Table Image – How’s Yours?
Are you feared? Do players prefer you NOT sitting across from them or do they like to get involved in pots with
you? What does your table image say about you?You should always try to be aware of your own table image and use it to your advantage. If you realize players like to play pots with you, what does that say about how they perceive you? Maybe they think they can outplay you on the flop or view you as a weak player.
Or maybe they say something like, “Great, I’ve got smokkee on my left. Ugh!” Whenever I hear a player say something to that effect, I immediately put a bull’s eye on their forehead. I try to get involved in pots with them and play them more aggressively than a player I have little or no previous experience against.
Switching up gears and exploiting your table image is extremely important. Always keep your own image in mind as well as others at the table. Use it to your advantage.
For instance if you’ve got a player who keeps entering pots with you and has pushed you off a couple of hands post-flop, don’t scare him off when you pick up a monster. Play it weak and let him try to bluff you. Also if there are players who appear to play weak against you, get involved with them. I like to try and float players who might give up on pots against me. But, this is just one component of poker. Always consider the texture of the board and what’s occurred in recent hands. You don’t want to be just blindly bluffing into a player. Make sure your “story” makes sense.
I usually don’t worry much about changing my table image. I just try to use it to exploit other players. If players think you’re weak, you should be raising and re-raising more. This should “tell” them you’ve got a real hand. If you appear uber-aggressive, be careful of players trying to trap you. Many times, you don’t have to make big bets to take down pots. Players can be suspicious of weak looking bets. If you get re-raised without a made hand or a good draw, let it go and find a better spot.
If players don’t fear you now, they will once you’ve taken all their chips.
Are you new to poker? The best way to work on your image is by playing freerolls until you’re comfortable – your poker face is intact – and your image is honed to perfection. Then take a giant leap into real money games. Everything you’ve learned in freerolls will give you valuable experience for your real money adventure and the best part is that your education didn’t cost you anything.
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