Keeping Tabs on Players at your
Online Table
written by BeatTheFish.com
 ...Fishy
says, "Let their previous actions help you in the current pot."
You can keep tabs on the players at your
table regardless of if you play online on at a real cardroom.
Obviously, you won't be able to go by physical tells online, but you
can still learn your opponents' tendencies and capitalize on them.
This is essential to becoming a good poker player.
It is easier to get distracted when you play online poker. You can
check your e-mail, watch TV, talk on the phone, or really do
anything at all while you play a hand on the computer. You can't do
this if you want to make the maximum amount of money that you can.
Put simply, you're not going to notice if the players at your table
are wild or not. You're not going to notice that the guy in Seat 1
always defends his blind. You're not going to notice that Seat 8
always plays strong cards until you try to pull one over on him.
If you're just playing for fun in a micro-game, then maybe you can
afford to play multiple tables and not concentrate too much. But if
you play no-limit, like I do, and play for decent money, why not
give it your best and make as much as you can?
That being said, what can you watch at your table? Well, watching
what cards the players turn over at the showdown is a good start. If
someone is always turning over strong cards, you'll know that if you
bluff them and they play back you should probably throw your hand
away. If they're in the pot, it can also give you a clue to lay down
your mediocre hands.
It's also just as important to watch the fishier players at the
table. Do they bluff too often? Tend to call them down more often.
Do they play garbage hands all the time? Tend to raise them with
your strong cards. You don't want them seeing a cheap flop and
drawing out on you. You also don't want to bluff the maniacs and
calling stations very often because they'll call you down with
bottom pair, and that beats your A-K that didn't pair every time.
Can you spot the calling stations at your table? If you can, you'll
know who you don't have to slowplay. If they're going to call you
anyway, why not make some extra money? Can you spot who lays their
hands down all the time? Then run over them until they fight back.
You'll know that they probably have something when they do.
If you are finding it overwhelming to keep track of 8 or 9 other
players at your table, start by just watching a couple of them. Once
you feel like you've gotten the hang of them, move on to a couple
new players. It will definitely help you in a raise/fold situation
when all you have to go on is your gut feeling.
Back to
Online Poker
Strategy
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