Experimenting with styles: suggestions?

[Guy F]

Read a Cardplayer column by Scott Fischman a while back about using cheap SnG's to experiment with different styles at a level where the money doesn't become an inhibition. Seems like an obviously good idea, one of those 'Duh! Why didn't I think of that?' moments.

But what constitutes a "style", other than the very broad definitions of tight/loose, passive/aggressive? What I'm looking for are some suggestions for experiments. Somehow I'm having trouble getting my imagination started on this. Thanks for any ideas you can offer.

[Bartman387]

first off, dont listen to anything said in cardplayer.

second, while its not an entirely bad idea you have to remember that the lower stakes you play the less knowledgable your opponents probably are and may not notice you have been changing styles, have a style or what playing styles are.

Third if you are unsure on the definitions of different styles I highly suggest reading The Psychology of Poker by Alan Schoonmaker.

Basically the four styles are:
1. Loose Aggressive - playing lots of hands and betting and raising a lot. This style is what Gus Hansen plays.
2. Tight Passive - Only play premium hands and usually call and fold, not very active. Also known as a Rock.
3. Loose Passive aka ATM's aka calling stations aka bad players
4. Tight Aggressive - the style most people strive to play. Very selective with hands and take charge when they are in the hand.

Should be noted that #'s 2 & 3 are styles you dont want to try, they are pretty much losing styles.

Hope somewhere in this long rambling post I helped you a bit.

[Ruhr]

Another good book I recommend is Harrington on Hold'em Vol. 1 (Vol. 2 is out now and is also good). This series covers no-limit tournaments.

Vol. 1 covers the basic styles (conservative, aggressive, super-aggressive), and Harrington also covers some of the pre-flop starting hand requirements for these styles. Definitely a good read if you want some insight in the different table personalities you will encounter in tournaments.

[TaoTe]

Here's a suggestion. If the hand is folded to you and you planning on playing, open for a raise instead of a call. 9Ts, make a raise, 44 make a raise. It's a different style then what most people play at NL SNGs, but you said you want to experiment. Mix it up. Get crazy. Have fun. Just make sure the buy-ins are small. /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[beekeeper]

I would agree with Bartman387's recommendation to read Schoonmaker's book or do a search on this site, as he's a frequent contributor. I'm currently rereading the Psychology of Poker. The first time through I found it interesting but I wasn't sure how helpful it would be. As with all the other texts I've read, with each successive reading their content becomes increasingly valuable.

I play small home tourneys where the level of play is inconsistent. When I first started playing I played very tight compared to the competition (following the recommendations for starting hands that I had read in books). To be competitive I'm trying to open up my game.

I haven't read the Fischman article, but I hear all the time on the tv coverage of poker about players "changing gears" and mixing up their play. That's currently what I'm trying to do.

Rather than think of myself as tight or aggressive, loose or passive, I'm trying think situationally. I'm trying to make more positional plays and decisions. I'm also basing my preflop play more on who's in the pot than on what I'm holding. For better or worse, I am also trying to see more flops in the hope that my post flop play will get stronger.

Another thing I have heard commentators mention is how the top players remember how they've played a hand before and will mix up their play. I just pick a few types of hands--like a small pair, or Q10/J9 suited--for the night to vary my play with, taking into consideration my position relative to which players still in the pot.

It helps if you're playing against the same people because you can categorize types, and see what "moves" work against what types. Analyze how you think your opponents perceive you and your play, and consider how you can use that to your advantage. It seems like it would be obvious to you what your normal style is and how others perceive you, but it's all relative to their style and what they consider to be loose or passive, tight or aggressive. Again, Schoonmaker's book will help.

Sorry to be so long-winded, but I'm kind of working on the same thing right now.

[pzhon]

[ QUOTE ]

But what constitutes a "style", other than the very broad definitions of tight/loose, passive/aggressive? What I'm looking for are some suggestions for experiments. Somehow I'm having trouble getting my imagination started on this. Thanks for any ideas you can offer.

[/ QUOTE ]
Here are some possibilities:

/images/graemlins/diamond.gif Change the sizes of your standard preflop raises and standard bets postflop. See what happens if you always bet the pot, or always bet 1/3 of the pot, or always bet twice the pot.

/images/graemlins/diamond.gif Change the frequency with which you bet from the blinds/early position versus check-raise or check and call.

/images/graemlins/diamond.gif Try more continuation bets when you showed aggression on the previous street, but missed. Try fewer continuation bets.

/images/graemlins/diamond.gif Try bluffing more frequently. Try not bluffing.

/images/graemlins/diamond.gif Try bluffing in different situations from when you are used to. Try bluff check-raises. Try bluffing with small bets. Try bluffing with overbets.

/images/graemlins/diamond.gif Try slowplaying more frequently, or with different hands. If you usually do the reverse, see what happens if you slow-play TPTK, or play a set quickly.

/images/graemlins/diamond.gif Try playing differently against particular opponents. For no reason, be very aggressive against player A, and passive against player B.

[Guy F]

Thanks, especially to pzhon. That's the jumpstart I needed. I often find a blank page intimidating, but if someone starts it off with a few lines I can pick it up from there. Thanks again.