Playing against amateurs - easy or tough?

Jim Rivas

Jim Rivas

Visionary
Bronze Level
Joined
May 9, 2020
Total posts
641
Awards
1
Chips
26
I would call myself an amateur too. But I learned a lot about numbers, when to call, buff, fold, etc. But there are players out there that don't know much about equity, odds,... and just play by feel. I heard a pro player (Can't remember who) once who said, its so hard to play against newer players, because they are so hard to read. So what do you think about this?


Background of the question: In a (for me) big tournament someone called my all in (my two pair) on the flop with just king high and no draws. I busted out of the tournament because he got better two pair on the turn and the river. I know that was bad luck, but it made me think of this question. Are those opponents sometimes tougher, because they don't know how to make decisions?



No se sabe contra que tipo de rangos de manos puedes enfrentarte al jugar con aficionados, ello pueden jugarte con toda la baraja. Jugarías contra ellos adivinando, sin seguridad de saber si vas ganando o perdiendo. No tienen patrón de juego definido y a veces hasta tienen más suerte que uno mismo.:(
 
A

AngryCrab

Rising Star
Bronze Level
Joined
Jan 30, 2022
Total posts
20
Chips
0
I mean, I'm a newb so I don't know if my input is valid but I think it just depends on how you play. If you peg someone as a beginner you should probably tone your play down.

For instance, if you have AA, general reaction might be to raise pre-flop unless you are playing deceptive. Against a total beginner, they don't care, they'll have J 4 off suit and call. Now look, there's a flop and its J J 4. Total beginner goes all in, now you get to decide if they are still full of it, or if they just didn't know what they were doing and got lucky.

So for beginners, what I've seen, they don't like to fold, even if you originally went all in with those AA, they'd probably call because "why not".

I'd say against a beginner play for the post-flop, hell if they are making limping in cheap cause they don't know better, you should limp in just to fold a couple when they bet to make them feel good. Then you can go to work on them. Get it in their heads that if you're calling them repeatedly you're weak, shove on the river and then watch them go all-in, and crush them.
 
N

No Bologna

Visionary
Bronze Level
Joined
Jun 13, 2020
Total posts
562
Awards
1
Chips
0
No Bologna

Both. They tend to play week hands and you can take advantage of that. Pick up some easy chips with that. Sometimes they get lucky and they pull it off and that keeps them playing that way. What helps me against them is winning consistently is playing good hands against them due to winning most of the hands.
 
S

samuri

Visionary
Platinum Level
Joined
Feb 6, 2008
Total posts
542
Awards
2
Chips
91
play

very tough they play everything
 
6

619Leafs

Legend
Bronze Level
Joined
Jan 30, 2017
Total posts
1,790
Awards
1
Chips
4
I would say it’s tough because they won’t fold. It’s hard to win when I don’t have a hand. 9 times out of 10 my opponents always have a better hand.
 
marvinsytan

marvinsytan

I'm going to win The PokerStars Sunday Million
Loyaler
Joined
Apr 22, 2020
Total posts
3,903
Awards
28
PH
Chips
137
better to play with newbies because they are the one that will give you the most chips, but sometimes they runner runner us, we just have to suck it up sometimes
 
pirateglenn

pirateglenn

Legend
Bronze Level
Joined
Apr 17, 2018
Total posts
2,440
Awards
4
Chips
0
One of the things most noticeable about playing with the same players are patterns - you can pretty much know who is going to play what in certain spots and also those who will play with a wide range - for instance any ace is an immediate jam.
Playing amateurs can be frustrating as often the hands they play are unconventional, math goes out of the window and they can fall into the category of a luck player and these type of players can be tough to beat when they have amassed a stack as they tend to play every hand or call and jam with any piece of the board.
 
sincos

sincos

Visionary
Platinum Level
Joined
Jan 22, 2022
Total posts
774
Awards
1
Chips
156
Hello! It's nice to play against amateurs! I feel like a pro
 
A

ALLRUS79

Rock Star
Bronze Level
Joined
Jan 23, 2022
Total posts
236
Awards
1
Chips
0
I almost never bluff beginners, especially those who like to call down and Chase every draw they have. Also, top hair with an okay kicker and loose home games will win lots of hands. Essentially I punish them for trying to draw to their flushes or straights. If I'm ever re-raised, I usually fold or at least slow down.

If the flush hits and they come out betting, I will let go of some strong hands.

Alex.
 
Chica_bonita

Chica_bonita

Sad Funny Lady🌬
Bronze Level
Joined
Dec 21, 2021
Total posts
9,431
Awards
14
RU
Chips
1,039
I would call myself an amateur too. But I learned a lot about numbers, when to call, buff, fold, etc. But there are players out there that don't know much about equity, odds,... and just play by feel. I heard a pro player (Can't remember who) once who said, its so hard to play against newer players, because they are so hard to read. So what do you think about this?
Hello!:ciao:
I would say that an amateur is different from an amateur - it all depends on the situation and what kind of amateur you will encounter. Players who have not studied strategy theory very often behave outside the box, and this is very confusing. But in fact, you should just watch such a player, and after half an hour or an hour you will more or less imagine how he plays. Although it is difficult to do this in multi-table tournaments. Develop discipline, and amateurs will not be a hindrance to you.
P.S.: Said an amateur.:D
 
Alexey Shley

Alexey Shley

Visionary
Platinum Level
Joined
Nov 21, 2020
Total posts
672
Awards
2
BY
Chips
112
I don't consider myself a professional, I'm more of a regular fisherman, but I can definitely say that in the later stages of the tournament the game becomes more readable. Accordingly, at the beginning of the game, when anyone can push everything into the pot, the game becomes unpredictable, and of course, thoughtless risks fly out of the game by the late stage and turn out to be adequate people, but no one canceled luck in poker, so even with monster hands you can lose to trash hands.
 
