If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.
Sun-Tzu
I have found many of Sun-Tzu strategies in The Art of War can be relatable to poker. Each tournament you play, each cash session, each SnG, all are little wars taken place. You have clear cut winners and losers each time determined by your ending bankroll. If you fully understand your game and the game of the players at the table (by observation) you have no fear, you will own that table or tournament. If you know your game well but no one else’s, though you may win, you will also lose (take notes). If you are unsure of your game and any ones else’s…let’s face it, you’re a fish.
With a little experience, you will eventually be able to identify certain types of players. Does then mean you will now win every time? Nope! It will however, tilt the advantage to your side by having knowledge about how the other player plays. Want to win more money? Observe your opponents playing style and betting patterns while you are playing. Take some notes, most sites have note-taking abilities right there on the site.
What type of notes? Do they like to see a flop no matter what the bet? Will they stay in a pot with over cards? Do they chase any flush or straight draw? Will they fold to aggressive play if they miss the flop? Do they go into call mode if they hit any piece of the flop? Will they bluff?
Try to jot down anything they may help you make a better decision when faced with a difficult bet. A bet NOT made can be a money saver too. As I go into the general types of players you will come up against, try to keep in mind your play. You want to vary your game up enough that you do not fall in any of these categories for a long time.
The loose poker player – stays in round after round no matter his cards. Likes to see flops and could be playing any two cards t. Since this type of poker player rarely folds, the loose player may win some pots with cards that will shock you, but by staying in too long in hands, this player also loses a lot of pots.
The tight poker player – plays conservatively and rarely stays in a hand there is good chance to win it. Tight poker players rarely chase draws, and they hold on until the time is right and raise bets when confidence. It is not long before you figure out that this player only bets the best hands. Not a lot of thinking here, if this type of player bets or raises, you better be real strong
The aggressive poker player – similar to the loose poker player as they tend to stay in with weak hands but are also likely to raise a hand instead of just calling. The aggressive poker player may simply enjoy the action at the poker table, could be bluffing or just having fun. The danger of this player is that they will play AA the same as 72os.
Passive poker player – they are tight players yet not as skilled. They are not risk takers, will fold poker hands early, hardly ever raise, and practically never bluff. They play poker with a lack of confidence, check and then calling down monsters and calling your every bet. If you do run up against one of these players they will eventually save you tons of money. Since they rarely raise, there monster hands against you will not cost you much.
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