Seeing the errors of other Players

[AmericanAirlines]

Hi Everyone,
I've read that, "If you can't see that other players are making errors, you probably are the fish".

So what errors do you folks commonly spot? What are you looking for exactly?

I've been thinking about my play, against my read of the opponent. Have yet to seriously consider what the mistakes of an opponent are... because I don't neccesarily know what all the errors are, or what correct play in every situation is.

Sincerely,
AA

[pudley4]

Start out by recognizing the basic errors:

Playing too many hands preflop - (this is the easiest to spot and most common)
Checking instead of betting top pair.
Calling instead of raising with top pair.
Calling instead of folding without the correct pot odds.
Not betting a draw for value.

As you get better, you'll be able to spot more mistakes - times where your opponent misses a bet, or costs himself an extra bet in a pot he loses.

[rigoletto]

I would add:

Slowplaying to much. fx: two pair, trips, bottom set on the flop.

[Jim Easton]

So what errors do you folks commonly spot?

Playing too many hands preflop:

Does he like suited trash (83s, 74s, 53s), does he automatically play any pair or any ace. Is he sensitive to the number of players in the pot when playing the small pairs and connectors?

When there is an EP raise, I watch to see what the raiser had and what the cold callers have. Does he call a raise cold with any pair, any ace, suited trash?

How does he defend his blind? Any two cards in the BB, or intelligently. What about in SB? What will he just complete his small blind with. IF the SB is only 1/3 of a bet, you should still be somewhat selective about the hands you play.

Too many hands post flop:

Does he take any pair to the river, regardless of pot odds? Does he take any ace to the river? Does he automatically take a gutshot to the river? Does he draw to a straight against a 3 suited flop? Does he play second, third or an underpair against a 3 suited flop without a big card in that suit? What one card flushes will he draw to against a 3 suited flop. Does he draw to the idiot end of a one card straight?

I'm sure others can add more.

[Wingnut]

The first thing that I noticed in my home game was the predictability of some of the players. Raising only when they have trips or better when the board just paired. Stuff like that.

[Homer]

I don't look for errors, but most people make such glaring ones that they are hard to miss. Off the top of my head, the common errors I see are...

Preflop:

-- Playing too many hands
-- Coldcalling too often
-- Limping first in from late position
-- Steal-raising too much and from too early a position
-- Defending blinds too often, especially against an EP raise
-- Defending blinds improperly against steal-raises

Postflop:

-- Slowplaying too often
-- Calling with draws lacking proper odds or with mediocre made hands
-- Betting with mediocre hands in multiway pots
-- Automatically betting when checked to on the button
-- Using raises and checkraises improperly when drawing

...there are tons more things, but these are the first to pop into my head.

-- Homer

[Roy Munson]

I could be mistaken, but I thought if it only costs 1/3 of a bet to complete the small blind, one can complete with almost any 2 cards as long as there was no raise preflop.
I know that you have to be more selective as the size of the bet to complete the small blind increases (1/2, 2/5, 2/3) but I thought, especially multiway, that your implied odds are high enough to call a 1/3 bet with almost any two cards.

[JayKon]

You are not mistaken. Completing the SB for 1/3 of a bet has sufficient actual and implied odds for almost any two cards.

If there are 4+ callers, then the immediate pot odds are 17-1 - I'll happilly call with 72o.

[Jim Easton]

You are right that you play almost any 2 cards if it costs one-third to complete. My post refers to an SB that is 1/3 of a bet, not 1/3 to complete.

[JayKon]

Sorry, I mis-read the flop.

Basically, I ignore the one-chip discount and figure things according to full bets. I know that there are some situtations where the odds can tip the balance, but I just hate not acting last - let alone first.

Jay

[Bob T.]

How do they play preflop. Especially what hands do they play from early position. Do they coldcall? What hands do they coldcall with. How far do they chase when they missed the flop, did they have sufficient odds for the outs that they were chasing. When they bet or raise, are they making good judgements about the value of their hand. Do they miss bets on the river. Do they fold often at the river(sometimes a sign of chasing with insufficient outs). Do they overcall on the river. Do they chase in hopeless situations.

I'm sure that there are a lot more.

Good luck,
play well,

Bob T.

[Roy Munson]

I agree that acting last is an advantage. However, in some situations, acting first or early has its advantages. Inducing bluffs, checkraising and betting into weak tight folders comes to mind.