Better Poker At Harder Tables...

TxScorpion

TxScorpion

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Have a question for the group...

Have you ever noticed that when you're playing against harder opponents, it forces you to play at your highest possible level or else you'll be left broke and embarrassed?

I compared a session I played last night to a session I played a few months back , and the tables were like night and day. First off, last EVERYBODY at the table limped into the pot! Maybe one person didn't limp into the pot, but they called "$5 straight" as a way to open raise into a pot instead doing 3BBs. Is this normal? Or am I being too by the book about this? Secondly, everyone was just content to see a flop, turn and river. Not alot of raise, re-raise, all in etc. Lastly, I noticed that after a while even I was limping into pots (whether they were monster hands or not). It just felt like I was playing down to the level of my competition and it cost me dearly on a few hands where if I had raised them pre-flop, they would've folded the hand but instead I allowed them to catch up and win the pot. Now the table I played a few months back, felt like I was at a table full of Mensa members. If someone limped into a pot, everybody hurried up and limped in because they might not be so lucky to do that on the next hand. That was the first time I felt like I played my best poker because I was forced to make the correct decision EVERY time. Meaning if I was UTG+1 and I had AKo I couldn't just limp into the pot without paying the consequences. If I knew I couldn't raise with a marginal hand to open the pot, I folded immediately. And if I was on the BU and I saw people limping in, I could exact my revenge on the people who tried to limp in as well.

I was told when I first started playing that, (1) you should look for the weak players, (2) try to exploit them as often as possible and (3) stay away from tables where all the players are looking like they are in deep thought. But what I noticed was that if you don't know how to exploit these weak players, you're still just as weak as they are. Although I wouldn't advise playing at a harder table all the time,(your bankroll and self-esteem will thank you for this) I think it is necessary to play those harder tables to get those skills needed to take advantage of those weaker players.

Any thoughts on this?
 
C

cotta777

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Have a question for the group...

Have you ever noticed that when you're playing against harder opponents, it forces you to play at your highest possible level or else you'll be left broke and embarrassed?

I compared a session I played last night to a session I played a few months back , and the tables were like night and day. First off, last EVERYBODY at the table limped into the pot! Maybe one person didn't limp into the pot, but they called "$5 straight" as a way to open raise into a pot instead doing 3BBs. Is this normal? Or am I being too by the book about this? Secondly, everyone was just content to see a flop, turn and river. Not alot of raise, re-raise, all in etc. Lastly, I noticed that after a while even I was limping into pots (whether they were monster hands or not). It just felt like I was playing down to the level of my competition and it cost me dearly on a few hands where if I had raised them pre-flop, they would've folded the hand but instead I allowed them to catch up and win the pot. Now the table I played a few months back, felt like I was at a table full of Mensa members. If someone limped into a pot, everybody hurried up and limped in because they might not be so lucky to do that on the next hand. That was the first time I felt like I played my best poker because I was forced to make the correct decision EVERY time. Meaning if I was UTG+1 and I had AKo I couldn't just limp into the pot without paying the consequences. If I knew I couldn't raise with a marginal hand to open the pot, I folded immediately. And if I was on the BU and I saw people limping in, I could exact my revenge on the people who tried to limp in as well.

I was told when I first started playing that, (1) you should look for the weak players, (2) try to exploit them as often as possible and (3) stay away from tables where all the players are looking like they are in deep thought. But what I noticed was that if you don't know how to exploit these weak players, you're still just as weak as they are. Although I wouldn't advise playing at a harder table all the time,(your bankroll and self-esteem will thank you for this) I think it is necessary to play those harder tables to get those skills needed to take advantage of those weaker players.

Any thoughts on this?


for sure there are alot of adjustments we need to make for bad games and good games.
I look at high quality poker like a mind game, everyone has a range and understands position equity, discipline, exploits so forth so forth.

I use to struggle against bad players in live cash 4 people would be callling 4 x raises and 3-bets... And im always concsious about one of them sucking out.

Simply playing tight can be profitable when you have the cards and the spots in these games, and long term it will pay off. but variance swings can be huge and players can be unpredictable
 
AlfieAA

AlfieAA

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playing against bad players is far easier than playing against good players...if you make it up the levels then you can challenge yourself against the better players and you should have the tools by then to know what you're doing.
 
Arjonius

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As noted, poker isn't the same at every level, which requires adjusting. What isn't explicit in this is that adjusting means making some different decisions, which means your best game isn't the same at different levels.

I can't speak to the OP, but I do know that players don't always make this distinction. They think playing their best isn't level-dependent. Playing well is always about making good decisions, but this doesn't necessarily mean making the same decisions at every level.

As for whether it's necessary to play at tougher tables in order to improve your ability to beat weaker ones, there's no pat answer. It depends on how you learn best / most smoothly.
 
Vhyre

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As skill improves you can make occasional forays into higher stakes, if you don't do well. simply drop back and work on the things that cost you money. Identifying your weaknesses and working on those points prepares you better. I like siting sometimes and watching higher stakes tables, you can learn a good deal from the rail.
 
spiderman637

spiderman637

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Yeah some times i find myself in between few very tough players...During those times it makes me think much harder and new innovative ideas and strategies seeds. I watch the replays of the sessions repeatedly and try to improve my game...This is something which i have done many many times...It really is good way to step up our game...
 
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