Psychology of online poker. Poker reading players at the poker table. Psychology in poker, interpretation of gestures and facial expressions of your opponents. High stakes: hunt for the rich

The game of poker is built on the basis of not only mathematical and logical, but also psychological laws. The concept of "psychology of the game of poker" includes all sorts of behavioral reactions, as well as any changes in the emotional and psychological nature that poker players face during the session.

It is the multidirectional vectors of poker that require from a professional player not only knowledge of the rules, the ability to calculate probabilities and logical thinking, but also an understanding of the basics of human psychology. A successful poker player must have a developed intuition, build a competent strategy, be able to read the opponent, influence his decision-making process and analyze his own behavior at the table from the point of view of psychology.

The longer a player is familiar with poker, the more obvious it becomes for him that the psychology of poker is one of the most important parts of the game, the understanding of which frees the poker player from unpleasant surprises at the table. Beginners often feel that poker psychology is too difficult to master, and therefore they prefer to master the basic skills of ABC strategy and do not even try to delve deeper into this issue. We hasten to assure you that this approach, although it can be successfully applied in the initial stages of the game, will only take your money in the long run. The Poker House website provides a series of short and understandable lessons that help you quickly understand the features of poker psychology in online and offline battles. Familiarize yourself with the materials of the section, and you will understand that it is actually much easier to conquer the psychological side of the game than it might seem at first glance.

The psychology of a poker player

The whole psychology of poker and the strategy associated with it is divided into 2 main subsections:

poker player's own psychology;
opponent's psychology.

The first subsection includes the analysis and understanding of one's own psychological blocks and characteristics. It is thanks to the ability to understand your own tells, as well as with the help of simple rules for fighting on tilt, that you can significantly improve your game. The psychology of a poker player in this case is understood as something like a session of independent psychoanalysis, and therefore this subsection of poker psychology would be most reasonable to conditionally title it as “Self-Control”. It will cover topics such as:

your readability for opponents;
the importance of creating an individual image at the table;
the need to change the line of play during the session;
ways to overcome tilt;
decision-making timing control, etc.

The second subsection of poker psychology includes the ability and ability of a player to determine the tells of opponents and use the knowledge gained for personal benefit. Understanding the motives and habits of opponents allows you to calculate the actions at the table several moves ahead and win without much difficulty. Conventionally, this subsection of poker psychology can be called "The ability to read the opponent." Concepts such as:

determination of the psychological state of the opponent by external signs;
determining the nature of the enemy;
recording notes;
levels of thinking, etc.

Learning the lessons of Poker House will not only help you master your self-control, but will also allow you to quickly and effectively analyze the gestures, behavior, speech and gaze of your opponent.

The psychology of online poker

The importance of studying the psychology of poker is often undeniable for most offline players, but online fans often find this part of the training redundant, which is completely in vain. Poker is always a game with incomplete information, and by limiting yourself to using a purely logical-mathematical approach, any poker player will only increase the dispersion of his sessions and lose extra money.

Of course, in a live game we can analyze the visual manifestations of an opponent's emotions, while in an online game we are limited only by statistical data, but this can often be quite enough to successfully apply a winning psychological strategy.

The psychology of online poker is based on understanding the frequency of an opponent making certain moves and remembering his reaction to various outcomes of fights. In this sense, the psychology of playing poker online becomes nothing more than counting statistics over the longest distances, however, some players have such a level of skill that they can calculate the tilt of an unfamiliar opponent even by minor changes in his level of aggression and other subtle signs. In addition, getting to know the basics of psychology helps online poker players to win much more often by effectively bluffing and creating a certain image at the table and playing hands correctly.

Improve with Poker House and poker psychology will soon become your reliable assistant on the way to mastering the professional level of poker.

poker psychology is of great importance at the gaming table in real life. Professional players can read your cards by facial expressions alone, not to mention gestures. But today's article is about the psychology of online poker.

When playing online poker, you cannot see the faces of your opponents and evaluate their behavior in a given situation. It is not always even possible to know the age and gender of your opponent. But you can watch the actions of opponents when playing their cards and combinations. And this is quite enough to assess the psychology of their game and apply the right strategy.

