Reading Opponents!

[KidSlick]

I've gotten to the point where I need to start putting an opponent on a hand and this is different for everyone. I use PT and have pokerace hud (think its called). So I pay attention to how many hands people are involved in and such and pay attention to their betting patterns, but considering what they may have isnt coming into my thought process or even putting them on a few different hands.

Can others post how your thought process works for this or ways that can help me read my opponents better?

[Pokey]

My thought process is easy.

"Hmmm...I raised with KK and he called my raise. Damn, he could have anything."

"Flop is AJ6 and he called my bet. He couldn't have an ace. Naw, he's just floating me."

"Turn card is a J. My bet should scare him off. He called -- no freakin' way. I don't buy it. He's full of crap."

"River card is a 2 (third heart), and he leads into me. What a ballsy bluffer -- he's scared, though; I can see it in his electronic eyes. When I raise, he's going to fold the best hand."

"YOU CALLED WITH AQo ON THAT BOARD?? YOU RETARD, WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU? GAH, IF PEOPLE JUST RESPECTED MY RAISES, I'D BE A ZILLIONAIRE BY NOW! LEARN TO PLAY POKER, YOU MORON!"

<Rebuy, repeat as necessary>

I hope that helps.

[matrix]

this happens to me a lot only they have 62o [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

my other thought process goes something like...

"YES!!! - I just flopped a set on A high board - omg you calling station donks are so dead - I'm so going to win back my buy-in you just stole from me with 62o moron."

"Wait for it - wait for it - here comes my 'bluff' again - there pot sized bet - just like last time when I had KQs JTo 76s etc and missed the board and you called - just like just now when I had KK and you called with AQo retard. I can almost smell the chips you are about to hand back my way - you call everything - I just made exactly the same play,raied preflop 4 callers no big surprise, PSB on the flop - I'm such a poker genius, they'll never spot this one coming, you'll see when we get to the showdown o yes - SHOWMETHEMUNNY"

"!"

"!!wtf - they ALL folded - 4 callers on the flop and not one of them calls my flop bet! you guys are calling stations have you forgotten what you are supposed to do!!?? - you got freaking radar now or what !!! - shdshfdsajhfjdsyhfuhdvshjfjkdjkd!!!!!!!!!111111111 oneoneoneoneoneoneone"

"give me back my cards so I can slowplay" [img]/images/graemlins/mad.gif[/img]

[matrix]

on a slightly more helpful note...

take notes on what hands villains SD - and have these notes easily to hand.

Note things like "raises pf:<range of hands>" "calls pfr:<range of hands>" note down EVERY HAND you see going to SD. If they show a hand for free write that down as well.

Then when you are making your decision pop up the notes and see if what they are doing now matches what they did in the past. Look at the board see what draws are out there.

Do NOT think hmmmmm - he bet x and if I was in his shoes I would need y to do that. The donks play by their own rules - they all have different rules and very few of them are anything like the rules you or I play by - at least at these levels. Figure out the rules they use and then use this info against them - almost none of them are doing the same to you and this gives you a huge advantage.

Try to get into the habit that the first think you think about when making a decision in a hand - any hand - is "So what cards do you have then"

Stats are all well and good but to play well at NL you need reads and reads are basically accurate hand range guesses. The more often you guess the more accurate your guesses will get eventually.