Texas Holdem Plaing Styles
Texas Holdem Playing Styles
In No-Limit Texas Hold'em, table image is everything. It can mean
the difference between a losing session and a winning one. There are
a few rules you must learn before learning how to exploit your table
image for maximum profit.
The first rule is that if you plan on showing a
loose table image, you must be playing players who will acknowledge
it. You cannot go to a low limit table where players go all-in with
anything and expect to make a profit by showing them how loose you
are. The best way to beat a low limit game is by playing the cards.
Table image becomes a factor when you are playing the player rather
than the cards.
The second rule about table image deals with
giving too much money away on trash hands. If you plan on playing
like a maniac, show your opponents that but don't go overboard and
start playing stupid. It is very easy to fall into this trap. As a
maniac, your goal should be to showdown a few cheap pots with trash
hands and to raise some pretty crappy hands pre-flop. A lot of times
you will raise trash and hit top pair. Don't get carried away with
this and let it go if it must be done.
The third and most important rule is to always
play tight on the flop. Even if you are acting like a maniac, do the
raising pre-flop. Only call down for a good image and show a stupid
hand if the pot is really cheap.
The Online Poker Three Table Images
The three table images we will discuss have varying degrees. I
will outline the basic concepts and requirements for each image.
The goal we are trying to accomplish here is letting our
opponents make mistakes based on how we are perceived. We are
trying to get them to lay down top pair when we are bluffing
with a tight table image. Likewise, we are trying to get them to
call us when we have the stone cold nuts and are playing like a
maniac.
- Maniac
- Tight
- Crazy (Unpredictable)
You can learn to play any of these images and we advise you to
master them all. On a daily basis, I might use all 3 table images if
the table demands it. Table image should be chosen based on the
current status of a table.
Which Table Image To Choose
Choose your table image based on whether the table is loose or
tight.
- Tight Table- Tight Image
- Loose Table- Loose Image
This may look weird considering most people say play tight on a
loose table and loose on a tight table. That is right. But you have
to remember, we are talking image here, not the way we play. It
doesn't matter WHAT image we choose, we always play tight on the
flop no matter what. Even when we are playing the role of a maniac,
we will very rarely call down without nuts or a premium hand. We
will occasionally show down a bad hand on purpose if it is a cheap
pot overall.
The reason we want to show that we are tight on a tight table is
because most of the time the players will give up top pair. You will
be able to steal the blinds and bluff as much as you want so long as
the tight players THINK you are tight.
The reason we want to show that we are loose on a loose table is
because we want our opponents to think we are stupid players as
well. Sometimes, on a really loose table, all you need to do is sit
there and you will still get action on pocket aces. If they are
folding to your premium hands, then make a few stupid calls here and
there and raise some trash hands pre-flop so they know you are there
to play and not there to take their money.
The crazy table image is best when playing against players that
you know are capable of reading you. Opponents that pay extreme
attention to your every move can only be countered with one table
image, the unpredictable and crazy image. These types of players
(crazy/unpredictable) are winners over the long run because you will
never peg them on a set hand. They know when to give up flops and
know when to bet you out of the pot.
Online Poker: Maniac
Playing like a maniac might seem easy at first, but it requires
one to play with extreme attention to detail. The most important
thing to understand is that we lay down many hands on the flop,
sometimes even top pair/top kicker. Indeed, you will definitely be
laying down more hands after the flop than you may currently think
is necessary.
The first step is to simply raise a lot of hands pre-flop as soon
as you sit down. Sometimes we will get on the table and raise the
first 5 hands three times the big blind (3 x BB). You will notice
that the table you are at may become very loose after your raises.
This is good. After raising a lot, we will usually settle down and
play tight poker until I feel the time is right to raise again. Two
things will happen during the raising period: (1) You might hit your
trash hand and take someone all-in; (2) You will establish yourself
as a loose player.
Playing like a maniac is fun but it can get you into a lot of
binds if you can't lay a hand down. I would advise playing the role
of a maniac in CASH GAMES ONLY. In a tournament it is much easier to
sit back and be patient. Tournaments are much more profitable when
played patient in the early rounds and aggressive in the later
rounds. Unless you are up against players you know well, don't play
like a maniac in a tournament.
Employing Maniac Strategy
When you demonstrate to the table that you are a
maniac, you will start getting more calls than you thought possible.
This is both good and bad. Although your bankroll will likely take
bigger swings, you will be forcing players to make incorrect
assumptions about your play. And, if you are consistently getting
players to make the wrong calls based on your play, you will profit
in the long run.
The key to maniac strategy is laying down many hands if you hit
the flop weakly.
Let’s show you an example:
After joining a table, I decide to raise the first 5 or 6
hands to loosen the table up a little. On my 7th raise, I decide J9s
looks pretty nice so I raise 3 x BB. A guy with pocket aces in late
position only CALLS because he knows I am prone to raise anything.
The flop is Jc-9d-2s, perfect for the guy with aces. I bet
big, he comes over the top, and I laugh as I take him in. Then he
complains, "Nice call pre-flop, idiot." I simply say, "Thanks," and
shake my head at the new players who just don't understand the
method to my madness.
The point we are trying to make is that in a No-Limit Hold'em
cash game, when your bankroll allows it, playing hands such as Q9s
or J9s with the image of a maniac can bring instant death to many
fishy opponents. What most people don't understand is that these
hands, as well as pairs, suited connectors, and A-x suited, will
pull in the best pots of the night.
One more example, this time
illustrating the fact that when you first join a table, occasionally
you will raise with trash and hit.
I raise a really tight player's blinds with Kc-2d. I usually
steal this guy's blinds but this time he calls my raise of 3 x BB.
