My previous Classic Article was about spotting losers in a poker game. This one will be a continuation by finding the winners at the table. To be a winner, you have to know who the other winners are and ultimately need to have those traits and abilities to negotiate the long hard path to success at the poker table. Like identifying the losers at the table, finding the winners will mean separating the different kinds of players that make up that pool of people. Before even playing the first hand, you should try to identify each of the winning players at the table. Along with that, also determine how each plays and what style he has. Then, try to get a seat that gives you the position that you feel that gives you the best chance to capitalize on other players’ weaknesses and avoid their strengths.
Rocks
The rocks, or so called nits, are the easiest to spot. Almost all of them are able to at least stay about even in the game. The better ones will win some money over the long haul but usually not a great amount. Rocks are hardly ever are in a hand and usually have easy to notice things they do. Most will stack their chips very carefully and keep them in orderly piles as their chips do not move much and these players want to have them under control. Rocks tend to not talk much and be less personable in the game as they know they really do not fit in with the other players that gamble more.
Unfortunately, merely playing very tight lets you win in many of the games. So, rocks win solely because of this and most of that money comes from bad players that call too much. Those that make better plays and reads are the ones who win enough to get by. Quite often, the older players are the rocks as many are just trying to last in the game and are not really trying to make much money. When you play pots with rocks, you should, of course, have a monster hand, a big draw, or be setting them up for a bluff if you are sure of what they have and you feel they will let the hand go. If the rocks are getting the best of you in the game, it certainly means you are not playing them well, as rocks are easy to make small amounts of money from while almost never losing a big pot to them. Use caution and pick at them, adding to your return in the game.
Careful-Methodical
Watch out for the careful methodical players. This type of player wins often and is hard to beat. You will notice that they think about most of their decisions and put their chips in deliberately and not splash them around. Each decision is based on what they feel is the correct play and not on emotion at all. All of us should be this tenacious. Making plays based on how we feel at the moment or what has happened in the near past affects our win rate as these plays rarely ever are correct unless by accident. Working on removing emotion from play is a real key to profit. The methodical player is always thinking and planning his moves, so be less likely to bluff him as he will spot any weakness in your bet if it deviates from his read on the hand. Play hard at them and have good hands, but also be prepared to call bluffs in places you realize you show weakness. This player is probably one of the best to pick off bluffs from the winning pool of players. You may do better against him by leading him to call by making him think you are bluffing or by manipulating him to bluff into you rather than making money from his hand against your hand.
Tight-Aggressive
Tight aggressive players win the most money of anyone in the poker world. Fewer hands are entered by this group and when they do play it is with force. They bet very aggressively and force weaker players to make mistakes from the pressure. Raises are the normal thing to expect when you make bets at them, and their raises are often to squeeze out people and gain position. Average winning players tend not to do these moves as it increases your variance and with that, sends you home loser more often than a grinding style. However, with that risk big rewards come, and larger wins than those that do not capitalize on smaller edges. Playing against this person is the toughest of all as you must call more often in spots you are unsure and fold many times that you would have had the best hand but cannot continue on because of bad situations you find yourself in, such as calling double or larger bets with players yet to act behind you. Watch and learn from them; this is the style you will want to emulate to the extent it fits into your mode and style of play.
Looser-Wild
One small group of people seems to win despite the way they play. This is the looser- wilder-bet anything type of person who is flamboyant and personable. This style is hard to play against and totally destroys the weak players that are looking to call someone in big pots. Those that play this style and are actually good players entice the gambling players to want to only be with them in pots. It can be hard to distinguish this good player from one that plays just like that but is not a good player. It takes time to see his good plays and how he handles the gamblers in pots. He can win large pots without great hands by getting calls that other players only dream about because of his making others think he really does not have much of a hand judging by past plays. When the money goes in though, he seems to have the winner more often then not.
That bad loose reckless player is one you want to play against and the good player less so. You can profit from the good player of this type by carefully getting into his pots when he is weak and trying to beat him and also the bad players in his pots. Be very wary if he is in a pot with only better players as you will find he is not gambling then and has the goods on them. Incorporating this style partly into yours when the situation is right can yield great rewards. However, be extra careful not to take it too far as you lose sight of what is right and wrong in the game. Only a very few can play this way often and survive. Those that can are a sight to see.
Overall, winning players will be found in all games and places. It pays to spot them and learn what works and what does not work. Your game will improve faster by emulating their good traits, and fitting those traits into your style of play to make yourself a more well rounded player. Most players get into a rut and play the same way despite the changes in the game and players. You will find the great players playing totally different hands and styles of play based on their opponents and how they want their opponents to play against them.
