Poker Articles

I was playing in the WSOP event #2 ($1500 NLHE, 2305 entrants) when the following situation occurred.  I am going to describe a particularly interesting hand, but this is not about the hand; it is about the resulting table image from this hand.  You will have an ever-changing table image whenever you play.  It is your job to know the subtleties of how and when your table image changes.

There were about 240 people left with the bubble at 200.  Average chip stack was about $15,000.   At this table UTG had about $55,000, an EP player had about $45,000, a MP player had about $20,000, and the rest of the table had stacks between $5,000 and $15,000.

Table image of UTG is a professional that is what I would call selective aggressive, in that he would always bet or raise his hands, and they seemed to be A-10 or better, so not overly tight with starting hands, but certainly not breaking any “rules” as to what to play from what position.

Blinds are $400/$800 (plus antes).  UTG($55,000) raises to $1600 (I have been at this table for 2 to 3 hours and all pre-flop bets from all players have been triple BB or more with an occasional just plain call of the BB).  EP ($45,000) calls the $1600, the table folds to the BB who goes all-in for $4400, a raise of $2800. 

The UTG re-raises another $5,000 making it $7,800 for the EP to call.  The EP thinks about it.  He has KK, he is facing a re-raise from UTG, who is the only person at the table that can knock him out.  Remember, EP has a nice chip position pretty late in tournament.  What would you do?

EP smells AA and does not want to play against the one stack that can knock him out. So he folds his KK face-up.  UTG is very relieved that he probably just saved at least $5,000 as he shows AQ.  BB has pocket 8’s and the race is on.  The pocket 8’s hold as no A or Q show, and neither do spades.

At this point, the UTG player is shocked and very, very happy.  He could have lost a lot of chips.  The table is a buzz about what just happened.  I am at the same end of table as the UTG and am thinking I know who I am going to make my move on if my cards continue to run bad (the guy that folded KK).  As I think this, the UTG announces to our end of the table that he figures he is going to run over the EP’s chip stack as he is definitely someone to bet at.  I realize I have not lost my keen-mind for the obvious, and apparently others have figured out who to raise out of pots.

Now remember that this is not about whether or not the BB should have just laid down his pocket 8’s, or if UTG got carried away with AQs knowing he was going to have to show it and still make a winning hand, or if “Mr. KK” should have re-raised the UTG either time.  It is about table image (and knowing yours, not just everyone else’s).

So the stage is set for the sharks to feed off of “Mr. KK.”  Except that is not what happens.  Everyone there is aware of his table image, but what we had not realized was how hard it was going to be if he made any kind of raise at us.  About five or so hands later, Mr. KK raises pre-flop, and everyone folds.  Then, about 7 hands later, I raise pre-flop (my stack was about 18k) to $2600, and Mr. KK re-raises a fair amount.  To be honest, I played so many hands in the game that I can not remember what I had, but the one thing I do remember is not being able to call or re-raise him.  Knowing he had laid down those pocket Kings made me think if he was committing that many chips to this pot, he must have a great hand (it would turn out the whole table was in the same predicament as me versus this guy).  I actually said to him right then, “that lay-down of those Kings is helping you now, I just can’t call you,” as I mucked my cards.

Well over the next few rounds, Mr. KK raised and re-raised about twice as much as one would expect (he had obviously been playing tight-aggressive up to the incident – honestly there was no one left that wasn’t playing some version of aggressive).  Every time Mr. KK put chips in the pot, everyone would fold.  Even our table chip leader, who announced to my end of the table he was going to bet this guy off pots, was folding to him. 

So when Mr. KK was raking probably his 10th pot in the last 5 rounds, he caught my eye and gave a small smile.  I think he was saying to me, “you are right, that KK lay-down is helping me now.”

I do not know the end of this situation, as I was eliminated about 2 levels later, but I have thought a lot about Mr. KK and how that lay-down helped him.  Certainly he had the chip stack to bet players off pots, but because of his table image, he was building a very nice stack.  He was aware of his current table image and was using it to his benefit.  He also knew he had to bet strong at pots, as he was aware of what we were all originally thinking, and he could not show weakness or leave us any opening.

To be a successful player, you must be aware of your table image and use it to take down pots, as well as to maximize your winning hands.  I think the most important read for all players is what they believe is their own table image.  From this you can decide what you believe others are thinking.  Ask yourself, based on your table image, will this guy call a re-raise?  Or from my table image, would this guy bet at me unless he had a hand?  Can I make a strong bet even though I just flopped the nuts, because I am being perceived as loose and somebody is bound to re-raise me (that is always fun!)?  Is my opponent just calling with a good hand because he knows I will raise again on the turn?

Your table image can change quickly, particularly in internet play with those you do not know.  If you are a tight player and have just bet pre-flop AA, KK, and AK in three of the last six hands and all players folded, you can be sure your short-term image is loose-aggressive and it is not time to make a move without cards (I am assuming you are not showing your hole cards).  You may be used to players folding to you, but they are not thinking you are tight right now as they have just seen you raise a whole lot, and you really need AA or KK to raise again, because someone is coming over the top of you soon. 

To properly analyze your table image, you need to analyze what you have done recently, keeping in mind the times you have had your cards face-up in a show down (if any).  It must be based on what information the table has seen, rather than the actual situation you have been in.  Now if you are Doyle Brunson or say, er....JSUP, you are so famous that your table image is not going to change based on a few hands or rounds.  But for most players, your table image will be how you are playing now, in this game.

Post Script:  In the tournament described above, I finished 122nd and in the money without ever getting AA, KK, QQ, any set, flush or straight (AK only twice) just by picking the right situations to raise based on my table image (and what I thought of others).  My table image was tight at three tables, due to lack of cards, and aggressive at one, where I had a chip lead and bet at a lot of pots, since most everyone was short-stacked (and very tight).   I must close with:  sorry Josh, could not pass up the opportunity – lol.