The Poker Coach: Practical Strategies to Manage Your Bankroll and Outsmart Your Opponents by Alec Torelli

Author:Alec Torelli [Torelli, Alec]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
Publisher: Rockridge Press
Published: 2020-04-28T00:00:00+00:00

Making Adjustments in Real Time

After you sit down at the table, how you play will influence your table image and how observant players will adjust to you. While there are many factors to consider, the following are the big three.

1.Exposing Cards

You should almost never show your hole cards (the cards dealt to you facedown) except to maintain an image of which you aim to take advantage at a later time. Doing this correctly is an art, and most people give away more information than they intend to, so I recommend never showing your hand.

Inevitably, there are situations when you may be forced to show your hand. Being aware of the types of hands you expose is important in understanding how your competition will adjust to you. If you got caught bluffing, for example, you will get less credit in the future, as someone may assume you’re “on tilt,” or acting less than optimally due to emotion or confusion. Meanwhile, showing down a series of monsters (seemingly unbeatable or nearly unbeatable hands) over the course of the night may allow you to take advantage of a well-timed bluff.

2.Playing Style

Your playing style will dramatically influence how you are perceived at the table. For example, perhaps you just sat down and three-bet twice during the first round. Even if you had pocket aces both times, what your opponents think is the only thing that matters. And since the odds are you won’t get dealt two monsters in a single orbit (rotation of the button in which the number of hands equals the number of players), your opponents may believe you are up to something. Therefore, I wouldn’t advise three-betting again unless you have a premium hand.

Alternatively, you may have been completely card dead for the first three hours of play, folded nearly every hand, and rarely even defended your big blind. Perhaps a situation arises where there’s a raise and two calls in front of you, and a very loose player three-bets from the button. Here, you may opt to make a cold four-bet bluff from the blinds (especially with an ace in your hand, making it less likely that your opponent has a premium holding like AA or AK). Of course, if they fold, you’ll muck your cards, letting them think you had it all along.

3.Mannerisms and Behavior

Given that how you behave will influence how you’re perceived by others, the following are some things to think about while you’re at the table.

HOW YOU ACT: Are you confident and casual, or rigid and deliberate?

HOW DO YOU STACK YOUR CHIPS: Are they neatly stacked in rows of 20, or messy and scattered?

WHAT YOU’RE DRINKING: Is it a green tea with lemon, or a whiskey on the rocks?

Reflect on your typical behavior and playing style at the table and how your opponents may perceive you as a result. Write it down here:

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Next, jot down how your opponents may adjust against a player with your image.

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Finally, write out what adjustments you will make based on how your opponents are likely to play against you.

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