Controlling Your Image

There are two fundamental poker mistakes — calling too loosely and folding too tightly. Generally, players who are prone to making one type of mistake are psychologically driven to repeat it. Good players adjust their strategies in marginal situations in order to induce their opponents to make additional errors of the same type.

I was in a solid $40-$80 limit hold’em game early one Saturday afternoon. The group included a lot of weak-tight locals who had arrived early, looking to involve themselves in the Saturday night action at Bellagio. The good news was that I was second up to move to the main game, which included several action players who had played throughout the night and were firing the game up, producing monster pots. That game looked like a lot of fun, and I was anxious to move.

In the weak-tight game, I was not going to receive significant action, and most of the game’s value would come from picking up small pots. Early in my play, in an effort to establish a tight image, I folded a lot of marginal hands. Several laps went by without my playing a hand past the flop, and I knew that the observant players at the table had noticed that. Then, having established a tight image, I took an aggressive line with some marginal holdings in several shorthanded pots that contained weak-tight, fearful opponents in situations where they probably had a wide range of hands. I took down several small pots without showing my cards. When my move to the main game came, I had been playing for a little more than an hour and had won $160 without having made a hand. The $160 win was nothing to write home about, but a win is a win.

In the fast-action game, I wanted the fast and loose players to action up with me and build some big pots when I possessed strong holdings. If I could create those types of situations, other tighter players would get caught up in the action, and many of their calls would be on the much too loose side. I decided to create an action image for the benefit of the action players, who were the ones who would share in the pot-building experience with me if I made a big hand.

Early in the session, I picked up the J♥ 10♥. One of the action players raised my preflop limp, and we picked up four callers. I reraised when it came back around to me. Mr. Action four-bet, and I capped it at five bets. I knew that Mr. Action held a big hand, likely a big pair, but I was getting 5-1 on my preflop action, and not giving up much, if anything, in the way of expectation. And I knew that the fast image I was creating would have value in future hands.

I flopped an open-end straight draw and check-raised Mr. Action after two others called. Once again, we capped it. I flat-called the turn and showed my hand faceup, which is unusual for me, when I missed on the river and folded. I wanted to make sure that my image play received full value.

The game played out for several hours, and while I put in fast action with several draws in an attempt to maintain my image, I played the game in mostly a solid manner. That said, because I had played the J♥ 10♥ so wildly, I received much greater action from the fast-action players when I made a hand, which helped me to win several monster pots.

When I first sit down in a game, I evaluate what strategies I think will work and what image I wish to create. As the old saying goes, “first impressions are the most lasting.” I try to create the image that I want early in my session.

Deciding on the best image can be complicated. A loose image will get you more calls, but will devalue your bluffs and free-card plays. It also makes it more difficult to protect a marginal hand. A tight image will improve the value of your bluffs and free-card plays, but will lower your chances of receiving action on your solid hands. Plus, it makes it easier to protect a marginal hand. Through observation, weigh the value of each strategy, and plant the most desirable image in your opponents’ minds; then, take the appropriate actions in marginal situations.

Image can also be created through conversation and demeanor. It’s a very cost-effective method when your opponents base their thinking on what you say rather than on what you do. But against observant opponents, effectively vary your play of marginal hands. By playing your marginal situations aggressively, you will induce opponents to call you more, particularly those with the emotional predisposition to want to call. If you want players who fold too much to fold more frequently, don’t play your marginal situations. Fold them, and it will add strength to your bluffs, because your opponents will be less inclined to call you when your image is tight.

Keep in mind that I am not saying to tighten up in all of your bluffing situations, just those with marginal value. Since the situations are marginal, the added value to your strong situations will more than make up for your lost equity, if any, in the marginal situations. Notice how I created an image without having to make a deceptive play that cost me significant equity.

Of course, if my opponents adjust to the image that I have created, I will change gears in order to keep them off balance and induce additional errors. To select the right image and change gears at the right time, you constantly need to be analyzing how your opponents are thinking. Pay attention, and focus on the gear that works best in the current situation. And when that changes, change with it! ♠

_Roy Cooke played poker professionally for 16 years prior to becoming a successful Las Vegas real-estate broker/salesman in 1989. Should you wish to get any information about real-estate matters — including purchase, sale, or mortgage — his office number is (702) 396-6575, and his e-mail address is [email protected]. His website is www.roycooke.com. You also may find him on Facebook. _