I know there is a poker tells section but my questions is not about any specific tell.

I am wondering what things you look for in player first. There is so much information being thrown around a poker table it is hard to know what habits are the most exploitable.

I usually begin by looking for bluffs. In my $1-2 games there are a good number of players who never bluff. It helps me classify players if I can figure out which ones will occasionally run a bluff.

I am thinking about paying closer attention to bet sizing in my next session. If a player bets bigger than normal make a mental note of it and hope to see his hand strength by the river.

Has anyone tried this? or does anyone have some advice about easier habits to pick up on?

I think reads can be broken down into 3 parts:

1) Cards
2) Bets
3) People

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What I mean by "cards" is what people showdown with and how they got there I feel like is the most important thing.

I think this is the most important aspect of reads and what new players should think about 1st

If they don't 3! a MP/LP open while OTB with AK, they are basically never 3! anything but PPs

If they check back somewhat strong hands OTR IP, then when they bet they are basically nutted.

If they check/call boards vs lead out.

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What I mean by "bets" is the amount people bet.

Things like "same bet" or overbetting the pot or just large bets in $ amounts

This is less important because it's going to ultimately be harder to correlate and you won't see bets every hand because of folds, where as people will routinely show cards even if hands end before showdown, so you can correlate more to what they do with cards

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What I mean by "people" is the movie tells everyone wants to think are important. These are typically "live reads" because 1 is just hand reading and 2 is just bet sizing tells, both of which are prevalent live and online.

ZOMG, he didn't eat his Oreo this time, he must be weak.... can't see that through a computer screen.

They are a small part of the game and if you don't have fundamentals down and the above 2 categories, I wouldn't even bother looking for this stuff. It takes a descent sample size to correlate movements to actions and unless you play the same player for long periods (like months+), you're probably going to only be following what you think it means

Granted, there are a few that are generally spot on with newer/bad players
- disgusted at the river card and jams is usually strength
- speeches are usually strength
Etc, etc

I bolded the first part for a big reason; because it isn't necessarily true. Some people will actually have too many bluffs on the river for this exact reason; they aren't betting their value hands.

So if they have KJ and the board runs out KJ8-4-T and they check behind, it doesn't mean that they're only betting flopped sets and better. It means they're betting flopped sets and better, OR a bluff.

Of course for some opponents, that bluff frequency is 0 and you can default to superhero folds.

I don't disagree at higher levels but at 1/2 Vs are showdown monkeys. Most of the time when a V has a relatively strong hand they should be value betting on the river and as you pointed out, some Vs just don't bluff

There's about 3 reads I personally give a lot of credit to:

1) Preloading a muck (villain holding his cards like he's ready to muck)
2) Staring intently at the board/you (villain has a big hand)
3) Speech (villain has a big hand)

I'm with this 100%, and personally think Cards & Bets make up close to 95% of the value we can get from our 'reads'. If it's your first session against the other players, I would disregard the 3rd category entirely and only employ those reads once the first 2 categories are rock solid.

It is likely to do you more harm than good.

1)Speech Play
2)What J_O_T_S said

Tells are also relative to someones range.

FWIW, this is how I hold all of my hands preflop (with the exception of posting a BB where I cap my cards).

Glikeeverything,nothingis100%reliableG

Well yea because you fold every hand.

For me, the first thing I always look for at any table is an idea of how much their stack means to them in real life. If the $500 looks like daily play money or if it looks like next weeks rent, that's the first thing I want to work out.

Cheers

This is not a thread on tells, of which there are far too many, but on how you build reads on a player. Please stop with the tells, and if you're interested in those, go bump one of the old threads.

As for how I build reads on a player, the first thing I look at is generic stereotype stuff. Age, dress, ethnicity, jewelry, loudness, etc. Then I look at their actions to see if they generally fit the stereotype for that group. If they fit twice I assume that they fit usually until proven otherwise.

Next thing I look for is showdowns. What people showed down, and how they got there. Especially at $1/2 there are usually way too many showdowns, so there is a ton of info there. How much did they value top pair? How aggressive? How passive? How married to a weak made hand? How much do they pay to draw? Do they semi-bluff? Can they bet-size? etc. etc. etc.

are they social or wearing earbuds
how much of a stack and how are they stacked
race/age/gender
if they have a large stack I ask the players to my left/right how the player got them
then adjust as you see showdown cards and actions

I've never seen someone ask someone else how another person got their stack. I don't know how I would answer if someone asked me. He/She won them?