The first thing you should pay attention to is tilt. Many weak players go on tilt quite easily when losing or failing. For example, a tight player was sitting at the table with you, and after losing part of his stake (or all), he begins to enter the game often and constantly attacks. It is not difficult to understand that the opponent fell into tilt and began to bluff. In such a situation, you can easily hook him and take his entire steak. Especially if you are playing heads up, always offer that opponent a rematch. So watch the game and pay attention to such players!

Player notes. If you don't have poker software, you can still take notes on players. Many poker rooms support this feature. Of course, there are hundreds of thousands of online poker players and you will rarely play with the same opponent. But still, if you find fish at the table, then do not neglect this opportunity, because in the future one of these players will come across to you, and you will know that you can make good money on it.

Bluff online. In online poker, people are still more likely to bluff than in real poker. Since, by pressing the button, no one will see how they are shaking and worried, so it is much easier to bluff here. You yourself can bluff in some situations, but since bluffing is more effective against tight players, we look for them at our table. To find them, we will use the player search, which is available in the menu of poker rooms. We enter here all the nicknames of all our opponents and look at how many tables each of them plays. Players who play multiple tables will be tight because it is almost impossible to play loose multiple tables. You can try to bluff against such players. Read about how to bluff correctly in online poker.

Player styles. Always pay attention to what style your opponents play and how often they enter the game so that you can understand the range of hands they play. Even if you are not involved in the distribution, you should not be distracted from the game, look at the actions of your opponents and draw the appropriate conclusions. After the showdown, if you win - see what your opponents played using the replay button or the previous hand.

Auto rates. Online poker rooms have buttons that allow you to make an automatic move. For example: check-call, check-fold, raise any, etc. Many players use them, so if your opponent checks quickly, it's best to make the minimum bet, even if you have nothing. Most likely, the opponent has a quick check-fold, so a regular bet can take the pot. If your opponent check-calls, then most likely he has a strong hand. Thus, with the minimum bet, you can understand the strength of the opponent's hand or quickly take the pot.

As you can see, online poker psychology is based on observing the actions of other players sitting at the table and drawing conclusions from this. Watch the behavior of the players and try to understand how they play and move, and then you will win much more often.

For a long time, poker psychology was not included in the list of disciplines for study by those who learned the game. Most of the attention was paid to the mathematical component and technical education. Only in the last 15-20 years the psychology of poker has become the subject of active study and use in the game.

In the modern world, the psychological component is divided into two subspecies - self-control and miscalculation of opponents. Let's analyze each separately.

Self-control in the psychology of poker

In many books about poker, the statements of eminent players, it is self-control that is put in a key position in the process of playing. Making the right decisions in each hand or the whole poker tournament will give you the best results.

The seeming simplicity misleads many, even very experienced players, and despite the experience and knowledge, the adoption of verified and correct decisions is inferior to emotional outbursts ending in loss.

In further cold-hearted proceedings, the player wonders how he could make this decision, if the correct one (the result of the hand proves that the decision would be correct) was dictated by common sense, mathematical calculation and the situation at the table.

The “rejected” psychology in poker also manifests itself in another format, when a player, contrary to common sense and calculations, begins to play starting hands with meager chances of winning. Each decision seems correct and understandable to the player, but does not lead to the desired result.

There is a special term for such a state in poker - tilt. The term is deciphered as the "clouding of the mind" of the player, when he perceives the game reality inadequately, therefore, he does not react to it correctly and loses. The state of tilt can occur both for a beginner and for a perfect pro.

Within the framework of the psychology of playing poker, it has been developed A few tips to help avoid tilt:

Sit down at the table when you are able to focus on the process at 100%. No life conflicts and other problems should be distracting.
Focus on the process of making a decision, not its outcome. Many players change the principle of the game in moments when all actions are done correctly, but there is no result. This is a temporary phenomenon (bad luck) and one way or another it will end. Correct decision-making and a well-balanced game will be rewarded a hundredfold.

