Learn to 9bet
You have to learn to 9bet sometimes. Sometimes the mind games can get really complicated and fun. It is sooooooo advanced. I'm probably the only player capable of doing it, because I'm on a level beyond all levels. Here is a hand example to show my capabilities:
$100/$50 at 9 handed table
I pretend to look at my cards and open to $240 UTG. Standard with anytwo given the correct image, stack sizes, and skillsets in my arsenal.
everyone folds to CO who repops it to $670. CO is a weak player that utilizes 3-betting to bully opponents. He 3-bets way too much and is inexperienced with 4-betting. It is too advanced for him at this point in his game.
BU re-raises to $1,250. The Button player is quite a skilled opponent and recognizes all the above and is probably 4-betting with any two cards
SB re-re-raises to $2,700. He knows the Button knows everything about CO. SB is one of the best players in the world
BB fell asleep waiting for each of us to take 20 minutes to make a decision and his blind was folded. (Who said mind games were easy?)
I am the best player in the world and I haven't even looked at my cards yet, because I'm playing the players. I immediately throw in an additional $10,000 6-bet to really put the pressure on. That's what you got to do. Be aggressive. They were all so worried about the CO they didn't see me coming.
CO is too weak to continue and folds. So typical. What a stupid person. DONK!
BU is a good player, but he can't withstand the pressure. He doesn't have the balls to 7-bet. He's too stubborn to fold though so he ends up calling. This is an acceptable play since all 3 of us can have any two cards at this point. BU player has now announced that he has a hand and is willing to put up a fight. This is where the real mind games begin.
(You were all probably thinking that these leveling wars were intense. To us players, this is a walk in the park. Button might be struggling a bit, but SB and I do this in our sleep).
SB reaches for more chips. "You wanna play big. Lets go!" SB softly pushes out $100,000 for an 8-bet. At this point it is unlikely for SB to be bluffing. But he knows that I know that. He also knows that I know all of that. I know that too. So does he. I know all of that too. He might know that I know that as well, but maybe not. Either way I'm not folding. BE THE AGGRESSOR!!
You have to be aggressive in order to win at poker. Aggression is key. Don't be a whiny ass bitch and fold all the time. Aggress them. Controlled aggression that uses deep thinking.
I ended up 9 betting to $412,000. SB was not prepared for this deep level. "Thought for sure you'd fold to my 8-bet" he announced in shame. He tossed his hand into the muck. "I never even looked at my cards" He continued to say. "I didn't either" said I.
The CO dummy reached into the muck. "I want to see what would have happened had you called." CO pulled out SB's mucked cards and exposed AA.
"OMG" said BU "You forgot to look at your cards before folding. Hahaha. That is so funny!"
"It didn't matter" SB announced. "You guys just don't get it do you. It is not the cards. It is the player. I was out played simple as that. I just didn't have what it took to match the caliber of my opponent."
SB and I may be the only people in the world to understand this deep leveling. We know about the exponential leveling of levels. To un-levels and imaginary sideways parallel levels. Levels o other dimensions.
Too this day I never look at my cards and I am a 30BB/100 player. I play by feel. I feel it out. No math no GTO. Booooo math. Boooooo GTO. Feel. Only feel.
You guys ------>
Me:
Don't aggro me. I'm so unreadable. I can out aggro the aggros. Aggressive poker wins. Who ever is more aggressive wins. The game is evolving. Evolve with it. Don't be a 3-bet/folding machine. Join 7-betting. 9-betting may be a bit hard for you. Most of you won't even make it there in your lifetime, but you can always work on your game and implement new things in your arsenal. I have a nice arsenal. Work on your arsenal people.
Think about things like. What are the effective stacks. People tendancies. LAG? TAG? LAG/TAG? LAGGY/TAGGY/BAG/DAGGY. Focus on VP$IP. PFR stats. Worship your HUD and it might be good to you. What are the blinds? What mood are the other player's in. Is someone tired? What is the player to your left's birthday? Is your table ethnically diverse? Is there old people? Is there smelly old people? Is there good smelling old people? Maniacs? Nits? Megga Nits? Multitablers? There is sooooooo much more dynamics. I'm not even discussing everything, but hopefully you've scratched the surface. Balance your ranges and consider equity.
P.S.
OMG! POSITION. I almost forgot it!