Table
image is one aspect of poker and online poker that can only be
understood with experience. This is a perfect example demonstrating how
poker is based on psychology, mental pictures inferred from incomplete
information, and ultimatelydeception for those who know how to abuse
this concept.In a nutshell, your table image in poker
represents what other people at the table think about the way you play
poker. If you play online poker at a high traffic room such as Full Tilt Poker, a large proportion of the players at your table will not know you from before.Poker"DEMOCRACY"
The only information that they have about you is the hands that they
have seen you play so far in the current session. From a small sample of
hands, they need to infer your playing style.
The concept of table image applies to all form of poker, ring games,
tournaments, full ring, 6-max, holdem, omaha, etc. Indeed it applies to
many types of games and even to chess. Many great masters have won big
titles by changing their style, such as Kasparov when he defeated Karpov
for the world title.
Use your Poker Table Image
For illustration of the table image concept in poker, let us
say that you have been playing at one online table for about one hour
with a few unknowns for a total of fifty hands. The question is how much
difference could there be between the way you played these fifty hands,
and your real playing style. The simple answer is: it depends.
- Usually 50 hands will suffice to provide a pretty good picture of how a player plays poker.Maniacs can be spotted very rapidly as they dictate most of the action at a table. Conversely a rock will not attract attention, but will be labeled as such if you use a head-up display. The key is to use a poker HUD that will profile all players quickly.
If you are new to online poker, you need to know that regular players
will very quickly detect you as a novice player because the HUD does not
lie. From the beginning of your online poker career, you should focus
on having correct VPIP/PFR/AG in order not to look like a fish and attract the floating sharks.
The more interesting aspect of poker table image is
that sometimes you can use it to your advantage, and some renowned
players like Mike Caro are famous for their table image manipulation. In
the case of this 50 hands example, imagine that you normally play a
quite standard style somewhere between LAG & TAG, and that you were
mostly dealt bad cards, hence you have folded a lot in the current
session.
For players who do not know you, you will appear like a very cautious
rock only playing premium hands. One way to use your current table image
given this situation is to start making some aggressive moves with
hands that you would normally fold. You should steal the blinds more
frequently. You should attempt a few pre-flop raises or 3-bets in
position if the players in front of you do not seem too dangerous.
Change your Poker Table Image by mixing your game
The result of having developed a very tight image "by chance" is that
you should now expect a lot of respect from your observant opponents who
consider you like a solid player even though they do not really know
how you play poker. Change gear now and start to increase your VPIP/PFR.
If you become loose enough, your image will deteriorate to the point
where some of your opponents will start doubting your bets.
This is part of what is called mixing your game. At this stage you want
to start building the image of a loose or very loose player. You may
attempt some cheap bluffs, and if you get finally caught, this is not
only bad news.
Now your image is the one of a loose fish with no credibility. Your
image has totally changed and most players will have forgotten that they
initially though that you were a rock. Anyway after one hour of online
poker, half the players will have changed and will have only seen your
more recent image.
You are now waiting for premium cards or for flopping a very strong hand. This is when your new table image will
pay off. Bet aggressively and get called or raised by unbelievers. This
is how you win the big pots, by making people call your huge hands.
Let us say that this session lasted 100 hands, the first 50 you played
like a rock, the last 50 very LAG. The average of these 100 hands will
appear like an average TAG-LAG style with nothing noteworthy. But what
the HUD cannot tell (not yet) is that you mixed your game a lot and
projected the wrong image in order to mislead your generously donating
opponents.
Using your table image at the poker table depends on how
observant your opponents are, but note that all players are observant to
some extent. Also note that image has some "latency".
Say, if you are perceived as a rock and start bluffing like a psycho
maniac just escaped from the asylum. It will take a few hands for your
opponents to adjust. Initially they will tend to always fold to your
bets. Quickly you will tend to always getting called. Master the latency
and you have mastered the mixing style strategy.
Table image is one of the weapons in the arsenal of great
players. Use it for yourself and know when your opponents are using it
against you by changing gear and trying to lull you and your chips.
Playing video poker online can be great fun, and can be experienced from
wherever in the world you are. For example, there are many online poker
UK websites which offer a great range of online poker games, complete
with their own signup offers and bonuses, and at some websites you can
even play video poker slots, a twist on playing slot machines.
Poker"DEMOCRACY"