Miscalculation of the game of opponents

The second main point of poker psychology is the miscalculation of the opponents' game at the table. It is very important to study every player at the table. Understand why in each case he did this or that. It is also necessary to determine, based on the results of the distribution, whether the player was right in his actions and what general logic he pursued. He cannot and should not be correct every time, but miscalculating his vision of the game will help to predict future actions and use this to your advantage.

The psychology of online poker is mutual and the neighbors on the table do the same manipulations with you as you do with them. So, in addition to controlling tilt and constantly miscalculating each opponent the player is faced with the task of misleading poker players who calculate him.

At first glance, it may seem that the task is impossible, but it is necessary to do all the actions in turn, so that the techniques worked out to automatism do not require time to use:

Game analysis. Record and analyze played hands and entire sessions. Determine where the game went on tilt and resulted in a loss. Find signals in your game that predicted problems and focus on them in the future. As soon as these signals appear, increase concentration or refuse to play.
Typical Player Mistakes. With experience, you will begin to mark them subconsciously and use them in the game. At first, it is better to write them down and compare the actions of opponents who committed them in different situations.
Practicing counter techniques to mislead opponents.

As you can see, if you smoothly move from one task to another, there should be no difficulties.

Misleading techniques

You can confuse the opponent in a mathematically calculated game by performing actions that do not fit into poker logic.

A prime example of such action is hiding your cards from opponents in situations where, due to your actions, they are forced to pass. In an under-informed game, they don't need to know if you were bluffing or not. On the other hand, in order to build a reputation as a tight player or a desperate bluffer, sometimes you can open your cards for viewing.

In the first case, it will be easier to play the bluff in the future, in the second, opponents will bet more, based on your bluff at times when your cards are strong.

Levels of thinking

This phenomenon has become a derivative of poker psychology and is conditionally divided into several levels:

First level. The player works to understand what cards the opponent is playing.
Second level. Understanding opponents' thoughts about your cards.
Third level. Understanding Understanding your opponent's thoughts about your thoughts about his cards.
Zero level. It was deliberately left at the end of the list, since it is not aimed at analyzing opponents. All players start at zero and are obsessed with their cards and poker odds.

The world's top 20 players talk in books and interviews about the deeper levels of poker thinking. Without the listener reaching a certain threshold of perception, it is difficult to understand what is being said.

Finally

Strive to be one level above your opponents. Dominance by two levels will make knowledge useless, since a player who can read an opponent's opinion about his cards will be useless against one who cannot read them.

Win. This is the dominant theme on websites and poker blogs, chat rooms and forums. I am an active member of several forums and have spent a lot of time and energy on this topic.

My poker buddies are knowledgeable and successful players. Much of this poker strategy article is based on our discussions, however the views expressed here are mine.

I expect not everyone will agree with me. If you want to argue, please leave a comment. There are few better ways to learn the truth than a serious, well-founded argument.

First, the level of rates is important. This factor is so much more important than the others that we need to break down the discussion into several levels of poker strategy. The word "level" here refers to stakes, not skill. You can find great players at the lowest stakes tables and downright weak players at the highest stakes tables.

Secondly, private games played in someone's home are different from games in licensed card rooms, live play is different from online play, and short table play is different from long table play.

Basic poker strategy secrets

For this article, I will limit myself to live cash games played in casinos or card rooms.

Other games have basic differences and require a separate discussion that we can have at some other time.

Even OMGClayAiken started out playing low stakes

Lowest Levels: Low Rate Limits

Here I'm talking about the lowest stakes games you can usually find in a casino. These are 50¢/$1 limit games (though such low stakes are rare), the more common $1/$2 games, and the popular $2/$4 games.

Lots of people play at this level. I suspect that perhaps 80% to 85% of all regular poker players never play the more expensive games.

There are no no-limit casino games that, in my opinion, fit into this category. The cheapest game you can usually find is the one with $1/$2 blinds and a minimum of $100 chips to enter the game. This kind of game definitely doesn't belong to the lowest level. Here you need a special poker strategy.

I'm pretty sure none of this legion of regulars wins in the long run. Nobody. This game cannot generate income for a relatively long period.

