hook, line and sinker: i caught a fish today

Part of my recent practice w/ NLHE has been on looking past my own cards and into the hands of my opponents. I am starting to get into the practice of trying to put people on hands (right or wrong) each and every hand. I know that this is best in the long run, it's a skill I have to sharpen if I am ever gonna get better. I am paying attention better as a result of this practice, and tonight that paid off:

I was watching everyone at my $50NL @ UB table really closely after they sat down, because I know that I need to start playing like that. Then it happened: I was able to make a great read on one player like like over the course of 30-40 hands, and in a matter of 80 more hands I managed to take just over $80 from him. Not that this was really an impressive rate of wining in and of itself, but it was one of those moments where I KNEW I WAS GETTING HIS WHOLE STACK when I figured him out. It didn't matter how long it took, that stack was mine. I actually changed my approach to the rest of the table because I DIDN'T WANT ANYONE ELSE TO HAVE A SHOT AT HIS (MY) MONEY. I could not believe the clarity of this experience. Zone. Also, I was not high.

There was just something I didn't like about how he was playing; all of a sudden, I knew exactly what he had every hand. I had such a good read on his playing that there was no way I was losing, the possibility never crossed my mind that I was not taking all his money.

In reflecting on this ordeal, I found that it was so satisfying to consciously recognize his weaknesses and style, and then modify my play accordingly. It is that transition from subconcious perception to conscious awareness to effective behavior modification that is so important. I owe a big thank you to everyone on FTR for putting me in a position to realize this part of the game and pull that sort of thing off. You were right, I will be able to make reads one day.

Also, I was not high.

Sometimes an often overlooked factor. :P

-'rilla

i love stalking large stacks at the table.. i'll sit to their left if not directly to their left, a few chairs down and pick my time to strike.

but i will get up from a table if someone on my left starts closing in on me, or just avoid being hands with him without the nuts.

i think im at a point where i absolutely have to have position on someone, otherwise its like driving a sports car with a blind fold on.

The poker site I use at the moment (William Hill in the UK) has a few £0.25/£0.50 games, but only a few - I like them because my thinking is that British people seeking the lowest sterling games will sit down at them, even if they're actually 80% more expensive than the same-stakes dollar games, also available.

The problem is that at peak times, the 5 or 6 £ ring games at this level get full pretty quickly - sometimes you have to join a waiting list. So - with position being so valuable (and I do make every effort to do what Element mentions above whenever possible), should I back off, not take the first available seat and wait till I can sit somewhere tactically astute?

Originally Posted by biondino

The poker site I use at the moment (William Hill in the UK) has a few £0.25/£0.50 games, but only a few - I like them because my thinking is that British people seeking the lowest sterling games will sit down at them, even if they're actually 80% more expensive than the same-stakes dollar games, also available.

The problem is that at peak times, the 5 or 6 £ ring games at this level get full pretty quickly - sometimes you have to join a waiting list. So - with position being so valuable (and I do make every effort to do what Element mentions above whenever possible), should I back off, not take the first available seat and wait till I can sit somewhere tactically astute?

i look for full 10 person ring games, with 2 or 3 empty seats, and i'll pick the seat that puts me behind as many large stacks as possible so i have position on a few them... this is an ideal situation for me.