Copyright 2005 Full
Tilt Poker
September 26, 2005
(View all Online Poker
Lessons)
Poker Lesson: Know
Your Opponent; Own Your Opponent
Author: Paul Wolfe
I was at my first World Series of Poker in 2002,
talking to a player who had made the final table the year before.
He told me something I've never forgotten, and it's helped me
ever since.
I had raised pre-flop with A-K and he called from
the button. The flop came all small cards. I checked and he fired
a pot-sized bet. I looked at him and said, "You must have
a good hand." His reply caught me off guard; "It doesn't
matter what cards I have if I know what cards you have."
At first I thought I might have a tell – maybe
I hummed when I missed the flop, or I looked away from my chips.
It was later that I realized I did have a tell, but it had nothing
to do with my physical demeanor. It was the way I played my cards.
Poker
is often not so much about the cards you have, but knowing the
way your opponent plays. Keeping track of which hands your opponent
raises with - and the position from which he raises with them
- is a large part of the game.
In a live game, it is hard to remember exactly what
cards your opponent has raised with over the years and, if they're
good players, those hands will change from time to time. But many
poker players are creatures of habit, playing the style they are
most familiar with. Online, there is no excuse not to have this
knowledge at your fingertips.
While playing on Full Tilt Poker, I get to write
notes on players and it is a great help. I am always referencing
my notes, and they will often tell me which hands an opponent
has played in the past. The color-coding makes it even easier
for me. I use one color to mark the players who only bet when
they have a strong hand, and another color to mark the action
players.
When I see a player marked with a certain color,
I can safely assume that he's going to overplay his hands. This
is a guy I am more willing to call with a hand that might be a
little weaker, or a drawing hand after the flop. Why? Because
I know that if I hit my hand, he's going to pay me off; I have
implied odds to call. With another player, I'll play a little
tighter because not getting paid off means my implied odds aren't
there. This one bit of information has both increased my winnings
and minimized my losses.
Self-awareness is an important part of any endeavor.
But in poker, knowing
your opponent is just as important as knowing yourself.
Full
Tilt Poker Referral Code
Downloaded
from the World Wide Web on October 8, 2005:
http://www.fulltiltpoker.com/proLessons.php?lesson=28
|