BASIC THOUGHT PROCESS

Many people talk about playing the odds, and calculating odds and implied odds and such like. They are calculating the likelihood of their hands being the better one. This is very important, of coursse, but there is more to think about than that.

First of all, what is your table image? Are you seen as a conservative player? If so, your opponents are more likely to fold if you raise or suddenly make a large bet, and you are more likely to be able to steal a pot. Are you seen as a looser player? If so, your bluffs are going to be less effective.

A good solid player will think (probably subconsciously) about three things during a hand.

1. What cards does he have?
2. What cards does he think I have?
3. What cards does he think i think he has?

If you can get your head round this... you will be much more aware of your situation and will be able to make better decisions...

If you can think about what your opponent could have, and then whether it would be realistic.... eg

You have J 10. Opponent is in early position.

Flop is 9 8 6 (rainbow).

You have an open-ended straight draw, but your opponent bets fairly big. Could he have the 7 10 or 5 7? Not likely, because he called the big blind in early position and 7 10 is not such a good hand.... However, he may have 99, 88 or 66.... So you have to think about his hand possibilities in relation to his position to the button.

As aways, comments and criticism welcome, as long as it is put nicely....

I am no mathematician when it comes to calculating odds and whatnot, so this is a good starting method to put opponents on hands. Especially if you have been sitting with them at a table for sometime, it will be much easier to pick up a read on them.

I like what you have there, Scotia, but I think there's even a fourth way of thinking about the game. I first heard this from Greg Raymer, and it really got me thinking about my game and my own thought process.

Raymer says that in addition to the three listed above he thinks on a fourth level which is -- what do I do about what he thinks I think he has. In high level play you are almost alwyas trying to decieve your opponent. Key word here is almost as sometimes you will play the good hand aggressively especially if you are a loose player and have a rep for playing hands strong when you know you're beat. Otherwise most of us will try to get a check raise happening when we think we have the nuts or maybe play strongly for a pot when we really don't have much. (Obviously this doesn't go for everyone, but generally speaking I think this is what many of us try to do.)

Of course those of us at this amateur level aren't all that good at putting people on hands based upong betting patterns and tells, so we play OUR cards and don't worry about what our opponents might have. At higher level play though, we need to start to decide what he has

So if we decide that our opponent thinks that we think he has a certain hand how do we play against that? He may think that I think he has garbe -- do we? Or have we decided that he has a great hand and we need to stay away? What do we do about that.

At this point I like to think of the game kind of like blind man's bluff. I need to decide to put him on a hand -- I need to decide that I can see it before I make a play. I'll get this info from betting patterns, the board, physical tells, table rep, etc. At this point I almost vizualize his cards on his head. Now I have him where I want him, and I have to play the hand the way he thinks I would play it based upon what I have made him think I think he has.

Confused yet? So am I. but I think it's the ability to think on this whole other level that sets the amazing players apart from the decent ones. We need to make decisions in order to convice the opponent that we are thinking a certain way even if we aren't which is what makes the game so difficult. And remember that all of this has to be done while calculating math and keeping a straight face.