Dangerous poker players and the key to detect them
May 29, 2007
First of all what do you know about a dangerous poker player? What makes a poker player dangerous? Well, personally when I think of a dangerous poker player a think of someone I respect, fear, admire, and would like to imitate at the same time.
After spending just a few minutes at a particular poker table you should be able to figure out which player is the weakest. If you cannot accurately say which player is the weakest, then chances are that you are that player. This helpful piece of information will always help your game, but let’s look at things from a different angle. After you have pinpointed the weakest player, why not figure out which poker player is the strongest. You should be able to do so in around fifteen minutes. If you fail to pinpoint the strongest player at the table then maybe you should walk away. This of course does not apply if you happen to be the most dangerous player in the game.
This will help you stay on top of your game. By pinpointing the weakest player you will know whom to intimidate and outplay. By pinpointing the strongest player you will know whom to avoid.
Here is a question for you. When playing Hold’Em, Stud, Omaha, what traits should you look for in order to determine if a player is potentially dangerous or not? You would definitely stay focused and be careful against a player in regards to his deceitful play, changing gears, betting or raising strategy.
One opinion regarding dangerous poker players is that a dangerous player is one that you could rarely put on a hand. That player seems to be playing tight and aggressive. But somehow he manages to surprise you repeatedly when they do show down a hand.
A second opinion regarding dangerous poker players is that there are two kinds of dangerous players. First there are stupid poker players, and they are always dangerous. Second there are very good poker players, and they are dangerous simply because they are so good.
Below you will find a list of things I keep an eye out in order to spot dangerous poker players:
- On the flop a dangerous poker player will watch the players around the table and not the cards.
- In the same betting round a dangerous poker player is able to raise and release a hand at the same time.
- They never show a hand voluntarily.
- Dangerous poker players usually bluff on the river. This may be the subtlest clue, but it is also one of best indicators of a dangerous player.
Here are a few other things I for in someone that I consider to be a dangerous poker player:
- He plays aggressively;
- He always makes the best decision;
- He folds a large number of hands, but when he plays a hand he usually wins;
- Nothing can influence his game in a negative manner.
I will know present you a situation from my own personal experience. Sometimes I would find myself playing in an unfamiliar poker room. I did not know anybody there, but all the players knew each other, and they even knew the dealer. That was an intimidating situation and I used to consider them dangerous players. My reasoning was that since they know each other they must surely know how they play and in order go get an edge they only have to watch me play. They only had to concentrate in learning how I played. I, in turn had to watch how all of them played to pick up any information. This was a much more difficult task. As it turned out I was mistaken in considering them dangerous players. No matter how well they knew each other or the dealer, it did not make them better poker players. In fact I could not believe how poorly some of them would play.
Let’s say that I pick a poker table and I sit down. Although I have never met any of the players at the table, I never judge anyone by his appearance. Instead I play a few hands and closely monitor them and judge them by how well they play. Just because you look intimidating does not necessarily mean you will be a more successful poker player. The quiet players that just sit back and take in all the action can prove to be the most dangerous poker players. They are like chameleons, always blending in with the game background. They are not loudmouths, they do not brag, give lessons, or berate other players. Keep an eye out for these players for they will surely win, and win big.
A chameleon just sits there quietly, blending in with the surroundings, and you do not even notice it until it ambushes you. That is exactly what will happen when playing against these quiet, chameleon like players.
Some players can raise pre-flop and then dump the hand after the flop, if bet into or raised. The hand looked good, but went sour on the flop or turn. These players are not afraid of making the right decision, which is giving up on such a hand.
Let’s say that there is a dangerous poker player at the table and he is in a rush. In this case I will carefully select the hands I will play against him. Sometimes I will give up on hands that I usually play against weaker opponents.
