Re: Reading Opponents
Hi Steven,
In SNG play, I'll face so many opponents over the course of a week or a month (over 1100 in February alone) that I just don't think it's practical to try to assess each individual player's precise starting hand requirements, and especially not when they're so dynamic and situational.
I can't see myself ever being able to say: "Okay, given 100/200 blinds, with 8 players left where top 4 pay, at a $109 buy-in, with a 4500 stack, on the button, against my 4300 in the BB and the SB's 1900, this player's 3xBB open-raise means either AA, KK, or AKs."
No one (that I play with) who is that predictable.
So I look at generalities.
E.g.#1: This player is a Jackal pre-flop, and likes to steal blinds anytime it's folded to him on the button. He could have almost any two cards here. But he's a Lion post-flop; he doesn't stay in a hand unless he has the goods and he plays them well. I have AJs. I may have the better starting hand, but even a pre-flop Jackal has a real hand sometimes. So I'll call pre-flop, bet out on any A- or J-high flop, and tread lightly if raised.
E.g.#2: This player is a Mouse pre-flop, and almost never steals the blinds. Even with medium pairs, he usually just limp-calls from the button. This time, he raised. I have to read him for a big pair, or a very strong Axs. My AJs is probably an underdog, and may well be dominated, so I'm going to muck it pre-flop.
E.g.#3: This player was a Mouse for the first four levels, but in this round he's opened up his game a bit. I've seen him raise, get called, and take a pot when his 98s hit for two pair. He also raised, and mucked to a big reraise, two hands ago. So I'm thinking that right now he's a Jackal or a Lion. Either way, he plays well post-flop, and AJs is a speculative hand. I should call, I think, but I'm going to tread very lightly unless I hit for two pair or a pair-plus-four on the flop, because I don't want to die on AJs....
To me, this is more than enough complexity (specificity) to try to balance in the heat of a game. I'm sure there are players who can read with a lot more specificity than I can -- T.J. Cloutier comes to mind -- but I have too many mental vectors going in the heat of a game to try to nail this specific player to a specific hand.
I hope this helps.
Cris
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