Great little article on over analzying poker spots and leveling ourselves

This article is spot on and something I've thought made sense for a long time, most players in these games are rarely thinking beyond their own cards and we can level ourselves so much if we keep trying to play a deeper theory game than the opponent ever will:

Four Potential Problems With Range Analysis

I'm also of the opinion that you could replace "range analysis" with "GTO" and have the same outcome. Sure it's great to study the game and get deeper analysis to improve, but how often do we outplay ourselves when we convince ourselves that we need to be playing beyond say Level 2 thinking against most low stakes live players. And I'd add this probably also applies to most micro and low stakes online MTTs.

I've been getting some more live 1/2 play in after some time away from it and see this kind of overthinking more and more. And I fall into the trap too as I learn more strategy, I sometimes apply it to a spot where it's not relevant because villain isn't playing ranges or calculating equity, they're just playing their cards straight forward a large portion of the time.

Cue the "I don't understand why villian didn't fold to my double barrel on the river with the 1/2 pot size bet clearly representing I was floating the flop, betting the turn heart, and now representing the river flush with my AKo that missed and they called me with their A9o that hit the 9 on the turn!"

So true!

You really need to get good at quickly recognising the players that do think beyond their own cards before even contemplating levelling-type thinking.

Personally, I try to pay attention to other players bet sizes relative to SPR, whether they seem aware of position and what they talk about (if they sound like they read a poker book +/- whether they understood and applied what they learned). From that and what they show up with at showdown, I make a judgement on what level they’re on and categorise as thinking or unthinking.

Thoughts from the forum?

so true. I was playing in a tourney last year and did not play a hand for close to an hour. I was dealt Q,Q and raised 4x BB hoping for folds. Instead, I was called by 6 of the 8 other players. an ace on the flop quickly had me folding. I wondered, is anyone paying attention? I just folded the last 25 hands, ,I evidently, must have a hand, but, no one acted as if they were paying attention to my play.

There was a player to my direct right, who, commented that I hadn't played a hand in an hour, and a little while later, he raised a pot and I shoved with nothing. I used the fact that HE WAS paying attention to how others were playin to bluff him off the pot, it worked.

sooooo true and thanks a lot for the article

I been leveling myself a lot recently at 1-2 and paying for it

thinking that opponents are raising flush draws and oesd when in reality they are usually they are sitting on two pair plus