Opponents

[QTip]

Opponents

I was just driving to get some lunch and was stuck at a construction area. There was side parking lot with a small car and a semi-truck behind that car waiting to get in traffic. The construction light turned green and I let the small car in real quick; however, the semi was going to have to wait! I wasn’t planning on sitting there for an entire cycle again while I watch that semi wheel around and as he straightens out, the light turns red again! I had to adjust to the situation.

I remember reading something from Malmuth where he talked about the fact that after a player reaches a certain skill level, the most important thing for him/her is table selection.

This concept of understanding and adjusting to your opponents is becoming more and more clear to me. (Adjusting to your opponents may mean finding another game).

Two things about this:

1. Table selection has everything to do with your winrate and whether or not you are a winning player. I once made a post where I was talking about skill as a player and was talking about table selection as a handicap rather than what it really is…a skill. Having the discipline to find a table where you have an edge is a huge part of the game. We’ve all heard the statement “You can be the 9th best player in the world, but if you always play with the 8 best players in the world, you’re going to lose.” Think about that. Imagine the skill and talent you would have to have in order to be considered the 9th best player in the world. Yet, without table selection skills, this player can’t even be described as a winning player!

2. Understanding your opponents has everything to do with your strategy. People talk about different strategies for different limits; however, that’s not really true (although I do, and I think most of us do, understand that they’re speaking in generalities and, in general, that’s true). The different strategies are for different opponents, not limits. Although, I understand that generally the higher the limit, the better the players (and more of the better players) you’ll find. However, if I went into a 2/4 game with a bunch of good players thinking I’m going to value bet marginal hands on the river, I’m chip spewing. If I go into a 40/80 full of rich folks who just suck, and I don’t value bet marginals on the river, I’m leaving all sorts of money at the table.

Anyway…just some thoughts I had; perhaps someone else has something to add or whatever.