- Can they thin value bet? Look for hands that go to show down
- Are they an auto c-better, if so how often do they DB?
- If they DB, is it for value or air?
- How do they play draws


You don't need to start with all of these. For me, to keep things very simple, if i'm in a HU or 3 way pot and the PFR c-bet it doesn't phase me. I look at the sizing, but in this day in age everyone is c-betting. Things gets interesting on the turn. If they're the pfr and they db pay attention to the hand if it goes to show down. If they check and the hand go to show down, pay attention. What will this tell you? They're either db for value or bluff, and/or checking or checking back sdv or air. This is a huuuuge betting pattern. start with this and build on it.

remember, I'm just sitting down lets say in 8 seat and 2 seat has $1500 plus in a 1-2 game with $300 buyin
I might say something like 2 seats been on a heater by the looks of it? to which you will usually get a comment of he plays any 2 and been hitting flops or AA vs KK stacked the 3 seat and then set over set stacked the 5 seat . It also gives me the chance to start setting my image , likeable talking social guy who you don't mind losing your stack to

Really? How long have you been playing? I hear that question asked in at least 50% of my sessions (sometimes not by me, but another person sitting down at the table)

Especially if someone has a really deep stack.

The most important things you need to look at are:

• What is their raising range from all positions
• Do they play draws slow or fast
• Do they have a fold button
• Are they sticky
• How do they respond to 3bets both in and out of position
• Do they love or hate money (if they love it, you can bluff them when flushes complete, or over cards, etc).
• Do they raise to protect or do they raise as a semi bluff

Then use these things to your advantage. The most important thing you should be noticing is what is their raising range. If they raise any two broadways from all positions, you know you can easily 3bet them light from the blinds. If they're foldy to 3bets, you can widen your light 3bet range against them. If they're sticky pf, obv narrow that range.

I don't think bet sizing is as important as their ranges, but some players do have some noticeable bet sizing issues. For example if they 3x raise from early position, it's usually a multiway hand and they're trying to build a pot. Those player are easily exploitable by 3betting them light (especially if they get multiple callers and I'm in the BB with KTo. Those squeeze plays sometimes are like finding dollar bills on the sidewalk and sweeping them up).

dammmmmmmmnn.

BWAHAHAHA. if this was reddit, this would be the most liked comment of all time.

Some solid advice in here about paying attention to raises and how sticky guys get. Probably the two things I pay attention to most when I’m bum hunting.

I've seen players that come back from a smoke or bathroom break and miss a big hand ask what happened. I've never seen a new player sit down and ask how someone got his chips.

I'm not making a judgment on whether its good or bad, I just don't think you are going to gain any valuable information by asking.

It's just a conversation starter. The correct response to their answer would be a light-hearted joke - something like "that's crazy!" or "guess we know who the gambler is here".

I agree with you in the general sense, it's not a question that you should expect to build reads on, UNLESS you accidentally ask the table Reg and you actually gain some insight.

Physical Appearance / Table Presence (hoodies, sunglasses, age, sex, comfort level, chip handling, power posing, etc.)

Frequencies Pre/Post (limp/call, limp/fold, open-raise, 3-bet, CBet, Donk Bet, etc.)

Showdowns & how they got there (as others have noted)

Add all this together and you should have a decent portrait of what you're up against.

This is how I stereotype people when I first sit down.

Under 35 with a hoodie plus headphones and/or shades - probably a TAG type
Leather jacket, Metallica shirt, denim vest and/or cowboy hat - probably a gambler
Middle aged woman - probably a passive nit
Asian under 35 - probably aggressive
Black guy under 35 - probably spewy
Old guy - nit until proven otherwise
Loud guy - probably a donk/whale/station

After playing an orbit or two, it's pretty easy to figure out who the fish are. Anyone open limping I automatically assume to be a fish. Anyone drinking I automatically assume to be a fish. Anyone not playing a lot of hands and only really raising I automatically assume to be at least half-decent (until they do or say something idiotic which happens quite a bit).

Paying attention to the bottom of someone's range at showdown is also a huge clue as to how they play. Old guy 3 bets and showed 87s? Maybe he's not a nit. The loud guy you thought was a station tank called a set on the river instead of snap calling? Maybe he's not a station.