How do you read players?

[Henke]

I feel a great need to improve my handreading skill. I've found that if i study just one player for a couple of orbits, I get quite good at pinpointing their flaws and tricks, but my main problem is getting that precision on all my opponents. I've also found that I generally pay more attention to the bettor in a hand, and less to the caller (which might not be optimal in a passive game).

In short I would like to know how you read players. Do you try to get a general sense about all opponents, or do you focus on one or a few? If so which ones?

Thanks

[crockpot]

i no longer feel it's worth my energy to get precision reads on my opponents at low-limit hold 'em. i think a general label of tight, loose, passive, aggressive, is all you need to make the correct decision 98% of the time.

[bunky9590]

You can read hands after a whole bunch of hours of experience, but you can get the basics down.

e.g 2 clubs on flop and someone calls two bets cold?
(flush draw)

I believe some people are better hand readers than others just by natural talent. (along with experience)

Its something that comes in time, and a lot of the reads are subconscience reads. The action goes so fast but the reads just pop into my head. (and they are usually correct)
Just ask anyone who has sat with me in a live game or online. Playing the cards will make you money but playing the other players and getting accurate reads on them will get you even more.

e.g Tonight at royal Vegas had a player in a pot with me who was a turn folder. Flop was King high with 2 hearts, I had Axh on the button, he bets out of EP, (blinds checked) two fold to me and I raise. (I had a solid aggressive image and had not shown down a loser) Blinds fold, he thinks and calls. Turn pairs the bottom pair, he checks, I bet, he folds. I win with four hearts, yay!

If you get reads and take good notes on people, you will get the reads pegged more often than not.

The hardest players to read are the BAD players. Don'teven try, most of the time they don't know what they have.

[umdpoker]

"The hardest players to read are the BAD players. Don'teven try, most of the time they don't know what they have."

its funny because its true. at a home game this terrible terrible player called me down til the river when i was betting large amounts (like 10x the ante) and then asked me what he had after i showed him my hand! like takin candy from a retarded kid that can talk.

[BugsBunny]

With bad players I'm beginning to take the attitude "they have it". If they start raising or c/r they usually have what they're representing - even if it means they would have had to call a preflop raise with 53o.

That doesn't mean autofold - but it does mean carefully evaluating your hand. TPTK won't usually cut it.

[bernie]

start by basic patterns that you see. noting what they bet/raise with is a good start. many players are better definable when they are betting. some can call with anything. look for their betting standards. not just single bet but reraise and cap standards. this differs a little street by street. it tends to get tighter.

put them in groups. some will bet draws, some wont. it doesnt seem to ever happen that someone will bet a str8 draw but not a flush draw. some will only bet a draw to the nuts. some will cap with a small flush draw. but watch how they play draws. some will chase any Ace for 1 bet. some will call with any pair as long as paint is off the board. many play sets and trips the same. watch how they play nut hands. many dont switch up play too often. they play the same types of hands the same way with little deviation.

find the range of types of hands that they play in certain situations and go from there. adjust as needed.

also, know generally how different types of profiles of players play. start with the passive players. they're the easiest. once you classify an opponent youll better know his range in certain spots.

you should be able to narrow it down a little from when you started preflop.

b

[Jezebel]

I find it much easier to read hands and classify opponents live than it is online. This has nothing to do with tells. It just seems that I can associate/remember how someone played a hand much easier if I have a face to go along with it. Online so many people are in and out that you rarely play with someone long enough to get anything other than a very broad read on them (i.e. loose v. tight).
Online I also end up scratching my head wondering if it was JoeBob243 that checkraised me 3 orbits ago, or if it was RounderWannabe9834. When I have a face to go with the play I rarely forget. The pokertracker game tab has helped me categorize my opponents a little better.

Back to your original question.... focus on the two players to your left first and try and get their play down and then the player to your right. These are the opponents that will have position on you most of the time, or you will have position on them and might get some isolation opportunities.

[PokerNoob]

I use the notetaking feature to record specific starters or plays to develop a general label for a player, e.g. loose, aggressive, rock, weak, tight, bluffs too much or in the wrong place, etc.

Sometimes you have to be careful about sticking with a label. The other day I bluffed at a pot with A high and was called down. From then on, a certain player never believed I had the goods and would call bets and raises of mine all the way to the river with nothing or next to nothing. He spent his stake trying to catch me bluffing again. At least thats my assumption, he may have just been drunk, except he wasn't playing every hand.