Too much respect?

[prayformojo]

At my last B&M 5/10 session, I got the impression I was getting too much respect. I was playing very aggressively, and won a few big pots early on by betting strong draws for value and getting my card on the turn or the river.

As the evening wore on, I found myself stealing far more pots than I should have been able to. There were two calling stations and a complete maniac across from me, who would call or raise almost any other player, but would fold to my bet or raise on the flop. As it turned out, this worked out very well for me because my post-flop bets or raises were as often as not sent out to get information on the table. So I was taking in smallish pots with hands like middle pair, strong kicker, or top pair, no kicker.

Although this worked out in the short term, is there a danger in having this much respect at this limit? It tended to work for me here, but surely I could get more value for some cards by having a few players in the pot with me. I should say that this poker room has a very small town feel, and half the players at the table know each other by name. I'm not a hardcore, every night regular, but I play there enough that my table image may carry over to the next session.

If there is value in changing this image, does that value justify advertising through a few well-timed bluffs? I guess the question is, will the value of advertising likely outweigh the value of stealing pots when I can?

And feel free to tell me I shouldn't read so much into a single session. I'm thinking ahead, in case I see this trend continue.

[StellarWind]

The best advice I've heard is not to try and control your image. It's difficult to do and very hard to recover the full cost of advertising plays.

What is important is to be aware of your current image. Getting too much respect is not a problem so long as you are aware of it. You have a license to steal. So get to work! Steal, steal, and steal some more.

Eventually they will catch on and take counter measures. "Problem" solved: you no longer get too much respect. Now recognize your changed image and quit shoplifting. Instead you can value bet more aggressively and expect to be paid off.

This can become a very dynamic process where you constantly adjust your play to your opponents' changing perceptions. Online I see this effect most strongly in sit-n-gos where you have the same lineup for a while. When bad cards turn me into a "rock" I compensate by doing some stealing. But when I get great cards and collect several pots without showing my big hands, I am extra careful not to get out-of-line for a while. Everyone is extra suspicious and waiting to call my next "bluff".

This process can be tailored to individual opponents. Most players remember the hands they play against you more than the hands they merely watch. I have gone so far as to make a note when I have embarrassed a good player. I figure that will be my image with that player for a long time and he will be waiting for me to do it again.

Another example of individual image would be showing down big hands against a tight-passive. If you have had the goods against him on recent occasions, it may not matter at all that you have been looting the rest of the table in his presence. He'll still respect you.

[Al Schoonmaker]

Stellar Wind said it much better than I can.
I'll just repeat a statement of Matt Lessinger. "If you never get called, you can never lose."
When they fold to you, you win a whole pot. If they consistently fold to you, you can bet almost anything.
Don't knock it. Enjoy it.
Regards,
Al

[LetsRock]

While you are correct in not taking too much from one session, if I had things my way, every session would be like that. I much prefer to take lots of small pots because players "respect" me too much, than to have to be constantly worried about my hand being good enough.

The way I see it, you'll far more mediocre hands, than really strong ones. I would gladly sacrifice a few big pots that a strong hand might bring, to drag the vast majority of small pots that I'm in with mediocre holdings.

Every session will have it's own personality, so don't count on this "respect" every time you sit down. But if things work out where you can steal a few more pots, then take them.

[BigBaitsim (milo)]

Gotta agree with stellar and Al. Don't try to manipulate your image. Just keep track of what it is and how it changes dynamically. Then act accordingly.

[SirFWALGMan]

I love the feeling. When you have the entire table scared of you. You have taken out huge pots and showed the hands. You have folded alot of garbage. They know you only go in on good hands. It is AEWSOME! The one trap I fall into sometimes when this happens, is playing too many marginal hands. I then lose respect, and people are calling my hands no matter what. It then becomes important to tighten up again and play the way I know I should.