"play the player".

[shutupndeal]

HI All,
I would just love it if someone could go over a few things about "playing the player" and how to get inside his head to know what he is thinking and how to use that against him of course. It would be really speacial if Allen or someone quite capable would see this and offer us some morsels in this direction, I know its the A-1 thing that throws me in todays NL games when I am against people on a new site that I dont know too well yet. It would be nice if I had like a players-head-checklist! : )

[kerowo]

I don't play NL but it's probably pretty much the same as at limit. It's your first orbit at a table and you raise with AK, the flop comes K83 and you bet out are raised by someone you know nothing about. Turn is another blank and you get raised again. You slow down it goes check check on the river. Villian shows K2 and you take down the pot. You now have an idea of how that person plays and you don't need 100 hands of HUD.

Pay attention. It's difficult 5 tabling but you can still take notes on people, who won't fold under pp, who will call a pair of aces with a weak kicker to the river, who bluffs every hand. That's the kind of information you use to play the player.

[creedofhubris]

[ QUOTE ]
I don't play NL but it's probably pretty much the same as at limit. It's your first orbit at a table and you raise with AK, the flop comes K83 and you bet out are raised by someone you know nothing about. Turn is another blank and you get raised again. You slow down it goes check check on the river. Villian shows K2 and you take down the pot. You now have an idea of how that person plays and you don't need 100 hands of HUD.

Pay attention. It's difficult 5 tabling but you can still take notes on people, who won't fold under pp, who will call a pair of aces with a weak kicker to the river, who bluffs every hand. That's the kind of information you use to play the player.

[/ QUOTE ]

In limit if you read the player wrong you drop 2 or 3 BBs. In NL you lose a stack.

[kerowo]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I don't play NL but it's probably pretty much the same as at limit. It's your first orbit at a table and you raise with AK, the flop comes K83 and you bet out are raised by someone you know nothing about. Turn is another blank and you get raised again. You slow down it goes check check on the river. Villian shows K2 and you take down the pot. You now have an idea of how that person plays and you don't need 100 hands of HUD.

Pay attention. It's difficult 5 tabling but you can still take notes on people, who won't fold under pp, who will call a pair of aces with a weak kicker to the river, who bluffs every hand. That's the kind of information you use to play the player.

[/ QUOTE ]

In limit if you read the player wrong you drop 2 or 3 BBs. In NL you lose a stack.

[/ QUOTE ]

In limit if you fold the best hand you lose 8 - 20 BBs. In NL you lose 2 to 3 stacks.

[andyexpat]

Play only one table NL - take notes on anything interesting, and check hand history if convenient.
You will quickly build up a picture of all the players, and can play accordingly.
When you have enough info, then it's possible to open another table, and do the same again.
I never play more than 2 tables, because you just play robot poker, and lose a lot of value...! /images/graemlins/cool.gif

[deacsoft]

[ QUOTE ]

Pay attention.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yep. believe it or not it's that simple. You should be glued to the action of every hand. Even the ones you're not envolved in. It won't take long before you begin to notice "player tendencies". Once you have there tendencies you play a style that's appropriate against them and will capitalize the most on their mistakes. But you continue to watch and take in information. Many players will the change to slightly change what they're doing because you're now owning them. When they change you find out how and adjust. Let the "chess match" begin.

[winky51]

Online its more difficult than live.

Live has a world of tells to give you information. Against some players they might as well play with their hands face up with me because thats how much info they give.

But yes be observant of your opponents and watch everything. One thing I can tell you is when the flop comes down watch them not the flop. ESPECIALLY the ones acting behind you.

I watch people more than cards. In tournaments I have stolen from MP2 with crap because I could see the reactions on the MP3, CO, BUT, and SB faces when they look at their cards then cup them like they are folding and look off into space. Everything depends. Watch the players more than anything. See how they play. If you notice they are adapting to your style do the opposite. Go with your gut. My gut is right 97% of the time.

[bingobazza]

[ QUOTE ]
Go with your gut. My gut is right 97% of the time.

[/ QUOTE ]

Could you be a bit more precise?

[pa3lsvt]

[ QUOTE ]
Live has a world of tells to give you information. Against some players they might as well play with their hands face up with me because thats how much info they give.

... In tournaments I have stolen from MP2 with crap because I could see the reactions on the MP3, CO, BUT, and SB faces when they look at their cards then cup them like they are folding and look off into space.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is why I never look at my cards until the action is on me preflop live. It's too easy to do this when action in front of you slows and you know you are folding your 64o.