Opponent Playing Hands

I am not talking about people who constantly exhibit symptoms of `fancy play syndrome'. Usually these plays surface when an expert has made a terrific `read' of his opponent and plays based upon its accuracy.

Of course, even experts make mistakes! The best way to be better than other experts is to study strategy and tactics.

Attention

I was playing in the 1999 Tournament of Champions. Seated at my table the first day was a player who had finished third in the World Series of Poker $10,000 No-Limit Hold'em event a few years earlier. It seemed as if this person was not paying attention to the game most of the time.

His eyes did not focus on the flop, the other players, or frequently, the table. He seemed to be constantly looking for somebody, the cocktail server, or something elusive. On more than one occasion, though the dealer would call his attention to the action, and bang! He would pick off a bluff.

I started to watch this opponent carefully and I noticed that he was paying more attention to the game than I gave him credit. There are players who do not focus on the game. However, most have not mastered an act like the one I witnessed in this opponent.

More frequently, a person acting as though they are not paying attention means exactly that. Look for several clues in a typical game. The obvious hint would be that a person never knows when it is their turn to act, place the blind or ante, or the amount of the bet.

the range of hands

study strategy and tactics

the location of the button

the particular situation