Developing Hand Reading Skills

[TaoTe]

Any tips for honing your hand reading skills. I find that I want to develop this part of my game more than any other, as the way I've heard, it is as important as any other. What are some useful tips for developing/improving hand reading? I've read TOP and continually try to put people on hands while not playing, but either I lack the ability to do it with consistency, or I'm not training that area as hard as I should be.

[Idaho Ave]

I was a terrible hand reader as a beggining player.
I am not a great hand reader now by anymeans.
I believe experience, and lots of it for that matter is the only way to improve your ability to "put opponents on a range of hands."

[Rolen]

Two ways to do it. Either play a quarter of a million hands of poker or spend that time watching a quarter of a million hands of poker. Your subconscious will pick stuff up much easier than active learning. If you're a winning player, choose route 1..And if not, route two.

[TaoTe]

Why 250K hands, is that a tested number or are you just saying "It's gonna' take awhile."

[fireman664]

I play a game with myself when I am at the table, but not involved in a hand, where I try to put the players in the hand ON a hand.....exact hands, suits and everything (if they are relevant to the hand). I will be saying to myself "ok, UTG has AQ, and LP guy probably has 2nd pair, so he could have J10, or J9"...youll be amazed at how quick you will start getting it close, and then how that will affect your confident when you are in the hand.

[OrianasDaad]

I use PT to help read hands. I can do many quickly using the replayer (with hole cards checked off).

Lots of practice is the best way to go. Lots and lots of practice and being honest with yourself. Good luck.

[Student]

Great approach!

Dave

[MrStretchie]

I also find taking copious amounts of notes helps. (When playing online.) Every time you see a player do anything and get to see their hand (or even when you can deduce it by their actions throughout), make a note.
"pfr ajo" raises pre-flop with ajo
"b/f f bp" bet-folds (bets, folds to raise) flop with bottom pair
etc
You could write out the whole notes, but after you've done a bunch the shorthand becomes inevitable. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]
At least for me, this helps in two ways. First off, when I'm playing against these specific players it allows me to have a much better idea of what their actions mean later. Average players don't generally alter their play.
Second, once you've made a note about a specific action enough times, you get used to people doing it, and you get used to it coming from a certain type of player. Then you basically just have to recognize that player X is one of 'those', and you'll be able to read him pretty well.

Hope that helps. I'm still getting there myself, but I'm convinced I'm on the right path. I've also found it's easier playing SH, as you'll see more hands showed down, and have less players to concentrate on. But you need to be good at SH play to avoid dumping a bunch of $$ there..

[TaoTe]

I play poor/average at SH. Unfortunately, I run the flash version of Pokerroom and there is no note taking. I've been trying to run VPC, but it's been a nightmare.

[Pov]

[ QUOTE ]
I play poor/average at SH. Unfortunately, I run the flash version of Pokerroom and there is no note taking. I've been trying to run VPC, but it's been a nightmare.

[/ QUOTE ]

Maybe use Excel and then search for the username? Regardless, the mere act of forcing yourself to notice will do you a lot of good. As stated above by another poster, eventually you'll quickly be able to classify people as "one of those guys" and be able to make some pretty sweet conclusions. Of course I must insert the disclaimer that relying too much on such conclusions can be very bad as each player is different, even the same player mixes up their play sometimes, etc. but I think my educated "feelings" have made/saved me a lot of money in marginal situations. When the math is telling you something totally different than your read you had better have a really strong read and even then should probably go with the math, particularly at low limits. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]