The Differences Between Live Tournaments, Online Poker, And Home Games
Every single poker game that you’ll ever play in will require a different skill set than other games. If you’re playing a high stakes Vegas tournament, you’re going to need to be an extremely attentive and dynamic player in order to catch on to and capitalize off of your opponents tendencies.
If you’re playing in an online tournament, where players are frequently changing tables, and there’s no physical interaction, you’ll need to learn how to identify player styles fast. There is software on the market for just this reason, a good choice is Poker Tracker.
If you’re just playing with some friends, and they aren’t exactly top level players, you’ll probably just want to play a tight/aggressive style and only get involved in confrontations when you have the best hand.
Regardless, every table you play in your entire life will require you to adjust to the table dynamics that surround you. No two poker tables are the same.
Some nights, you may have a loose aggressive player to your left, who’s been extremely lucky and has acquired a massive chip stack. If that’s the case, you don’t want to get out of line trying to bluff him, you want to trap him for all his money.
Other times, you may find yourself at a table full of loose, bad players. People who get their money in before the flop with the worst hands, fail to raise when they should be raising, and call you all the way down to the river. You’ll want to beat them with valuable hands, and avoid bluffing your chips away to people who aren’t smart enough to fold to a bluff.
In live tournaments, you’ll get the opportunity to play with the same group of players for extended periods of time. In higher stakes games, these players probably know what they’re doing. Smart players are susceptible to bluffs, and big plays. Get creative and beat them at their own game.
Every table you will sit at is going to have a different dynamic. Remember that against weak players, you need to play strait forward poker. Bet when you have the best hand and expect to get called. Against strong players, you’ll need to outplay them. Strong players aren’t afraid to fold, even if they think they may be being bluffed.
In no limit hold ‘em, it’s always more about the players than it is the cards. Play weak players in a strait forward manner. Save the bluffs and tricky plays for the good players, the players more likely to respect the plays. Be aware of the players around you, and adjust your style to counteract their styles.
And that my friends, is the key to being a successful no limit hold ‘em player.