Tuesday, 26 April 2011

Levelling the Land

I have been thinking far too deeply about levels in poker. A friend and I discussed a hand recently and we both felt very silly when it turned out we had overthought each others' moves to such an extent that all the tiny subplots of the hand were wasted on both of us.  I scooped the pot on the turn and could have been thwarted if my opponent had gone with a simpler read of the situation. This led me to thinking about and streamlining my process of categorising and note taking online opponents with (so far) very positive results. I have also switched back to playing sit and gos to simplify my learning process and 'fix leaks.' I am not wasting time trying to spot patterns or analyse reasons behind donkey moves anymore I try to identify the type of  player and their level as quickly as possible in a game and use the next level of play above their game to beat them. The levels are:

Level 0-(Me or) my opponent is so erratic in their play, their moves or cards cannot be predicted.
To beat a level 0 player play level 1 poker.

Level 1-Me or my opponent considers their hand. Is it a strong hand? If so,they bet. If they are raised, they may consider folding.
To beat a level 1 player play level 2 poker.

Level 2-Me or my opponent considers their hand and what the other players might be holding. At this level there is typically a sound reason to bet eg for value, for protection.
To beat a level 2 player play level 3 poker.

Level 3. Me or my opponent considers their hand, their opponents' hands and how their moves will be perceived and acted upon in the eyes of their opponents (this will of course vary depending on their various levels)
To beat a level 3 player first you have to find them at micro stakes!

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