The whole point of observing other players at the poker table is to figure out their motivations for playing the way they do. Players often make incorrect poker plays, but they have reasons for doing so. If you can figure out the reasons, you can zero-in on their cards, and sometimes this allows you to win a pot or two that you couldnโt have won otherwise.
One example, I was not involved in a hand during a live $1-$2 game where I saw a player limp from early position. This guy was in too many pots to begin with, and was showing down the usual weak aces and sometimes-suited connectors that a more experienced player wouldnโt be playing. I folded in late position and 4 or 5 players saw a flop.
This flop came disconnected, rainbow, and Ace-high:
Aโฅ 8โฃ 3โ
The early position player made a bet and everyone folded except one person. The turn didnโt change much with a nine, and both players checked. Once again on the river, the action went check/check, so I got to see a showdown. The early position player showed Ace-four, not suited, and took down the hand. Someone said โnice handโ, to which he replied โI hated my kicker, thatโs why I didnโt bet anymore. I just made that flop bet to see where I was atโ.
โBetting to see where Iโm atโ is a common action among inexperienced poker players. Knowledgeable players know that this isnโt one of the reasons to bet, but many players still employ this strategy. โBetting to see where Iโm atโ is another way for a player to say โI know my hand is weak and I would be happy to just take the pot now.โ
The key observation on this hand is that the guy had top pair, but was at least experienced enough to know that anyone willing to continue on this dry, draw-less board had a good likelihood of having also having an ace, with a better kicker, so once his โbetting to see where Iโm atโ bet was called, it was time to shut down.
I got to use this information a bit later, when the same player limped into another pot. This time, I was in the big blind, and I checked my option holding 9โฅ 7 โฅ. We saw a King-Ten-Six flop, with two hearts. I had a flush draw and an 8 made me a gutshot straight. I checked, and the limper made a bet, a very similar size to the โbet to see where he was atโ bet that he made earlier. All other players folded back to me.
Kโฅ Tโ 6โฅ
I had two options at this point. Since I knew his hand was on the weak side, I could make a checkraise right here and probably take the hand down. Alternately, I could just call this flop bet, and check again on a blank turn. If this is truly another โbet to see where Iโm at betโ, then thereโs a good chance that he acts the way he did in the first hand, and checks behind. This means that for the price of one flop call, Iโll get to see the turn AND river without adding more money to the pot. Iโll have two shots to hit my hand. Finally, if he checks the turn and confirms my suspicion that heโs weak, then Iโve got a good bluffing opportunity on the river when my draw misses. So I just called the flop bet.
The turn wasnโt a card I needed but helped my hand a little bet โ it was a black seven. I now had a pair, which gave me a few more cards that could catch a higher pair. I checked, and like I suspected, my opponent checked back.
Kโฅ Tโ 6โฅ – 7โฃ
The river didnโt help me, and I had a hand with a little showdown value, but more importantly I felt like my opponent didnโt like his hand much. I felt like could make a decent bluff here. What hand was I representing? Well, as the big blind in a limped pot, I could have any two cards. My story didnโt have to be all that believable. The pot was around $25, and I confidently and quickly slid 5 red chips out to the middle, making a pot-sized bet. My opponent spent very little time folding his hand.
The โbetting to see where Iโm at, then shut downโ guy is one to look for โ heโs telling you โplease bluff meโ. Another type of player to look out for is the โlook at what a good poker player I amโ guy. This is the guy that feels the need to show you heโs capable of folding decent pairs.
…heโs telling you โplease bluff meโ…
In another $1-$2 session, I watched a player make a raise and then continuation bet on an ace-high flop. His opponent announced โraiseโ and then tripled the bet. After a few seconds though, the original raiser explained โI think I better fold this oneโ, and flipped one of his cards over as he mucked, showing an ace.
These players think theyโre showing off their discipline and poker skill, but to me, theyโre announcing โplease bluff me out of pots on the flopโ.
Later in the session, the same player made a preflop raise, and I called from the button with 44. I missed my set on an Ace-seven-eight board, but this player made the same size continuation bet that he made earlier, and I thought a bluff had a decent chance of working. Like the prior opponent, I tripled the bet and got a fold. He didnโt show his ace this time, maybe he had a pair under the aces and didnโt feel the need to show off. No matter, I was happy to take down the pot with fourth pair.
Keep your eyes and ears open for players who are all too happy to tell you how they play poker. The information often gives you the edge you need to take pots away from them.
