Know How to Read Your Opponent at an Poker Game 

You can’t find ‘clues’ and hints about your opponent’s hand strength and future moves by observing his body language because you can’t see him. In this situation, your understanding of the player aids you in identifying his weaknesses and developing a strategy.

When you play online, you can make notes about your opponent’s play, such as which hands he prefers to play from a particular position and which hands he plays aggressively. While playing at the table, all significant sites allow players to create and save notes. Along with understanding the fundamental concepts of the game, such as Poker idn  sequence, betting actions, table image, table position, and so on, it is also critical to understand how to extract meaningful information about the opponent by tracking his movements. When you face the same opponent again, you can easily refer to your notes and recall how you played against him the last time, allowing you to develop an informed strategy to outwit him. For example, if your opponent only enters the pot with strong starting hands, you can write it down to remind yourself to fold if you are dealt poor cards the next time you play against him. If an opponent calls your bluff, make a note of it, so you don’t try to pull another bluff against him after a few hands.

Some players employ the same strategies from every position. They rarely change their style of play, regardless of the strength of their in-hand cards or the type of opponent they are playing against (aggressive/passive/tight/loose). Once you’ve figured out how they play, you can use that information to devise the ideal game plan to defeat them.

It is also necessary to observe changes in the opponent’s behavior to deduce his intentions. For example, if someone who does not frequently use chatbox suddenly starts talking a lot with other participants, he is most likely holding a premium hand. Before making a significant raise, he may be attempting to gather information about the strength of the other players. If your opponent uses the same strategy every time, he gets a good hand. Keeping track of it will help you determine when he is bluffing and holding a firm hand.

It is strongly advised that you keep a record of the hands you played to identify your weaknesses. Regularly reviewing your game ensures that you do not add to your opponent’s bankroll by repeating the same mistakes.

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Bryan Low