a player will cold-call pre-flop. Too many low-limit players see AT in their hand and think that will stand against a raise. Yes, a limp-in in late position could be good, but no way against a raise and worse against a raise and cold-call in front of you. Players like this will pay you off big-time. Spot a few and then re-raise with hands like AQs, JJ, TT, even 99 to get a nice pot if you hit your hand and possibly still be a favorite if you don't. 2. How players react to the flop. Do they limp-in pre-flop with a hand like A5 and call on a board like Q82 rainbow chasing an ace or bet out first thinking no one hit a Q? Will they check-raise on the flop that gives them a four-flush trying to get a free (or "cheap") card on the river? Will they bet out with top-pair weak-kicker? Do they always slowplay a set on the flop? 3. Bluffing and semi-bluffing tendency. What card do they do their most bluffing at? Do they bluff at the turn when the flop was checked down? Do they bluff at the river when the apparent draw busted? Do they semi-bluff on the turn with a draw? 4. Aggression. Are they a bully at the table regardless of their holdings? Some low-limit players believe they can just get a player to fold with "brute-force" raising under the assumption you'd fold with anything weaker than top-pair good-kicker. This is especially true if you see a guy betting first on every card only to get called to the river and lose to only a pair. Now you know not to be afraid of his tactics and can let him just give his money to you. On the other hand, if you see him making these plays often as the favorite, be very aware of your situation and tread lightly. 4a. On the other hand, if you see someone that rarely raises, pay attention to his holdings as he may be a weak or "scared" player. Finding these players are usually easy. If you find them winning pots and after replaying the hand backwards saying to yourself "he should have raised to eliminate with that" or "he could have made so much more profit if he raised", then you've found them. You can now be wary of mediocre holdings against them and often be able to raise them off a pot. 5. Play of the blinds, "what the hell" bets and laydowns. As a general rule, if you find someone that will regularly fold their blind hands on a raise, they're going to be a good player. The opposite are "what the hell" bets as I like to call them. These are players that will always call one more bet regardless if they're a big underdog, sometimes even on the river when they know they're beat. You have a bunch of these players limp-in pre-flop, don't even ponder slowplaying a big hand. These guys will always pay off your value bets, so visualize a big money sign stamped on their forehead. Lastly, players that can laydown a big hand. See a player raise pre-flop in early position, get two cold-calls and the blind, face a bet, a raise and fthen folds? Sounds like someone who knows how to play a big hand and actually let it go when they see they're dogged. These are also the same people that can laydown a hand when they're check-raised on the turn. These are strong, solid players and good readers, so beware. I think I pretty much covered what I typically look for in players. It's very important to get skilled in replaying every hand in your head. It may seem like a lot of information at first, but as you progress in your skill, you'll learn to weed out certain things and concentrate on a smaller set of observations. After that, you can now compare such plays that opponents have made in previous hands to solidify a more detailed betting pattern that you can now exploit. I reiterate the fact that it's enormously beneficial to grasp the analytical skills in poker before diving into any intiuitive play. Newbies (not to say that I'm a vastly experienced player) in live card games try to figure out tells, interpret mannerisms and decipher verbal clues more than researching the best "tell" you can make - betting. It is far more likely that you'll beat an opponent by analyzing his betting actions than by seeing "he covers his mouth when has top pair" or "he'll slouch in his seat when he bluffs". --- JordanC Poker Comic | ||
| Return to Thread List | ||
| Re: Proffessional advice for a rookie, Scott Learned, 21. Sep 2003 12:41 | ||
| View ( Message | Thread ) | Return to Thread List | |
| I would also add that for a rookie playing in a low-limit h'e game, you are better off focusing on solid play than on reading your opponents. If you haven't already, check out some of the great literature on low-limit play. You will find that most of the advice given has nothing to do with reading your opponents, because most of the time you have to show down a pretty decent hand to win. Unlike what you see on World Poker Tour, you aren't, for example, going to get someone to lay down a marginal hand with a pure bluff by reading that they are weak. | ||
| Return to Thread List | ||
| POKER FORUM HOME | POKER FORUM | LINK TO US | ARCHIVE | ONLINE POKER | Copyright 2002, United Poker Forum |
|
Getting Started |
UPF Tournaments |
Poker News, Views, Rules |
Poker Strategy & Psychology |
Money and Bankroll Poker Bonuses & Promotions | World Series of Poker (WSOP) | Play Online Poker | Poker Odds & Statistics | Tournament Poker | Poker Books, Videos & Learning Tools Looking for a Poker Game | Poker Bad Beats | Not Quite Poker | Quizzes and Polls | Forum Suggestions & Bugs |
|
|
|
|
Interesting Links: Online Poker | Free Poker Games | United Poker Network |
|