5 replies to this topic

[The Student]

I was sitting down at a No Limit 1-1-2 table in a card room I've never been in and at a table with people I've never played with, so I thought it a good time to gather some information on who's who at the table. With 7 people at the table it didn't take long to find out lot about the players, especially since they all seemed to know each other. Rick (the names have been change to protect the innocent) was sitting across from me in seat three (I was in seat 7) and had the rep of a regular, skills of one too, and eyes like a hawk, and they seemed to be on me a lot. After picking up a few pot an getting up to around double my starting stack, Rick seemed to be waiting for me to drop some important tell for him to cash in on later. So I was more then happy to give it to him, every once in a while when I pick up a bad hand on the blinds and saw the flop cheap or free, if I knew a bet was coming I would look at my hand then sweep them one in each hand across the table and then when it got around to me fold quickly. I knew Rick saw it, and I thought I could bank on it later. Later that night I wasn’t playing many hands any more and picked up KJ suited on the button. Rick was on under the gun and was up to this point a rock, and had been for a few hours. I raised it up and Rick was my only caller, the Flop came K J 7 and Rick checked it to me, I bet out again, normal callable bet, and Rick started to count it out. He studied the board and then looked over at me, and I took one card in each hand and swept them across the felt lazily. I almost laughed when his hand jumped back for more of his chips. He raised, I put him all in and sold on the bluff he called me with no hesitation. He flipped over pocket 8s and the turn and river came with no conscience.Sorry to be so long winded about it but has anyone experimented with this sort of mental war game? I don’t think I could get the same person on it more then once but I think it a great tactic against people you haven't played with before.

[akishore]

nice! :-) i have used something like this too. i play shorthanded NL with a tight/aggressive player, and against him i tend to play loose/aggressive. when facing a big bet, i often take my time and study the board, and he picks up on it. well twice when i hit the stone nuts, i did the same thing and called, and eventually he put me all-in. granted, i will change up my play again and act super-fast like i sometimes purposely do when i'm bluffing.it also works on paired boards because i like to bluff at those, and i know he picks up on it. so if i hit trips/boat i will bet and hope he raises, which he has in the past. then i smooth call and trap from there.nice again, that's great poker.aseem

[LttleSlck]

I had a similar situation also at a 1-1-2 NL table and this guy in seat 2 raised me one hand and told me that he noticed a tell of mine. If i had a mid pair,raised preflop and if i bet on the flop and someone reraised I would fold. About 3 hands later this guy to my right who I am sure heard this information and I was on the BB with A-Q suited and raised $10 . He called my 10 and the flop came K-9-7 so I figured to try to the pot right there with a $20 bet which he reraised me $15. I thought about it for a minute and he must have assumed I was doing the same thing so I figured I should see another card and called $15 more. The turn came up a Q showing K-Q-9-7 and so I checked to him and he bet $30 so I was like well I can't leave this pot now with my Q so I called. The river was my money card an A showing K-9-7-Q-A so I checked to him and bet $45. I just called in case he may have played a straight draw and force him to show his hand. Once I called to the river he immediately mucked his hand. Calling the flop may not have been a great move but I figured what the hell I think this guy is catching my tells and trying to muscle me out.

[LttleSlck]

XXEddie said:

LttleSlck said:

I had a similar situation also at a 1-1-2 NL table and this guy in seat 2 raised me one hand and told me that he noticed a tell of mine. If i had a mid pair,raised preflop and if i bet on the flop and someone reraised I would fold. About 3 hands later this guy to my right who I am sure heard this information and I was on the BB with A-Q suited and raised $10 . He called my 10 and the flop came K-9-7 so I figured to try to the pot right there with a $20 bet which he reraised me $20. I thought about it for a minute and he must have assumed I was doing the same thing so I figured I should see another card and called $15 more. The turn came up a Q showing K-Q-9-7 and so I checked to him and he bet $30 so I was like well I can't leave this pot now with my Q so I called. The river was my money card an A showing K-9-7-Q-A so I checked to him and bet $45. I just called in case he may have played a straight draw and force him to show his hand. Once I called to the river he immediately mucked his hand. Calling the flop may not have been a great move but I figured what the hell I think this guy is catching my tells and trying to muscle me out.

wouldnt he have had to raise atleast 20 there?

[holman3rd]

The Student said:

I was sitting down at a No Limit 1-1-2 table in a card room I've never been in and at a table with people I've never played with, so I thought it a good time to gather some information on who's who at the table. With 7 people at the table it didn't take long to find out lot about the players, especially since they all seemed to know each other. Rick (the names have been change to protect the innocent) was sitting across from me in seat three (I was in seat 7) and had the rep of a regular, skills of one too, and eyes like a hawk, and they seemed to be on me a lot. After picking up a few pot an getting up to around double my starting stack, Rick seemed to be waiting for me to drop some important tell for him to cash in on later. So I was more then happy to give it to him, every once in a while when I pick up a bad hand on the blinds and saw the flop cheap or free, if I knew a bet was coming I would look at my hand then sweep them one in each hand across the table and then when it got around to me fold quickly. I knew Rick saw it, and I thought I could bank on it later. Later that night I wasn’t playing many hands any more and picked up KJ suited on the button. Rick was on under the gun and was up to this point a rock, and had been for a few hours. I raised it up and Rick was my only caller, the Flop came K J 7 and Rick checked it to me, I bet out again, normal callable bet, and Rick started to count it out. He studied the board and then looked over at me, and I took one card in each hand and swept them across the felt lazily. I almost laughed when his hand jumped back for more of his chips. He raised, I put him all in and sold on the bluff he called me with no hesitation. He flipped over pocket 8s and the turn and river came with no conscience.Sorry to be so long winded about it but has anyone experimented with this sort of mental war game? I don’t think I could get the same person on it more then once but I think it a great tactic against people you haven't played with before.

Great story! It really points out the need to pay attention to the other players at your table, even when you are not involved in a hand. Many players may think that this only means to try and read other players or pick up on their tells. However, it also means to try and figure out how they perceive you. Had this been a low-limit table, you'd probably notice that no one even paid attention to you, so you wouldn't try such clever moves. But, since this particular guy made it so obvious that he was studying you, you were able to manipulate him.I try really hard to look like I"m not paying attention. Otherwise it tends to wake up other players and flags me as someone who might know something (or can be taken advantage of). However, anything 5/10 or below (limit), it's usually a waste of time (at least in my B&M experience).I bet this guy is a WPT fanatic who just read his first book on NL hold 'em. What a moron.