You must be familiar with every player at the table if you want to become successful at poker. The way you play against each player is different, and you can’t view them as machines. Studying your opponents is vital because you want to extract as many chips from them as possible. If you go into the game blindly, you’re putting yourself at a significant disadvantage, and you’re opening yourself up to be beaten by mediocre players.
The key things to look for as you study a player’s gameplay
The first thing you want to pay attention to is what hands they’re playing. The showdown is so important, and it can’t be stressed enough that you have to pay attention to the winning hand. Not all hands will be played past the river, but those that do, provide the most valuable information in all of poker. You’ll have the chance to see what hands your opponents are calling with preflop. Those hands will guide you in how you determine to bet or not to bet.
Play the player more than your hand
If you see a loose player in the hand, you probably want to jack up the bet preflop. Jack that bet up as high as you think they will go. Why? A loose player is more than likely to call it. They play loose and fast with their chips, and they are real gamblers. Someone who has a tight table image is different, and you should allow them to control the gameplay. If they raise it up, you might consider a modest reraise or merely calling. What you want to do in this situation is act like you’re respecting the player, so they overvalue their hand.
The players in the pot should dictate the hands you call with
Do you call a marginal hand with a loose player in the pot? Yes, you do. You know that the person will be reckless, and it’s up to you to take advantage of their playing style. At 198.96.92.14, you’ll come across players of all types, and that’s why you can’t pigeon hole any particular player into one style. Sometimes people will mix things up, but they will stay true to their style more often than not. That means a tight player will call with premium hands, and you can be almost positive that anytime they call or raise, they’ve got something valuable to play with.
Don’t be afraid to take notes when you’re playing poker
Open up a text file or jot down information while playing at Joinsini about the players. You never know when you’re going to see them again. If you’re a cash game player, you are more than likely to see the players again. If you do, the information that you write down will be extremely valuable. Knowing a player as they sit down gives you information about them that others may not have. That information can be the difference between winning a big pot or walking away from the table with nothing in your pocket.