Poker Strategies: Controlling Your Image At The Table

Roughly 2,400 years ago, Plato coined the phrase “gnôthi sauton.” Translated from Greek, it means “come to know thyself” or “learn to know thyself.” I’m pretty sure he must have been a poker player, because almost no other principle is as crucial in poker. This is because, even though poker is a game in which you battle your opponents, it is a game in which you will battle yourself. If you aren’t aware of your own personal demons, you have no chance of exorcizing them. Once you’ve conquered your inner demons, you can begin to explore and exploit your opponents’ demons. While I am certainly unqualified to discuss your various psychological attributes, I am qualified to explore with you your various playing styles and your table image.

_________your style

It takes time to develop a playing style, and even longer to become aware of what your opponents think of your play. It’s OK if you aren’t aware of your style yet — you soon will be. First, consider these questions: Are you a loose or tight player? Are you passive or aggressive? How do you think players respond to you at a table?

You need to really think honestly about this for a few minutes; otherwise, stop reading this article because you won’t get anything out of it.

Tight and passive

If you think you are a tight and passive player, you probably find that you get lots of action and often have your big starting hands outdrawn. This is because you allow others to draw to their hands cheaply by checking or calling, as opposed to raising and reraising. Loose players will follow you into pots with suited connectors, such as the 5 and 6 of hearts, counting on the fact that you will allow them to draw to their hands inexpensively. They also count on a pay off if they hit a huge hand, such as a straight, a flush or a two under-pair to your big pair.

Tight and aggressive

If you classify yourself as a tight and aggressive player, you probably find that you get very little action when you enter a pot and rarely get paid off when you have a monster. This is because you only bet with big hands and the other players at the table know this. Your big payoffs come when you have a big hand and your opponent also has a big hand or has missed a big draw. A common mistake that tight players make is that they do not loosen their starting-hand requirements as games become shorthanded, which means they get blinded and anted to death. Despite that, this style is profitable and is the most common method of play for your average card-room grinder. It works well in limit play, and works fairly well in no-limit play. Most of the books written on the subject advocate this style.

Loose and passive

OK, so what if you’re a loose and passive player or a calling-station? You most likely get lots of action. You most likely lose often. You most likely find that your table is always full while you’re playing, but the game breaks as soon as you get up. If you ever want to make money in this game, get rid of that style. Loose and passive play is the worst style you can employ because you call raises with hands that have little chance of winning, you don’t play your premium hands aggressively enough, and, as a rule, you rarely fold — despite overwhelming evidence that your hand is no good. This style bleeds money.

Loose and aggressive

Finally, there are loose and aggressive players. If this is your style, you know it and you’ve worked hard to play this way. If you don’t play this way, the person who does is usually a very difficult opponent. He will play aggressively; call large raises or even reraise with suited connectors and one- or two-gappers, such as the 7 and 10 of clubs. It is nearly impossible to put a loose and aggressive player on a hand, as he or she could have come into the pot with any two cards.

The reason that loose and aggressive play is so profitable in no-limit games is simple: implied odds. This is different from pot odds in that, with pot odds, you are making your calls based on the price of the call versus the possibility of hitting your hand, compared to the amount in the pot. With implied odds, you are making your calls based on the price of the call versus the possibility of hitting your hand, compared to the amount in the pot and your opponent’s entire stack.

Loose and aggressive no-limit play is by far the most difficult and perilous style to learn and use effectively. I do not recommend that novices attempt this style until they feel they are sufficiently experienced and knowledgeable in no-limit play, reading players and changing gears. This is because you can call off your whole stack and find yourself on the rail quickly if you aren’t careful.

_________criticize yourself

While many of you may have found the contents herein to be elementary, I encourage you to embrace the spirit of the article and strive to learn more about yourself. There are countless characteristics to examine, such as patience, temper and ego. It is difficult to turn a critical eye on oneself, but the rewards are worth the effort.