Saturday, June 28, 2008

Poker gems, #136




Barry Tanenbaum, in Card Player magazine column, available here.


What is the biggest strategic change in the past few years? By far the biggest change in the games that I play is increased aggression. Many more players now play aggressively, and many play too aggressively. Coaches have been promoting selective, aggressive play for a long time, and increasingly, players are catching on to the aggressive part. Most still need a lot of work on the selective part.

Interestingly, there is a lot to be said for passive play now, which was not true in the past. This strategy works only when your opponents will do your betting for you, often on substandard hands or even hopeless bluffs, if you let them. Far more players now bet virtually every time you check to them, eliminating the fear of giving them free cards.

Since betting now represents some sort of badge of courage to many players, you need to give them more opportunities to make this sort of error.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yeah, there are a lot of players that bet and bet and bet. It makes it easy to trap some of them when you get a big hand when they bet into every checked pot.

Wine Guy said...

Every time you sit at a table, even my lowly $1-2 game, you can always spot the WSOP wannabe. I have never been the agressive, bluff you player at all. VERY passive, tight play but when I catch I do feel I get maximum value for my hand. With so many being aggressive, it makes my playing style easier as these young guns will nicely add to my chip stack when I do catch.