Texas Holdem Poker

In my last blog, I touched on the importance of manipulating your table in a manner that makes the poker game profitable for you. In today’s game the importance of table image can not be over looked. Long gone are the day’s of six years ago, when you could sit at a table as still as a rock and still expect to get paid off when you open for the first time with AA. The modern, average poker players have grown and flourished so much through the resources available in books, on TV, and on the web. Simply playing super-tight poker is not enough to be a big winner.

Don’t get me wrong, you can definitely still grind out a profit, especially in the micro-stakes games by playing tight, smart poker. However, at the higher levels the average player has realized if you don’t raise or call any bets for 30 minutes, then fire out a raise that you have the goods. Granted this can set you up for some good steal opportunities, but let’s look at the difference between two images and you can choose for yourself which one is more effective.

Player X sits down at the $1/$2 No Limit Hold’em tables on Virgin Poker. He buys in for $400 and waits to get in the game till the big blind comes around. During the few rounds he is sitting out he notices a few things about his competitors: The player to his immediate left has over $1,000 in chips and has raised consecutive hands in position. Since the maximum buy-in is $400, Player X believes this opponent to be a winning, aggressive player. Player X also noticed that two other players have over $600 in chips as well, so they are winning also. The dealer button orbits around the table 3 times before Player X plays a hand, other than from the blinds. After 30 hands and about 20 minutes, Player X raises from Early Position to 4xBB. The table folds around to the Big Blind, who defends. The flop hits the felt and the Big Blind checks, Player X fires out a continuation bet and takes down the pot. Another 30 hands and 15 minutes later, Player X opens with a bet again. This time everyone folds to the bet. Now let’s look at Player Y in a similar scenario.

Imagine Player Y sits down at the exact same $1/$2 No Limit Hold’em tables on Ultimate Bet and buys in for $400 as well. This player makes the same observations of his opponents that Player X made. Instead of waiting for the Big Blind, Player Y immediately posts from the cutoff position. The action comes to him with one limper and he fires out a bet, making it 4xBB to play. The Big Blind and the limper both call, the flop hits the felt and two checks later the action is on Player Y. Y fires out a continuation bet and gets two folds, he shows a bluff to take down the pot. Two hands later, Player Y opens again for 4xBB. The big stack to his left and the Big Blind both call. The Big Blind checks the flop and Y fires out another continuation bet and the big stack to the left re-raises. Player Y shows another bluff with rags and mucks his cards. Now, 10 minutes later when Player Y picks up the same premium hand that Player X opened with, you can bet he’s going to get some action?

Which player do you think is going to make more in this session if they were to receive the same exact cards? Would Player X more conservative style be more efficient? What about Player Y decision to mix up his play a bit?

Quickly let’s look at the numbers; granted this is a fabricated set-up, but this near exact scenario happens everyday online. Player X lost $3 per orbit, assuming he didn’t complete the small blind. After 3 orbits, Player X was down $9 before winning $9 total from the first hand he played. Now even overall, Player X loses $9 again from the orbits before winning $3 from his next raise. After 60 hands and 2 premium hands, Player X is down -$6.

Using the same numbers, let’s look at Player Y. On his first hand played he picks up $17 in profit. The second hand he plays he loses $8. So after these two hands and the blinds for the 3 orbits till our premium hand we are exactly even, before we open with the premium hand. Therefore, even if Player Y only gets the same action as Player X, which is most likely not going to be the case, Player Y is still up $9 from where Player X was in the same spot. Through the use of some advertising, Player Y is able to pick up a free pot, as well as much more importantly mold his image into someone who is willing to raise and continuation bet with any two cards. This image will help Player Y to get paid off big when he finally receives the nuts.

My suggestion is to find a balance between these two players. However, if you feel much more comfortable playing either an aggressive, loose style or an aggressive, tight style than spend the time doing a little advertising to get your opponents thinking that your image is the reverse. After convincing them you are a maniac and they call you down with middle pair, continue to enhance your image with a comment such as, “I got so lucky there to catch those cards. My luck is hot today.” Whatever you do, DO NOT LET YOUR OPPONENTS REALIZE YOU ARE OUTSMARTING THEM!

By implementing this image into your game you are on your way to becoming a more successful player. Until next time, keep trying to get your money in with the best of it!