Establishing table image

JustDestined

JustDestined

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How important do you guys feel it is to establish a table image before making any major moves. For instance early on in a MTT on a table that I am not familiar with the players, and they are not familiar with me. I don't have any specific instance, I've just come across it a few times where I thought to myself "Should I be pushing harder here because they don't know me?" or "Will I get more out of this by going easier, because I don't have an image established yet?"
 
Pascal-lf

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Simply not worth it. Fish won't react much and you're better than them anyway, while regs won't be paying enough attention to notice unless you do something so awful they note it and that's unlikely.

Regs if they don't know how you play will play as if you're an unknown (I'd say a slightly losing player) so you shouldn't be pushing harder, you should just be pushing normal.

The only time I could see it being relevant is final 2/final table of a tournament, especially if you're caught pushing light you'll need to adjust.
 
suby_rafael

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You can try to push hard at the start but it might be risky because you don't know what kind of players are at your table. If some of them are aggressive as well then they might not wait longer to try and put a move moves on you. So i think if you face such situation then you should adjust accordingly and play TAG and stop making moves but on the other hand if you are getting away with it and you have scared/passive players then yes you can get away with such bullying tactics but try and not overdo it. So yeah if you figure out how they react and play accordingly then you should accumulate chips.:trytofly:
 
Arjonius

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There's no pat answer. Image only matters against opponents who are capable of forming one and who will change their play accordingly, plus situations must occur where the latter actually happens. How often this combination of circumstances will happen depends on the level(s) of your opponents.
 
left52side

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Anyone who has ever played with me live or has watched me play live knows that my table image varies from hand to hand and hard to get any information.
I tend to always take my time when betting/raising/folding etc.
I maintain A calm composure and very rarely try to give off any information.
OBV I like to keep my opponents in the dark with what wheels are turning in my head and try not too maintain any certain image at all.
 
gattusoleon

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original of OLBG POKER
Table image is the identity created by yourself based on your actions and your opponents interpretation of those actions. It is an important factor both in online and live games, although more opportunities arise to create a misleading image of yourself in the live games.

It is important to create a strong and clear image that your opponents can easily read and equally important to be proficient at reading your opponents image, aswell as understanding how to manipulate your poker opponents based on their perception of you and how they believe you percieve them. Successful use of table image involves multiple level thinking at its most complicated and generally less levels of thought in its simplest forms.
 
Pascal-lf

Pascal-lf

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Anyone who has ever played with me live or has watched me play live knows that my table image varies from hand to hand and hard to get any information.
I tend to always take my time when betting/raising/folding etc.
I maintain A calm composure and very rarely try to give off any information.
OBV I like to keep my opponents in the dark with what wheels are turning in my head and try not too maintain any certain image at all.

none of this makes sense. All your table image is is all your actions as a composite, taken together. If you are calm and don't give off much info that IS your table image. It doesn't change hand by hand. if you do drastically different things between hands that is part of your table image.
 
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cotta777

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as arjonius has tapped into It can depend on the players.

And 100% the site your playing.
pokerstars is now at the point where optimal play is pretty standard most regs and recs have read up on image by now.

So if you have any exposed hands or your raising alot from early position in a tournament, its very likely someone will look you up within a few hands.
And seldom raising from late position especially in 10minute blinds, will get you respect, a large majority of players will have the capacity to think of a range of hands you might have, and assess the flop.
but you will get tables you can roll over and just, C-bet C-bet 3-bet pre take it down by flop

888 Poker I dont pay to much attention to intellectual strategy in low stake games.
ofcourse if I exposed a hand or fold after checking, some awful donk is going to just read a check as a bluff spot next time over bet, and its an extremely easy manipulative move
 
MediaBLITZ

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Here's the thing - table image is real and going on all the time with everyone. The question is how can you make it work for you.
First you need to ascertain the awareness of the players at your table - are they dialed in enough to even pay attention to another players image?
At its base it's pretty simple - if you have created a tight image this should theoretically give you some credibility when you want a bluff to work (though it better make sense also). On the other side of the coin, if you have created a loose image this should theoretically cause players to lose respect for your raises, inducing calls and even raises when you have the nuts.
I feel it is pretty important to establish that image (whichever you are going for) before you make a move - ESPECIALLY if that image is supposed to be tight.
But your particular question is about before any of that happens - you don't know them and they don't know you. So yes, theoretically most players give a wider berth to those they don't have a read on which means you can get away with some laggy play early. Eventually though you run into someone with a monster who will call you down or play back at you - then you are exposed and you have to adjust accordingly.
Tourney play is very much about the ability to shift gears so you can: 1) stay alive, and 2) stay one step ahead of those who think they have you figured out.
So once again, the correct answer is: "It depends."
 
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WiZZiM

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even if you think someone is aware of your table image, you really have no idea how he will or if he will adjust to it. So it's just a guessing game, and most of the time, you outthink yourself into making a bad play and use table image as a reason to justify it.
 
JustDestined

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Thanks for all the great answers guys, it wasn't that I was running into those situations every day but sometimes it's just nice to get another perspective on things and see if looking at it from someone else's point of view makes more sense.
 
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hffjd2000

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You already established table image because they are using software. LOL.

Anyway, if you feel majority dont know your image, then just play straight poker. If you feel majority know your image, reverse it.
 
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