Poker Strategy / Chris Edwards / 24 February 2009 / 2 Comments

Following up on recent articles about making the transition from online tournaments to the live arena, Chris Edwards, an experienced live player, offers up some useful nuggets of advice for making progress in the game.

These days I seem to encounter many more good and observant players in small buyin tournaments and cash games. While it can take a while to figure out who these players are, you might be able to spot one or two before the game starts or during the early rounds. Here is what I look for:

1. A player starts doing chip tricks as soon as he sits down. This is a great indication of confidence and usually means this player at least has some experience.
2. Poker stories. If someone is talking about a poker hand, pay attention to how advanced their explanation is. This can reveal valuable information on their skill level.
3. Well known players. If you see someone shaking hands with another player in a bigger game before sitting down with you, then there is a better chance he is a good player.

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I will also try and chat to anyone sat alone at my table and see what information I can pick up. While these pointers aren't always accurate and shouldn't be taken too literally, they can at least give you a head start in developing reads.

So lets assume that at least one player is watching how you play, how should you act at the table during a hand? One word is very important here, REPETITION. What I mean by this is that you need to behave exactly the same whatever the strength of your hand. Find a relaxed seating position, which if your unsure is usually how you are sat when your studying a hand you are not involved in or when you have a big hand.

Here are some things to take note when your playing a hand:

Time. Take the same amount of time to bet whether you have a decision or not, or strong or weak hand.
Betting. Make sure your betting action is the same regardless of your hand strength. Also take notice of your chip denominations and use the same ones each time, for instance don't bet lots of small chips when weak and a few big chips when strong.
Eyes. Be relaxed about where you look. If you never look at a player when your bluffing, then never look at him when your strong.

To reiterate, repetition is the key. For extra nervous players, take one hand out of action by resting it on your cheek or thigh and have your chips separated so you don't have to fumble with them during a hand.

Another major point to look at is talking. Against good players my advice is to never talk, even when they start asking you questions and even if you think it is your only chance to win. More often or not you will give away information about your hand, or more dangerously how you act when weak/strong. Let your betting do the talking. Against bad players its sometimes ok to try and sway their decision with a few words, but always be aware of what its doing to your image.

After you are comfortable at the table you can start to use these pointers against the other players. Look at how they react in different situations and try and spot breaks in any repetitions they have. Of course, these need to be backed up by solid reads on how they play hands, but noticing some physical tells can help sway decisions. Don't worry if you don't notice anything straight away as it mostly comes from experience. Also, watch the good players as much as the bad players as it's usually the better players who have more concrete tells as they make less random moves.

Finally, don't get too stressed or bored at the tables. Have a good chat and laugh between hands to relieve tension, this can often be more beneficial than trying to watch every hand. Be friendly to the other players as they are your 'customers' who you don't want to scare them away! Live poker can be an immensely fun and sociable experience if you treat the game with respect...and stay away from the casino games!

More Chris Edwards

How Good Are You?
Introduction to Razz
WSOPE: Squeeze Plays
Martin Johnson, In At The Deep End

Comments (2)

1. cheyne | 17 April 2009

   if i am heads up what is the action taken if my apponent , after i put him all in, starts to ask others for a decision on whether or not to call and even asked the dealer what he would do in this situation. the dealer then advises well if you dont call then its a long way back as there is so much money in the pot.

   Is this conversation allowed

   would like to know if there is a ruling or if its just bad etiquette

   thanks

2. Chris Edwards | 18 April 2009

   Cheyne,

   Where was this?

   This is certainly against the rules and i'm very surprised that this was allowed to happen and im even more surprised that the dealer was talking as any professional card room should not let this happen.

   If this was at a casino you are well within your rights to speak to the tournament director or cardroom manager. I would not say much while the hand is in progress just in case you give something away, but after the hand is done I would certainly make a complaint.

   I hope this answers your question and if you have any others please ask!

   Chris

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