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Poker, like any other specialization, demands an organized approach to achieve proficiency. Despite the steady improvement in the skillset of the average poker player you face, poker is and will be (at least we hope so) a game played against humans, which comes with specific implications you should always have in mind.
It's important to remember that poker is a zero-sum game (barring rake, of course), meaning that you profit off someone's loss (or, to put it more lightly, you capitalize on the mistakes of your opponents). Although a large part of the population knows how optimal strategy looks for many common situations, everyone makes mistakes when it comes to more complex decisions. And there is an obvious reason - humans can strive for perfection but won't achieve it.
Whenever you try to conquer particular stakes (whether we talk about No Limit Hold 'em or Pot Limit Omaha), you must pay attention to many variables. On a more general level, you must consider two aspects: your play patterns and opponents' tendencies.
In this blog entry, we'll focus on the second aspect - paying attention to what people you play against do - a crucial concept at low-to-mid stakes (and sometimes even beyond), where your opponent will often do similar things.
To exploit your opponents, you have to be aware of their tendencies
Poker is a game of constant adjustments, but to adjust correctly, you must first be able to see when your opponent does something poorly (like limping/calling every other hand) and, secondly, be aware of how to react appropriately to that (like open raising more extensively).
Whenever you construct your game plan, you divide your overall approach into some universal categories: i.e. your opening ranges, the hands you 3-bet, how you react to 3-bets, how often you c-bet in and out of position and so on.
You should also think similarly about what your opponent is doing, noticing their tendencies and trying to find a way to exploit them.
While at the table, you should structure your approach to your opponent's game plan. Firstly, how would you define your opponents' patterns? Are they passive players who are limp-call happy preflop or on the aggressive side of the spectrum, potting every other hand?
If you are or plan to be a regular online poker player, incorporating a set of rules to categorize the behaviors of other players will make it much easier for you to adjust to your current table and find good tables to play on.
The more often you play with the same opponent, the more edge you can gain by categorizing them or incorporating some kind of notes/categorization.
The exact way of labeling your opponent is up to you since various systems work for different players.
Whenever you're about to construct your classification, there are a few things to think about.
Firstly, you should consider your opponents' preflop tendencies:
- How wide do they open?
- How often do they call?
- Are they 3-bet happy or more of a calling station?
Remember that optimal ranges are prepared for equilibrium where everyone plays according to GTO; the opponents you face on your average PLO table most likely won't even be close to achieving a solver level of accuracy.
Another important preflop factor is playing in the blinds. Are your opponents defending them fiercely or willing to let go of some holdings?
One of the most important patterns to observe on the flop is how your opponents c-bet and react to c-bets. Even today, you're likely to encounter people who continue to bet almost their whole range without giving it much thought or some calling c-bets with any hand having at least some kind of equity.
Another essential thing is how your everyday opponents approach bluffing. Are they willing to bluff? Do they use Ax flush blockers to bet big? Do they stab uncontested pots?
Or do they have other leaks like overplaying Aces on bad boards?
While evaluating your opponents according to predefined terms will help capture their tendencies, remember to stay open-minded and not get too far with your assumptions.
If someone calls every raise preflop, does it necessarily mean they will go out of line bluffing rivers? Often, the opposite is true; people who play too wide preflop are calling stations on the flop, but hardly ever bluff rivers.
Often, creating a far-fetched assumption will cost you dearly if you miss a piece of information you could observe earlier.
Think about the few most typical behaviors on your current stakes. A good starting point is tagging recreational players, with the note of whether they are more on the passive or aggressive side. Additionally, don't forget to identify maniacs (or people who do not play like maniacs but have leaks visible at first glance).
Even regulars, who are way better than recreational players, have shortcomings, which you can exploit if you spot them.
The format you play influences your ability to observe others
Of course, the regular tables give you the most opportunities to categorize your opponents, but even in fast formats (like Zoom) or live games, there's some repetition among your opponents.
It'll take some time, but with practice, you'll discover which categories make sense and which do not (are and are not helpful). Even during live games, when you are playing only one table, structuring your thought process will streamline your decision (your opponent's preflop tendencies influence their flop plays and range, and so on).
Many poker apps let you create your own classification and color code system. Color-coding your opponents can be very time-consuming, but it will definitely be worth it. However, to do it efficiently, you must focus on playing your A-game, meaning quality over quantity. But that's one of the most important lessons to learn if you play poker in 2024 and beyond - focus on playing your best instead of as many tables as possible.
Lastly, if you play on software that allows you to track the stats of your opponents, use it; after some time (and with a decent sample), you can draw some worthy conclusions, which would be hard to deduce otherwise.
The more structured will be your approach to poker, the more likely you'll be to succeed
Nowadays, poker is a very competitive game. Even though Pot Limit Omaha is booming, you have to be smarter than others on and off the table to profit from that.
One way to do so is to bring more order to your approach to your opponents' actions. Invariably, PLO Genius is the tool that will help you learn what your opponent's mistakes are and how you should adjust to them.