I thought this could have gone in Poker theory but in the end I went with Mortar and Brick because it seemed more appropriate.

I'm sure this has been covered quite extensively but I wanted to see if anything has changed since the increase in online-to-live pros. Not just our perception of those former online pros, but also how whales, fishes, and regulars (good or bad), view poker. For example, recently I've noticed that over betting with the nuts have gotten me called quite often by a certain set of players who tags me instantly as an online player or a young aggro Asian kid.

Before I dive deeper I'd like to say that its my own observations and not an absolute truth and just want to hear what people think, but I also won't mind if you want to "get real" with me, I'm pretty open in that sense.

I am a 21-year-old Asian guy, and when I'm at the table I try to give off the overly aggro gambling Asian degenerate kid vibe, when in reality I'm not(I hope). I do try to use it to my advantage when I over bet with nuts and almost always get called.

I think stereotypes in general are dumb because just like in the aforementioned example, people can use it to their advantage.

2-3 years ago when I was crushing live poker, I loved it when a young guy I've never met sat down. Now, I observe them carefully. I don't really care too much for the Sunglasses and Noise reduction headphones ones, as they tend to think they are way too smart for their game which makes it easy to use against them.

On a sort of embarrassing side note, I used to sort of fear white guys in there 20-30's who make a full buy in and stare at me when I sit down. They always seem to know what I'm thinking =/ LOL it's irrational but it happened until I caught it.

When I sit in a capped game I like to see who bought in for the max and who is short stacking. But like I said, on the other side of the spectrum when I sit down at an unfamiliar game, I buy in for a weird amount. Like if the max is 1k I buy in for like 925. Although if I do get it all in I lose 75 of value, but I get a lot more action when I buy in using hundreds and twenties, and tens and fives and dig for some ones (:

It says something when someone pulls out 10k from their pocket in 100's and buys in for 1500 full with 100's. On a second side note, I find people who buy in using their pocket full of "big chips" are almost always pretty good. I mean come on, bigger games like 10-20nl can warrant it for average players, but for games like 1.5k max 5/10 at commerce, you don't need to buy in using a pink chip.

In an uncapped game I also buy weird numbers sometimes to make it seem like I play occasionally and bought in for all my money.

I think middle aged and older men who wear sunglasses while they play tend to think they are geniuses at the game and should win every pot they are in. They try to be tricky by flatting AA pre and complain when 910 calls them, and cracks them when the flop goes J,8,7.

Flashy people tend to be fishes which is why I try to look as average as possible.


This is just the beginning of stereotypes that we know/think are true. What do you guys think? (I have more but this is to hopefully get the conversation rolling)

Stereotypes are often dangerous for your poker BR health. Unless you play with mostly the same crowd "anybody can be somebody pretending to be anybody" at a casino table! lol Look how some stereotype you! Better to work on reads long term if you can, and if your tables are usually filled with unfamiliar folks, let them make the stereotyping errors. GL to you sir.

Wouldn't it be +EV for people to think you are a loose, degen, fish?

A very reliable stereotype is that people who rely much on stereotypes are usually rather inexperienced players....
Seriously, nearly all of the various stereotypes probably have some basis, but they're not very accurate or reliable, and they lose any value they might have very quickly, if you can simply observe how people actually play as individuals.

The point was not to use stereotypes for our reads, which doesn't have much weight in my own decision making, but to use it to our advantage. Meaning doing little stuff that may get you more action. Bad players tend to "know" a lot of things such as "I knew you had xx" or "I knew you were going to bet" etc, and they also tend to know "internet players can potentially be holding K8o when they 3 bet pre.

I misspoke, I meant I try to avoid looking as average as possible. I try to make it look splashy and like winning or losing doesn't matter, etc.

Again, there's nothing wrong with this, but it will only work for a very short time against even semi-experienced players. But if you enjoy it, and if it works for you, go right ahead.
Actually, I do know a few serious LV pro's who very deliberately dress and act like clueless tourists, so I guess it can work if you have a fairly steady flow of new players to fool. But this only gives more weight to my point about watching what other people actually do, not what they say or the initial stereotype they may fit.

we're all cheap

really? i always assume they are gamblers from the dark side and thinking about giving poker a try.

Whats ur avatar from Zak

That's a very interesting point. I do feel they are likely from pit games when they have a variety of small chips they add on as well (20's,5's,1's) etc... but when someone sits at commerce 5/10 with a pocket full of blue or pink chips its more "intimidating" too in a way to the amateurs and fish.

can't remember. i found it a few years ago shortly joining 2p2. trust me, you're not the first to ask.




fair point. The first thing i do when i enter a card room is to buy a handful of high denomination chips. That way I project the image of a casual gambler from the pits. I've been doing this for over two years

In summary, if you enter a poker table with a rack full of chips, you look like a intimidating poker pro. if you have a handful of high denomination chips, you look like a casual gambler. If you have a fistful of hundreds, you look like a pro. If you're digging in your pockets to find the forgotten 5s and 1s, you look like a bum. If you pull out money from a wallet you look... normal.

What hell is there to stereotype? You basically have 3 types of players:
1. Winners who will become losers given enough time.
2. Losers.
3. Losers who have lost to the point of becoming casino employees.

.

^ lmao.

Poker350's summation is possibly the most succinct, accurate, terrifyingly eye opening assessment of current B&M players I have ever come across. It is causing me to reevaluate my entire world view (seriously).

AW

I concur (:

Old guy : will lose a lot of chips limp calling but will never bet without what he thinks is the nuts.

Anyone wearing a suit: fish

Anyone under thirty who looks really dishevelled: good player#

Anyone who has loads of hundreds and sits down in a 1/2, 1/3 game : casino fish, expect him to never fold and want to gamble a lot. Thankfully the casino I go to in London issues different 100chips on the casino cash desk so this is apparent!