Small Stakes Poker: The Style of Play

This topic has probably been covered somewhat by looking at the types of players we see at the tables, but I feel that it is worth looking at seperately. The thing about BFP is that no matter what style you see used, the person will openly admit they were right and rarely say they made a mistake. Why would they do that? Well because they won, right? There are a few styles at the table that I find interesting and some that just bug me, but I always try to remember that this is BFP and when all is said and done, I am only out $6. If I don't win, it is because I didn't play well against whatever style player I was put against in the pots I lost. Therein lies the challenge. I have a theory that the styles of play are universal with subtle adjustments made at higher levels when money is involved. I don't think they change that much and I will try to give a real world example that you might see on TV for these types. What we must remember here is that just because I assign a style to a pro, that pro may not always be like that, however the BFP player almost ALWAYS is that style. The worst thing that happens to new poker players is ESPN syndrome. That is when a particular player, who is a professional, employs a certain type of play on TV, it is captured in the 10 hands you see on ESPN and that is how the newbie plays based on that assumption. What they rarely realize is that Gus Hansen folds 5000 hands a day. When he plays 7-4 suited, raises with it, gets pot committed and then sucks out, that is the exception and not the rule. That brings me to the first style:

ESPN Style

There is no limit to the players that fall into this category. There is no certain color, age or type of individual that doesn't fall into this. They have usually been playing about 3-6 months at home or online. They come out to play at the local bar because they want to show their wares on the live stage. Unfortunately, this stage is not as big as they think they are. They will play your highlight hands and always stand up for the "all in moments". Its like watching a recording of highlights where the player has seen Gus Hansen play a certain hand a certain way, out of context, and apply it as a rule. I attribute this style to Phil Laak and Gus Hansen. They are wild at the tables and always come out firing chips into the pot. They play way too many pots and often will get caught by a player with a more mature and responsible approach to their game.

Turtle Style

This style is built around the principle of tight play to the X degree. They see the looser players and decide to take the exact polar opposite approach. They wait and wait and wait. They compain about not getting good cards. They are always mad that the flop never hits them. This style is annoying to me for a couple reasons. There is no reason to be so tight you take yourself out of the game. As well, if this style is accompanied by surliness, then they ruin the mood of that end of the table. If its my end, I would rather go to sleep than continue playing next to Slowly McSurlipants. Its hard to attribute this style to too many pros, but Phil Hellmuth is one who plays his "Top 10" hands and only branches out when he feels the spirit moving him. This type of player, if they are getting cards will win most pots and be just fine. If they aren't, they beat themselves and you don't have to do a thing.

Hamster Style

This is small pot poker. Its great if you are in a huge tournament to use this style in the early stages, but you cannot build your entire game around these hamsterific traits. Hamster style is best identified when a player is constantly raising unraised pots just to pick up the blinds. As well, they will bet a checked pot every time on the river to pick up the small pot. They throw an overbet out to take home a little food. They store the chips up and continue the pattern. This is typical of a person who read Kill Phil and takes it to heart. The All In is a big move as well as the overbet (8-12 times the big blind in an unraised pot). This is also here because of the movie Orgazmo.

Marginal Style

This is usually a person who has been playing BFP for a while. They have seen alot and they "know what they are doing". They know they are good, so they feel they can play cards stronger than they are. For example, raising 6 times the big with K-Q. Now this type of situation happens when the marginal player puts too much value into a hand or feel they can win with any two cards. BFP is not the place to do this. The marginal player will either accumulate chips because they are hitting flops OR they will be one of the first 3 out. The latter is the more often occurance from what I have witnessed. The problem here is that the player is getting into large pots with marginal starting hands. They love any 2 face cards together...not realizing that right off the bat their Q-J is possibly dominated by at least 15 hands in that situation. I don't think there is a pro that does this. They are pros for a reason.

Rambo Style

Rambo style is sort of like ESPN style, except the player doesn't even qualify it to that level. The great thing about Rambo players is that they blow up at some point. They either run the table over, or blow up big....the latter happens more times than not. Mike Matusow is notorious for his blow ups. The Rambo player will raise with any two cards and will drive the betting no matter what cards are on the board. They are "playing the player", which is impossible at BFP. This style may win money in Vegas for short stretches...maybe even longer stretches if they are really good at reading people. This steamroller approach is so bothersome to me. Even with Aces, you have to question where you are in a hand. The best method against Rambo, is to make sure your chips are all in the middle pre-flop with a great (not good, not marginal) hand. Make them decide if their hand is good enough to go against your Aces.

The Best Style

In my opinion, the best style to play has elements of most of the others. Sometimes you have to steamroll and play big stack poker. Sometimes you have to tighten up and just let things happen around you until you get a quality hand. Other times you need to raise a pot with a bad hand and show that you are willing to bluff...or that you are willing to just get lucky from time to time. The only play that I don't like to use is the marginal style. Big pots with marginal hands rarely turn up good, but there is something to be learned from the style. Sometimes you HAVE to play big pot poker with those hands depending on your read. The best style is the kind that doesn't win because you dragged the pot...the best style is when you play good poker always. Good poker isn't accumlating money, chips or tournament wins. Good poker is playing each hand in such a way that you SHOULD win. You won't always win. Poker is a game with random occurances, so you cannot win every time. Good poker is controlling the random elements by being in control of yourself, your cards and your situation. Good poker is laying down top pair when your read says you are beat. Good poker is using "Hit it or quit it" on the flop and ignoring the elf in your head that screams "CHASE IT!!!!". Play your cards, read your opponent and manage your chip stack and you will be a good player.