The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Knowing your opponent at a glance.
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Often times, when you sit down at a poker table, the first thing you should be considering is who your opponents are. Are they good, bad? Solid but tilty after a loss? Do they have any specific betting patterns? How about time delays between bets? Do they bluff a little? Do they bluff too much? Do they stack off with one pair? Do they fold everything except the nuts?
While knowing specific details of your opponent is ideal, I can usually tell very fast if they are going to stack off with top pair, average kicker. Or if they will chase draws without proper odds. Or that they are bluffaholics. |
In fact, if I’m at a $200 or lower table, I can usually tell instantly. Wanna know how?
Chip Stack.
That’s right. Chip stack. It says it all. And here is what all of it is.
Biggest Chipstack on the table = Good Player
Smallest chip stack on the table = Bad Player.
So here are the rules: |
3 X’s or more the max buy in for a table = Respect. Unless proven otherwise. Absolutly no stacking off with top pair, top kicker. Even a weak two pair or trips on a scary board will probably not be good. Bluffable, but may be hard to do so.
2 X’s the buy in = Respect, unless proven otherwise. Still not stacking TPTK, but will with trips or two pair, and maybe on a scary board (flush and straight potential). Bluffable
1X the buy in = Average joe. Could go either way. I probably wont stack TPTK, unless he’s frisky. In which case, he’ll probably be in the next lower category very soon. Usually bluff able.
Less than 70% the buy in = probably fishy. I’ll watch this guy close, but already assume his game has some major flaws. Barring other info, I’ll assume he will pay off my hands. I’ll probably have a hard time bluffing him.
Less than 35% the buy in = total fish. I’ll happily stack with TPTK, or some other halfway decent hand. I won’t bluff. Guy’s most likely a calling station. |
Again, with everything else in poker, this is a “it depends” situation. But If I have nothing else to go on, I’d rather sit at a table with 4 short stacks, than 4 deep stacks. Winning players can be lucky, but usually, they are actually winning.
Remember, Most importantly, this is if I have NOTHING ELSE TO GO ON. Once they demonstrate that they play differently than their chipstack might imply, I will ignore their current stack, and play on what I learn. |
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