Knowing your online poker opponents

Many players have mastered the concept of pocket strength, values, pot-odds, and have a good understanding of the power of position, but how often are they using one of the strongest advantages that online poker has to offer? Online poker differs from live poker in a number of ways, and most traditional or live poker players find that the transition can be difficult, but the most glaring difference seems to be the one that is often ignored and underutilized. When you watch the pros play in live tournaments, it seems as though they have the ability to determine what their opponents hold in their pockets, particularly those that they have played against on a frequent basis. You don’t need to be Phil Ivy or Daniel Negreanu or The Professor in order to recognize your opponent’s style, observe his or her patterns, and ultimately, anticipate certain situational tendencies. All you need is patience, a notepad, an Excel spreadsheet (if you want to get fancy), and of course, you will need to apply the sound fundamentals of poker.

Recognition

The first step to profiling your opponent is to determine the opponent’s style. While there are numerous articles on this topic, the most common styles of play are “Tight-Passive, sometimes referred to as ‘The Rock’, Tight-Aggressive, Loose-Passive, sometimes referred to as “The Calling Station”, and the Loose-Aggressive, known as “The Maniac”. Most online sites provide a “player notes” system whereby you can click on the player’s name or avatar and record a note on the player. Each time you enter a ring game or a tournament, jot down notes about each player’s style. If you are using a more advanced system of book-keeping, include the date and record a new entry each time you face your opponent. Chances are he or she may change their styles a bit from one day to the next. Good players often mix up their styles, but then again, leopards can’t change their spots, and in time, a player’s preferred or “normal” style of play will become more evident.

Observation

Although styles tend to change in tournament play, as the blinds increase and the values of starting hands begin to change, based on the size of chipstacks, blinds, and remaining player pool, most players tend to play their hands the same way. If you find that Player X pushed heavy preflop only to reveal Ace-9 offsuit in the showdown, then make a note of this. Chances are he or she will do it again. If Player Z always raises in late position or on the button, make full use of this information when you have the chances to do so. Timing becomes important too, and can assist in feeling out bluffs. Occasionally after winning a big pot with a strong hand, a player will follow with a bluff on the next hand, or conversely, after taking down a big pot with a bluff, he or she will quickly fold the next few hands.

Anticipation

By knowing a player’s style and by observing their play, it stands to reason that you can forecast their next move. The more data that you have at your fingertips, the easier it is to formulate your predictions. If you know a player well enough, you may even be able to catch their next big tilt. Seldom will you see a chip bully turn into a passive player. Conversely, very few “rocks” turn into “maniacs”. With four players remaining in a hand that shows a flush draw and a straight draw on the board at the turn, your information should help you in anticipating the motives of the players that you are up against. Does Player X chase draws? Is Player Z going to bluff? Could Player Z be counting his chips to fire off a maniac play on top pair? History repeats itself and your information will help you make the right move most of the time.

Knowledge is power…and only a fool comes to battle unarmed. Your notes are your biggest weapon and your best defense. Chances are, your opponents are recording your moves, and if the pros could take notes while they are at the tables, they would too.

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