The problem lies in the natural variation of the game (i.e., "luck"), as well as a combination of other factors. These factors include the rake - usually $3 to $5 (although some rooms now charge $6 rake) per hand, tipping the dealer and, as is often the case in these low stakes games, the bad beat jackpot.

Combined, these costs result in up to $8 being withdrawn from each bank. In a $1/$2 game, this amounts to 4 big bets per hour.

Winning 1 or 2 big bets an hour under these circumstances would be a brilliant but essentially impossible task, and even if you're skilled enough to win, gas, food, and tips to waiters will wipe out your income.

These games at the lowest stakes are exclusively for players who treat poker as a recreation. If you play these games and lose very little money, no more than one small bet per hour, then you must be very pleased with yourself and happy.

William Hung Participates in Low Stakes Games

You are having a good time with your friends and associates, showing a great game, and it costs you less than a dinner at a modest restaurant or a movie for two at a local cinema. Life is Beautiful.

Low to Medium: Five Percent

This includes limit games with stakes from $4/$8 to $10/$20 or possibly up to $15/$30, and no-limit games with $1/$2 blinds, as long as the maximum number of chips to enter the game does not exceed $200.

At these levels it is possible to win in the long term, but it is very difficult. As with the games above, the rake, tips, and bad beat jackpot are almost an insurmountable barrier.

It's hard to imagine how anyone can win at this level. My guess is that less than 5% of regular players at this level have income from the game.

Yes, it's rare that very high skill players with proper bankroll management and no emotional breakdowns win 1 maybe 2 big bets per hour, but they are very rare.

Medium to semi-high level: real professionals appear

These games include limit games from $20/$40 to $80/$160 and no-limit games with blinds from $2/$5 to $10/$20. At these levels, circumstances change. I estimate between 10% and 15% of regular players at this level (maybe a little more; it's hard to say) earn money from the game in the long run.

The impact of the rake in these games is reduced, and the key factor is that at these levels for the first time you are faced with regularly playing "sponsors", very rich and very gambling players.

Gambling fans who make big bets in craps and blackjack also love poker, but they are very weak in this game. They are rarely a problem for expert players and as a result ensure their winnings.

Not surprisingly, it is at this level that the first professional poker players begin to emerge.

Guy belongs to the following category

High stakes: hunt for the rich

All games that are more expensive than the above, I put in this category. Here again there are changes for poker strategy. By my reasonable guess, more than half of the players at this level receive income from the game in the long run.

As in the case of the previous category, this is mainly due to the presence of a (smaller but reliable) group of very wealthy sponsors.

There are many millionaires who love to play - you will probably recognize some of their names. They often play well and can perform well at lower levels, but prefer to play the best players with the best poker strategy. Without these people, the best poker players would just move the chips around the table, not losing anything, but also not getting any income from the game.

The conventional wisdom is that only about 5% of all regular poker players make money from the game in the long run. This is probably true, but you have to consider that these players are not evenly distributed across all levels where poker is played.

Gambling psychology in general and poker psychology in particular have evolved into a full-fledged science in recent years. In gambling, the attitude to psychology is much more serious than even in psychological clinics and among private specialists, since money is at stake, often not small. This subject is taught to casino employees as a full-fledged science, since it is the croupiers, administrators and staff serving the gambling halls that bring income to the institution.

For playing poker, questions of psychology are a separate line, especially for a real game at the table. This is not only a battle of poker skill, but a battle of characters, psychological preparedness, endurance and balance of each move.

Psychology of the game process

Poker psychology is a broad concept that involves assessing the behavior of other players around the table and identifying different actions on their part.

The poker game is a battle, and with several opponents at once, who also calculate the rest and try to play on weaknesses. Victory in this battle is possible only if you know what other players think. Moreover, you need to understand that they, too, may know about your train of thought and need to be aware again about how this will affect their train of thought. The psychology of poker is nothing more than a serious system of assessing the behavior of opponents in many ways, imposing a picture on your game and using the results to win.

