Bagholder spent much of the last week in the Silicone implant capital of the world - sunny Las Vegas - playing No limit Holdem. While most people consider Holdem a card game played with people, those of us in the know understand its a people game played with cards. The key to winning consistently at the game is understanding the psychological makeup of your opponent. If you can do that, the cards don't matter. Today's blog will discuss some of the more common personalities found at the poker table.
1 Liars. You would think natural born Liars would have a distinct advantage in Poker because deception comes so naturally to them. There is extreme difficulty determining when they are lying, because they are so good at it. Having said that, they lie way more than is necessary. They check monsters, and put money in pots when they don't have cards to justify it. They have their default set to Lying. Properly played, poker requires mostly honest play, with the occasional lie. Liars, as we all know, engage in much more than the occasional lie. This makes them easily recognizable as well as very predictable. At the poker table that is a very lethal combination.
2. Nits. They do it by the by the book. They raise when they have cards, they fold when they don't, as a consequence - they usually get their money in good. They are disciplined and patient, as such their actions tend to be calculated & deliberate. They are also pretty easy to spot - after just a few showdowns - you will have seen a dozen of their decisions. That is a large enough sample to stereotype someone as a Nit. Sharks will tell you, when it comes to hand reading - nits are the easiest group to predict. As people, nits lack creativity & vision. Consequently, their play is the well trodden path of play BIG cards. Many old-timers & most women fall into this group. While its the Liars who have the most deceit in their game, its the Nits who are the most genuine.
3. The benevolent. These are the people who repeatedly check the river in position with hands that should be bet for value. As people, the benevolent are more interested in ending hostilities, than engaging in aggressive behavior. As a regular in LV cardrooms the last 2 decades, Bagholder can attest - there are plenty of these folks out there. You can sit down at a table, strike up a friendly conversation with guy on your left. Next thing you know, he is checking the nuts on the river - because he likes your seemingly friendly nature. In life, the benevolent are among the finest human beings on the planet. Problem is, there is really no place for these people in Poker. You simply cannot make money at this game long term without the willingness to rape & pillage your opponents at every conceivable opportunity.
4. The temperamental. In poker, just like in business - emotions cost money. Decisions in poker, if they are good ones, must have a logical foundation. Inject emotion anywhere along the line, and you are destined to fail. Poker players call it going on tilt. Even the most seasoned pros struggle with controlling "tilt". Emotional tilt comes about because human beings have a tendency to personalize more than is warranted. Some of the biggest evils in the history of planet earth have been perpetrated by powerful people who have personalized something they shouldn't. In life, they call it one of the 7 deadlies - Wrath. Somebody puts a bad beat on you, and most folks will go out of their way to return the favor. Its human nature to start pushing in marginal situations, becoming obsessed with evening the score. That is not a recipe for winning poker, in fact its a one way ticket to the poor house.
5. Gamblers. They are going to see more than their share of flops. They will push their draws harder than most. They will also call off their stack lightly. They live & play, seemingly without fear. All this makes them seem reckless & aggressive. The psyches of most gamblers are riddled with the seven deadlies. In fact, At any given moment, anyone of those seven deadlies is probably running the show. In the real world, this often makes them the life of the party. At the poker table, They are both a blessing and a curse. A blessing because they will put their money in bad, and a curse because because you cant push them out of pots with anything less than a stick of dynamite. When these guys are catching cards, they can book some huge wins, putting sick beats on people in the process. While gamblers can wreak havoc on your bankroll at the poker table, in life they are usually a pleasure to be around.
6. Psychopaths. More specifically the anti-social types. In society, psychopaths are less than 2 percent of the populace. In poker, its probably more like 15%. Psychopaths, by definition, lack empathy. As opponents, they are ruthless, fearless, and deceptive. Psychologists would tell you due to their callous detached disposition, they have an extraordinary talent for lying. In layman's terms, they believe their own bullshit - so they bet the same way when they have cards & when they don't. As people, psychopaths are completely incapable of connecting with others on an emotional level. So their relationships can only be defined by exploitation and manipulation. Seemingly a perfect fit, for the poker table as all this makes them very difficult opponents to read. Their greatest asset however (their detached nature) is also their biggest weakness. Simply stated, they cannot read you. They cannot sense even primitive emotions in others like greed & fear. So they are left incapable of playing their opponents.
7. Fish. These folks are easy to spot as all their decisions are based on their own two cards. You will never see them 3 bet preflop with deuce-seven, nor will you see them fold QQ preflop under any circumstances. In other words, they are playing checkers, while the sharks are playing chess. As such they have no chance to win long term. They do not understand Holdem is a people game - they think its a card game. So they play the cards they are dealt as opposed to playing their opponents. In terms of sheer numbers, this is most populated group as anyone new to the game starts here. The downside is there are no long term winners in this group, because their understanding of the game is very rudimentary. Worse yet, most folks don't ever progress beyond this group.
8. Math geeks. Their decisions resemble those made by fish, with one big exception. The very close decisions are governed based on the math of a given situation. For example, they will not chase flushes or straights unless the pot is laying proper odds. Most folks would not have a clue what the proper pot odds should be to chase a straight. Make no mistake, the math guys know - and their decisions are made accordingly. This fact makes them easily manipulated by those who recognize them for the math geeks they are. Savvy players can simply price them into pots when they want them in, or price them out of pots where they want them out. You can pretty much count on one or two of these guys at every table in Las Vegas card rooms.
9. Narcissists are defined as egomaniacs with an over-inflated sense of self worth. They believe themselves superior to others. In life, as well as poker, this feeling of superiority prevents growth, because narcissists look outward (rather than inward) for the solution to their problems. These are the guys cursing rotten luck when they lose, but crediting their skills when they win. They are easy to spot, as they belittle others, and often yearn for others to fail - even their own friends & family. They do it, because it reinforces their feeling of superiority. They believe external forces are to blame for their woes. Since they don't look inward, they repeat their mistakes over & over. Their power of Denial is legendary. This makes them very profitable opponent to have in a card game, because they are among the most stubborn folks on the planet. In real life, denial prevents spiritual growth, in poker it enables savvy players to charge narcissists the max on made hands - because they just won't listen.
10. Players. These are your long term winners. The players single greatest gift is the ability to adapt their behavior to fit the context of a situation. When their opponents play scissors, they have an uncanny knack for showing up as a rock. They relentlessly attack weakness. As extraordinary empaths, they are experts at spotting said weakness. They understand people better than most folks understand themselves. This insight into people makes them exceptionally skilled at hand reading. Precisely for that reason they seemingly always get their money in good. They take the best traits from all the above groups and forge them into an incredibly tough opponent, capable of almost anything. They have the patience, humility, and self-discipline required to continue growing as both a person and a poker player.