Learning to read players
 

I am having trouble learning to read players. If someone is extreemely loose or tight, I can notice that, but I do not think I am making the progress I should be making regarding identifying as much useful info as I could. I play almost exclusively online, and find it hard to keep the players str8 in my mine. B&M games are much easier for me to read, because each person is distcint, as opposed to the general icons, etc, of the online games.

Since I play at the same site all of the time, and eventually see many of the same opponents, I have thought of concentrating on a specific player or two for extended periods. Although this would take a while, at least I'd be gaining info for the future on a couple players, rather than trying to keep track of all of them, and screwing it up. Basically, I would be trying to keep track of a few things and doing it well, rather than spreading my self thin keeping track of a bunch of people and doing it poorly.

Are there specific things to look for that help narrow the opponent down, rather than trying to track each bet, fold, etc. Many times I watch someone al the way to the river, then they fold, and I don't know what they had. Good people can still get a read off this, I can't.

I've studied Caro's videos on "tells" but they don't seem to do me much good online.

Thanks for any help you can provide.

Re: Learning to read players
 

You may not be used to processing a lot of reads quickly (requires a lot of practice, I play fulltime and I still need lots more practice on this). A good way, as you mention, is to focus on a few specific players close to you (reads are most valuable for that) and get good reads on them. Take as good notes as possible, and change your focus to a few other players. Trust your notes, but pay attention to when your notes are wrong (as they often will turn out to be), and improve them.

Re: Learning to read players
 

Thank you. I'll muddle my way along that line for a while.

Re: Learning to read players
 

Do you have pokertracker or other analysis software? It's not a perfect way to read your opponents, but I find it extremely valuable.

Re: Learning to read players
 

This is what I tend to look for on line:
Tight
Loose
Aggressive
Passive
NOTE: For the above you only need to see a couple show downs for example someone playing Q8o no matter what position LOOSE: Tight palyers you may have to watch a few orbits but if they havent played a hand in 2 orbits prob tight.

Also I watch to see who is folding on the flop to a bet. If they continually fold on flop hmmmmmm maybe to tight and can steal. Same with blinds:

Also look for the guy who likes to make plays may need to call him down if you have a decent hand.

Re: Learning to read players
 

I don't have PT yet, but I will have within a month. The general feeling seems to be that PT is very helpful for a variety of poker related issues, all of which I could use some improvement. Thanks for the advice.

Re: Learning to read players
 

Thanks PJM.

Re: Learning to read players
 

if you want to play online you give up a lot of the reading ability, imo its better to have a general read on everyone than narrow it down to 1-2 players each time you play, when someone makes a tricky play make note, someone rolls over something completly off beat with your read note it, but don't spend your entire session looking for 1-2 people to read. Get yourself a general read of the table, and you will develop the ability to gather a read from river folds.

Re: Learning to read players
 

Notes, notes, notes.

Take notes on what it means when they check. What their min-bets mean. Whether they play tricky or straightforward. Whether they slowplay monsters. Whether they bluff scare cards.

Use Poketracker. In between hands, research hand histories of players at your tables. Add to your notes.

Re: Learning to read players
 

Yep. I agree completely. Notes are the way to go. I had much the same problem that you did, before I started taking copious amounts of notes. I have personally found the best time for me to take notes are when players are betting/raising, and looking how far they are going with it, whether they go to a SD, what they have on the SD. I couple this with PT stats, and have dramatically improved my win rate. And, when you are taking notes, you are focusing a lot more on the player than you would before.