In this case, the player needs not only to evaluate each player at the table and note the flaws in his game, but also carefully hide any manifestations of interest in him, as well as hide emotions with a mask of simplicity and uncertainty.

Of course, the professional players involved in people famous, records of their games are in the public domain and they are analyzed by everyone who admits the possibility of sitting at the same table with such a player. However, despite such a level, these players are constantly updating and improving their knowledge in psychology, as a science and the psychology of poker, as its direction.

There are several examples in the world when experienced poker players, mixed martial arts stars and other athletes are also professionals in the field of psychology and human behavior, graduates of prestigious educational institutions in this area, and some have their own works.

The psychology of poker by example

The situation is as follows - nothing came with the hand, but the flop contains a pair and you . The other player re-raises because he has determined that you are bluffing in such situations and is trying to draw the maximum number of bets before failure to continue the game.

In fact the situation may be as follows, noticing similar behavior on your part the opponent, not having it on hand, simply pulls money into the bank. The correct reaction in this situation is to call the opponent and repeat the bluff bet with an open. Thus, poker psychology will make the opponent think about the presence of your combination and, if he really has nothing, pass.

This poker psychology is a model, which applies to the player who evaluates the behavior of opponents, as well as strict betting and game control.

A different poker psychology applies to poker beginners who are defined as "fish" as they are likely to support or raise on the flop with a weak hand in hopes of strengthening it on the turn.

There are more complex situations where the psychology of online poker is revealed in full light.

Example. The flop brought a pair of cards of the same suit, while the opponent had a bet early.

Watching opponents, a strong player saw that in the presence of potentially strong cards, the opponent often resorts to strategy. An analysis of one's own behavior in a given situation tells the player what is likely in the hands of the opponent.

A further increase in the bet with the arrival of the turn and river will force the player to abandon the idea especially when the cards for didn't come. However, do not forget that the psychology of poker is a generally accepted concept for players and in order to bring down opponents who can also play with weak hands or even on a bluff, the player continues to call bets until the very end.

It is easier to use the psychology of poker in a real game than when participating in online tournaments., since a purely gambling situation is also mixed with a verbal and non-verbal assessment of each opponent, determining moments of excitement, deliberate calmness, superimposing what he saw on the actions performed at the table and making decisions on his own conduct of the game.

The psychology of online poker

When it is not possible to face the opponent any scores are derived from his actions at the table.

An opponent's bet at the end of the situation, in the outcome of which you will make a call, clearly says that he is not bluffing.

Example. All cards on the board are exposed and your opponent raises your bet.. The psychology of playing poker involves trying to confuse at the very end of the hand, but few people are willing to risk the pot empty-handed.

On the other hand, when your raise at the time of the opening of all cards on the table is reraised the psychology of poker suggests that you need to fold, since the likelihood of the other player having a stronger hand is very high. However, it is possible for an opponent to use active aggression tactics just to create that impression and get a big pot on the fold at the very end of the hand. The psychology of online poker often encounters such players. Very often, when they see a significant amount in the bank on the penultimate or last round of betting, they go all-in, knocking out weaker players.

The solution to this issue is a careful study of the behavior of a particular player in every distribution. The psychology of online poker allows you to try on the situation that your opponent faced and look at the game through his eyes, for example, record identical repetitions of behavior and try different reactions to them. Especially do not refuse to answer after the opening of the board. The refusal supports the opponent's bluff and will lead to a repetition of the situation, while the answer, especially if there is a good combination on hand, if it does not knock the player out of the game, especially at high levels, then it will noticeably cool down his ardor.

Finally

The psychology of poker is a fascinating pastime, especially at the moment., when a qualitative assessment will lead to predicting behavior and smoothly leading the opponent to large and large bets in a deliberately losing situation.

The psychology of poker is subject to patterns or labels, which are convenient to hang on opponents after a preliminary assessment of their behavior at the table. This “cautious” one comes forward only with a strong card, the other one is “inadequate” and rushes to raise in any situation in the hope of passing the others from his impudence. The psychology of online poker is full of such labels and the sooner you learn how to pre-evaluate, mark confirmations or denials for it, the more profitable and interesting the game will become for you.