The title of today's column is advice we have all heard and read for years, about how we should continually change gears and mix up our play to keep opponents guessing. Hey, it's good solid advice; that's why it's been around so long. But what does it really mean? How do you accomplish this goal? Does it just mean moving from playing tight to playing loose and vice versa? All fair questions, and we will explore the answers today.
Some pundits advise purposely misplaying some hands at the beginning of a session to show the table that you're wild and crazy, in order to then tighten up and take advantage of the table's misguided impression of your playing style. Some call the early losses "the cost of advertising." While that may work for some, I've never been a fan of that approach for two main reasons. First, I'm not an actor and believe I would just look foolish and, secondly, I believe you're just throwing money away.
Being somewhat old school, I still believe in the limit hold 'em mantras of "tight is right," selective aggression," and "bump it or dump it." However, I do realize that while embracing these tenets of solid play, if you do not mix it up on occasion your play will become so predictable as to be exploitable. Let's take a look at several ways to mix it up while not just throwing money down the proverbial rat hole.
Mixing it up really means playing hands in unorthodox ways... and going against the prevailing wisdom. I will now list several options to accomplish this. Many solid limit poker players never do this because they have had it drilled into their heads that these plays are weak and foolish. OK... maybe, but they are intended to become part of the arsenal that keeps your opponents guessing and scratching their heads. On occasion try limping in with aces, raising with suited connectors from early position, just calling on the button with a big hand, playing draws fast or low depending upon how you would normally play them and, occasionally, showing a bluff. The key is to play a hand contrary to conventional wisdom or contrary to your own default play-to which opponents may well have become attuned. Some of these suggestions may well be your normal default plays... well then just do the opposite twenty to thirty percent of the time. Always playing in your default mode becomes a fault!
I see multitudes of players who really believe they know the game well through their study and experience and then just play on auto pilot. They do this unconsciously because in their heart they believe they are playing correctly. If you have invested enough time and effort to play the game "correctly" then you should be investing enough energy to know that alternative plays can pay dividends. Auto pilot players are too busy watching TV, flirting with the cocktail waitresses, doing their crossword puzzles and any number of other extraneous endeavors. If they have become bored with playing, I suggest they quit the game or move up in stakes which might force them to pay better attention.
Our goal for today is simply to remember to embrace the title of today's column and mix it up. Examine what your normal default plays are and well into a session, having given your opponents the chance to see how you play, show them something new.
See you next "TIME"
Tom "Time" Leonard has played poker in Atlantic City, Las Vegas, and California for more than 30 years and written about the game since 1994. Contact Tom at thleonard@msn.com.
