Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 38
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I wanted to discuss what I think is the important strategic skill in NLHE.
That is, the skill of becoming the leader of the table you're playing at.
I don't claim to be the best or most advanced player, I certainly make dumb plays every once in a while, but I consider myself always to be very skilled at controlling the game and the other players.
There may be some guys out there that could dominate me, but none of them play on the tables that I play on. And judging by Poker Office 2's live tracker, most of my opponents are pretty tight and aggressive. I'm very loose and aggressive. I frequently raise pots with the EXPECTATION and the will to win. I do not enter a pot and plan on losing it. When you give up pots or get outplayed, then you are not being the table leader. You want to be the one always making the moves, making the plays, making your opponents guess (or even better) fold because they have nothing and because of your loose image cannot place you on a hand. Always pick the right spots, but if I am at a fairly tight or timid table, I will raise 20% of my hands easily (I never limp unless I have overpairs). And when I ALWAYS hit, or always seem to take down the pots uncontested, that produces a very strong negative psychological effect on the opponents who can't believe how "lucky" I am. They've watched you take out entire stacks, and that makes them very afraid of you. They will always remain submissive as long as you never relinquish your power and control. Most of the time there will be the 2nd table leader, and he's the guy that doesn't get mixed up in pots with you too much. If you do happen to bump heads, then it's a bullshitting contest, and the best bullshitter wins. Usually he'll start trailing behind you by 10 or 20 dollars, and trying to take your place as leader, which you cannot allow to happen. You want to diminish their ego by making a great play on them, say, calling a $15 bluff on the river from them with bottom pair.
Or, do the opposite and bluff them and then show the 4/3 high that you stole their money with. They start to think you're always bluffing, and will often think you are when you're actually not, and they'll think you're not when you actually are. You want to be good at creating illusions for your opponent. You also want to be good at detecting the illusions they try to create for you. Pay attention to their flaws, and then manipulate them. Eventually, it gets to a point where you've accumulated so much money, that everyone is afraid to play with you. They know their entire stacks could be at risk, and they're not sure if you've got the 5/6, K-7, QQ, every time you raise that 3 or 4 dollars when you're in good position. Position is the key. You never want to be UTG, so usually I will never play UTG without a premium hand.
Psychology is the MOST important aspect of this game. It's not the cards, it's not math, it's not statistics, it's PLAYING THE PLAYER!
but like i always tell my opponents when they bluff ,
you can't play a player,
ATLplayer85
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06-01-2012, 11:03 AM White House Responds to Poker Players Alliance's Petition
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