Playing the Player

Often times you hear that poker is not about playing your cards, it’s about playing the man across from you. Although your cards can be important, it is even more important to know your opponents and make appropriate plays depending on what type of player they are.

The first thing you should know about your opponents is what quality of a player they are. If you’re at a $10/$20 no limit table, and you raise at a full table with AA, you can be fairly certain that no one will call with a hand like 10 3 off suit. However, if you’re at a $0.01/$0.02 online poker table, then you can’t make the same assumption.

When you’re at the table, every player is going to have a different style. The only sure way to pick up tips about other players is to watch them play, and remember what they did in past situations. If you remember how they played an earlier hand, then the same type of hand arises, you’ll know what they have if they play it the same way. This is why note taking is so important.

One way to earn some extra profit is by recognizing your opponents’ bluffs. One example of this is as follows:

You have KK and make a raise. One player calls you, and the flop is 9103 with two spades. He checks, you bet, and he quickly calls. The turn is a 2 of hearts, so it doesn’t complete any draws. He checks, you bet again, and he calls again. The river is a J of hearts, and all of a sudden he fires out a bet. Now, if you consider his likely hands, JQ is a real possibility, especially if he has JQ of spades. It is unlikely that he called with 78 before the flop, so he probably doesn’t have that straight. Also, although he could have played KQ preflop, he wouldn’t have called your bets on the flop and the turn with just the gut shot. You should make the call here; because it is likely he missed his draw and may have hit a lower pair.

You should also adjust your play based on what type of player you’re in the hand against. For example, if you’re playing against a super aggressive maniac, then you would be more likely to call a river bet with middle pair then if you were in the same hand with a tight player.

If you make sure to be observant and recognize what type of player you’re playing against, you’ll be able to make better reads. Good luck!