Reading Opponents Playing Patterns

Getting a fix on an opponent's patterns at poker is an ongoing 4ynamic search. It continues as long as we play the game. We are looking for two things: Pattern of play and pattern of deception. (I play with a man who raises with a pair of tens. The player does the same for 10-jack suited). We also need to get a fix on those players who will raise on less than premium hands, and it's especially important to discover what position means to them. For instance, will they raise on K-Q off suit in middle position? How about A-J off suit?

I remember a hand I played with Ralph. Ralph is a position-conscious poker player who would not think of raising in an early position without a premium pair. I put a reliability factor of 95 percent on my judgment of his position play. I was next to last and called on a five-six suited. Ralph raised in the big blind. When the play got back to me it was six-handed, so it made sense for me to call the raise, especially since I felt I knew exactly what Ralph had. For him to raise two places to the left of the button (big blind), he either had a pair of aces or kings. It was even unlikely that he had a pair of queens. The flop came 3-4-7 in three different suits.

Naturally Ralph bet and I as well as two others called.
On fourth street, he bet again and I raised him and other man who had turned two pair re-raised. Ralph still called, and I, of course, re-raised. Ralph also called the final bet. My point is that because of his previous play, a fellow player and I knew exactly what Ralph had in his hand. That is the kind of pattern information we need to win the most money. It's also the kind of information we need to keep our play from being too readable.

Whatever games we play in, we need to pick up the clues at are given to us. Some players will have a high reliability factor and others will vary their play enough so that you won't get much of a fix on them.

Tells are great to discover, but careful observations of the patterns is even more profitable. Watch carefully for the pattern of play and the pattern of deception.