Opponents observation

[locasious]

Hi all , do you have any key tips how to observation better our opponents and put the correct notes and labels on their profile?
Trying to improve my game and I am not very good player yet, so how I can understand that my observations are good enough and accurate in a sufficient level ? If I am not a good player how I can evaluate my opponent’s play and exploit them? Thanks hope u can help me with

 

[Andyreas]

Hi,

In general, I would recommend to first try to improve your overall game before thinking about exploiting your opponents.

Maybe the CardsChat poker course can be of help with that. It is mainly oriented towards SitnGo or MTTs but I think a big part also applies to cash games:

Matt Vaughan (Poker Vlogger) - Ask Me Anything - Including Hand Analysis

Hey everyone, my name is Matt Vaughan, and many of you will actually know me from years of posting on the forum. Lurker since 2008ish, and poster since 2011ish I think. :eek: I'm a poker pro, vlogger, and coach, and now a CardsChat Professional. I'm so excited to be back on CardsChat in an...

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According to the notes, I try to take notes of everything I note which is "unusual", like the player trying to steal the blinds very often, limping weak hands, playing a wide range from EP, etc.

Hope that helps.

 

[dreamer13]

Watch your opponents play, notice how they act and react to the situation at the table, and then use the accumulated knowledge to beat them. Personally, I do not mark anything and keep everything in my head, remembering the accounts of the players and their style of play.

 

[Aballinamion]

Hi all , do you have any key tips how to observation better our opponents and put the correct notes and labels on their profile?
Trying to improve my game and I am not very good player yet, so how I can understand that my observations are good enough and accurate in a sufficient level ? If I am not a good player how I can evaluate my opponent’s play and exploit them? Thanks hope u can help me with

Thanks for your question, this is a good one. There are several notes on player profiles and I will gently list those who are useful:

1) Limp into the pot: note how often the player limp into the pot and if comes to showdown which hands it utilizes.

2) Different sizings to open raise: note if the player opens sometimes 2.5x, 3x, 3.5x, 2x, 4x, etc: if the player changes its opening raise this could signify that it open weaker hands using smaller sizings and stronger hands using bigger sizings.

3) Broken Stack: if the player has less than 100 Effective Stack you should put a note on it and observe its behavior preflop and postflop.

4) Table talking: usually players that use to chat at cash tables are bored, so take a note and observe its patterns.

5) All-in preflop: it’s not very good to go all-in preflop in Cash Games, observe the frequency player does it and as always take note of the showdown.

6) Ax player: this is huge, take notes on players that are defending weak/dominated aces till the showdown.

7) Flush Chaser: observe players that goes postflop with any two suited cards and defend them til the river: they think any flush is a winning hand.

8) Calling Station: players that are calling too much preflop and postflop usually is a sign they are playing junk hands/range.

9) Draw Chaser: some players will pursuit any kind of draw postflop, some will bluff any draw postflop, either a gutshot or a simple straight draw. Take note.

10) Get to showdown with trash: players that get on the river holding ace high, king high, second pair, third pair into medium-big pots are usually weak players, so take a note and try to play against it.

There are several more, but now I’m working and I cannot remember all of them. I hope it helps you.

Best regards;

 

[Aballinamion]

Watch your opponents play, notice how they act and react to the situation at the table, and then use the accumulated knowledge to beat them. Personally, I do not mark anything and keep everything in my head, remembering the accounts of the players and their style of play.

If you have an excellent memory good to you, but I would recommend most of players to simply take notes, so we don’t have to trust our memory every time. Thanks for your attention here.

Best regards;

 

[locasious]

Thanks for your question, this is a good one. There are several notes on player profiles and I will gently list those who are useful:

1) Limp into the pot: note how often the player limp into the pot and if comes to showdown which hands it utilizes.

2) Different sizings to open raise: note if the player opens sometimes 2.5x, 3x, 3.5x, 2x, 4x, etc: if the player changes its opening raise this could signify that it open weaker hands using smaller sizings and stronger hands using bigger sizings.

3) Broken Stack: if the player has less than 100 Effective Stack you should put a note on it and observe its behavior preflop and postflop.

4) Table talking: usually players that use to chat at cash tables are bored, so take a note and observe its patterns.

5) All-in preflop: it’s not very good to go all-in preflop in Cash Games, observe the frequency player does it and as always take note of the showdown.

6) Ax player: this is huge, take notes on players that are defending weak/dominated aces till the showdown.

