Note: Just reread, it's a bit long. Sorry.

Hi guys, I've just recently came to a realization that proved to me how much I don't know about poker. I have been playing in a very juicy home game for about 3-4 months about 2 to 3 times a week and sometimes also play live at a nearby casino. I have been beating this game quite easily this whole time but anyone here could. There are maybe 1-2 somewhat thinking players.

My realization came from watching a DC video of BalugaWhale where after 2-3 hands with a villain he has a read on something the villain does and he uses it on his future decisions. I started thinking about players I play at this home game and what reads I have of them... I have pretty much nothing. The most I know is one player who is pretty nitty and never raises. I know 99% sure if he is raising he's got the nuts/monster. It's useful info but it only took me 3 months to notice it. My reads only go as far as, this guy is TAG/LAG/Fish. On a recent session I don't know how but I noticed this player I have played a lot with was cbetting almost 100% of flops and I was able to use it to float him lightly, checkraise him, etc and it was super profitable.

This does not come naturally to me. I have ADD and have trouble paying attention especially when I don't know what I'm supposed to be paying attention to.

My questions are, how do you get these reads on players? What types of things do you try to notice and remember? How do you develop this skill and practice it? What are other examples of reads that are common to start noticing?

I apologize for the long post but I'm excited to learn more about this.

You focus on one thing at a time and eventually it becomes automatic.

The most reliable read will be sizing tells. Players tend to bet weak when weak and strong when strong. So first, focus on sizing tells, that is, how each player bets according to the size of the pot vs. their hand strength.

Next, focus on body language and overall demeanor. When a player is strong they are generally very relaxed and they also have an adrenaline dump which means they will be breathing very heavily and trembling a little bit. When a player is weak or bluffing they typically are very still and don't want to draw attention to themselves...

In any event, not to write a book. There are books on "tells" you can get, the above is a quick and dirty...

there are also a few tells threads running around here

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/17...-tells-836316/

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/17...tells-1189055/

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/17...icant-1153848/

there you go,

enjoy

Thanks dgi, I'm not looking for tells per say. I know by saying reads it could be taken that way, I'm not sure what the word is. Let me give an example, Baluga was going over some hands and he noticed(got a "read") that a player would bluff/cbet the flop on dry boards and if he had nothing give up and check on the turn and fold to a bet so it was easy money to float and then steal when he gave up.

Welcome ajax,
I'm relatively new to live play, too, and facing the same problems. I try to focus on one thing at a time. In a raised pot, I focus on the pf raiser. Does he cbet? How much (percentage of pot, fixed amt, etc?) Into how many people? Is he IP or OOP? Does he double-barrel? And if the hand goes to showdown, make sure you see what hand he tables. That will give you a ton of info on how he plays. Then you can give him a 'label' and use that when you are in hands with him. If you can do this for most villains at the table, you will be fine. gl.

Back when I had a goals and challenges thread I came up with this list. I think it's still pretty good...

- For those villains who view bet sizes as absolute dollars, when do they consider a bet "big".
- On what street do they start respecting bets?
- Will they cbet when they miss? Heads up? into 2 players... 3?
- Will they check back flops they hit seeking value on future streets or do they almost always bet their hand?
- Does he always check when he misses flop? These guys are better candidates to play drawing hands like SCs against.
- What does their post flop aggression mean? What do they show down when they have check/raised or reraised turn... flop... often this is very consistent. Particularly is check raise always 2pair plus or will they do it with top pair or draws.
- What does their min raise mean?
- Will he bluff missed draws?
- Will he bluff raise rivers?
- Is he a habitual bettor when checked to?
- What is his PF 3 betting range? Is it AA and KK only? AKs? Wider?
- Will he value bet thin? Will he value bet even when scare cards hit?
- Will he chase draws with bad odds?
- Does he fall in love with TPGK?
- If he opens light does he always call a 3 bet? Will he play fit or fold in 3bet pots?
- Button opening range
- Blind calling range
- Limp calling range
- Will he play draws aggressively? Semibluff... reraise etc.
- Will he go after orphan pots
- What is his flop continuing range? Top pair strong draw only? any pair + draw? over cards? etc.
- will he float flops?

Thanks cAmmando, that's exactly what I was looking for. I just had my best session last night both money wise and also mentally I felt in complete control. I decided to pick just a few things that would cover from Preflop to the river and also mostly where it would be easy to exploit my opponents but these are the ones I felt where most profitable.

Preflop
-How often they raise and fold to a 3bet.

Flop
-How often are they cbetting in what texture.
-Do they check raise.
-Do they slow play big hands, what texture.

Turn
-What does a turn check mean after preflop aggression. Do they give up.

River
-Are they bluffing their missed draws
-How small a hand are they capable of calling with(big one!)
-How big a hand are they capable of folding(not a big one)

If it goes to showdown or they decide to show their cards then I would add based on what I was paying attention earlier what their 3bet range is, how light they were calling one with, what they were check raising the flop with, how light they were floating the flop, cbetting the flop, etc. I was already doing these bottom things before which mostly deal with ranges reads but it was hard for me without having something else go with it and those above thing really helped me.

One quick read that never fails are this:

When the flop comes down rainbow with one Ace in it and a dude looks back to his cards and bets, you can be 100% he's not got an Ace. If he bets, you raise him with ATC and he will probably fold. If he checks you bet at that flop with confidence. Usually most people remember an Ace in their hand and don't have to look back. So when they look back they don't have it. Period!

Don't worry about his ranges or anything else. The main question now is if he's got the Ace or not.

Here is another play that almost never fails in no-limit hold’em. You have always to consider your opponent. You have to get inside his head. You need to know the guy that you pulling this on, he’s a good player and he’s thinking along the same lines that you’re thinking. You also have to be behind him and let him act first.

So, he’s raising and you call him.
Here comes the flop right here: J, J, 3 and he bets which usually the guy who raised the pot will lead and bet at the pot. So, this guy leads off and bets at the pot.

You don’t raise him, you just call him. Now, actually here is his hand: he’s got an Ace, King (AK), perhaps he may have a big pair here, it still usually works. And here’s your hand 7 5. You got nothing.

But when he bets and you call him, he immediately thinks: “He probably got a Jack and he just waits for me to come home”

And, regardless what comes if he checks you bet at this pot and even if he’s got AA or KK he usually will call you there but when the last card comes and you make a real big big bet almost invariably he’ll fold. Again, you have to be aware of who you play against. It goes back playing against people. If this guy is a good player, he’s thinking along same lines I just described, this play works 90% of the time. At least 90%

It doesn’t matter what your two cards are. This goes back to playing your people instead your cards. This guy just can’t help to think that I’ve got a Jack here. There’s no draw out there, I don’t have a big pair or I would’ve raise him. So, he says: “What is he got? - He’s got a Jack because I bet and he called me”

This are some of the most sophisticated plays in Hold’em but you don’t want to be trying them against the suckers. You don’t try them against amateurs. This are sophisticated plays against good players. But if the players don’t understand what you’re trying to convey you just wasting your time and wasting your money. You can’t make a sophisticated play against an unsophisticated player. Always remember that.

AK

Just a note on river play... Specifically how light will villain call. If you are observing the hand and the opponent you are observing is calling down or folding to a river bet you need to consider how your image stacks up vs the other villain.

For example because I tend to value bet a bit thin and because they may see me bluffing flushes when I miss my other draws I might get looked up lighter by some opponents where they need stronger hands to call down in hands I'm observing.

You are def on the right track to make these observations though. Then plan to exploit the most reliable of these.