When you get labeled as (a pot stealer, bluffer)

Well thanks to reading a couple things on this board my poker game has improved a bit. There's just one part I always get stuck at.

So yeah I'll steal a couple pots here, raise the BB on position there with a semi-decent hand, and sometimes win with the best hand, but when someone calls me out as a bluffer I'm not sure what to do.

If I try a bluff and the guy is in the hand, he'll try and bust me. I'd wait for a good hand or good flop to come so I could show him I do have the goods, but sometimes it would never come.

What's the action you need to take when you're called out as a certain player?

Originally Posted by daluchy

What's the action you need to take when you're called out as a certain player?

show him the nuts.. make him pay to see it .. usually you get respect after you do this a few times... but dont expect the villians to lay down their good cards just because your feared.

If the table are going to treat you as a manic bluffer, as described in your example, I would tighten up while you have this image and then use it to your advantage when you do get g00t cards, because they'll call you down still.

And it goes vice-versa if you have a tight image. This gives you a good enough amount of respect to be able to pick up some blinds for a while.

Always exploit an image by making the opposite plays. If they think you're a maniac, tighten up. If they think you're always bluffing, bet heavily with some monster hands. If they think you're a rock, start raising more to steal pots. And if you feel them realizing that you shifted gears... shift again.

Originally Posted by dalecooper

Always exploit an image by making the opposite plays. If they think you're a maniac, tighten up. If they think you're always bluffing, bet heavily with some monster hands. If they think you're a rock, start raising more to steal pots. And if you feel them realizing that you shifted gears... shift again.

Great post...playing opposite your image and changing gears are key in NLHE.

Originally Posted by twosevoff

Originally Posted by dalecooper

Always exploit an image by making the opposite plays. If they think you're a maniac, tighten up. If they think you're always bluffing, bet heavily with some monster hands. If they think you're a rock, start raising more to steal pots. And if you feel them realizing that you shifted gears... shift again.

Great post...playing opposite your image and changing gears are key in NLHE.

Man, dale is on a roll lately, every post I've read of yours has been right on target. Keep spreading the knowledge buddy...

In my experience, if you have a loose image, it really doesn't take too long for people to think you tightened up. Play tighter for like, 10-20 hands, depending on the table, and everyone will think you're playing tight. Having a loose table image doesn't pay off every time. Sometimes, people will start calling you down, and you just have to switch gears and play tight for a while and it does you no good because you get no hands. But when you do get that premium hand, or hit that miracle flop, its all worth it. I don't play loose very much, but I was the other night, I had a great loose table image, people were starting to definitely get annoyed and call me down, reraise me a lot preflop, etc... and I get QQ.... beautiful.

Change gears or find a new table.

-'rilla

Thanks alot for the replies.

I was on the right track I guess. I tried to play a little tigher once I got called on being overly aggresive. It's just the cards never went my way and my stack slowly depleted. Oh well.

I probably still need to work on when I try bold moves.

Example: My opponent caught a Jack on the flop and I tried to bluff him out when undercards came on the turn and river.

Lol that's probably why it's easy to label me.

I just switched to a more aggresive style recently because my usual tight play didn't do me well in S&G's and Tourneys. So I'm still trying to figure it all out.

well sng's and tourneys open a whole new topic. check out the tournament forum to read how to do them. they're totally different from ring games.

Oh yeah I read through that forum. I was being more general with my first post. I guess I got a little off topic on my reply.