Finding the magic button.

Virtual table or live, there is all sorts of information moving around. Limped, raised, reraised, early, mid, late, slow, fast, talking trash, not saying a word, it is all about information. Find out what sort of man is sitting across the felt from you. Now the man’s priorities can change over the course of the game, but how he thinks will remain constant. If you can curl yourself into his mind, you have already won.

Sounds simple right. Well, think of all the little things that can tick you off. Slow drivers, guys that have that “I am superior” vibe to them, being late, girl friend troubles, ……. Ok, now what does this have to do with poker? Well all can put a different spin on how we are facing a situation. If you are pissed, will you be more aggressive? If you are distracted will you see all the clues to the puzzle? You really want to take that smug look off of that guys face; will you really notice the guy who is setting a trap for him?

What sort of hands does he limp? Is he consistent in his play? Is he observant of position? What situations does he raise or reraise? How often does he limp, and then call a raise? What sort of bets does he make post flop? Does he bet the full pot, half, min after raising it preflop? Does he always bet things in a consistent manner?

There is a lot to this wonderful game. Play a game with yourself. See how long it takes to come up with 10 true statements about each of the guys you are playing with every time. The more you can think of, the easier you will find it to get a good idea of where they are at in any given hand.