Stringy

Stringy

Visionary
Platinum Level
Joined
Dec 25, 2021
Total posts
976
Awards
1
GB
Chips
154
I'm not a great player but i know a bit more than my friends. so when I play against them, they're are sometimes hard to read, but if i've got the nuts or a fairly decent hand then it's easier to get big gains from them
 
YRAGAGARIN

YRAGAGARIN

Enthusiast
Silver Level
Joined
Jan 30, 2022
Total posts
97
Chips
0
It is difficult to play against those who play badly and do not know what cards they go to alyn with
 
T

thesternburglar

Enthusiast
Silver Level
Joined
Jan 30, 2022
Total posts
98
Chips
0
Yes. Because if you have enough of them going all in at once your odds of beating all of them go down even if you have AA.
 
E

effece

Rock Star
Silver Level
Joined
Sep 10, 2016
Total posts
291
Awards
1
Chips
17
La dificultad de jugar contra jugadores aficionados o recreativos, a corto plazo, es que no manejan rangos, te pueden dar o igualar con AA, AK, TT Y 2-7, 3-8 4-t de. Esto significa que muchas veces estamos expuestos a la varianza y terminamos recibiendo un mal que rompe el mejor par. a largo plazo siempre es más rentable jugar con ellos, te asegura una ganancia.
 
Geksan_87

Geksan_87

Rock Star
Bronze Level
Joined
Dec 23, 2020
Total posts
316
Chips
15
It is much more difficult to play against fans, since it is very likely to run into rash actions at the beginning of the hand, which may result in a lost hand, which you allegedly controlled...
 
H

Hsac

Rock Star
Bronze Level
Joined
May 19, 2020
Total posts
404
Chips
0
I would call myself an amateur too. But I learned a lot about numbers, when to call, buff, fold, etc. But there are players out there that don't know much about equity, odds,... and just play by feel. I heard a pro player (Can't remember who) once who said, its so hard to play against newer players, because they are so hard to read. So what do you think about this?


Background of the question: In a (for me) big tournament someone called my all in (my two pair) on the flop with just king high and no draws. I busted out of the tournament because he got better two pair on the turn and the river. I know that was bad luck, but it made me think of this question. Are those opponents sometimes tougher, because they don't know how to make decisions?
Hey, happens all the time: runner, runner to a straight or flush or two top pair or trips or just top pair. But it doesn't happen more often than it happens and that's where we maintain our edge. We accept our bad luck, lick our wounds, and continue on to the next game and hopefully find someone else who makes the same blunder calls.
 
N

Nusya

Rock Star
Bronze Level
Joined
Aug 15, 2022
Total posts
203
Chips
0
I would call myself an amateur too. But I learned a lot about numbers, when to call, buff, fold, etc. But there are players out there that don't know much about equity, odds,... and just play by feel. I heard a pro player (Can't remember who) once who said, its so hard to play against newer players, because they are so hard to read. So what do you think about this?


Background of the question: In a (for me) big tournament someone called my all in (my two pair) on the flop with just king high and no draws. I busted out of the tournament because he got better two pair on the turn and the river. I know that was bad luck, but it made me think of this question. Are those opponents sometimes tougher, because they don't know how to make decisions?
A professional is an amateur who has won a major tournament and started making money playing poker.
They read not novice players, but those of them who do not know how to disguise themselves.
 
N

NoMore

Rock Star
Bronze Level
Joined
Apr 12, 2022
Total posts
267
Awards
1
Chips
30
I think it is very difficult
they play it safe and it confuses the person
 
Maikychan

Maikychan

Visionary
Silver Level
Joined
May 27, 2018
Total posts
603
Awards
1
Chips
13
Of course it's easy hah...
Imagine the situation: you are in an heads-up to win a big tournament... trust me, you'll probably prefer to be against a recreative player. :ninja:
 
TeUnit

TeUnit

Legend
Loyaler
Joined
Jan 20, 2009
Total posts
4,734
Awards
14
Chips
77
You usually want to play against worse players if you are trying to make money, unless they are doing something extremely bad like limping to players who are sitting out and hurting all the active players at the table. I think table/game selection is one of the most under appreciated skills in poker.
 
nachopaulo

nachopaulo

Rock Star
Bronze Level
Joined
Jun 24, 2022
Total posts
101
BR
Chips
5
It depends, because I've been eliminated several times for players, who in my opinion, were beginners, as they played with marginal hands and even so managed to eliminate me with the help of luck, with straights, flushes or trips that hit the table.
 
reeseflamees

reeseflamees

Rock Star
Platinum Level
Joined
Dec 28, 2021
Total posts
419
Awards
1
MX
Chips
90
I think is about lucky, so not very important if expert or amateur player,
but experience is goin to be the difference at the time to win the game,
 
Rahatis

Rahatis

Legend
Platinum Level
Joined
Feb 7, 2017
Total posts
1,447
Awards
2
Chips
159
Always a good laugh losing by random beginners. It's the base of the poker economy. Of course it's easy but also more boring.
 
Top