Article #1 - How Could They Play That?

Q: "How could they play that?"

by Erica R. Nelson (July 2008)

Before you ask yourself "How could they play that?" you need to really think about a few things...

Most of us who have played a long time and have read at least one book (or more), are familiar with the premium starting hands, as well as the hands that are allowable to play in certain positions against certain opponents, and how they should be played. However, we must remember that due to the mass-advertising of online poker rooms on television, there are more and more people of all ages who watch poker on television and think "hey I could do that!" They run straight to their computer and create an account and boom...a new fish is born.

What we need to remember is that everyone is not as familiar with the game as we may be. They may not know outs, odds, or even what is considered a good hand. Their knowledge base may contain nothing more than knowing what hand beats what. Contrary to popular belief, this is a great situation for an experienced player in which to find themselves. These people are usually the easiest to read, thus the biggest ATMs if you will. Granted, they'll get lucky and hit a 1-outer on you occasionally simply because they know no better, but you will by far win more hands against them than lose.

Another thing we need to remember when we say "How could they play that?" is our own table image.

If we are playing the right hands, but getting the wrong results, perhaps you have not portrayed an image of being a strong player. Betting only when in position is a huge tell, and will be exploited by those who notice it. Not betting enough and essentially "begging for calls" is another fatal mistake. Betting too much is often viewed as a "please don't call me" bet, and often someone will gamble on nothing more than that basis. Betting constantly can sometimes show a small profit in the short-term, but will inevitably lose you a mound of money in the long run. Checking after an initial raise pre-flop is another mistake. If you're going to show strength, you cannot back down until you are given a reason to do so. If you get re-raised, then you know where you stand and can decide your next action from there. Calling too much is also a mistake, as there are plenty of people who min-bet and then slam you on the river when they hit whatever it was they were after. If you are faced with a min-bettor, re-pop them and then see how they react. Another mistake is thinking you had to hit something in order to win. If you've got a good read on your opponent and view them as weak, exploit that...take advantage of every opportunity to push them off their hand, regardless of what you hold. (Much of this regarding raising/bluffing, of course, would not apply in Limit games, as there are many players who will stay in til the last card is dealt ).

You can build an image and not have a definite hand, if you use all the tools, resources and knowledge you can gather...but if you get caught in a bluff, you've got to start over. Reason being, people don't tend to remember your big hands as much as they do when you show a bluff. For some reason people are geared toward the negative when playing poker...hence why so many people end up on tilt. So, if you get caught in a shown bluff, you need to back peddle and start playing solid again. So when you do get that monster, those who are still dwelling on your shown bluff will call you down every time, thus making them second guess their every move against you.

Predictability is another reason why someone might make you ask "How could they play that?"

If you are tight/aggressive, sure, you can and will make a profit over the long term...that's a given. But when you take a tough beat and are left wondering the above question, put yourself in the other person's shoes for second and re-evaluate your play. Do you consistently bet the same amounts anytime it is your turn to act? Do you do this only when holding a premium hand? If so, my friend, you are as predictable as the sunrise. A key to keeping yourself from being too predictable is to be able to change gears often in the midst of a game, in order to keep your opponents guessing. You've got to be able to recognize optimal times to re-raise, bluff, and even use your time bank before folding, just to give the impression that you are laying down something. People online use a great many tools for making reads on opponents. Whatever tools you use, be sure that you yourself are taking strides not to be as easily readable as your opponent.

These are just a few examples of some of the more common mistakes made at the table which will drastically affect your table image, and leave you asking in the end, "How could they play that?"

~LiLady~