PokerWorks

It's Not All About The Cards

You've now had the opportunity to observe several tournaments and watch people’s calling tendencies . Now what? Well, if you are able to figure out a player’s calling tendencies, there are things you can do to take advantage of them. As mentioned at the end of the previous section, using your observations of a player, you are to give them one (or more) of the following classifications:

Pre-flop caller - this person calls a lot when someone has already raised.
Pre-flop limp caller - this person calls most raises when they limp in pre-flop.
Pre-flop raise caller - this person calls most raises when they raised pre-flop.
Pre-flop blind caller - this person calls most raises of their BB.
Post-flop caller - this person calls a lot when someone has already bet.
Post-flop raised pre-flop caller - this person calls most bets when they raised pre-flop.
Post-flop bet caller - this person calls most raises when they have made a post-flop bet.
Post-flop raise caller - this person calls most raises when they have made a post-flop raise.
Calling station - this person just plain calls period.
Non caller - this person does not call.

Based upon these you are to play them as follows when you are in a hand with them (or contemplating playing a hand with them):

Pre-flop caller

If you have a hand worthy of raising with (in your opinion), make your raise 3x your normal raise (so if for example you normally raise to 3x the BB first to act, make it 9x the BB). On the opposite notion, you should not be steal raising when this person is in the hand.

Pre-flop limp caller

If you have a hand worthy of raising with (in your opinion), make your raise 3x your normal raise so if for example you normally raise to 3x+1BB for each limper, make it 9x+1BB). On the opposite notion, you should not be steal raising when this person is in the hand.

Pre-flop raise caller

You must have a premium hand here (QQ-AA) to reraise with. Move all in.

Pre-flop blind caller

If you have a hand worthy of raising with (in your opinion), make your raise 3x your normal raise (so if for example you normally raise to 3x the BB first to act, make it 9x the BB). On the opposite notion, you should not be steal raising when this person is in the hand.

Post-flop caller

If you have a hand worth proceeding with, bet 3/4 the pot rather then 1/2 the pot. If you are called and feel your hand is still best, bet 1.5x the pot on the next street. Again, do not bluff or overplay a marginal hand (i.e. 2nd pair) against this type of player.

Post-flop raised pre-flop caller

If you have a hand worth proceeding with bet 1.5x the pot on the flop. If called and you feel your hand is still best (you better be damn sure here), move all in on the next street. Again, do not bluff or overplay marginal hands (i.e. top pair, weak kicker) against this type of player.

Post-flop bet caller

This requires a stronger than normal hand to apply (two pair, set, trips, straight, flush or full house). Move all in.

Post-flop raise caller

This requires a stronger than normal hand to apply (two pair, set, trips, straight, flush or full house). Move all in.

Calling station

If you have a hand worth proceeding with, bet 3/4 the pot rather then 1/2 the pot. If you are called and feel your hand is still best, bet 1.5x the pot on the next street. Again, do not bluff or overplay a marginal hand (i.e. 2nd pair) against this type of player.

Non caller

Bet liberally with anything against this type of player. If they do call or raise, proceed very cautiously (need a hand).

Play in a minimum of 3 NLHE tournaments and when you have completed your play, answer the following questions for your own benefit:

1. Were you able to classify the calling tendencies of players? Were any of them wrong over the course of the tournament - if so, what do you think caused the misclassification?

2. For each of the different classifications, list your experiences applying the suggested play. What worked? What did not work? List example/representative hand histories for evaluation.

3. Why do you think the suggested play is the way it is for each of the classifications?

4. General thoughts on playing against callers. What did you learn? What will you take with you going forward?

In the next part, I'll go over some actual examples from a tournament I played using this assignment and we'll come to a few conclusions about playing callers.