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Poker Tip - Know Your Texas Holdem Competition

"I can play loose, I can play tight. You have to adjust your game based on your read. To me that's all the game is, just the read." -Kay (Career poker professional for 30 years)

Professional poker players generally agree that the best tip for success is that you must know your opponents. Understanding the different players that you're up against is the key to success in poker. By knowing your opponents you will call less often when you don't have the best hand and be able to raise and get extra bets out of your opponents when you otherwise would not be able to if the opponent was unknown. In this section we'll begin to explore generalizations of the different types of players in poker games.

Obviously even players who seem to fit almost perfectly into these groups will surprise you at times and change their game as time passes. It's important that you have courage in your convictions and that once you make a read you stick to it while simultaneously remembering that you will make mistakes and to not push too many of your chips into the pot when you may have a misread.

Poker Tips for Playing Against a Calling Station

True to the description, the "Calling Station" does just that, call you. This player will frequently check and call when you bet.

Often these players are scared that a better hand is out there against them. If you begin to observe this, be careful when you get check raised. If this player is going to simply check and call you with a hand such as top pair with a strong kicker then imagine how strong a hand they must have to check raise you on the turn. If you notice that they're calling you with any pair, then stop betting when you have a flush draw in hopes to bluff your opponent out. Let them give you those free cards. Here's an easy, sensible tip against these poker players, don't bluff the guy that's willing to call you.

If you happen to notice that the calling station continuously calls you with pitiful made hands such as when he has bottom pair on the board or with nasty gutshot draws be sure to try and play with this bad player more often. He's the best type of player to go up against. You can read him and you know when you've got the better odds to win the pot.

Tips and Advice for Playing Overly Aggressive Players

An overly aggressive player is frequently betting and raising. These players should not be confused with a good strong aggressive player. A good aggressive player is also betting, raising, and thus taking control of the pot. This is the style that you want to employ. The overly aggressive poker player has taken this tip too far. They are often on draws and are trying to intimidate you out of the pot.

My best tip against players like this is to try and take advantage of their overaggressive nature and set them up. Since they're going to bet and raise for you take advantage of this. Check raise them more often since they're going to bet your hand for you. You can also use the aggressive player to trap someone in between you. For example, if you bet out a really strong hand that you normally would've check raised (such as 3 of a kind) and can get the middle player to call, then you may be able to get the overly aggressive player to raise for you. You then can reraise right there and get even more value out of your hand.

Going up Against the Old Rock - Poker Strategy and Tips

The Old Rock is very tough to get chips from. In fact he's usually in the game only with a top notch hand. Players that fit into this category are waiting for premium hands, they'll essentially be playing in a similar way to your good, strong aggressive style of poker but won't get as many bets in the pot when they have the winning hand. Old Rock players are typically older in age and can be tricky. My best strategic tip against these players is to try stealing from them but give up this tactic if they play back against you. Since they're usually waiting for top notch hands take their blinds when they hold mediocre.

 If they play back you can reasonably assume that they've got a strong hand. If you begin to discover that they're loosening up in order to play back against you (perhaps they're tired of you stealing their blinds all the time) then this is good as well. Now you've got a player who is only familiar playing with really strong hands in pots when his hand is only mediocre. You've got him out of his comfort level and can adjust your style accordingly. Uncomfortable players lose their chips. As a side note, if you notice that the game is full of these players who are not only tight but tough as well you may want to look for an easier poker game.

Conclusion - Poker Tips About Knowing the Competition

While many players can fit into these categories you're going to find that each player you run into has his or her own style. Understanding what a player is capable of is critical, especially as you approach the higher limit games. Higher limits means fewer people in each pot. Pots won't have 5-6 people, they're usually going to be heads up (2 people in a pot) which means a lot more tricks can be involved.

Heads up in a bigger limit game I've made calls on the end with only Ace/King high or even middle pair. However, if I got into the habit of always calling with Ace high I'd be broke quicker than that player drawing to a flush heads up for a small pot. (see the article Poker Pot Odds for details about why drawing to a flush heads up for a small pot is incorrect). My point is the difference between a winning player and a loser is that small element called "The Read".

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