Poker is a multi-faceted game and there are many areas a player will need to work on, in order to become the best player he or she possibly can be. It is often said that position is the key to winning poker games; bankroll management is cited by many as the most vital of skills to learn in order to make it; timing is thought by many to crucial. Of course, all of these things are important.
One aspect of poker that is just as important in becoming successful, but that is often misunderstood, is that of table image. To many budding players, table image seems quite simple. Are you a loose player that likes to splash around, a tight player who only plays aces or perhaps a maniac, capable of raising from anywhere with any two cards?
That is a small part of the concept of image and of course, it has some uses. Stereotypes can offer valuable information in the first hour of a poker game; the loud, talkative man might well turn out to be loose on the felt; the quiet, shy woman may well turn out to be a rock. This is obviously not one hundred percent effective, but it will do until we learn more about a player.
It must be understood though, that table image is dynamic. Poker players, no matter how experienced, can sometimes forget this important fact.
Just because a guy has raised three hands in a row, it doesn’t necessarily mean he is a maniac. How do you know he hasn’t had three premium pocket pairs? Similarly, a player folding a lot may just be on a dry run of cards. Don’t assume that a raise means Aces.
You can spend hours in a tournament working on your image, showing hands, mucking hands, raising, folding. It is important to remember though, just how dynamic that image still is. Consider how you look to other people at all times and be ready to take advantage. Let’s say you have a tight image and you choose to play a hand, but you take a bad beat. The table lets out a collective “ouch” and you are dealt aces. Why not overplay them? The table may think that the rock is now steaming and you might take down a bigger pot than usual.
It’s also worth remembering, that not everyone is as good as you. You can cultivate a table image for hours, but not everyone is watching. A bluff with air means nothing, despite your watertight image, if the guy you’re betting into isn’t paying attention.
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