T
TurnipHead
Rock Star
Silver Level
Many writers of online poker tips often suggest observing the table for 5-10mins before laying the money down. This, in order to suss out the betting patterns, the clueless players and the sharks. But how many of us actually do this?
I, for one, put that Big Blind in at the first opportunity (without even really paying attention while waiting for the BB to come to me.) Then, after about 10 minutes I've sussed out the general ebb and flow through normal play and adjust accordingly.
This is all well and good if I sit down to a table of passive players and fish. But I often find it hard to leave the table even if I know the other players are of good quality and they are the ones giving ME the run-around. I think it's that innate, in-built desire to keep battling against those who are able to give us a good challenge.
So, going back to my question:
Is there any cash-game, winning player out there who maintains that it is absolutely essential to observe a table for a significant period of time before committing those chips?
I, for one, put that Big Blind in at the first opportunity (without even really paying attention while waiting for the BB to come to me.) Then, after about 10 minutes I've sussed out the general ebb and flow through normal play and adjust accordingly.
This is all well and good if I sit down to a table of passive players and fish. But I often find it hard to leave the table even if I know the other players are of good quality and they are the ones giving ME the run-around. I think it's that innate, in-built desire to keep battling against those who are able to give us a good challenge.
So, going back to my question:
Is there any cash-game, winning player out there who maintains that it is absolutely essential to observe a table for a significant period of time before committing those chips?