Master Dilettante

I’ve been wondering how to get feedback on my poker “table image” – the perception other players have of me at the poker table – in other words, my poker reputation.

At the most basic level, players typically characterize each other along a spectrum in two dimensions: (1) loose or tight and (2) aggressive or passive. “Loose or tight” refers to the percentage frequency with which a player chooses to play hands; a loose player plays relatively many hands, while a tight player plays relatively few hands. “Aggressive or passive” refers to the percentage frequency with which a player bets or raises; an aggressive player bets and raises bets often, while a passive player tends to call bets reactively or check.

In addition to these dimensions, table image consists of various perceptions of a player regarding consistency of play, composure, intelligence, risk aversion, trickiness, general strength or weakness, win rate, etc. Table image can change over a period of time or even within a particular playing session and might vary by location or game or any number of other environmental factors.

Why does this matter? In poker, in which it is said that playing the people is at least if not more important than playing the cards, table image can help or hurt your success. A savvy player understanding his own table image and the images of others uses that information to make good decisions and manipulate opponents into making mistakes. For one simple example, if I know I have a tight table image, I know that when I bet players will be more inclined to believe I have a strong hand. And if I understand that a player is tight too, I know that I may be able to bluff that player into folding decent cards by betting.

I most frequently play $20/$40 limit Texas hold ‘em at Bay 101 in San Jose and don’t have a good sense of my image at the poker table. I can think of three ways to self-gauge table image.

1. Maintain awareness of your actions and behavior

I’ve made what I believe to be significant improvements over the past four months to understand my state of mind and control my play and have been a winning player over that period of time. My poker buddies know that I’m prone to “blow up” a la poker professional Mike Matasow. I’ll lose concentration or lose a big pot and then this catalytic event will sometimes cause me to play poorly and thereby lose most or all of the remainder of my chips. I’ve substantially “plugged” this “leak” in my poker game. But I can only imagine that opposing players have witnessed this behavior in the past. If they are smart enough – and they are more likely not to be given the skill of the players at the limits at which I play – they will use this knowledge to look for signs that I will “blow up” (also known as “going on tilt”) and take advantage at those moments.

Of what awareness should be maintained might vary by individual. I try to be mindful of my overall emotional state and energy level (engaged or bored, calm or frustrated, focused or distracted, energetic or tired, etc.); how frequently I have been playing hands and calling, betting or raising; whether I’ve been bluffing; whether the other players are paying attention, etc.

2. Glean insight from opponent comments

On a few occasions, players I respect– they play few hands, they play the hands they do play aggressively, they make intelligent bets, raises and folds – has folded bets to me and made statements such as, “I folded AQ against you.” I laugh inside and think, “Well, you should have three-bet, donkey, because I’ll raise on crap.” However, I can infer from the behavior and comment that this opponent perceived me as a “tight” player and use this information to attempt judicious bluffs.

3. Ask other players whom you trust (and I, myself, count no one in this category)

I haven’t figure out how to get reliable information yet from people I don’t know or trust. I’ve wondered whether the floor people at the card room have any insight, at least into whether I or others are winning players. Because the floor people frequently are selling chips to players and observing the players at a table, an astute floor person would develop a sense of whether a person is a winning or a losing player.

All of this leads to the catalyst for this post, that I heard something last week that still has me laughing today. A floor person was talking to a friend of mine playing a bigger game, $100/$200 limit hold ‘em. Noting that I always seem to have a huge stack of chips in front of me and assuming that I was a huge player, she commented, “I don’t understand how JK can afford not to play here everyday.” Fortunately, my friend set the record straight. But the comment entertains me nonetheless every time I think of it.