The flop is 2c-Qc-2s. I throw out a huge bet on the flop to
make it look as if I am stealing.
He comes over the top all-in and I immediately call. I win
another huge pot on a trash hand that has almost no value pre-flop.
As he showed down his kings, I had to laugh. Of course he
tells me, "Horrible play," but we all know what is going on here:
Although I got really lucky on the flop, the idea is to put your
money in on a really good flop when you hit it.
An example of a laydown:
I had Ac-Kd and finally I get some callers, two to be exact.
The flop is Ah-4c-5h.
I bet big on the flop and a guy re-raises me all-in. From what I
have observed, he has folded almost every hand. I have also seen him
show down kings and queens before.
I think for a second and then I fold. I throw the hand face-up on
the table as I say, "Nice hand, I had you on two-pair. Good luck."
As I leave the table, the guy approaches me and asks how I laid that
hand down when I had been raising everything. I never told him what
I am about to tell you: The real key to playing the role of a maniac
is to play nuts on the flop.
ALWAYS play tight on the flop. If you only have a pair and see a
guy put you all-in, he most likely has you. Always err on the side
of folding rather than calling. In No-Limit cash games, the most
money is made when you put your money in on the nuts. Wait for the
other guy to make the mistake and then pounce on him.
Online Poker : Tight
Playing tight makes the money. It is a fact. When in
doubt, play solid, tight, fundamental poker and you are sure to make
a profit. There will even be short-handed games in which you must
play tight to make a profit.
Playing tight seems easy. Pick the best starting hands and push
them. The problem is that many times you will get called and chased
out. This is a very likely possibility. You must know how to play
tight and when to vary your play for maximum profit. You also need
to know in which games a tight style will be profitable.
Vary Your Play
You can play tight all day, but when the whole
table is folding to your premium hands you must alter your strategy
slightly. The way to do this is to limp or call raises with some
"safe hands." What I mean by this is raising the hands that will pay
you off, such as A-x suited, small pairs, or, occasionally, in a
short-handed game, playing K-x, Q-x, or even J-x suited. The point
of this is to get action on your premium hands. You always want to
keep people guessing if you can. Raising with "safe hands" also
allows you to make easy decisions on the flop. Either you hit or you
miss. If you are in a cash game you might even consider betting your
draws. There are many ways to vary your play, just don't go
overboard.
When To Play Tight
Generally, I like to play tight on
really crazy tables. While this is obvious, many people fail to do
it. Waiting on hands seems to be the average online poker player's
weakness. You must exploit this on crazy tables by behaving like a
monk. Envision a win for every time you fold. On a crazy table
folding makes the most money. Repeat this over and over. Folding
makes the most money. Folding makes the most money. Awesome, now you
understand how to make the most profit on a table with maniacs.
Another great time to play tight is during the early stages of a
tournament. This is by far our favorite tactic. The reason we prefer
to fold my small blind a lot and show everyone how tight I am is so
that I can rape their blinds in the later rounds. This way, even if
I don't get the cards during any given tournament, I will have a
chance to win it by bluffing the blinds. That is my "double whammy"
strategy to winning tournaments.
The last great time to play tight is when you are unsure of the
table. When you are in a game with a bunch of players that you are
unfamiliar with always play tight rather than loose. You will get a
vibe for the overall status of the table this way. Always play tight
when you cannot choose a table image regarding a certain game.
Tight is right.
How Tight To Play
When we say tight we mean it. We often fold top pair
with a decent kicker if I am re-raised on the flop. Always look out
for the turn. When someone re-raises you on the turn, you are almost
always beat if the player is decent. Also, be aware of a re-raise on
a flush card or an obvious straight. If you are even DEBATING
folding a hand, almost always fold it rather than call. That's the
rule. You are either raising in a pot with the best of it, or
folding when you are beat.
Online Poker : Crazy
Our advice would be to master each image so that you can adjust
to any table.
Playing unpredictable is definitely a deadly image when mastered
correctly. We absolutely HATE players who play this way. You can
never tell what they are raising, when they are bluffing, or when
they have the nuts. The problem is that most people
get carried away with this style.
When To Play Unpredictable
If you are good, you can ALWAYS play unpredictable. It is a style
that can consistently win, day-in, day-out. The trick to mixing it
up is knowing when to do so. You must play the player rather than
the cards. You usually want to play unpredictable against really
good opponents so that they can't peg you on a hand. Experience will
tell you when to switch it up and when to play the nuts.
Switching Gears
The key to an unpredictable table image is to always switch gears.
Just when your opponents think you are going to play tight, play
loose. When you first sit at a table decide what the status of it
is. If it is loose, begin by playing tight. Just when they think you
are tight, mix it up and play a little looser. When you are playing
loose make sure to bet the flop if it's a heads-up situation. Most
of the time you will take the pot since your opponent will generally
miss the flop. If he calls and a scare card hits on the turn, for
instance, an ace for a low card flop, you probably want to fire
another bullet on the turn as well.
Knowing When You Are
Beat
To become a good player you must
know when you are beat and fold. It takes discipline but it must be
done. I will let you in on two really good indicators that you are
beat:
- Re-raise on the turn: You are usually beat here. Most players
will not re-raise on the turn unless they have a hand.
- Raise or re-raise on the river: 95% of the time when an
opponent raises or re-raises you on the river and you are forced
to question whether you have the best hand, you are beat.
Learn to recognize these situations and fold.
Folding when you have a good hand is tough, but it separates the
good players from the bad players.
To recap, always switch gears against the
really good opponents. Pay attention to their every move and read
them well. Playing unpredictable requires you to read your opponents
on the flop, turn, and river. Recognize tricky situations as
opportunities to fold. |
