[mmahlin]

I think you need to be aware of how players perceive your play whenever you sit down at a poker table, regardless of whether you're playing in a B&M, online, in a tourney, or in a ring game. It's a huge facet of the game. Sure, not everyone is going to have perfect recall on every hand that you play, or don't play, but when I first sit down at a new table I always assume that everyone at the table is a great player (i.e. a thinking, observant, and aware player) until they prove themselves otherwise. I mean, how can it hurt to always be aware of your own play and what other people may be thinking about it?

Yeah, if you're getting moved every five minutes you're not going to have much of a chance to make an impression and it can be incredibly frustrating to spend an hour crafting an image, start to change gears, and then get bumped to a table full of strangers. But what I've found is that if I'm aware of my image then I'm aware of my play. If I'm aware of my play then I'm more likely to continue playing solid poker, or make adjustments when I'm not. If I make adjustments, how does that affect how the table views my play? It's an infinite loop.

Sorry for the rambling, but I do believe that table image is always important. If you're thinking about how they think you play, then you're also constantly considering your own play. The hardest thing is when you start to loosen up at a table after building a tight image, the chips start flowing your way, you get moved, and out of frustration you keep speeding around. Before you know it, you're broke. Not aware. Not solid poker.

Cheers,

M.