More to a screen name?

[2callzU]

Online poker screen names. They can send many different messages to other players around the online poker world. Some have little or no meaning, and some are intended to persuade opponents to play you a certain way. It is the first impression that your opponents get of you before any betting occurs. Somtimes you can look at a screen name and you just know what type of person you're playng. Sometimes it's just a mental game. Opponents trying to make you think they bluff a lot when in reality they are solid, and opponents who want you to think they are solid when in reality they bluff a lot. Then you have the "better not bluff me, I'll call" type screen names, for the purpose of blind protection. Screen names alone can create a table image before actions are even made. Funny screen names can make a person come across as likeable, and fish might not play back as much, setting you up for blind theft. Or maybe you just want your screen name to attract the least amount of attention as possible so you can attack late out of nowhere. The purpose of this post is to discuss the value that these forms of identification/self expression hold. How much weight does one carry?. Good players who can hibernate their egos at a poker table remain unaffected by an arrogant or confrontational screen name. Fish however, will play back at these players as if they've been personally insulted. These players with such screen names can use this to their advantage and get paid off. But then when they try and steal blinds they will get unwanted action. I want to hear your opinions on the importance that you think a screen name holds at the table, if any at all . Maybe you've had confrontational screen names in the past and later had to change them because of the way others played you. Or maybe you've gotten reads just from knowing what people were thinking when they created their screen names. Holla.

[introv]

I don't care what someones name is. I also switch chat off because I don't care what anyone has to say. The only thing I care about is what action people take.

I really don't think there is any noticeable edge to be gained by attempting to manipulate someones perception of you with a couple of character name. Maybe at ultra low levels someone might allow that to interefere with their play, or maybe very poor players would. But it is easy to beat poor players anyway.

[chisness]

avatars are probably a better indicator

people who capitalize each new word are usually pretty good

people who all capital letters in my experience are pretty bad and i think are usually older playesr

[Big Limpin']

I think you have given WAY too much thought to this.
Are you an Arts major?

[astarck]

[ QUOTE ]
people who capitalize each new word are usually pretty good

people who all capital letters in my experience are pretty bad and i think are usually older playesr

[/ QUOTE ]

I am about the farthest you can get from being an art major/even liking art, yet I too have noticed this. Although I always thought all-caps meant the player wes really young intead of really old.

[pokerlaw]

Any correlation that you might notice won't be valid due to the insufficient sample size /images/graemlins/grin.gif (couldnt help myself).

Jackpot Jay on espn.com had an article about this topic that I skimed awhile back, but he sucks.

[Sabrazack]

Are you the guy who goes by the name Ballz2CallzU? :P I never think about screen names, dont care about them at all.

[2callzU]

[ QUOTE ]
Are you the guy who goes by the name Ballz2CallzU

[/ QUOTE ] Used to. I had this screen name from when I started online poker and just recently changed it. I feel as though it did affect how people played back at me especially during bubble play because of the likeliness to steal. It kind of makes you public enemy number 1..amongst the fish.

[glowstix]

i'd say that anybody that lets a screen name affect any call is a fish.

[A-Baum]

Switching off chat is -EV in my opinion. You don't have to participate in chat, but it can sure tell you if someone goes on tilt. Let's say you're not involved in a hand that goes to showdown, and a guy takes a bad beat from someone playing 36o. He will invariably berate the 36o player and keep doing it, essentially putting him on tilt. Then if you watch his next few hands carefully, they either backup your assumption he's on tilt or they don't. Many times they do and you need to be aware of that to take advantage of it.

[Rickfish]

All the theory I have read says that screen names are the opposite of the reality, e.g. BigBluffer never bluffs, Tightass is loose, etc. Supposedly, hardly anyone uses the truth as a double bluff.

[KJ o]

The one exception would probably be people playing Omaha or stud with screen names referencing that particular game. They can probably be expected to know more than most other players in those game since most other players are clueless Holdemplayers.