Things it took me a while to learn part 7, Metagame and Concentration

[Bond18]

For a very long time I didn’t really bother with metagame very much. I’d fire up 8-12 tables, switch to auto pilot, and maybe if I made a final table I’d start concentrating. I didn’t think about other players very hard and really didn’t think much about how I was perceived. These days that sometimes still happens if I’ve got a ton of tables up and it’s early, but I still try to make an effort to take notes or remember on which tables I have a specific image that will alter decisions.
First of all let’s go over the basics. You’re going to want pokertracker and poker ace HUD if you do serious multi tabling. Some say if you’re paying enough attention you shouldn’t need them, but I tend to disagree. If you’ve got 6 tables up it’s hard to tell if a guy is tight because he’s a bit card dead and a sort of tight player, or a full on mega nit. When PAHUD tells you the guy is 7/5 over 150 hands, you can rest easy folding to his raises in spots you might have taken an alternative action. Also, since it stores players data from previous sessions the information is just completely invaluable.

Next I want to talk about what to look for from other players. A lot of times players aren’t quite sure exactly what to put in their notes, and leaving notes for yourself like “loose aggressive” or “tight” can be a little vague and less than helpful later. Here’s some things I like to take notes on:

1. Sometimes I’ll note a whole hand the villain played since being able to reread that later will tell me a lot about them.


2. I always watch what peoples min raises mean pre flop and note it. The two to watch for are EP min raises (which are normally strong hands) and button/CO min raises (which are normally garbage.) Until proven otherwise I assume those two to be true, but the moment I see their cards after a min raise I note what they have.

3. Along the line of number 2, I always note what people tiny reraise with pre flop. Since this normally ends up being a monster I need to know if their capable of doing this with a wide range, or, like most players, are only doing this with their biggest hands.

4. I make sure to note which players will raise/fold with 13-20 BB’s. You would never believe how many ranked players I have this note on, it’s [censored] everywhere. However, when you see a very good 2p2’er at your table you should normally expect them not to be doing this often.

5. I always note which players are resteal capable. Especially at low/mid limits there are still a ton of players who simply don’t have the resteal in their arsenal, so knowing which players can is a huge help down the road. I also like to note who is a habitual restealer.

6. I like to note which players will get very aggressive on the flop without a plan or in spots where it doesn’t make logical sense to do so. The most obvious example you’ll see is somebody make a big raise/check raise and then when they get 3 bet freeze up and wonder what to do or stack off in a really bad spot because they feel pot committed. Against these players I start fast playing more since I expect them to spew.

7. Whenever possible I try to note peoples open shoving ranges. Some guys with 11 BB’s in MP with antes will shove any SC, any suited one gapper, any A, any pair, etc etc. Some will shoe AJ+/66+. It helps to know which is which.

8. I like to note when I’ve done something crazy aggressive to a player and he saw my cards. Putting a note that “villain knows you can be very spewy/aggressive” will help you shape future actions. Again, sometimes I’ll put the whole hand in there.

9. I try to note which players will try to dominate a bubble. If these guys get some chips near a bubble you can really punish their aggression with 3 bets since many players (myself included) start raising a ton of hands if the table won’t stop them.

10. I try to note what peoples bet sizes mean post flop. For example you’ll see some guys who use bet sizes that are CLEARLY for value and it helps to know that. I also like to know what people will over shove pot with, since for some it means draws and for others the nuts. Another common one is the most flop min raise, it tends to be either a draw, information raise, or most common, a monster (especially if it’s done on the turn.) Knowing what your opponent is trying to accomplish with his bet is crucial.

Alright, as for players reacting to my metagame, this really just takes more awareness and concentration at your table. If you want to kind of zone out that day and watch TV or talk on AIM or whatever else that’s fine, but keep in mind it’s cutting into your profits. Being aware of your image comes with experience, but the deeper you get in a tournament the more important it gets since it’s more likely your opponents are paying close attention. To really max out your game, you need to be able to make those ‘feel’ reactions at the table. You can justify a lot of things based on your image or a players image or the metagame at the table, and it’s hard to quantify in words exactly how much it means.

If you want to experiment with how much metagame means and feeling how important it is, here’s one ‘training suggestion’ I have. Fire up Full Tilt one night and at 11pm Eastern time there are two deep stacked 6 max tournaments (one is a 24+2, one a 100+9.) Play only those two tournaments and concentrate on making plays and reads. Since there’s only a total of 10 players to keep your eye on and you have enough chips to splash around and get creative, see what you can do by manipulating your image, especially if you make it to the ante period. This is a great way to improve on reads and post flop play, while taking notes on a manageable scale.

As always, if there’s anything I didn’t cover or you want me to elaborate on, just ask of course.