Mind GamesGet into the minds of your poker opponents.
Psychology is a branch of science with a closer affinity to poker than math. Sure, you need to compute how much you have, the amount you're betting, or even add up your cards' values. But before you can do any of these, you need to get into the minds of your opponents. You need to figure out what goes on in the minds of your rivals and devise a strategy based on it that would work to your advantage. This is the main idea behind mind games.
The efficiency of any mind game you use depends entirely on the person you're using it on. This said, don't go playing mind games at the onset. It's important to observe your opponents first to be able to sort and find out under which category they fall into before using mind games on them.
In any poker game, you would encounter a number of different players. The first type, known as a "fish," has a tendency to fold if you make big bets when he has a weak hand. The second kind is called the "weak-tight." You can bluff this player out of a few pots but not too much as he could trap you. The "tilting" player is the third type. This one has the highest tendency of playing recklessly and betting in all his chips. The next type is the "tight-aggressive." This is a person whose tactical skills are sound, although his ability depends on how accurately he would read you. Generally, he prefers betting at the pot rather than calling. Then there is the "hyper-aggressive." Knowing whether this player is bluffing or has strong cards is quite difficult. He also loves to bet as well as to raise.
The next phase of playing mind games is done by focusing on the groups which you must be wary of more often than not. These are the tight-aggressive and the hyper-aggressive players. You may lessen your mental tricks on the other remaining types as they normally act predictably. Keeping an eye on the two said groups, you have to maintain an ever-changing pace. Never let them know what kind of player they are dealing with and avoid making similar consecutive moves. You also must take note of which part of the game you would make a particular action. For example, if you bluff during the flop too much, players will start to call you at the said stage, thinking that you would show your strength at the turn.
Moving on, mind games can also be done based on the amount which you bet. You must determine how much you will bet depending on the approximate value of the hand of your opponents and not on the actual value of your hand. You can find out how much the hand of a bad player is worth through the value of his bet. A more experienced player, on the other hand, would make a bet based probably on how much he thinks you value the cards you have. Here is an example: In a no limit game, when you obtained a high full house, betting a large amount is advisable as there might be a good possibility that the other player has a full house which is smaller.
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