Mix Up Your Online Poker Play
We all know that becoming a predictable poker player in a cash
game can spell death for your bankroll. The best way to play a cash
game is to mix up the way you play. Sure, there are always certain
images you can choose to use, but you should always mix up your play
against good players.
The best way to beat good players is to find out their
tendencies. If you adjust your play accordingly you should come out
a winner. When mixing up your play you must play the player. I will
show you exactly what this common saying means.
Playing the Player
I currently play online poker at Pacific Poker; a very juicy card
room. Although I have worked my bankroll up from the lower limits, I
have found that as you move up the competition becomes increasingly
tougher to beat. Currently, I am playing the highest No-Limit game
at the site ($3/$6) and have also played their highest Limit game
($75/$150). What I have found is that you must mix up your play
against these good players or they will read you like a book. I lost
quite a bit of my bankroll figuring this out.
The players at the lower limits are willing to call just about
anything. Most of them are playing poker for the excitement and to
TRY and win money, of course. For the most part, the way to beat
these games is to play your cards. I will occasionally bluff if I
smell weakness but generally I stick to the basics.
Always know the players you are up against. Even at the lower
limits this article should benefit you. Occasionally, you will get a
read on an opponent at a lower level and play him accordingly. The
point I am trying to make here is that poker is not always about
your cards.
Game Choice
I currently love mixing up my play at the higher limits because I
feel it offers the most profit. I would strongly advise you to stick
to the basics at the lower limits. There is an exception at the
lower limits, however. If a game is super-tight and you know you are
up against good players, you can mix it up by bluffing a little.
Notice I said a little. Most of these players are still way too
horrible to bluff. You will run across a ton of calling stations
which become harder to find as you increase limits.
Have A Plan
When you do decide to mix up your play, envision whose chips you
wish to take. There have been so many times where I have seen a
really loose player and said to myself, "I am going to double up off
of this clown." Most of the time, I end up doing exactly what it is
I said. This works well and I advise you to try it. Watch his every
move. Watch EXACTLY how he bets every hand. The goal here is to know
this guy inside and out. Before you decide to enter a pot with this
type of player, know that you will only put your money in if you
know it will come back to you.
This leads me to another article which you might be interested
in. I have watched a friend play for years and know him inside and
out. Every time I play him heads-up, I just dominate him. This got
me to thinking; If I knew a player this well, I could probably take
his life savings. Read my next article, entitled "Playing the
Player: Stalking the Competition," to dominate common players. |
