✨
Poker, like many other occupations, 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 spots, everyone makes mistakes when it comes to more complex decisions. There is an obvious reason for this - we can strive for perfection but won't achieve it.
You must pay attention to many variables whenever you try to succeed at a particular stake level (whether we talk about No Limit Hold 'em or Pot Limit Omaha). On a more general level, you must consider two aspects: your play patterns and your 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 opponents will often manifest certain poor habits.
To exploit your opponents, you have to be vigilant
Poker is a game of constant adjustments, but to adjust correctly, you must first be able to observe 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 in similar terms about your opponents, noticing their tendencies and trying to find a way to exploit them.
At the table, you should observe and react. How would you define your opponents? 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 among those available.
The more often you play with the same opponents, the more edge you can gain by categorizing them or incorporating some form of description.
The exact way of labeling your opponent is up to you since different systems work for different players, and you have to build one for yourself, primarily by trial and error.
Firstly, you should consider your opponents' most common preflop actions:
- How wide do they open?
- How often do they call?
- Are 3-bet happy or more of a calling station?
Remember that optimal ranges are suitable 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 on the blinds. Are your opponents defending them fiercely or willing to let go of some holdings?
Think about it: how should your postflop strategy change against a player who rarely folds when on the Big Blind, and how should you proceed versus someone very selective when defending?
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 players calling c-bets with any hand having at least some kind of equity.
Another essential thing to consider 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 boards that are bad for their range?
While evaluating your opponents according to predefined terms will help identify their potential weak points, 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 call a lot on following streets but bluff very rarely.
Think about the few most typical behaviors at your current stakes. A good starting point is tagging recreational players (who usually play way too wide), noting whether they are more passive or aggressive. Additionally, don't forget to identify maniacs (or people who do not play like maniacs but have other obvious leaks).
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
Of course, the regular tables give you the best chance to gather information about your opponents, but even fast formats (like ZOOM) or live games allow you to observe and analyze popular tendencies.
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 decisions (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 time-consuming, but it will 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 that opportunity; after some time (and with a decent sample), you can draw some worthy conclusions which would be hard to come up with otherwise.
The more structured your approach to poker, the more likely you are to succeed
Modern 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 is organizing and adapting better to your opponents' game.
PLO Genius is a PLO solver that will help you take a step in the right direction. Learn what your opponent's mistakes are and how you should adjust to them.