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Phil Gordon
June 6, 2005
Everyone makes mistakes. The thing
is, a good player will learn from them
while a bad player will make the same
mistake over and over again. And poker
players that can exploit these
mistakes will win.
Here are some of the most common
mistakes that bad players make and my
usual methods for exploiting them:
A player doesn't bluff enough.
When these players bet or raise, I
usually give them credit for a good
hand. When they check, I will usually
bet to try and take the pot.
A player overvalues top pair.
The "average" winning hand
in Hold 'em is two pair. Yet many
players are willing to take tremendous
risks with top pair. When I have a
hand that can beat a player who
overvalues his top pair, I will
over-bet the pot and put them into a
position to make a big mistake. I go
out of my way to play small pocket
pairs against these players because I
know that if I flop a set, I'm likely
to get paid off in a huge way.
A player under-bets the pot.
It is incredibly important, especially
in No Limit Hold 'em, to make bets
large enough to punish opponents for
their draws. When a player under-bets
the pot and I have a draw, I take
advantage of their mistake by just
calling the small bet. When I think I
have him beat, I'll make a raise.
A player calls too much. I
will very rarely bluff against a
"calling station." I will,
however, make value bets throughout
the hand.
A player tightens up under
pressure. Most bad players
"squeeze" too much in the
middle stages of a tournament, or when
they're on the bubble. They tighten up
and wait for a huge hand. Against
these players, I will play a lot
looser, looking to steal a larger
share of the blinds and antes.
A player telegraphs the strength
of his hand with "tells."
I am always observing these players,
whether I am in the hand or not.
Playing perfect poker may be nearly
impossible for most players but, by
recognizing your own tendencies - and
those of your opponents - you're much
more likely to limit your mistakes and
capitalize on the weaknesses of others
at the table.
This lesson is from Phil Gordon's Little
Green Book of No Limit Hold'em
Simon Spotlight Entertainment, Sept
2005.
Phil Gordon
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