7) Flush Chaser: observe players that goes postflop with any two suited cards and defend them til the river: they think any flush is a winning hand.

8) Calling Station: players that are calling too much preflop and postflop usually is a sign they are playing junk hands/range.

9) Draw Chaser: some players will pursuit any kind of draw postflop, some will bluff any draw postflop, either a gutshot or a simple straight draw. Take note.

10) Get to showdown with trash: players that get on the river holding ace high, king high, second pair, third pair into medium-big pots are usually weak players, so take a note and try to play against it.

There are several more, but now I’m working and I cannot remember all of them. I hope it helps you.

Best regards;

For sure it’s helped. When you have time please come back over here and put more hahahaha thanks a lot always for your time u spending to answer questions

 

[rastapapolos]

you can write down everything that helps you takin the right decision in the future.
Exemple "Calling-station": No matter how much you bet, he'll call down all the way to the river, so when you're up against him next time you can charge him for that, by betting the full pot 100% when you have a solid hand, and avoid to bluff him.

 

[viniavelar2]

I've been attending the CC classes for a few days now, and to be honest, I've already started to go much further in tournaments, but first of all it's first to have a poker base, where you bet, how many you bet, and then see the villain.

 

[Dobbler1]

There are a few tendencies that are pretty common.

• Overestimating relative hand value (thinking 2pair is a strong hand on a "wet" board/board with flush and straights possibilities).
• Having a general default action. Many players, when there's not an obvious line, will do the same thing (bet, check, call or fold). I usually break these down to general categories of aggros, callers, trappers and nits. Most players are a degree of these things, so it's not a black and white thing.
• Play entirely straightforward. Bet/raise monsters, call with marginal hands and fold garbage. These are totally exploitable players.
• Play specific spots in predictable ways. Do they always cbet from the button, regardless of board texture? Do they always raise from the BB a limp from the SB?

 

[Gallarado777]

before you want to understand people and watch them play you need to learn a little bit about poker after you can study people how they play and what range of hands they play poker with will be easier

 

[Aballinamion]

For sure it’s helped. When you have time please come back over here and put more hahahaha thanks a lot always for your time u spending to answer questions

I’m not sure if master @John A had updated his awesome book, Polished Poker Vol I, if he did I strongly recommend to you, it had helped me a lot (plus the amazing CardsChat 30 days Poker Course on how to become a winning poker player).
If professor Anhalt allows me, I can send you the PDF.

 

[lcid86]

Of course. It's a good way to learn what works and what doesn't work. For example, stealing blinds. Watching others attempt this allows me to gain data on how others do it and formulate defense against. It also allows me to add some of their strategies to my game.

 

[Luvepoker]

One of the most important things you can do is be observant at the table. If you really are paying attention you will pick up a lot of information this way. How I do it is playing along with the hand. Every hand. If someone raises, I put them on a hand and when someone calls i do the same. I then try to figure out what they have on the flop turn and river. By doing this I really don't lose focus and pick up a lot.

 

[Acechador]

First evaluate yourself, begin to realize what you feel every time you are dealt cards, if these are good you get happy, you exalt yourself?... or if these are bad you get frustrated and curse??... It is useless to want to observe the game of others if first you do not know how to control your own.

 

[kon44]

Hi all , do you have any key tips how to observation better our opponents and put the correct notes and labels on their profile?
Trying to improve my game and I am not very good player yet, so how I can understand that my observations are good enough and accurate in a sufficient level ? If I am not a good player how I can evaluate my opponent’s play and exploit them? Thanks hope u can help me with

In my opinion there is no correct way to go about anything. Your notes should represent your own thoughtless lingo. Improving your game should entail taking on board the theory’s of good poker, the understanding of the mathematical best way to play but utilising the additional knowledge you acquire by making it work how you work. GTO is a statistical guide book, a bible of poker, however if everyone followed it to the letter no body would be winning over others via their own skills, all would simply have gains and loved determined only by chance and luck.... Poker is a game of skill, the skill is your representation from your evolution through your journey of engagement,

 

[oleg8519]

I don't bet, because the next day the same opponent plays completely differently

 

[black and]

Hi all , do you have any key tips how to observation better our opponents and put the correct notes and labels on their profile?
Trying to improve my game and I am not very good player yet, so how I can understand that my observations are good enough and accurate in a sufficient level ? If I am not a good player how I can evaluate my opponent’s play and exploit them? Thanks hope u can help me with

First of all, you can make notes about players who play with junk. In addition, you can make notes about players who often bluff.