Please Explain 'Mixing it Up'

[Maulik]

This will make me a better player.

I'm interested in understanding what is means, and how to apply it differently to a 6 handed game & 10 handed games

[nathan_hicks]

start slow playing every hand.

[Maulik]

I appreciate your sarcasm

[arod15]

It refers to putting vodka in a drink and mixing it so all the flavor isnt concentrated in one part. Why you ask such a stupid question you know this. Stupid Maryland FOLK. How about AC this weekend gonna be money. Im mix it up on you strattling all over the place.

[AaronBrown]

Don't play predictably. For example, rather than having a list of starting hands you will bet from each position, have a tight list and a loose list and switch back and forth between them. Also, make sure you have a lot of different techniques. For every bet you make, make your opponents worry that you have a weak hand, a drawing hand or a strong hand. Of course, you want to fold most of your weak hands, make minimum bets with most of your drawing hands and raise with most of your strong hands; but don't always do the natural thing. Bluff some weak hands, slow play some strong hands and represent some drawing hands as strong or weak. The only things you never want to do are call with a weak hand or fold a strong one (but strong is relative, in some situations you know a full house is beat, in others you know a King high is likely to win).

Against good players, you have to mix it up or you might as well hand them a check and go to a movie. But even against bad players, who don't notice what you're doing anyway, mixing it up can keep them from getting better.

There's no major difference between six handed and ten handed. You watch the table and figure out where the good niches are, then switch among them. Some techniques work better against more players in the pot than others. For example, you seldom want to bluff more than one opponent; but semi-bluffs can be most effective with a lot of action.

[thomastem]

"Mixing it up" is an adjustment to your normal play because your opponents have made your typical solid play less profitable than the adjustment.

This can be because your current opponents are stronger or weaker than you typically play and the adjustment is specific to the table you are playing.

For example you are playing at a NL table which is unusually tight and the blinds are being stold at a higher rate. You are finding that your premium hands are getting no calls just stealing the blinds. "To mix it up" it is now more profitable to start opening with a raise with more hands. The added steals make more hands profitable.

Let's say at the same table a few of these added hands have been shown down and more of your opening raises are being called. It now becomes more profitable to go back to your tighter solid play and let them pay off your premium hands.

"Mixing it up" or "Changing gears" is just poker slang for strategy adjustment. Above is a simple common example but the more experience you gain the more adjustments for situations you will be able to play for increased profit.

Hope this helps.