Wonder why you aren't kicking azz? Maybe I know

[dogmeat]

So you are wondering why you aren't kicking azz at poker? Suppose you are playing online and have been at the table for 15 minutes. Here are a baker's dozen questions for you to consider:

1) What type of player do your opponents think you are? (good/bad - weak/aggressive - tight/loose and you should ask the same questions about every player on your table)

2) Who had to rebuy

3) Who might be on tilt

4)Who is catching cards and playing well right now

5) Who plays well preflop and who plays poorly

6) Who plays well postflop and who plays poorly

7) What will each player at your table raise with from each position

8) What range of hands will each player call with/ call a raise with

9) What players will often steal your blinds

10) What players can you steal blinds from

11) Who likes to checkraise

12) Who likes to slowplay

13) How does each player play their AK and AQ when they don't hit the flop/turn

Scoring:

Out of 13 questions, you only understand about half: read Super/System, Winning Low Limit Hold'em, Small Stakes hold'em.

Out of 13 quesitons you understand them all, but only can answer 3 about your opponents: you probably are not a winning player

Out of 13 questions you at can answer 5: you are probably on the roller coaster and show a little profit (and may multi-table games)

Out of 13 questions you can answer 7: you probably do well, making over 1BB/100

Out of 13 questions you can answer 8: you probably make 2BB/100

Out of 13 questions you can answer 9-13: you probably make more than I do.


Want to win at poker? Learn to answer these questions quickly - and apply them to your play.

Want to kick ass at poker? Apply what you think your opponent is thinking about your play to every hand you are involved in.

You think winning poker is easy? Learn to work on you play - while you are playing. I't fun, but it is still work - so, get to work.

Good Luck. And FWIS, I only scratched the surface.

Dogmeat /images/graemlins/spade.gif

[Sponger15SB]

I think you are completely overrating all of these things as essential to your BB/100

Or maybe I am playing a low limit table where everyone is so poor that it is more profitable to multitable then to know exactly how everyone is playing

[1800GAMBLER]

I'd get 0 out of 13 for this quiz after every single session i play.

[eric5148]

14) Who has a pattern map.

[trainslayer]

I'm not qualified to make a smart ass response but if your telling me you can answer all these questions in 1 1/2 orbits I telling you your full of [censored].

[Biggenx]

[ QUOTE ]
I'd get 0 out of 13 for this quiz after every single session i play.

[/ QUOTE ]

[PokerCat69]

I disagree with OP. When I 4-table I'm not picking up many reads. I can't tract everyone, yet I'm making a lot more cash playing ABC poker on 4 tables then sitting at a single table and making stellar reads.

[adamstewart]

[ QUOTE ]
2) Who had to rebuy


[/ QUOTE ]


I'll bet Barry Greenstein and Phil Ivey (for example) have to rebuy from time to time.


It follows that one must br cautious when interpreting the results to this question.


Adam

[adamstewart]

[ QUOTE ]
1) What type of player do your opponents think you are? (good/bad - weak/aggressive - tight/loose and you should ask the same questions about every player on your table)

...

3) Who might be on tilt

4)Who is catching cards and playing well right now

5) Who plays well preflop and who plays poorly

6) Who plays well postflop and who plays poorly

7) What will each player at your table raise with from each position

8) What range of hands will each player call with/ call a raise with

9) What players will often steal your blinds

10) What players can you steal blinds from

11) Who likes to checkraise

12) Who likes to slowplay

13) How does each player play their AK and AQ when they don't hit the flop/turn

[/ QUOTE ]


Overall, nice post. These are very important things to consider while playing.


I don't know, however, how accurate the scoring system is. As some have mentioned, decent players can 4-table at low-mid limits, not necessarily be able to answer many of these questions, yet still beat the game for more than 2 BB/100.

(Along those lines, the amount of "BB/100" is stakes-dependent).


I don't want to lose distract from the main point of your post, though. These questions are great things to consider.



Adam

[Alex/Mugaaz]

I think you need to put a disclaimer that being able to answer these questions only has a real effect on your winrate if you play at least 3/6 or 200nl. At the lower limits you are simply playing the masses, not the man.

[DemonDeac]

this is why we have poker tracker

[gasoltub]

I agree that it's good to know those things about your opponents.
I strongly disagree about the scoring.

[dogmeat]

I never said I could answer them all, in fact, I can barely answer half of them.

Dogmeat /images/graemlins/spade.gif

[dogmeat]

I now have to agree with you, the scoring is wrong. I should have made it an hour at a game where nobody had left - and gotten the 3BB/hr closer to half right. Oh well. The post was supposed to be thought provoking, not insult provoking. However, I'm sure all you posters that laughed and do none of these things will all be playing $100/$200 in a few months. Make sure you let us know all about it.

Dogmeat /images/graemlins/spade.gif

[flair1239]

I get the gist of it. But really after 15min. I am still deciding whether I want to be at the table or not.

At that point I am looking for general looseness. Seeing who I have position on and who has position on me. All the while gathering stats on the unknowns.

If someone sticks around for 25-30 hands or so, I probably know if they understand PF concepts and position.

I agree if I played a single table, I would know a lot more about my opponents after a half hour. But I would not be making as much per hour as I am with the extra tables. Besides playing more tables let me use all the fun gadgets that piss off the B&M purists.

[Justin A]

[ QUOTE ]
I'd get 0 out of 13 for this quiz after every single session i play.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think I'd usually get #1 right, but that's it. And that's because it's usually the same answer everytime.

[Justin A]

[ QUOTE ]
I now have to agree with you, the scoring is wrong. I should have made it an hour at a game where nobody had left - and gotten the 3BB/hr closer to half right. Oh well. The post was supposed to be thought provoking, not insult provoking. However, I'm sure all you posters that laughed and do none of these things will all be playing $100/$200 in a few months. Make sure you let us know all about it.

Dogmeat /images/graemlins/spade.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

1800Gambler already plays that high.

[adamstewart]

[ QUOTE ]
The post was supposed to be thought provoking, not insult provoking.

[/ QUOTE ]


I found your post very thought-provoking.

I hope you did not take any of my posts as insulting - as no insult whatsoever was intended.


Adam

[Budget Boy]

I can almost always answer most or even all of these questions every time I play. I play almost exclusively live, and most of my opponents I have played with many, many times. I think it would be much harder to answer these questions multi-tabling low limit games on party or something, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try. The human mind has a lot of capabilities, but often we are too lazy to push ourselves.